February vacation canceled; district sending out survey
BY LEIGH BLANDER
The School Committee on Thursday night voted to reinstate school on Monday, Dec. 23, and cancel February vacation to make up days missed during last month’s teacher strike.
The strike was 11 days long, but only 10 need to be made up because one was a professional development day.
Interim Superintendent John Robidoux planned to send a survey on Tuesday, Dec. 10, to
ask parents and educators to choose one of two options to make up the remaining five days.
The two possibilities are: Canceling April vacation and adding one school day to the end of the year.
Using the five snow days set aside at the end of the year. However, any declared snow day
cHrISTm AS WALK 2024
would then need to be made up during April break.
Robidoux explained that the state requires districts to complete 180 days, ending by June 30. The committee discussed Saturdays as an option, rather than cancelling vacations, but there were concerns for Jewish students who may observe the sabbath on Saturday. Saturday sporting events were also a concern.
“I know there are families and staff who have vacations already
planned,” Robidoux said. “These are the consequences of the strike that we have to live with. There is no good path on this.”
Fox said there is a “full intent” to suspend attendance policies for students who are going on planned family trips. Teachers will make work available online, she said.
Robidoux sent out an email Dec. 6, reading, “… the School Committee will be discussing some adjustments to the student attendance policy during these
Holiday magic arrives via Marblehead Harbor
BY WILL DOWD
Holiday magic arrived in Marblehead Harbor Saturday morning as the Sea Hooker, carrying Santa and Mrs. Claus, zigzagged through the water before docking at Clark’s Landing where a sea of happy children and families awaited their arrival.
At the helm stood Jay Sahagian, The Barnacle Restaurant owner, who has served as Santa’s maritime chauffeur for over two decades. The tradition has grown from an intimate gathering to a cornerstone of local holiday celebrations. Later, Santa and Mrs. Claus joined the Christmas Walk parade through historic downtown, where the Marblehead High School band played seasonal favorites while Girl Scout troops and local organizations marched behind, tossing candy to eager children.
Hundreds of people gathered Friday night for Marblehead’s traditional Christmas tree lighting across from National Grand Bank on Pleasant Street. Elementary school kids entertained the crowd with holiday songs while local nonprofits, like the Interact Club, Best Buddies and All-sports-Boosters, sold sweet treats and raffle
tickets.
Dave Rodgers, Chamber of Commerce person of the year, flipped the switch to light the tree after a boisterous countdown from the crowd. Leigh Blander contributed to this article.
unprecedented make-up days.”
Fox said she “strongly disagreed” with getting input from teachers on when the missed days should be made up, believing that only students and families should get to make that decision.
“The students didn’t get to vote to put themselves in this situation, and neither did their families,” she said. The plan for making up the
resigns after Taser incident
Second policeman fights firing
BY WILL DOWD
One Marblehead police officer has resigned and another is in arbitration following separate disciplinary cases, Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer revealed Nov. 5 in an interview with the Marblehead Current.
Officer Michael Robert Farewell, who was placed on leave in August after a Tasing incident involving a 21-year-old driver, resigned shortly after the incident came to light over the summer.
The resignation comes after the Select Board fired Officer Christopher Gallo in February following a two-and-a-half-year paid suspension for allegedly spending
Officer
from the
but resigned in 2024 following a disciplinary investigation. Former Officer Christopher
is in arbitration after being fired for misconduct earlier this year.
» Newton school leaders, still healing from their strike last winter, offer advice to Marblehead, Page 7.
COURