The Marblehead teachers strike entered its third week Monday, with hundreds of educators marching from the Veterans School to Abbot Hall demanding higher wages and better benefits.
Select Board member Dan Fox addressed teachers telling them that they deserved fair, equitable pay that puts them at the “median of their peers” at the end of their four-year contract, in order to attract and retain quality educators. Fox did not respond when asked if he thought the School Committee’s offer met that bar.
Fox wrote in a statement, “The town of Marblehead will need an
override in order to pay all of our employees (educators, municipal employees, first responders) a fair and competitive wage.” Monday afternoon, School Committee members Jenn Schaeffner and Sarah Fox held a press conference at a small fitness facility at Little Harbor, announcing that they are participating in court-ordered fact-finding with a neutral third party. The fact-finder, an MIT professor, will hold a hearing beginning Dec. 2 and issue a ruling Dec. 4. The MEA attended the first
BY BENJI BOYD
The Marblehead High senior girls have been training for weeks to get ready for their annual Powderpuff football game against rival Swampscott. Last Saturday morning, Nov. 23, at Swampscott’s Blocksidge Field, their hard work paid off with a 28-12 win to make it two in a row over their Swampscott peers.
They defeated the Big Blue last year, 21-14. It was Jacqui Bouchard’s last game as the team’s advisor after an 18-year run. It also broke a two-game losing streak. Swampscott won in 2022, 21-13 after shutting out the Magicians in 2021, 10-0.
As the rain poured down on Blocksidge Field, the Marblehead junior girls were decked out in Marblehead gear and face paint, while waving flags and blowing whistles from the stands. Parents, friends and teachers also filled the stands to cheer on the team.
After the 10 a.m. kickoff, it didn’t take long for Marblehead to score the first points of the game. By halftime, Marblehead was leading 14-0. Marblehead began the second half with a 60-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by soccer and track star Ava Machado, but Swampscott wasn’t about to give up. They were able to trim the deficit to nine, 21-12. But the Marblehead girls remained in control, while scoring one more touchdown to account for the final score.
For the record, star softball catcher Luka Bornhorst led her teammates in scoring with two touchdowns.
Sierra Leinberry and Machado again
each chipped in with one touchdown.
“This game was awesome,” said James Bickell, one of the team’s offensive coaches. “I’m so proud of these girls for turning in such an amazing performance. It was an honor to coach them.”
Juliet Burchfield, Sydney Shull, Paige Tredwell, Sophia Johns, Ramona Gillett and Hannah O’Brien were the 2024 team captains. According to first-year team advisor Caitlin Fields, Burchfield, Shull and Tredwell were primarily the
COURTESY PHOTOS / EYAL OREN, WEDNESDAYS IN MARBLEHEAD
MHS Powderuff player Abigail Peach tries to evade a Big Blue defender during Saturday morning’s game.
MHS senior Lani Gilmore kicks for a point.
CURRENT PHOTO / GREY COLLINS Marblehead High School teacher and soccer coach Elmer Magaña marches with hundreds of educators from Veterans School to Abbot Hall Monday. STRIKE, P. A7
POWDERPUFF, P. A9
The Current answers readers’ questions around the teachers strike
BY LEIGH BLANDER AND WILL DOWD
The Current has heard from many residents recently concerned about the teachers contract and strike and asking questions about town meeting, elections, recalls and more. We launched a feature called, “You ask, we report” to get readers the answers. If you’d like to send us a question, please contact us at info@marbleheadnews.org.
Does the Select Board have any authority/option to intervene in the teacher strike negotiations?
Eyal Oren
According to Select Board Chair Erin Noonan, state law prohibits the Select Board from intervening in the School Committee’s process/decisions.
Why isn’t the entire School Committee participating in negotiations? Eyal Oren
We put this question to Sarah Fox, Jenn Schaeffner and the rest of the School Committee and did
not receive a response.
If the entire School Committee voluntarily resigned, what would happen next? Eyal Oren
The Select Board would appoint a new School Committee.
What if they resigned during ongoing negotiations? Eyal Oren
Noonan wasn’t 100% certain, but she suggested that Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer might run the negotiations solo.
What recourse do people in town have to ensuring elected officials are performing their duties? Eyal Oren
Marblehead does not have any process for recalling elected officials.A question on the 2024 Town Meeting warrant that would have updated town bylaws to allow recalls was pulled just before deliberation.
What is the process to run against a School Committee member? Eyal Oren
Two School Committee seats are
up for grabs in this June’s election — those belonging to Sarah Fox and Alison Taylor. To get your name on the ballot, you must collect at least 50 signatures. Papers to run will be available from the Town Clerk’s Office in mid-March.
Are there term limits on elected School Committee members?
Laurie Pulido No.
Where does each member of the School Committee and Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer stand on the teachers’ demands? Do they believe the union’s requests are unreasonable? Or do they believe the demands are fair, but doubt the town will pass a large enough override to meet them? Mary Chalifour
We put this question to all members of the School Committee and Kezer and did not receive a response.
I keep hearing that the town consistently voted down
[Proposition 2 1/2] overrides to provide additional school funding in the past. I’m curious how many citizens actually voted? Phoebe Barrett
Two recent general override attempts have failed, including a $2.5 million override (for school and town expenses) in 2023 with 40.5% voter turnout and a $3 million schools override in 2022 with 35.8% voter turnout. Other debt-exclusion overrides for specific projects, like building the Brown School, have passed. An annual town meeting is held every May in Marblehead.
Additional special town meetings can be convened for emergency funding requests or employee contracts, according to Town Moderator Jack Attridge. These special sessions can be called by either the Select Board or through a petition of 200 registered voters. A town meeting must be called within 45 days of citizens collecting 200 signatures. After passing at town meeting with a two-thirds vote, overrides must be approved by a majority vote at the ballot box.
Electric bike use on the rise in town
BY WILL DOWD
E-bikes are surging in popularity, but as they transform mobility, local officials, business owners and community members grapple with a pressing challenge: balancing e-bikes’ benefits with safety concerns, particularly as minors navigate powerful, adultsized models.
“With the influx of these bikes into the community, it’s up to the bike riders to operate safely and pay attention to both pedestrians and vehicles,” said Police Chief Dennis King. “Drivers in town need to also pay attention to e-bikes. The numbers have definitely increased and some of our calls are complaints about our younger riders going too fast, or not paying attention.”
Electric bicycles combine traditional cycling with motorized assistance. In the United States, e-bikes are categorized into three classes based on their speed and mode of operation:
» Class 1: These e-bikes provide pedal-assist up to 20 mph. The motor engages only when the rider is pedaling and ceases assistance once this speed is reached.
» Class 2: Similar to Class 1, but with the addition of a throttle that can propel the bike without pedaling, also up to 20 mph. Beyond this speed, the motor stops providing assistance.
» Class 3: These e-bikes offer pedal-assist up to 28 mph and are often equipped with a speedometer. They may or may not have a throttle, but if present, the throttle is limited to 20 mph.
Currently, Shuman noted there are no age restrictions on purchasing or riding e-bikes in Massachusetts. However, he noted that unlike other countries, American e-bikes often include throttles, which can make them more challenging to control. His shop primarily sells pedal-assist models and actively discourages e-bike sales to children.
The police department has responded by planning an educational campaign and spring bike rodeo. While there have been some accidents involving e-bikes, King noted none has resulted in serious injuries. The department works closely with the Highway Department on the town’s master bike plan.
Dan Shuman, owner of
Marblehead Cycle, expressed significant concerns about young riders using adult-sized e-bikes.
“Most of the e-bikes that you see kids on around town are designed for adults, and weigh close to 80 pounds or more. That is a lot for a 12-14 year old kid. Often they can’t really handle the bike safely or reach the brake levers without really stretching.”
Shuman noted that unlike other countries, American e-bikes often include throttles, which can make them more challenging to control. His shop primarily sells pedal-assist models and actively discourages e-bike sales to children.
“In Europe, e-bikes don’t have throttles. In fact, I have heard that America is the only country that does put throttles on e-bikes,” Shuman said. “I would prefer a bike that they pedal. Maybe once they know the rules of the road they could have an e-bike that is pedal-assist without the need for a throttle and that doesn’t go over 15 mph.”
The issue has captured the attention of the Traffic Safety Advisory Committee. Member Rick Smyers highlighted both benefits and concerns, noting that e-bikes enable novice riders to travel at speeds typically achieved by experienced cyclists.
“E-bikes enable more people to ride by reducing real and perceived barriers due to physical
ability. More bikes of any kind reduce pollution and traffic and make the roads safer by increasing driver awareness,” Smyers said. He added that while crashes on e-bikes tend to be less severe than car accidents, they typically involve injuries to the rider rather than other road users.
Felix Twaalfhoven, who commutes by e-bike from his Marblehead home to Centennial Park in Wellesley, demonstrated the practical benefits of these vehicles while also working to improve bicycle infrastructure in town.
“One of the advantages is we don’t have showers at work. So you have an e-bike, and it’s about nine miles, you don’t sweat.”
Twaalfhoven has been instrumental in developing bike safety plans for local schools, noting remarkable growth in bicycle usage. “Four weeks ago, I went around to all the schools at Village. There were 122 bikes. When I started four years ago, I think there were 30.”
His efforts include improving access points and installing appropriate bike racks, making cycling to school more feasible for students.
“The biggest change, which was a surprise, about eight years ago, I realized they built the high school with 250 parking spots for cars and a bike rack for four bikes,” he said.
Christopher Hardy, a longtime
traditional cyclist, offered a historical perspective on the e-bike phenomenon.
“I am Gen X and have ridden the same basic type of mountain bike since I was in boarding school 35 years ago,” he said. “From this perspective, I view e-bikes as like e-cigarettes or vape pens.”
Hardy observed increased youth activity during the pandemic.
“Since then, I have seen a trend of adolescent males who ride fat tire mountain bikes during late evening hours down Washington Street or Atlantic Avenue, usually en route from CVS or another store with food — occasionally pulling wheelies at high speeds or flying down the road with two or three friends on a single seat.”
The town is actively working on a comprehensive bike master plan that will address e-bike integration. King emphasized that safety remains a community responsibility.
“I hope that parents are talking to their kids about bike safety, encouraging safe biking, wearing a helmet and maybe punishment if they don’t follow the rules. By punishment I mean restricting their bike use. MPD does play a key role in bike safety, but it’s a community effort to make our streets safe and encourage safe biking, awareness that bike riders are a big part of our town, and everyone needs to play their part.”
CURRENT PHOTOS / WILL DOWD
Dan Shuman, owner of Marblehead Cycle, shows an electric bike for sale in his shop.
Making Ends Meet supporting more families, kids in need this season
BY LEIGH BLANDER
For more than 30 years, the local nonprofit Making Ends Meet has been helping Marblehead residents in need with short-term financial assistance, holiday gifts and more. Since the Marblehead Counseling Center launched Making Ends Meet in 1992, the nonprofit has supported about 1,000 families.
This year is no different. Making Ends Meet launched its annual Adopt a Family program this fall. People can sponsor a child (you can request an age and/or gender), shop for presents totaling about $100, wrap them and deliver them to the Marblehead Community Center on Dec. 18. The next day, families will arrive to pick up the gifts.
This year, more than 150 kids
will receive presents thanks to Adopt a Family.
“It’s wonderful,” said Making Ends Meet President Dee Vigneron. “It’s probably one of
the nicest programs. It feels so good when the parents come to pick up the presents for their kids. They have tears in their eyes. It’s very special.”
Flipping the switch
Preparing for town’s annual Christmas tree lighting set for Dec. 6
BY LEIGH BLANDER
One of Marblehead’s favorite traditions is coming up next week — the Christmas tree lighting across from National Grand Bank on Friday, Dec. 6, starting at 5:30 p.m. The event kicks off the town’s Christmas Walk weekend.
“I remember the tree lighting from when I was a little kid,” said National Grand business development manager Matt Martin, who is now in charge of the event. “I never want to see it go away. It’s awesome for little kids to come and be a part of it. It’s just a really nice tradition.”
It’s not clear when the Christmas tree lighting tradition started, but it was at least 50 years ago, Martin believes.
“When it was turned over to me about seven or eight years ago, I was trying to think outside the box,” he said. “I reached out to all the chorus and music teachers in town, and we have the kids sing up on the stage. It makes for more of a small-town feel. When you involve kids, it makes everything more inclusive.”
National Grand buys up to 2,000 new lights every year and decorates all 18 trees around the parking lot on Pleasant Street where the YMCA used to be.
“We circle the whole area in white and then put just colored lights on the Christmas tree,” Martin explained. “We hire Marblehead landscaper Chris Archibald, and we rent a stage and complete sound system. The bank gives me carte blanche. We spend a pretty penny on this thing… around $7,000 a year.”
The town planted a new tree for the tradition several years ago.
“For the first three years, it was tiny; everybody was making fun of it,” Martin recalled. Now, the tree is about 22 feet tall.
The Marblehead Chamber of Commerce Person of the Year typically gets to flip the switch on the lights. This year, that is retired veterans agent Dave Rodgers.
“When the football team was in the Super Bowl, we had senior class members come up,” Martin added.
Martin has one piece of advice for parents bringing little ones to the festivities.
“Put a unique hat on your kid’s head because there’s a million kids running around with red and black hats,” he said.
This year marks the 53rd Christmas Walk. Here’s a look at activities on tap:
Thursday, Dec. 5: Holiday shopping preview night
Friday, Dec. 6, 5:30 p.m. Christmas tree lighting festivities. The tree is lit at 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 7, 9 a.m.: Santa arrives by lobster boat at Tucker’s Wharf and greets children Saturday, Dec. 7, 11:45 a.m. Christmas Walk parade steps off from Front Street Sunday, Dec. 8: Events and shopping around town.
The Marblehead Current will publish the complete schedule in our Dec. 4 edition.
The process starts with local school counselors and the Marblehead Counseling Center sending wish lists to Making Ends Meet in the fall. Social worker Teri McDonough at MCC plays a big role in referring families to the nonprofit.
“Through the years, Adopt a Family has spread so much joy — for sponsors and recipients alike. It helps to weave together a sense of connectedness for our community,” McDonough said.
McDonough added, “As parents, we sometimes try to shield our kids from the economic struggles we face. These can come through job loss, medical events or just not making a living wage. Adopt a Family can brighten a children’s holiday with a special gift they’ve been wishing for that’s beyond their family’s budget. An unexpected simple treasure
can spark a sense of security and belonging.”
Making Ends Meet is busy year-round helping people who run into financial troubles.
“It could be bridging rent payments to avoid an eviction,” Vigneron explained. “It could be for utility bills or medical bills. Or an unforeseen car repair. We help with summer camp tuitions.”
According to the Making Ends Meet website, “It can and does happen here in Marblehead. Individuals and families in our community find themselves affected by financial or medical crisis. Making Ends Meet has been able to offer grants to locals who have nowhere else to turn when faced with unexpected hardships.” For more information, visit makingendsmeetmhead.org or email adoptafamilymhd@gmail. com.
Members of Making Ends Meet include, front row, from left, Sally Adams, Candy Bishop-Conlon, Frances Tully, Judy Wales, Colleen Polk, Melissa Dormer and Julie McCarthy; back row, Carol Spillane, Dee Vigneron and Suzanne Lynch McCormick.
CURRENT PHOTOS / WILL DOWD
The annual Christmas tree lighting is a beloved tradition in town.
Choruses from Marblehead schools perform at the tree lighting every year.
Opinion
eDITorIAL
Food for thought
Our town leaders are fast at work preparing their proposed budgets for fiscal year 2026 to present to Town Meeting in May of next year. In doing so, they recognize that the overall budget must be crafted to ensure that it will not cause real estate taxes to increase by more than 2.5%. This has been central to the construction of all of Marblehead’s annual budgets for town meetings since 1982, the first year that General Laws Chapter 59, Section 21C — familiarly known as Proposition 2 1/2 — went into effect.
Prop 2 1/2, an initiative petition passed by Massachusetts voters in 1980, was led by Marblehead’s own Barbara Anderson and her organization, Citizens for Limited Taxation. A former member of the town’s Finance Committee, Anderson was a fierce advocate for imposing annual limits on the increase of local real estate taxes, and her tireless work on this issue resulted in such a mandate, which has endured for over 40 years.
We at the Current support the basic premise that keeping annual limits on the increase of real estate taxes is good for Marblehead taxpayers, but we also wonder if the time has come for our legislators to consider possible modifications of such limits to reflect the reality that certain fixed costs of the town’s annual budget — over which we have little or no control — are increasing at such a rate as to make it impossible to provide annual pay increases to our valued employees that will at least keep up with the increases in the cost of living.
By way of some examples:
» Health insurance premiums for town employees now constitute approximately 13% of our total budget, and they are forecast to increase next year by 7%.
» Mandated contributions to fund our retirement account are just under 5% of the budget, and they are scheduled to increase by 8.6% pursuant to the required funding schedule in order to be fully funded by 2037.
» The total waste disposal budget, which accounts for 2% of the overall budget, is expected to increase by 10.5%.
The combination of these three expense categories alone represents approximately 20% of the town’s budget, meaning that the remaining 80% must increase by less than 2.5% to comply with existing limitations under state law. In an ideal world, all of the town’s obligations would increase by not more than 2.5% each year, which would provide greater opportunity to negotiate employee contracts to try to keep up with increases in the cost of living. And yet, further complicating matters and adding stress to the town’s budget, there is the outcome of the teachers strike, which hopefully will have been settled by the time this issue of the Current arrives at our readers’ doorsteps. Assuming a new contract calls for pay increases in excess of 2.5%, the town is going to be called upon to decide whether to approve a general tax override to fund it, as there currently is no ability to cover such costs within the existing constraints on the annual budget. If past history is any guide, there is little reason to believe an override will pass.
For all of these reasons, we ask if it now makes sense to adjust the statute to take into account the challenges presented to Marblehead and all other Massachusetts municipalities so that the underlying intent of Prop 2 1/2 remains intact while recognizing the fixed cost realities confronting us all.
We do not presume to have the answers, but we do believe the time has come to have this discussion.
everYTHING WILL be oKAY
Living hopefully
BY VIRGINIA BUCKINGHAM
Just one comma changes the tone of the title of this column from optimistic to something more on the pessimistic side of the scale (Living, hopefully).
Playing with the meaning of words is something I’ve loved long before that ode to punctuation, “Eats, Shoots & Leaves” appeared on bookshelves. But I know it will take more than words or a grammarly shift in perspective to impact those with a more negative outlook on life these days.
I’m one, to the chagrin of some, who is pretty sanguine, even optimistic, about the fate of our country and world in the next four years and beyond. That’s not because I have a crystal ball that tells me “Everything will be okay” as the brand of this column suggests but because I believe it is essential to live with that perspective.
A friend who was struggling with the presidential election results reached out with a heartfelt text. I’m paraphrasing, but she essentially said, “I love you, but everything is not going to be okay.” A neighbor around the same time, after reading my postelection column about finding light, said, “You’re an optimist, huh?” with the implication of it seemed impossible to be so now.
The two exchanges brought to the surface something I have struggled to articulate. What do I mean by “Everything will be okay?” When
Teacher/union member:
‘Whose fight is this?’
To the editor:
Whose contract is this, whose fight is this? Over the last year, as co-president of the MEA (Marblehead Education Association), I have been fighting around the clock for a fair contract.
Many of you are asking who is really behind this contract? Tonight I’m going to tell you who, and what drove this contract, and the strike.
I started teaching when I was 20 years old. I joined Teach for America. I trained in South Central L.A., then taught in Weslaco, Texas, and New York City. I had no teachers union to protect my rights as a teacher. I worked for pennies.
I moved back home at 23 and became a tutor, finished my master’s. I had no tuition reimbursement. I paid out of my own pocket. I then cared for my mother as she passed away from cancer at the age of 54. Family leave and bereavement leave weren’t something I had as a tutor.
At 26, I landed my job in Marblehead, I also was pregnant with my first son. When he was born in May, I took all my sick days… about 10 days, then I was unpaid. I had three more sons over the next few years, each time with fewer and fewer paid sick days, because there’s no real way to “save sick days” when you have four children under 6. My family struggled financially. So I fight for parental leave.
At 38. I found out I had the BRCA1 gene. I needed to have two major surgeries, a bilateral mastectomy and an oophorectomy. It was an easy decision, I wanted to watch my sons grow up. My husband, an educator, had no family leave, he took as many days as he could to help. I had no sick leave bank, so most of my leave was unpaid.
looking around today, it’s clear things are far from okay, and won’t be any time soon, far beyond whatever you think about the election results. The list of what troubles our world is too long and too depressing to name here. So how can I write under the banner “Everything will be okay?”
You know the expression, “I’m an optimist by nature”? That’s not me. I was never a glass-half-full kind of person. I’m an optimist by experience, and because, as I answered my neighbor, “It beats the alternative.”
When you have borne a shattering experience, whatever the cause, just the fact that you survived is enough to instill a sense of calm in the face of the next storm. But if you’ve not only survived but thrived? That surely seeds a sense of optimism even in the most scarred of souls. Also while in the midst of feeling fear and anxiety, it seems to me if you don’t hold onto the hope that the seas will calm, enduring the battering swells is far more difficult.
I’m not a student of history (and clearly not a sailor) but you also have to be willfully ignoring the past to think this period of time is the worst this world and country has been through.
“Everything will be okay” is also not suggesting we do nothing while we wait for things to get better. Quite the contrary. I think those who thrive under trying circumstances are actively engaged as changemakers, in their own lives or in the broader community.
I’ve written before about the organization “Starts With Us.”
Today I fight for family leave, and sick banks.
For the past year as co-president and Glover teacher, I fought to protect the rights of some of the very best educators I have ever known who Marblehead schools turned their back on. I fought diligently for the rights of students and staff to have safe schools. Because our safe working environment is students’ safe learning environment. I fight for safe schools.
I am now within five years of retirement. As I look at districts surrounding Marblehead I, too, want fair wages. I have worked far too hard in my career not to receive the compensation I deserve. Marblehead is one of the lowest paying districts on the North Shore. I fight for fair wages.
Over the years, I have had a wonderful career. There have certainly been highlights, my students and my colleagues have meant the world to me. There have been many struggles as a teacher. As a profession of mostly women, we have been an exploited workforce. We are stripped of so many rights that other fields are granted. Make no mistake, this is a sexist world. I vowed this contract would be different.
I wanted to make sure I left this profession better than I found it. Educational reimbursement, parental leave, family leave, sick bank, bereavement, safe schools, fair wages… all the things I did not always have in my career, that would have made my life easier.
This fight is the MEA …and every member like myself who did not stand idly by and allow a law firm and a bargaining subcommittee to dictate the rights we deserve as educators, and to prevent our students from obtaining the public education they deserve. The platforms I stand on are the platforms I was denied. This contract
They’ve simplified the mission of their nonpartisan community to one word — builders. In a post-election email (noting it would have been the same no matter the victor), “Let’s defy our divisions, choose solutions over sides and get back to building.”
Focus on building. That seems like another way to live out “Everything will be okay.”
A recently made friend who has seen a lot of the world as a former military leader, literally and figuratively, still remembers a lesson on optimism from first grade. He was, after moving around a lot, settling into a new parochial school. A nun asked the assembled youngsters if they knew what the greatest sin was. Her answer struck him so deeply that, even if he didn’t understand it then, it’s stayed with him for decades. The greatest sin, she said, was “giving up hope.” Wow. I am also struck so deeply by the surprising answer that it will stay with me for decades, too. At its simplest, that is what I mean by “Everything will be okay.” Don’t give up hope.
Happy Thanksgiving, dear readers. I am, as always, grateful you let me share my thoughts with you.’
A member of the Marblehead Current’s Board of Directors, Virginia Buckingham is the former chief executive officer of the Massachusetts Port Authority, chief of staff to two Massachusetts governors, deputy editorial page editor for the Boston Herald and author of “On My Watch: A Memoir.”
fight was Sally Shevory — and every other Marblehead educator — showing our students and community to stand tall for our convictions and to always fight for what is right. Good trouble, Marblehead.
Sally Shevory MEA co-President, Glover School teacher
Vigil affirms teachers’ fight for fair contract
To the editor: As educators taking part in the strike, we extend our heartfelt thanks to Marblehead’s faith leaders for organizing a vigil at the high school on Wednesday night.
Comments from members of the interfaith coalition, parents, students, and colleagues who are members of the Marblehead Education Association affirmed our decision to fight for schools we want to work in and schools our students can thrive in. Our resolve is strong, and we look forward to returning to schools we can be proud of. Our other observation from the vigil is not so positive. We were hoping to hear from members of the School Committee, especially those who are not on the committee’s bargaining subcommittee; where do Alison Taylor, Al Williams, and Brian Ota stand? Do they support their sub-committee’s course of action and agree with the legal advice their committee is following?
While some elected officials have publicly stated their support for an override, we believe the community needs to hear from all of Marblehead’s board and committee members about their support for an override to
When teachers strike, students lose
BY JENN SCHAEFFNER AND SARAH FOX
Our teachers have now been on strike for nearly two weeks, and Friday marks two weeks since our students have been in a classroom. All of this was avoidable.
Since the start of this illegal strike, there have been various accusations tossed at the School Committee that are untrue and are getting increasingly personal. There are two indisputable facts: it’s our students who are paying the price and our community that is being torn apart.
It’s important to keep Marblehead residents informed of what is transpiring during our negotiations. Our negotiations update page on the School Department website provides the latest information.
Make no mistake. We know we have the best teachers on the North Shore and they are deserving of our respect and our support. But we also have
an obligation to the residents of Marblehead to negotiate a contract that does not commit us to terms we cannot afford. Our current offer would require
a reasonable override which we unequivocally support. It is based on the current wage market and reflects the fiscal realities of the town.
Our efforts to reach a contract agreement began in December 2023 when we first requested to start bargaining with the Marblehead Education Association — long before their contract expired at the end of August 2024. Unfortunately, the MEA waited until March 2024 to meet with us, then requested a slow-paced, twice-a-month meeting schedule constricting the time calendar. Bargaining in the summer was not an option for the union when we first asked. Immediately before the strike began, the committee offered
the 15 teachers on the MEA negotiating team paid days off to stay at the table full time, if they canceled the strike, so we could keep students in school. That offer was rejected.
The committee recently increased its original offer and would now raise the average salary of our teachers to around $100,000 and the top salary to $110,000 for 184 working days. Two-thirds of our teachers would be at that top salary level. Our proposals are also fair to our paraprofessionals, custodians, maintenance personnel, bus drivers and tutors. We are offering our lunch and bus monitors, teachers’ aides and other
properly fund schools and other municipal functions.
As the vigil made clear to us, community is not just a word in Marblehead – it is a value. A small group of people is blocking progress toward a fair contract that gets educators and students back to school. We need to hear from others who can bring this crisis to an end.
Jenn Billings, Marblehead High School
Meg Burns, Brown School
Shelley Burns, Village School
Michael Fu, Marblehead High School
Kristen Grohe, Village School
Jae Guttadauro, Marblehead
Veterans Middle School
Hanna Partyka, Glover School
Connor Ryan, Marblehead High School
Caroline Todd, Marblehead
Veterans Middle School
Dana Trudeau, Village School
Amanda Ward, Brown School
Laura Weiss, Glover School
Victoria Wyard, Village School
Kristin Xiarhos, Glover School School Committee, town leaders have failed Marblehead
To the editor:
This letter is to the Marblehead community, but specifically directed to those who govern our town and our School Committee: My father always told me, “When someone does something wrong, you need to tell them they’re doing something wrong. They may continue to do it but the truth is where it needs to be.” The truth is this. You all have failed your Marblehead residents.
The actions over these past couple of weeks are nothing but additional gas to the flames of arrogance, entitlement and, yes, a grave negligence of your duties. When you continuously lie, deflect, mislead, you leave people no choice but to question why. And I can’t keep coming back to any other reason other than you have things to hide.
As representatives of our town, you are supposed to be our heartbeat, and our voice, but instead you have made us all heartless and mute. You have turned the governance of this town into a joke. Except it’s on all of us, because you all use, and have been greatly using your positions to your benefit for years. Where else could you ask to see a town budget, a file every citizen is entitled to see, only
to be met with half-answers, lies and silence? And where else could public properties be sold to private developers no questions asked, in fact don’t even DARE ask questions in this town!
No truly. Because anytime someone asks any of you a question you refuse to answer, or hide behind an overpriced attorney.
Most other municipalities at this point would want to save face. Or at the least during the holiday season give some sort of sign or indication that its members truly do care about performing the duties their positions charge them to.
But I do not expect that here.
No. Until collectively we all stand up and tell you “no more” at the voting booth, you will continue to pillage and plunder our taxpayers’ money, believing you have no obligation to the actual taxpayers themselves.
And the most nauseating thing of all? I think you truly believe that.
Happy freaking holidays.
Jeremy Spiegel May Street
‘Please vote as one to save the Marblehead we love’
To the editor:
My late husband and I moved to Marblehead in 1973. We were attracted to this beautiful place because of its vibrant sailing community and because of its excellent school system. Our daughters began kindergarten here — one at Glover, one at Eveleth — and after many years under the instruction of topnotch teachers there and at the middle school, both received their diplomas from MHS. My four grandchildren now attend Glover, Village and Vets. Sadly, our schools and many other town departments are now in financial crisis. The School Committee and some other town leaders are earning failing grades at connecting with their constituents. Marbleheaders cannot allow these crises to continue. The history, beauty and harbor of this town cannot become its only coveted attractions.
People need to support town services to the fullest and restore stability, and, to that end, a tax override must be passed. How can residents not agree to pay additional taxes while simultaneously expecting their property values to grow? The situation cannot go both ways. Many years ago an “original” Marbleheader voiced at town meeting his opinion about proposed nutritious school lunch programs. The
sentiment was: “If a bologna sandwich was good enough for me in 1961, it’s good enough for my grandkids now.” That kind of static thinking no longer works. I am looking forward to wholeheartedly supporting an override, so that my grandchildren leave Marblehead with the best-in-class education that their mothers received. Please vote as one to save the Marblehead we love.
Linda Haesche
Rock Cliff Road
Grandmother says ‘please end this now’
To the editor:
I am unfortunately not a Marblehead resident. As a 72-year-old who was born and raised in Marblehead, went to school in Marblehead and graduated in 1970, my children were educated in Marblehead and lived here. Unfortunately, I can’t afford to live in Marblehead until a senior housing apartment becomes available. This doesn’t mean I don’t care about the town. Two of my five grandchildren go to Marblehead schools.
I have been following the Marblehead Education Association and School Committee on Patch and in the newspaper. It is time the present members of the School Committee, who I assumed ran for this committee and were voted in by the town residents, care about what happens in the schools. I served on a town board and understood what give and take means to come to some compromise. I don’t feel this present situation is about compromise. There are two vacant schools that need to be sold but the School Committee won’t relinquish these properties to the town. The children in the town are the ones who are suffering. It is time to settle this now, not tomorrow and not next week.
My grandfather was Eben Weed who served on the Marblehead Finance Committee, School Committee and Select Board and owned and published The Marblehead Messenger. He wasn’t afraid to speak his thoughts, and I guess I must have inherited that from him. I believe in educating our children in Marblehead, and I believe our educators are a caring group of teachers and parents. Please end this now.
Susan Finigan Town must invest in education, support override
To the editor:
I would like to begin by saying that my husband and I have lived
in Marblehead for over 40 years. Originally, we chose this town for its beauty and location on the coast. Over the years it has become our home because we share many of the same values that this community has held dear; things like education, giving back, loyalty, fiscal responsibility, support for the arts and many more. When one of these values conflicts with another (i.e. education vs. fiscal responsibility) we weigh the benefits and think about the long term impacts of these potential opposing forces. We do not have children and I want to be clear that we support good education, our educators and our school system in Marblehead.
Benjamin Franklin once said “an investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” I believe this to be more true today than perhaps when it was said. As a community we should be investing in our schools and our teachers. Marblehead should be a beacon for education on the North Shore not the home to the lowest paid educators. I understand that this investment in our children and educators will take a general override to be passed in the town of Marblehead, something that hasn’t happened since 2005. In order for this to pass, it will take all members of our community that value education and the level of services to step up and support an override.
I am optimistic that given the opportunity, the citizens of this town will step up and support an override. Why wouldn’t they?
A good public education started a journey that made it possible for many of us to afford to live in our beautiful town. Why would we not want to support the people who are responsible for laying the groundwork for our kids so that they might live in a great town like ours in their future? Why should our teachers have to live in other towns and not live in the community that they serve?
Why has our School Committee been spending money for lawyers and public relations for the past nine months that has brought us to a stalemate and teachers having to strike? Wasn’t the time that kids missed school during COVID enough? We need our teachers to come back to a workplace where they are valued so that they can do their jobs of shepherding our schools.
I think that our school board should give the citizens of this town more credit. Marblehead residents ... please get involved.
Reach out to your School Committee members, Select Board and Thatcher Kezer and tell them to settle this contract and give the teachers fair wages,
parental leave and bereavement time for pregnancy loss. It is time for this community to decide what it values in services. It is time for our School Committee to move forward or step down and allow those who actually value education to take the helm. Let’s get our teachers back in school and invest in the future of our children. Our kids deserve that! It will pay dividends. Prop 2 ½ override ... get it done!
Susan Greco Peach Highlands
Teachers deserve fair compensation, modern policies
To the editor:
A laborer who is forced to work with no input regarding pay or working conditions, is oft called an enslaved person, an indentured servant or forced labor. Our School Committee and town are asking us to place our teachers in those categories. These educators, working without a contract, are only asking to be considered and compensated for their authentic worth, to make classrooms, with enormous numbers of special needs students, safe to be in by hiring and paying a living wage to aides, and modern leave policies practiced by other systems.
A favorite t-shirt of mine reads on the front “If you think education is expensive ...” and on the back “Try ignorance.” Let’s create overrides, generate the necessary funds and push back on ignorance.
Judith Black Prospect Street
Concern about School Committee’s ‘misleading information’
To the editor: This is a letter to the Marblehead School Committee.
I am writing to express concerns about the lack of transparency and the recurring instances of misleading information shared by the committee regarding decisions that impact both students and staff. For example, you are stating that there would be 109 staff positions cut if you agree to the current wage proposal by the Marblehead Education Association, yet cannot provide a number of cuts based on their wage proposal if an override doesn’t pass. What is that number? Why can’t the School Committee provide it?
CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER
School Committee bargaining team co-chairs Sarah Fox, left, and Jenn Schaeffner
Tensions escalate in teacher contract dispute
fact-finding meeting Monday but was hoping to continue mediation in an effort to settle the contract sooner. Schaeffner and Fox said they would only be participating in fact-finding.
“The union seems intent on continuing its strike,” Schaeffner said.
Negotiations broke down Sunday night after both sides said they would not budge on their latest wage proposals.
As Schaeffner and Fox and their attorney Liz Valerio were leaving the high school Sunday night, about 20 people pursued them in the parking lot, shouting and demanding that they stay and continue to negotiate. Schaeffner and Fox said they held Monday’s press conference at a private business for “safety reasons.” Teachers were kicked off the property and chanted slogans from across the street.
Sunday’s negotiations were tense, as the union invited community members into its bargaining meeting in the MHS library and the mediator traveled back and forth between the School Committee downstairs and the union upstairs.
Residents also staged a sit-in in the school’s lobby, urging the School Committee to keep negotiating. They say several songs, including “Stand by Me” and “This Little Light of Mine.” Hundreds of people marched outside the school, too.
The School Committee’s “best and final” wage offer to teachers was a 10-18% increase, depending on education-level and seniority, over four years. That would bring Marblehead’s
As a parent, I believe those entrusted with overseeing our schools must prioritize honesty, clarity and openness in their communications, especially when those decisions directly affect the education and well-being of our children.
Unfortunately, I have observed several instances where the information provided was either incomplete or inaccurate. This has raised doubts about the committee’s commitment to these core values and eroded the trust necessary for effective collaboration between all stakeholders in our school community.
Additionally, I want to emphasize the importance of supporting our teachers and staff as they seek a fair contract, especially in light of an increase in living costs due to inflation over the past four years. As the voice of our community, it is vital that the committee fully represents the community’s support for educators and ensures their concerns are addressed.
The commitment you make to represent us is not only about policy decisions but also
COURTESY IMAGE/ MEA
In
highest-paid teachers to a salary of $113,312. That’s the same amount that Gloucester teachers settled for last week.
The MEA said the wages for other, lower-paid teachers aren’t increasing enough.
“Everybody needs to move up,” said Sally Shevory, Glover School teacher and MEA co-president, adding the union wasn’t going to leave anyone behind.
The union countered with another compromise offer, which the School Committee rejected.
“It was not acceptable to us,” Schaeffner said.
The MEA is also asking the School Committee to approve its return-to-work proposal, which outlines how teachers and students will go back to classrooms.
The goal, according to MEA Co-president Jonathan Heller, is to make sure the School Committee and administration cannot retaliate against striking teachers. The union emphasized that teachers will not go back to school without a contract and a return-to-work agreement.
The MEA said it made significant concessions not
about standing in solidarity with the teachers and staff who are vital to the success of our schools. I respectfully urge the committee to reflect on the importance of these values, as our community deserves to be informed and included in decisions that shape the future of our schools. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
I look forward to seeing meaningful improvements in communication and accountability moving forward.
Best, Jessica Heller Ralph Road
School Committee’s message is ‘just not true’
To the editor:
I am a parent of three children in Marblehead Public Schools. On Nov. 23, I was invited into a bargaining session, along with a handful of other parents, as a silent rep to witness what exactly goes on in these sessions. It was eye opening.
I heard from union leaders all about their objective: to collaboratively create a new
only in wages, but in benefits like parental leave. The School Committee is offering 15 days of paid parental leave. Gloucester just offered its educators seven weeks.
The union also dropped its request for more recess and longer lunches for students, which the School Committee has consistently rejected.
The latest from court Meanwhile, the Commonwealth Employment Relations Board on Monday filed an emergency motion in Essex Superior Court seeking an order that would require four Marblehead teachers to comply with its order that they return to work, even if the strike continues.
The CERB’s Nov. 24 order came after the Marblehead School Committee filed a petition with the Department of Labor Relations on Nov. 19 requesting a strike investigation, alleging that, by engaging in a strike, teachers Jonathan Heller, Sally Shevory, Hannah Hood and Alison Carey violated G.L.c. 150E, §9A in their individual capacities.
The four individually named teachers argued that the CERB had abandoned the practice of applying §9A to the conduct of individual employees by the late 1980s.
But the CERB rejected that argument, distinguishing the present circumstances from a Brookline case the Marblehead teachers had cited in support of their argument. In the Brookline case, the strike in question had only been contemplated and had not yet begun, the CERB noted.
The CERB was able to point to other cases in which it
contract that no only supports our current teachers (in line with their neighboring peers) with financial equity, safe schools and modern benefits, but also to help attract future people to want to work in Marblehead. As it stands, no one wants to come work here, our rate of attrition is embarrassing, and that’s a huge problem.
There are 14 districts in our surrounding area and in terms of wages, Marblehead sits at number 12 on that list. The union’s wage proposal, by year four of their contract, will only bring Marblehead to number seven, which is still below the average.
I witnessed the discussion of adding 30 minutes of recess for our K-6 learners but just as the MEA started to gain momentum towards a tentative agreement on this topic, the mediator returned to the room and said the School Committee does not think this topic is worth bargaining over anymore and the conversation stopped — with no agreement. The letter that the School Committee sent after bargaining ended, certainly spun the truth and indicated that the union pushed back on this topic and did not accept this cost-free
had found individual liability for union officers who participated in a strike or were picketing.
The CERB ordered Heller, Shevory, Hood and Carey to immediately cease and desist from engaging in the strike and to report for work at their normal start time on Monday.
When that did not occur, the CERB went back to Essex Superior Court with its emergency motion. The CERB is asking Essex Superior Court Judge Janice W. Howe to order Heller, Shevory, Hood and Carey to cease and desist from participating in the strike.
The four educators would also be required to report directly to the superintendent at their regularly scheduled work hours “to determine their assigned work locations if the schools are closed to students due to an ongoing strike by the MEA.”
The CERB also requested that Heller, Shevory, Hood and Carey be ordered to attend a hearing in Howe’s courtroom at 11 a.m. on Tuesday “to report on their compliance with the court’s orders.” That hearing had yet to be confirmed as of the Current’s press time. Check marbleheadcurrent.org for updates.
The School Committee’s initial complaint with the DLR on Nov. 8 was against the Marblehead Education Association as an organization. That same day, the CERB found the union in violation of §9A and brought its order to Howe. The judge first issued a preliminary injunction and then found the MEA to be in contempt of that order, triggering a series of escalating fines.
Kris Olson contributed to this article.
path for extra recess. There’s no other way to say this, but it’s just not true.
I could go point by point on the differences about what I saw and what I read in their letter but just like these negotiations that happen in separate rooms, on separate floors, is a waste of time. It was clear to me, and every other parent in the room, that there is no urgency from the School Committee to get a return to work agreement signed by 6 p.m. Sunday. If there was, perhaps the School Committee would finally agree to meet consistently in person with the union and the mediator to get our kids back in school; that would certainly move things along quicker and more efficiently, because what they are doing now is anything but that.
Our School Committee members were elected to act in the best interest of our schools and right now they are not. Please, come to the tables with your teachers and bargain in good faith with urgency. Enough is enough. Our kids need to be back in school. Get the return-to-work agreement signed. Time is ticking. Bit Coppola Beverly Avenue
MARBLEHEAD TEACHERS
STRIKE TIMELINE
2022
June 21: Voters reject $3M school override (3,921 No to 1,798 Yes).
2023
May 23: Parent group begins pushing for new $2.5M override for schools and town services.
June 20: Voters reject $2.5M general override (3,399 No to 2,992 Yes), leading to 33 position cuts.
2024
March 6: Investigation reveals “neglect of student” by educators in restraint incident at Glover School; several educators placed on leave.
March 14: Collective bargaining negotiations with Marblehead School Committee begin.
April 4: Teachers stage action for paid parental leave, joining 5,000 educators across 11 North Shore districts.
Aug. 20: Contract negotiations end abruptly during 10th bargaining session.
Aug. 29: Teachers start the school year without a contract, wearing red in protest.
Sept. 3: More than 30 unfilled positions reported in district; Salem teachers reach tentative deal for 20% raise over three years.
Sept. 11: 11th bargaining session focuses on school safety committee proposals.
Sept. 20: School Committee states teacher wage demands would require 14% tax override or laying off 42% of staff.
Oct. 3: Teachers lower wage proposal and begin work-to-rule action.
Nov. 3: MHS athletes produce video supporting teachers in contract battle.
Nov. 4: School Committee files for state mediator.
Nov. 7: Multiple developments: » About 500 MHS students stage walkouts supporting teachers.
Teachers vote to strike starting Nov. 12.
Interim Superintendent cancels Tuesday classes.
» The School Committee files an emergency appeal with the state Department of Labor Relations.
State mediator scheduled for Nov. 9 bargaining session.
» The School Committee votes to hire a PR firm for $9,500.
All sports and extracurriculars were canceled during the strike.
Nov. 14: Judge levels fines against teachers.
Nov. 15: More than 1,100 residents sign ‘no confidence’ in School Committee petition.
Nov. 17: Town leaders announce teachers’ proposal would add $926 to average home tax bill.
Nov. 20: School Committee files legal action against four teachers.
Nov. 21: Judge freezes fines against striking teachers, sets Sunday night (Nov. 24) deadline. Nov. 23-24: Community forms ‘cheer tunnel’ for striking educators as they arrive for bargaining.
—Will Dowd
paraprofessionals, who work part time, a 48-to-69% salary increase — as we recognize they play an important role in our schools. We initiated the proposal of moving our preK, kindergarten, special education and chemistry paraprofessionals to the tutor contract as we feel that reflects the important work they do every day for our students.
We improved our original proposal to provide parental
leave, offering a new benefit for the first 12 days of leave to be paid by the town and increased to 12 weeks the amount of additional time a teacher could take to be covered by the teacher’s accrued sick time. We have already added a sick leave bank for teachers and have offered to create a new combined sick leave bank for tutors, paraprofessionals, permanent substitutes and custodians.
The committee’s proposal would add $5 million to the town’s budget, and would necessitate a $2.5 million property tax override, which we support. Anything beyond what
we are offering would add to that number and risk layoffs and cuts to programs that would greatly harm students.
The union’s original proposal had a $10 million price tag and would create a $7 million hole in the town’s budget, which would need to be filled with a much larger override. Even the “grand gesture” the union proposed this week was far short of what the town can afford, and would leave the town’s budget between $5.3 million and $6.8 million out of balance — quickly showing itself to, in fact, be a poison pill.
Our goal is to keep teachers and staff employed and keep
school class sizes smaller than many surrounding districts. We pride ourselves on that and our students deserve the best education possible. When teachers strike, the burden stretches far beyond the walls of our schools. We wish it was simple, but in recent years it has become ugly. Cyberbullying and public pressure tactics upstage substantive dialogue. In this case, it is also clear that the statewide Massachusetts Teachers Association is coordinating these strikes among three North Shore communities. The MTA seems intent on stretching these strikes out as long as possible
to bring pressure on our communities and to send a warning shot to communities currently bargaining new contracts with their teachers and staff. Our children and families should not be used as pawns to advance the MTA’s statewide agenda. We plan to remain in negotiations until an agreement is reached, so our children can get back to their classrooms and our parents can get back to their normal schedules.
Jennifer Schaeffner and Sarah Fox are members of the Marblehead School Committee and co-chairs of the Bargaining Subcommittee.
a Marblehead Education Association survey of its members, 72.5% said they are looking for new jobs outside Marblehead.
Attorney Robert Peck
Please
The Cale Weston ‘Be Kind’ Fund was established in loving memory of Cale Weston, alifelongresident of Marblehead who passed away from cancer in February 2024.
Cale was known for his generous spirit, warm heart, and unwavering kindness, and the fund has been created to carry forward his legacy of compassion. The ‘Be Kind’ Fund, started through the help and generous support from family, friends and local residents, aims to embody Cale’ssimple yet powerful message:to“be kind” and help others.
This Thanksgiving,the fund will provide turkeys to the Marblehead Food Pantry,ensuring that families in needhavea special meal to share.Looking ahead, the Weston family plans to use the fund to support other community needs as they arise, continuing Cale’smission of helpingothers and spreading kindness throughout the Marblehead community
FeNWAY boUND
Sports
Annual rivalry game against Swampscott to be played Thanksgiving Eve in Boston
BY JOE MCCONNELL
While the Swampscott Big Blue football team (8-2, seventh seed) was getting ready for a Division 6 state semifinal game against Fairhaven (9-1, third seed) on Saturday, Nov. 23, at Milford High School after press deadline, with the winner going on to the Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium next week, the football Magicians (7-3) were still licking their wounds from a 35-0 shutout loss pinned on them by host Grafton (10-0, third seed) in a Division 4 Round of 8 encounter on Nov. 15. Notwithstanding the decidedly different playoff scenarios, there’s no doubt that both teams have had fine fall campaigns, and once the game against Fairhaven is over, the Big Blue will undoubtedly begin thinking about Marblehead, because the Thanksgiving showdown against their longtime rival would be only days away. But instead of playing at Piper Field on the holiday, they will be meeting up with the Magicians on Thanksgiving Eve (Nov. 27) at Fenway Park, beginning at 6:30 p.m. It’s going to be a moment etched in time. Wednesday night’s showdown will be the 115th edition of the holiday rivalry. The Magicians have won 59 of them, including last year’s 28-21 triumph at Blocksidge Field. It was Marblehead’s 13th straight win against the Big Blue. They will be going for No. 14 with the Green Monster staring down at them this year.
The Big Blue probably already knows that Marblehead has a potent offense, discounting the previous game against a formidable Grafton defense. Since the third game of the season, the Magicians had outscored the opposition, 257-44. For the season, they are still on the plus side in points, 276-144.
offensive leaders, while Johns, Gillett and O’Brien led on defense. They each took turns as the special teams’ leaders.
The 2024 Powderpuff winning coaches were James MacKenzie and Logan Doody, who headed up the defense; state championship hockey player and captain Kyle Hart and Bickell called the shots on offense; and Gavin Lepler was the special teams mentor. Track star Will Cerrutti was the team manager.
The Magicians came into the game confident. Though the teachers strike briefly interrupted their daily practices, O’Brien said she wasn’t worried. “I truly believe throughout the past few days before the game, we really caught up,” she said. “All the girls on this team worked hard to get this win.”
The team practiced twice daily at either Piper Field and Gatchell’s over the past week, which allowed them to make up for lost time that was caused by the teachers strike. Fields rejoined the girls for these practices. Before that, parents stepped in to supervise the team’s effort.
“I’m just incredibly proud of
After losing to Grafton, captain Colt Wales admitted it was difficult to get back into it right away.
“Practice overall has been fine. It was difficult to get back into it (after the Grafton game), but we’re getting better every day like it was during the regular season,” Wales said.
But with the incentive of playing at Fenway Park, the attitude was bound to get better.
“This (Thanksgiving) game definitely takes on added significance,”
Wales said. “There’s technically no home field advantage for
these girls,” said the first-year advisor. “This hasn’t been an easy season for them, but they tackled the bad weather and other challenges with confidence and positivity, and I think that showed on the field (on Saturday) against Swampscott.”
O’Brien added: “It was pretty difficult that week (when the teachers went out on strike). But we had parents supervise the practices. But we (still) couldn’t use the field, and didn’t have access to our (equipment).”
In other words, they had to fend for themselves, and were able to persevere through it all. Fortunately, these challenges
were quickly resolved, allowing the team to take their practices back to the next level.
The coaches then focused much more time on scrimmaging and real game situations to get ready for last Saturday’s exhibition. But in the end, it all paid over with a win over their rivals.
When asked about the best parts of being on the team, both O’Brien and MHS student Gavin Lepler, who again was the special teams coach, agreed that it was seeing the friendships that were formed in such a short period of time. Lepler went on to say: “It’s
either side like it’s always been, so it’s definitely going to be different. But we’re just going to treat it like a normal game.”
Wales remembers going to Red Sox games with his fellow captains over the years, but the one game there that stood out for him as a fan wasn’t baseball.
It was a hockey game during the Winter Classic a couple of years ago, which he says was “fun.”
“The venue is incredible, and I’m very excited to get the chance to play there,” the senior captain added.
But Fenway has a real grass surface, something today’s high school football players don’t really play on, because most facilities have field turf. Wales, however, said “it will probably be the nicest surface we have played on, other than our own brandnew turf at Piper.”
Wales doesn’t mind not playing the Swampscott game at the traditional starting time
really nice seeing these girls get together (the last few weeks), who wouldn’t usually be together.”
This game also annually raises money for a designated charity, and this year all proceeds are going toward treatments for River Walker, a 3-year-old local boy with medulloblastoma, which is a form of brain and spinal cord cancer. His mom is a Swampscott High graduate, and his grandmother lives in Marblehead. Adding a personal touch to the whole day, River did the coin toss at the beginning of the game.
Online donations for River may still be made by going to riverwalk2024.com, and look for the link to his GoFundMe page.
The Powderpuff roster included Taum Amberik, Julia Aneshansley, Tonia Auerbach, Maggie Beauchesne, Ella Benedetto, Finn Bergquist, Avery Black, Olivia Bloodgood, Maria Bondarenko, Laura Botnaru, Brooke Brown, Carley Brown, Juliet Burchfield, Elise Burchfield, Brinleigh Callahan, Savannah Caruso, Abigail Childs, Ella Commoss, SAmantha Cooper, Campbell Crane, Caroline Crane, Caroline Crosby, Adelyn Cruickshank,
of 10 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning. Instead, he’ll spend that time at home celebrating the holiday with his family.
“Honestly, I just want to play,” he explained, and having this year’s Thanksgiving game at Fenway is a pretty good alternative for him.
Captain Crew Monaco says there has been “real good energy all week long at practice” since the Grafton game. “And we are even more excited as the (Fenway) game gets closer,” he added. “We have been focused in practice, so we’ll be ready to give it everything we have for the last game of the year.”
Monaco mentioned that
“the venue is going to be spectacular, and when you have a great rivalry like we have with Swampscott it’s going to make for an even better game.”
Monaco has been to a ton of Fenway events over the years, but the ones that stood out for him was when Big Papi David Ortiz spoke after the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing or the Noah Kahan or Morgan Wallen concerts.
As far as playing on the Fenway grass is concerned, Monaco says that shouldn’t be a problem, because they practice on grass fields out in back of the high school throughout the season.
“It’s going to be very special to play this game the day before Thanksgiving, and then I can wake up the next day knowing I can relax,” said Monaco. “Or maybe I’ll catch another game. The St. John’s Prep/Xaverian game might be a good one to watch.”
But playing this year’s Thanksgiving game with the Green Monster hovering over them will be something Wales, Monaco and their teammates can talk fondly about among themselves or maybe with their kids and grandkids for decades to come.
Rachel Delisle, Annabelle Drayer, Courtney Duffy, Amalie Dye, Maddie Ferris, Paige Fletcher, Madison Forbes, Reese Friedman, Gabby Hendy, Ramona Gillett, Lani Gilmore, Olivia Goldwater, Abagail Goodwin, Sarah Gorham, Jamie Haliotis, Maxine Hall, Raine Hamilton, Olivia Hodgkinson, Courtney Hoguet, Olivia Homan, Aria Hoover, Sophia Johns, Nina Johnson, Arielle Kahn, Anya Kane, Eliza Kay, Chloe Kennedy, Courtesy Klocker, Ava Laham, Valerie LeBlanc, Sierra Leinberry, Luka Bornhorst, Ava Machado, Iyla Mcgovern, Sona Miller, Adelaide Mooney, Bridgett Moss, Lilah Nagel, Hannah O’Brien, Megan Parkman, Ellie Payson, Abby Peach, Reese Pignato, Maren Potter, Callie Prince, Rory Raitto, Evie Riegle, Sophie Robinson, Caitlyn Ryan, Aeva Salem, Sydney Shull, Lilah Siegel, Gretchen Smith, Jordyn Stritzke, Aoife Sullivan, Carter Sullivan, Tailia Tanger, Cheyenne Tarasuik, Main Tiffany, Paige Tredwell, Jack Whalen, Sydney Woodward, Genevieve Wykes, Morgan Zion and Emma Zurn. Coaches were: Gavin Lepler, James Bickell, Kyle Hart, James Mackenzie, Logan Doody. Will Cerrutti was team manager.
COURTESY PHOTOS / EYAL OREN, WEDNESDAYS IN MARBLEHEAD
After taking a handoff from junior quarterback Finn Gallup, senior captain Brady Selvais (33) looks for some running room against host Grafton during the Division 4 Round of 8 game on Nov. 15. The Magicians have since moved on from that game to get ready for Thanksgiving rival Swampscott. This year’s game will be played on Thanksgiving Eve (Nov. 27) at Fenway Park, starting at 6:30 p.m.
COURTESY PHOTO / EYAL OREN, WEDNESDAYS IN MARBLEHEAD
MHS juniors cheer for the Powderpuff seniors on Saturday morning.
Marblehead junior Rylan Golden (6) skies high to make a catch against host Grafton during the Division 4 Round of 8 game on Nov. 15.
Two leagues from bordering countries bridge the generations to form lifelong friendships
BY JOE MCCONNELL
A 60-year relationship in anything throughout life is a rarity, but when it occurs you know it’s something that can’t be defined without first appreciating that everlasting bond.
Here locally, the Marblehead Youth Hockey Association reached that milestone, when it welcomed its brothers and sisters from St. Lambert, Quebec, to town once again on Nov. 15 for a weekend of fun and games. Both youth hockey organizations will do it all over again in February — like they have been doing pretty much every year throughout the past six decades — when Marblehead travels across the border to be St. Lambert’s guests for a weekend.
The late Bill Haskell, one of the pioneers of the Marblehead/St. Lambert Youth Hockey Exchange, was remembered for his role in starting this annual tradition six decades ago during the opening ceremony.
Bill’s family was on hand to receive a plaque from MYHA president Mike Calabrese in his honor. His great-grandkids are playing in this year’s exchange.
The exchange continues to be a labor of love for both leagues, and Calabrese understands it’s a unique collaboration. “This exchange is all about building friendships with the opposing team, which definitely makes it totally different from anything else in youth sports,” he said.
“This tournament transcends the generations,” Calabrese added. “We had a grandfather, who played in this tournament, come down from St. Lambert’s to watch his grandkids play in it this year. There’s no other tournament like this in the world.”
A total of seven teams from each league played in the Marblehead-hosted Exchange almost two weeks ago. There were specifically two teams from the Mite, Squirt and Peewee divisions, plus a Bantam squad, squaring off against each other, with one game in each age group taking place every day from Friday through Sunday (Nov. 15-17) at Lynn’s Connery Rink.
The Marblehead Bantams lost one game, while winning two with a squad mixed with St. Lambert players by scores of 7-6 and 5-0. The Marblehead Peewee Triple-A club went 2-01, while the Double-A team was competitive in its games, despite going 0-2-1.
The Squirt Triple-A club
BY JOE MCCONNELL
NAME: Nate Assa
AGE: 17
FAMILY: Parents: David and Lizzie; Siblings: Ruby Assa, 15, a freshman runner on the girls team, and Sloane, 12.
SCHOOL YEAR: Senior
SPORTS YOU PLAY: Cross country, indoor and outdoor track
FAVORITE SPORT,
anniversary
for
lost two games, while tying another, 3-3, with St. Lambert players on it. Their Double-A counterparts experienced similar results. They earned a point from the tournament after ending up in a 5-5 tie with a club that also featured St. Lambert players.
The Mite Triple-A kids finished up with a 1-1-1 record, while the Double-A kids won two games together, and also a mixed contest by a score of 5-0, with St. Lambert players teaming up with them.
Rob Harvey, a MYHA board member and coach, was in charge of the always-popular skills competition that featured a race around the rink, shootout and obstacle course events. The Marblehead kids won, 38-26.
Remi Shafer and goalie Shamus Laramie participated in the skill events from the Bantam team.
Jack Degrass, Will Manning
and goalie Nola Ferarraso were the Peewee Triple-A representatives. Kelly Degrass, Conor Ridge and goalie Liam
Hurley were the Double-A kids. Flynn Kelley, Bode Harvey and goalie Hunter Tentindo stepped up for the Squirt Triple-A’s.
Wednesday, Nov. 27
6:30 p.m., football, , Swampscott, Fenway Park
6:30 p.m., football cheerleading, Swampscott, Fenway Park
8 a.m., wrestling, multiple schools, Marblehead High gym (scrimmage)
10 a.m. girls basketball, multiple schools (scrimmage), Malden Catholic High
noon, boys hockey, Lynnfield (scrimmage), McVann-O’Keefe Memorial Rink, Peabody
Sunday, Dec. 8
10:30 a.m., boys hockey, DoverSherborn, Salem State University
2:20 p.m., girls hockey (jamboree),
Finley McLaughlin, Brandon Keenholtz and goalie Ben Smith represented the Double A-club. The Mite Triple-A’s were represented by Teddy Ainlay, Brooks Buckley and goalie Dutch Whelan. The Double-A trio consisted of Connor McClure, George Wattendorf and goalie Will Connolly.
One or two St. Lambert players lived with a MYHA family during the three-day youth hockey extravaganza, while their parents stayed at nearby hotels in Salem and Peabody. Both leagues will do it all over again in February, with the Marblehead players and parents visiting the Quebec suburb. It’s an event that never gets old on the respective youth hockey calendars every year, still going strong after six decades.
Cambridge Rindge & Latin, New England Sports Center, Marlborough
Monday, Dec. 9
5 p.m., girls basketball, Lynn English (scrimmage), Marblehead High gym
7 p.m., boys basketball, Bishop Fenwick (scrimmage), Marblehead High gym
Wednesday, Dec. 11
6 p.m., boys basketball, Manchester-Essex (scrimmage), Manchester-Essex Regional High
Thursday, Dec. 12
4:30 p.m., boys and girls indoor track, multiple schools, Marblehead High gym
6:30 p.m., swimming and diving, Salem, Lynch-van Otterloo YMCA
7:10 p.m., boys hockey, Shawsheen, Billerica Memorial High
The Marblehead Youth Hockey Hollyhock girls teams were on hand for the opening ceremony of the annual Marblehead/St. Lambert Hockey Exchange at Lynn’s Connery Rink on Nov. 15.
St. Lambert youth hockey players Eliot Gauthier and Samuel Desbiens pose with their Marblehead counterparts Charlie Ainlay and Jack DeGrass, from left, during the annual Marblehead/St. Lambert Youth Hockey Exchange at Lynn’s Connery Rink from Nov. 15-17.
Erik Hudak, center, drops the ceremonial opening faceoff between Will Ries left, and Eleanor Ries to begin the annual Marblehead / St. Lambert Hockey Exchange at Lynn’s Connery Rink on Nov. 15. They are three members of Bill Haskell’s family, who were on hand to remember him. Bill was one of the pioneers of the Hockey Exchange that began 60 years ago, and was being honored posthumously with a plaque that was presented to the family by MYH president Mike Calabrese prior to the faceoff.
COURTESY PHOTOS
The family of the late Bill Haskell was on hand for this year’s Marblehead/St. Lambert Youth Hockey Exchange opening ceremony at Lynn’s Connery Rink on Nov. 15. They were presented with a plaque honoring their dad, granddad and great grandad, who was one of the pioneers of the Exchange. After receiving the plaque from Marblehead Youth Hockey president Mike Calabrese, Bill’s family posed
a photo. They are, from left, Emily Ries, Will Ries, Erik Hudak, Eleanor Ries, Elissa Ronan, Caleb Haskell, Ginny Hudak, Frank Haskell and Skip Haskell.
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1929 Last Thanksgiving Day game at Seaside Park 1930 Reynolds Park (Green Street) becomes the home field for MHS.
1909-2023
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• 1974 Marblehead 24-0
• 1975 Swampscott 14-0
• 1976 Swampscott 20-0
• 1977 Marblehead 34-6
• 1978 Swampscott 25-6
• 1979 Swampscott 19-10
• 1980 Marblehead 13-6
• 1981 Marblehead 21-8
• 1982 Swampscott 20-6
• 1983 Swampscott 19-12
• 1984 Marblehead 21-20
• 1985 Marblehead 6-0
• 1986 Swampscott 14-0
• 1987 Marblehead 21-7
• 1988 Swampscott 12-7
• 1989 Swampscott 17-14
• 1990 Swampscott 19-7
• 1991 Marblehead 26-6
• 1992 Marblehead 18-13
• 1993 Marblehead 14-13
• 1994 Swampscott 33-6
• 1995 Swampscott 44-0
• 1996 Swampscott 19-0
• 1997 Swampscott 49-14
• 1998 Marblehead 9-7
• 1999 Swampscott 42-0
• 2000 Marblehead 34-20
• 2001 Swampscott 39-6
• 2002 Swampscott 41-0
• 2003 Swampscott 35-21
• 2004 Swampscott 25-7
• 2005 Swampscott 13-6
• 2006 Marblehead
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20 unanswered points.
1953 Marblehead’s 6-0 win knocked Swampscott out of the NEC Championship. George Crowninshield scored the only points in the contest. As time wound down, Swampscott marched to the Marblehead 18, but a 30 yard loss on a sack by Bill Gillis ended their comeback bid.
would result in a tie for the title with Swampscott - Marblehead’s first under coach Alex Kulevich. QB Brian Buckley led Dave Knight, Richie James, Bill Sahagian, and Ralph Rotman in the 20-12 win.
1962 Ken Eldridge returns a kickoff 88-yards and then kicks the PAT for the only scores in this 7-0 win.
1981 Rob Haley scored two touchdowns making it a 14-8 contest. Swampscott staged a late game comeback that was stymied by an 18 yard “pick six” by Doug Koopman.
1984 Andy Lewis’s 82 yard kickoff return, two on-side kicks, two “lonesome end” plays to Skip Likins and Peter Donovan, and a goal line stance allowed Marblehead to knock the Big Blue out of the NEC title race.
1985 In a late-November snow squall and with no time left on the clock, Ray Forbes hauled in the game winning touchdown pass from Bill Rockett.
2006 In a driving rain storm, DE Sam Perlow tips and intercepts a pass and rumbles 43 yards for the only score, ending a five year Swampscott winning streak.
2009 In Jim Rudloff’s first year as head coach, QB Hayes Richardson and Will Quigley led an aerial attack that netted over 270 yards in the air. Marblehead secured a play-off berth and the NEC title (first one in 36 years), but lost in the Super Bowl to Bishop Feehen 12-6.
2011 Both teams enter at 8-1, with the NEC title on the line, Marblehead carries the day and takes home the championship.
2013 & 2014 The teams play twice in both seasons, with Marblehead taking all 4 contests 2016 Marblehead finishes the season undefeated, but loses in the Super Bowl to Falmouth.
2020* Played in the Spring of 2021, due to COVID19, Connor Cronin scores 5 TDs (3 on offense, 1 on special teams, 1 on defense).
2021 With 2.7 seconds left on the clock, Eli Feingold kicks the game-winning 37 yard field goal in the “Battle of the Undefeateds”. Marblehead goes on to win its first Super Bowl over North Attleboro, capping a perfect 12-0 season. Cronin scores 3 TDs, George Percy scores 1 TD, and Josh Robertson goes 14-18 for 290 yards and 5 TDs (1 rushing).
1915 Swampscott’s offense puts up
1910 Swampscott beat Marblehead in their first
Nancy Ann Long (Weber), 90
Nancy Ann Long (Weber), 90, was born in South Bend, Indiana, to George and Anna Weber on Jan. 18, 1934. She made her transition to Spirit on July 10, 2024.
Nancy had a peaceful passing, lovingly surrounded by her family and with the care and support of healing prayers held by her many dear friends. They are all grateful for the compassionate care she was given by the nurses and doctors at Salem Hospital and Beverly Hospital/Hospice after she had a stroke this summer.
Long earned her bachelor’s degree at Indiana University where she met her husband, Jerry Long. They lovingly
raised their four children together, living in Indiana and Illinois until they moved to Marblehead in 1965. With their adventuresome spirits, they traveled to and lived in England and Switzerland from 1978-1982. While Long lived in England, she began learning about yoga, holistic health and spiritual healing, developing a deep devotion to this work. When she returned to live in Marblehead, she began sharing what she had learned, teaching yoga in her
CoNFroNTING THe PAST
living room and opening her office, Gentle Healing.
As her classes grew, she completed teaching training at Kripalu Yoga Center. From there, Long taught at St. Andrew’s Church and eventually became part of the Healing Connections at Union Hospital where she taught yoga classes at the Healing Atrium as well as co-leading two groups, Healing Your Heart and Healing with Hope, with Dr. Harvey Zarren.
In addition, she co-led yearly women’s retreats and yearly peace meditations with her friends, students and family, while her spiritual journeys took her to Assisi, Italy and Puttaparthi, India.
She was part of the Marblehead Peace Committee and several Peace Pole installations in Marblehead, Union Hospital and Salem Hospital.
She taught yoga and meditation for 37 years until 2019, when
Union Hospital closed its doors, and for a short time in Danvers until 2020. After this, she continued to co-lead Healing with Hope weekly online until June 26, 2024. She also led a monthly Full Moon Peace meditation in person and online for over 30 years with her friends and family. Long always maintained her own daily yoga and meditation practice, reading, taking walks in nature, regularly attending the Boston Symphony Orchestra with her son, David, and at their yearly summer stay in a yurt near Tanglewood. She was always up for a chat and a cup of tea with her daughters and friends, whom she dearly loved and felt blessed by them all.
She was predeceased by her ex-husband, Jerry, her sister, Elaine Blair, and her nephew, John Blair. She is survived by her son, David Long of Newburyport; Diane Oxton (David) of Beverly; MaryBeth Stemp (Jason) of
Amesbury and Janet Lamonica (Philip) of Marblehead; as well as her grandsons, Michael Oxton (Samantha) of Sudbury, Timothy Oxton of Salem, Hadden Stemp of South Berwick, Maine, and Nathaniel Stemp of Bellow’s Falls, Vermont; her great-grandchildren, Ben and Hazel Oxton; and her niece and family, Kathy Benson (Bob) of Texas and Erin Benson, Matthew Benson (Sallie) and great-grand nieces, Lucy and Poppy, and great-grandnephew, Connor of California.
If you want to celebrate Long, you are invited to take a moment in your day and breathe peace to yourself and all beings. This was an important practice to her that you can share in, blessing and honoring her with whenever and wherever feels right to you. We know that her light is continuing to shine in heaven, where she is now, as well as on Earth through all of us. Om Shanti.
Sign highlights legacy of slave ship built here
BY WILL DOWD
A new historical marker installed at Hammond Park acknowledges Marblehead’s connection to America’s first purpose-built slave ship, marking a significant step in the town’s efforts to confront its role in colonial-era slavery.
The interpretive sign, unveiled Friday morning near Marblehead Harbor, details the construction of the ship Desire in 1637, just 17 years after the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. The vessel was specifically built to transport enslaved people as part of the transatlantic slave trade.
“Many people had come to us asking why we weren’t talking about this history,” said Lauren McCormack, director of the Marblehead Museum. “When we had the opportunity to install multiple signs throughout town highlighting various people and events, including people of color and indigenous people, we thought it would be important to inform people about this part of our past.”
The Desire’s first voyage carried enslaved Native Americans, primarily Pequot women and children, to the British West Indies. The ship later returned with cotton, tobacco and enslaved Africans who had been working on Caribbean plantations. These were among the first enslaved Africans brought to the
PoLICe LoG
Massachusetts Bay Colony. The sign project emerged from increased community interest in examining local connections to slavery, particularly following the racial justice movements of 2020. The Marblehead Racial Justice Team collaborated with the museum on research and implementation of the new signage.
“We’re working together to amplify this history,”
McCormack said. “It’s part of a larger effort to tell a more complete story of Marblehead’s
past.”
The sign’s installation was funded through a combination of sources, including grants from the Essex National Heritage Area and Mass Cultural Council, along with support from the Marblehead Museum and the Racial Justice Team. No taxpayer dollars were used for the project. The marker represents a shift in how communities approach difficult aspects of their history.
In the 1930s, during the Works Progress Administration era, a mural was painted in Abbott Hall
depicting the Desire, celebrating the town’s shipbuilding capabilities without critically examining the vessel’s purpose.
“Our outlook on things has changed since the 1930s, even since the 1960s and 1980s,” McCormack noted. “We’re constantly evolving in how we understand and think about historical instances. Now, we wouldn’t celebrate it in the way that article was celebrating it.”
The Desire was a 120-ton square-rigged vessel, similar in size to the Susan Constant,
a ship now reproduced at Jamestown, Virginia. Historical records of the Desire are limited, with primary documentation coming mainly from the journals of John Winthrop, governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Winthrop’s matter-of-fact description of the ship’s cargo as “cotton, tobacco and Negroes” starkly illustrates how enslaved people were viewed as mere commodities.
While the ship was built in Marblehead, it primarily sailed in and out of Boston once constructed. The enslaved Africans brought back to Massachusetts were not delivered to Marblehead but were distributed throughout the colony. The new sign is designed to last at least 10 years in the harsh coastal environment. Unlike traditional bronze markers, it incorporates color and layered information to better engage viewers and provide context for this complex history.
McCormack emphasized that while the construction of such a large vessel in a nascent colony was a remarkable feat of shipbuilding, it’s crucial to understand the human cost of the Desire’s mission. She noted the ship’s construction marked the beginning of New England’s direct involvement in the transatlantic slave trade, a commerce in human beings that would continue for more than two-and-a-half centuries.
Officers rescue worker trapped inside sailboat
BY WILL DOWD
Excerpts from the Marblehead police log Nov 7-18. 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.
Nov. 7
11:52 a.m. — Officer
Jason McDonald took a report of identity fraud at the police station. A resident allegedly received notifications from Credit Wise about their Social Security number being found on the dark web, along with a credit alert from Experian regarding
Syncb/Lowes activity on Nov. 5. McDonald verified no current monetary losses and advised the victim to contact Capital One.
1:30 p.m. — Officer
Douglas Mills responded to Preston Beach Road for a welfare check of elderly residents. Mills coordinated follow-up
services with appropriate agencies after assessing the situation.
Nov. 8
12:28 a.m. — Sgt.
Sean Brady and Officers
Nicholas Fratini and Officer Daniel Gagnon responded to Doaks Lane for reports of banging noises at Little Harbor
Boat Yard. Officers located an individual trapped inside a storage compartment of a 40-foot sailboat. Brady accessed the vessel via ladder and freed the person, who had become locked inside while performing maintenance. The boat’s owner later confirmed the individual’s authorization to work on the vessel.
Nov. 9
9:27 a.m. — Officer
Adam Mastrangelo took a report at the station regarding bank fraud. The victim reported unauthorized withdrawals totaling $1,475 from their account, along with suspicious deposit activity. The case was forwarded to the Detective Division.
9:29 a.m. — Officer Christian Hennigar responded to Green Street
for a report of a missing license plate. The front plate was discovered missing the previous day. A stolen/missing plate report was filed.
10:17 a.m. — Officer
Adam Mastrangelo took a report near Baldwin Road regarding suspicious activity. A teenage jogger reported having been followed by two men in a black vehicle. The case was forwarded to the Criminal Investigations Division.
Nov. 10
12:43 a.m. — Officer Neil Comeau and Sgt. Sean Brady responded to The RipTide Lounge on Pleasant Street for an unwanted guest complaint. Two individuals were escorted from the premises and advised not to return.
CURRENT PHOTOS / WILL DOWD
Lauren McCormack, director of the Marblehead Museum, speaks near the newly installed historical marker at Hammond Park on Friday. The sign marks Marblehead’s role in constructing the first purpose-built slave ship in America, the Desire.
Town unites for dramatic reading of abolitionist’s speech
BY WILL DOWD
Over 85 community members gathered at Abbott Public Library Nov. 18 for a dramatic reading of Frederick Douglass famous 1852 speech “The Meaning of the Fourth of July for the Negro.”
The event, organized by the Marblehead Racial Justice Team and funded through a Mass Humanities grant secured by Housing Authority Commissioner Kristin duBay Horton, featured more than
BY WILL DOWD
The Current welcomes submissions (150-200 words) to the news in brief. Send yours to wdowd@marbleheadnews.org.
Marblehead professor honored Melissa Kaplowitch, Ph.D, of Marblehead was given with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Certificate of Achievement Award last week for outstanding contributions to Salem Salem State University. SSU President John Keenan presented the award to Kaplowitch, who is an assistant professor and program coordinator of the master’s in science in counseling program. Kaplowitch is also heavily involved in Marblehead and serves on the town’s Mental Health Task Force.
Library hosts coffee, chocolate program
Abbot Public Library will host “A Perky Pairing: Coffee and Chocolate History and Tasting” with Kim Larkin on Saturday, Dec. 14, from 2:30-3:30 p.m. in the Event Center.
Larkin, who is certified by the Specialty Coffee Association of America, will discuss the history, benefits, cultivation and terminology of coffee and chocolate. The presentation includes vintage coffee equipment displays, trivia and samples. Registration is required and limited to 35 attendants at tinyurl.com/Coffee-andChocolate. The program is sponsored by the Friends of Abbot Public Library.
Translation talk
Elizabeth Blood will present “The Translator’s Tightrope: Balancing Replication and Creation” at Abbot Public Library on Monday, Dec. 16, from 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Blood will discuss the challenges literary translators face in remaining faithful to original texts while creating engaging translations, sharing examples from her English translations of French historical true crime novels. Topics include translation processes, linguistic and cultural differences, industry practices and the impact of machine translation.
Registration is required and limited to 50 attendants at tinyurl.com/ Translators-Tightrope.
2025 Town Meeting warrant open
The Marblehead Select Board unanimously approved opening the warrant for the 2025 annual Town Meeting, scheduled for Monday, May 5, 7 p.m., at Veterans Middle School. The warrant opening allows registered voters to sponsor warrant articles, also known as citizen petitions, until noon Friday, Jan. 24. Town government boards and commissions have until noon Jan. 31 to submit their own articles. Town Meeting, which
50 local residents taking turns reading portions of the historic address.
Readers included civic leaders, educators, religious figures and community activists.
The Current was proud to participate.
The speech, delivered by Douglass the day after Independence Day in 1852, critiques American slavery and highlights the stark contrast between the nation’s ideals of freedom and the reality faced by enslaved people.
serves as the legislative body for Marblehead, enables residents to vote on key matters such as budgets, bylaws, home-rule petitions and resolutions.
To place an article on the warrant, registered voters must submit a petition with signatures from at least 10 registered voters. Articles must fit within the scope of the Town Meeting’s warrant, which outlines the place, date and agenda, as required by local bylaws.
For residents seeking guidance, reach out to Town Moderator Jack Attridge at either jack@allmarblehead. com or 781-883-3200. Citizens are encouraged to start early, consult with town officials or legal counsel if needed, and review past town meeting warrants for examples.
Leaf collection
The town has announced its 2024-2025 schedule for curbside leaf and grass collection. Residents can expect collections on their regular trash and recycling days during specific weeks throughout the year. In 2024, collections are scheduled for the weeks of Nov. 25 and Dec. 2. The schedule continues into 2025 with collections planned for the weeks of April 21, May 12 and June 2.
It’s important to note that this service is exclusively for leaves and grass. The town emphasizes that only leaf bags should be used, and plastic bags will not be collected or emptied. To maintain the quality of the compost generated from these
collections, bags containing brush or other materials will not be accepted.
Select Board seeks
volunteers
The Marblehead Select Board is seeking three resident volunteers to serve on the town’s Capital Planning Committee, which will oversee major municipal projects valued at over $1 million.
The committee, which was reorganized at last year’s Town Meeting, includes department heads and town employees alongside the resident volunteers.
Interested residents can submit letters of interest and resumes to the Select Board at Town Hall, 7 Widger Road or email wylie@marblehead.org. The deadline for submissions is Dec. 5, with interviews tentatively scheduled for the Dec. 11 Select Board meeting.
Christmas Walk set for Dec. 5-8
The Marblehead Chamber of Commerce will hold its 53rd Annual Christmas Walk Dec. 5-8, featuring a holiday shopping preview night Thursday followed by the annual tree lighting Friday at 7 p.m. across from National Grand Bank.
Saturday’s events include Santa’s arrival at State Street Landing at 9:30 a.m. followed by the Christmas Walk Parade at 11:45 a.m. The parade route begins at State Street Landing, continuing onto Washington Street, Atlantic Avenue, Gerry Street and Pleasant Street before
ending at National Grand Bank.
Holiday festivities and shopping continue throughout town on Sunday.
Beacon Restaurant revives holiday toy drive
The Beacon Restaurant and Warwick Cinemas are reviving a local holiday tradition with a toy drive Dec. 12, honoring the memory of Michael Havens, who ran the annual event with the Marblehead Fire Department and Gerry 5 VFA for over a decade.
The drive aims to collect unwrapped toys for children in need this Christmas. Donation boxes are located at:
The Beacon, 123 Pleasant St. Warwick Cinemas, 123 Pleasant St. Shubie’s, 16 Atlantic Ave.
» Mud Puddle Toys, 1 Pleasant St.
» Gerry 5 VFA, 210 Beacon St.
» VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars), 321 W Shore Drive Council on Aging, 10 Humphrey St.
The event will feature raffle prizes donated by local merchants and photos with Santa. The Marblehead Fire Department will collect donations Dec. 13 for distribution. The drive’s goal is to collect 500 toys, matching the average number collected during previous years. For more information, contact Curt Havens at 602-369-4198.
Holiday trash pickup schedule
Due to Thanksgiving on Thursday, Nov. 28, trash, recycling and leaf collection will be picked up one day late.
Thursday’s collection moves to Friday, Nov. 29, and Friday’s collection moves to Saturday, Nov. 30. The Transfer Station will be closed Thursday, Nov. 28, and Friday, Nov. 29. For questions, email health2@ marblehead.org.
Gingerbread Festival returns
The Marblehead Museum and Marblehead Family Fund will host their annual Gingerbread Festival at the Jeremiah Lee Mansion Saturday, Dec. 7, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 8, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Participants can submit gingerbread houses for prizes in categories including Most Creative, Most Marblehead, Best Classic and age-group
categories. Houses will be judged by a local panel, with public voting for People’s Choice. Advance registration is required at mhdfamilyfund.org.
Admission is $5 per person or $20 per family. Proceeds support museum programs and the Gatchell Playground renovation. For questions, email jarrettzeman@ marbleheadmuseum.org or call 781-631-1768.
Holiday Pops tickets available
The Marblehead Harbor Rotary’s Holiday Pops 2024 Concert will be held Saturday, Dec. 14, featuring Maestro Dirk Hillyer and The Hillyer Festival Orchestra with soloist Andrew Scoglio. The evening begins at 7 p.m. with a champagne reception catered by Every Little Breeze Catering. Balcony tickets are $45 and floor seats are $85. Raffle tickets for this year’s signature artwork, “Abbot Hall” by Ian Sherwin, are also available. Purchase tickets at rotaryclubofmheadharbor. com. For questions, call Jessica Barnett at 781-639-0624.
Volunteers wanted
The Marblehead Select Board seeks volunteers for various town committees and commissions. Current openings include:
» Cable Television Advisory Committee: Three vacancies, one-year terms
Conservation Commission: One vacancy, three-year term
» Design Review Board: One vacancy, three-year term
» Fair Housing Committee: One vacancy for an alternate member, three-year term
Marblehead Cultural Council: Four vacancies, three-year terms
» Marblehead Community
Access and Media, Inc.: One vacancy, three-year term
MBTA Advisory Board: One vacancy, one-year term
» Task Force Against Discrimination: Two vacancies, one-year terms
The Board encourages applicants to attend a meeting of their chosen committee and contact the chair for more information. 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.
Leigh Blander contributed to this reporting.
CURRENT PHOTO / WILL DOWD
Over 85 community members participate in a dramatic reading of Frederick Douglass’ “The Meaning of the Fourth of July for the Negro” at Abbott Public Library, highlighting the importance of confronting historical trauma and celebrating resilience.
`COURTESY PHOTOS
Marblehead resident Melissa Kaplowitch, Ph.D, is presented the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Certificate of Achievement Award by Salem State University President John Keenan and Human Resources Director Joanna Nandi.
The Marblehead Museum and Marblehead Family Fund will host their annual gingerbread festival on Dec. 7.
The Holiday Pops is set for Dec. 14, featuring Maestro Dirk Hillyer and the Hillyer Festival Orchestra. Tickets are now available.
Marblehead Arts Association launches Free Little Art Gallery
BY WILL DOWD
A repurposed noticeboard outside the Marblehead Arts Association, 8 Hooper St., has within the past month transformed into the town’s first Free Little Art Gallery, bringing miniature masterpieces to the community through an innovative take on the Little Free Library concept.
The weather-tight display, which previously housed notices, now serves as a hub for artistic exchange where community members can leave and take small works of art. The initiative emerged after MMA Executive Director Xhazzie Kindle encountered similar galleries during a summer visit to the United Kingdom.
“They were delightful and charming, with small works of art for the taking,” Kindle said. “Just tiny things like simple miniature paintings or handmade earrings, and we were inspired to bring the idea back to Marblehead.”
Getting the gallery off the ground required some troubleshooting. Initially, a lock on the display case caused confusion, with visitors
repeatedly returning the key thinking it had been accidentally left behind. The solution came in the form of a simple hook attachment and small knob, which made the gallery more accessible.
The gallery’s success was gradual, partly due to its subtle presence — the case blends with the mansion’s exterior — and partly because visitors were hesitant to believe they could simply take the artwork. However, the concept has since gained momentum, with pieces regularly appearing and disappearing throughout the day.
Todd Zalewski, a local artist who previously designed bird figurines for Lenox China, contributed a small oil sketch of an eastern screech owl.
“I usually just throw out these sketches, so it’s nice to have an opportunity to share my work and hope that the person who takes my art will go inside the Marblehead Arts Association and see that there is a whole lot more inside,” he said.
The gallery has attracted diverse contributions, from block prints to greeting cards, with seasonal offerings appearing as the holidays
approach. One notable piece was a wooden ornament crafted from the Fort Sewall sycamore.
“I participated to share in the joy that is art,” said Jill Clemmer, who contributed two small lino prints featuring a flower and a pufferfish. “If enough people get involved by contributing, taking, or enjoying the art, that’s when the magic will really happen!”
The gallery’s location makes it difficult for staff to monitor the constant flow of artwork.
“Usually, I’ll come to work in the morning and notice that something new has been added, and then when I leave for the day, I’ll notice that item has gone and something else has taken its place,” Kindle said. “It’s certainly something I look forward to.”
Elizabeth Bradley, another contributing artist, discovered the gallery while walking past.
“I had been hoping for a long time Marblehead would put one of these up,” she said. “We have so many artists and creative people in this town, this is a really low effort, low price, high happiness way to share your art and see the creative talent of others.”
Marblehead’s best bets
The gallery operates under the motto “Love Art. Make Art. Leave Art. Take Art,” according to Kindle. While it’s currently the only FLAG in Marblehead, organizers hope to see more pop up throughout the community.
“There is a real joy in making something small and knowing that someone loved it and took it home, either for themselves or to share with a friend,” Kindle said. “We are so excited to see people take that to heart.”
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
Music & Giving Night
Saturday, Nov. 30, 6-11 p.m.
The Marblehead Counseling Center and Gerry 5 present Music & Giving Night at Gerry 5. Come support a great cause and enjoy lively local music with local favorite Guy Ford Band — an eclectic acoustic rock ensemble including Guy Ford, Daniel Rowe, Brian Wheeler, Jack O’Soro, Dave Gagnon and Jeff Ford. The evening will also include a gift basket raffle. Proceeds from the event benefit Marblehead Counseling Center and its mission to provide quality affordable mental health care to Marblehead and the surrounding community. Support local food banks by bringing nonperishable/canned food items. Tickets are $25 at https:// loom.ly/uirA8ZY.
William Bueno Quartet
Sunday, Dec. 1, 4:30 p.m.
The William Bueno Quartet will perform at St. Andrew’s Church, 135 Lafayette St. Bueno will play solo classical guitar, plus beloved jazz standards. He and his quartet will also offer some original pieces. A $10 donation will be requested at the door.
Christmas Walk
Thursday, Dec. 5-Sunday, Dec. 8
The Marblehead Chamber of Commerce kicks off its 53rd Christmas Walk. Here’s a quick look at some of the activities:
Thursday, Dec. 5: Holiday shopping preview night
Friday, Dec. 6: Christmas tree lighting across from National Grand. Live music begins at 5:30 p.m., and the tree is lit at 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 7, 9 a.m.: Santa arrives by lobster boat at Tucker’s Wharf and greets children.
Saturday, Dec. 7, 11:45 a.m.: Christmas Walk parade steps off
Festival Chorus
Christmas Concert
Saturday, Dec. 7 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 8 at 7:30 p.m. The 44th annual Old North Festival Chorus Christmas Concerts — presented each year as part of Marblehead’s Christmas Walk — will be held at the Old North Church Meeting House, 35 Washington St. The chorus features more than 70 amateur and professional performers. Highlights this year include: “Magnificat in D” by Jan Dismas Zelenka, “Vom Himmel Hoch” by Felix Mendelssohn, “International Carol Suites: Carols of the Americas” by Mark Hayes, “Bellringer’s Holiday (including the Ukrainian Bell Carol)” arranged by Randol Bass, “Christmas Day” by Gustav Holst and other seasonal favorites. Maria van Kalken, minister of music at Old North, will lead the orchestra and chorus. Tickets are $35. More info at onchurch.org/ festivalchorus.
Marblehead’s Free Little Art Gallery showcases the work of local artists, inviting all to participate and enjoy.
from Front Street Sunday, Dec. 8: Events and shopping around town
The Marblehead Current will publish the complete schedule in our Dec. 4 edition.
about!
Headlight
Written by the students of Marblehead High School for our school and community
Stressed Out Seniors
Grey Collins, Assistant Editor, Junior
It’s no secret that the senior fall semester is one of the most important and eventful parts of MHS students’ highschool experience, and this year is obviously no different. With college application season in full swing, seniors have had a lot on their plates this fall. From a heavy load of extra AP classes, to sports, college essays, last minute projects, and recommendation letters, our seniors certainly have been keeping busy these last few months.
“It’s definitely very stressful,” said Brady Weed, a senior who hopes to study film in college. “I have to run around and film lots of stuff for my portfolio. Just yesterday I was out of the house for 9 straight hours filming a project.”
MHS seniors have been spending these last few months frantically studying, writing application essays, and participating in extracurriculars in preparation for the college application deadlines in early January.
The teacher strike also adds an extra note of confusion to the already hectic time senior students are in. The strike is taking away precious time for the students to boost their grades, and some are reporting that it is delaying their letters of recommendation. This, along with many other factors, creates a sense of unease in the 12th graders at MHS.
“We’re already dealing with deadlines, essays, and now there’s just this extra uncertainty because of the strike,” said David Alpert, a senior at MHS. “It’s hard to stay focused when things feel so unsettled.”
However, some students report having some positive effects from the strike, because it has resulted in more free time for them to pursue extracurricular activities.
“I’m using the time off to work on my portfolio and my supplemental essays,” said Weed. “So it’s actually aiding my process.”
The college admissions process wasn’t always this stressful, and the extremely competitive scene that we see today is a fairly recent phenomenon. The number of students applying to colleges has doubled from 1970 to today, making the admissions process much more competitive than it was when our parents were applying. Today, thanks to the Common Application, most applicants apply to 7 or more schools, while just a couple decades ago they applied to half as many. This leads to a much more competitive selection process, and bigger workload for each student as they fill out each school’s application and write supplemental essays.
The high stress caused by application season could have deep effects on students’ mental and physical health. Experts think that it is important that high schoolers find ways to manage their stress before it leads to long term issues. Luckily, many seniors have found useful ways of dealing with stress during their 4 long years at MHS.
“I’m handling the stress by keeping focused and working steadily and consistently,” said Weed. “Every week I try to get an application done. That steady progress gives me tangible checkpoints, which makes it all a little easier.”
Missed School Days
Grace Wolverton, Freshman
As of this Thursday we are on day eight of the teacher's work stoppage. Throughout this entire strike there have been many questions flying around. Parents wonder when their kids will be able to go back to school. Kids wonder when they will be able to see their friends again. Families wonder if they will have to be sending kids to school in July. Everyone knows these days have to be made up somewhere. The problem is the School Committee can only add five days to the end of our school calendar, teachers are on day eight of this strike, and no one has an idea if students are going to have days missed because of weather this winter. So the big question here is-Where are students making up these days?
The superintendent of
schools John Robidoux recommended a plan to the school committee based on the number of days missed. This recommendation included December 23 and portions of April and February vacations with the possibility of additional days at the end of the school year. School Committee chair and member of the bargaining committee Jenn Shcaeffner said that the decision “Would be made at the next regular school committee after the strike ends and the teachers return to work.” The decision is ultimately that of the School Committee and will be unable to be made until the strike has ended. Shaeffner also said “We want to make this decision as soon as possible so families are aware of the changes made to the school calendar” The plan proposed by the superintendent is below, the arrows connect
the days missed with the date they would be made up on. The date that would replace 11/21 is still unsure as of Wednesday evening.
11/13→1/31 11/14→12/23
11/15→2/18
11/18→2/19
11/19→2/20
11/20→2/21
11/21→ ?
As you can see this only accounts for the work stoppage going up until Thursday. If the strike continues past 11/21, more school vacations could possibly be cut into. While no one wants
that to happen, according to Massachusetts General Law “Every school committee shall operate the schools within its district at least 180 school days in a school year”. For the Marblehead Public Schools to adhere to that law they would need to make up these missed days somewhere. None of these dates have been voted on by the school committee therefore none of them have been finalized. Though these days definitely need to be made up somewhere we won’t know when until the school committee votes on them at their next regular meeting.
Questions Posed in Kinds of Kindness
Nathaniel Carper-Young, Junior
Kinds of Kindness, the latest project from provocateur extraordinaire Yorgos Lanthimos (whose previous film, Poor Things, won four Academy Awards at the 2024 Oscars Ceremony), is an arrestingly bizarre movie. It features three stories, each of which have little to do with one another beyond a recurring cast and a general theme loosely tying each fable together: the different manners in which people express kindness, as the title might suggest. Make no mistake, though; this film is hardly a happy one—it is cold and cruel, and it appears to revel in its own frigid meanness. However, it isn’t quite misanthropic, either: it is only observant of human nature, neither pessimistic nor terribly hyperbolic in its assessment of it. From this nuance, a number of fascinations find their emergence. The first fable follows a man (Jesse Plemons) in search of control, or some semblance of it. He finds himself totally subservient to the whims and wishes of a very mysterious and demanding Willem Dafoe, who has given Plemons almost everything he has. His home, his possessions, even his wife, have all been given to him by Dafoe. What Dafoe has taken in return, however, is total control of Plemons’ life: he dictates its every moment. This rather lopsided trade-off is sustained for a decade before Dafoe asks Plemons to cross a bridge too far; Plemons refuses, and their relationship is swiftly cut short by Dafoe. Plemons soon comes to the realization that he has no idea how to make decisions for himself—he can’t even figure out a drink to order at the bar he frequents— and through extraordinary, demoralizing effort, climbs his way back into Dafoe’s clutches, just so he doesn’t have to undergo the profound difficulty of living his own life. In other words: Plemons does Dafoe a kindness, and Dafoe does Plemons a kindness in return.
The second story follows a man (Jesse Plemons, once again) awaiting the return of his wife (Emma Stone), who’s been stranded on a desert island. When the search team finds her and brings her back to her husband, she appears to have taken on a number of changes. Her feet appear a size or two too large, she’s got a new fondness for chocolate (a food which she used to swear against the consumption of), and she’s forgotten her husband’s favorite song. From this, Plemons deduces that this woman simply cannot be his wife, and that someone—or something—on that island made an attempt at dressing an alien in his wife’s skin, and that his wife must be somewhere else out there, perhaps on the island, still. To this end, he puts Stone on a trial of sorts. In broad terms, he asks her to destroy herself for him, and in her compliance, she does him a kindness.
The third and final tale of the film follows a woman (Emma Stone) in pursuit of a specific person meeting specific criteria to perform a specific task — necromancy, apparently. She embarks on a journey to find this person with her colleague (Jesse Plemons), and after a fair bit of searching, they rest at the home of a character named Omi (Willem Dafoe) and Aka (Hong Chau), a couple with whom they share a confusing relationship. The foursome make up a polyamorous group of romantically involved people, but their interactions and pleasantries appear transactional in their forcedness.
Lanthimos does a number of things with this film—a great many of which I simply haven’t the time to explore in one essay, much as I’d like to—but the most effective one is this: He implores you, the viewer, to consider the film’s namesake. What is kindness, what is it really? Lanthimos doesn’t have any one answer to this question; rather, he suggests that there are countless answers to the question, and that perhaps some of them aren’t as pretty as we might like to think.
REPORTERS: Nathaniel Carper-Young, Anna Baughman, Anya Kane, Evan Eisen, Niko King, William Pelliciotti, Peter Sullivan, Nasira Warab, Grace Wolverton,Madalyn Gelb, Teagan Freedman, Samuel Jendrysik, Nicholas Jones, Arabella Pelekoudas
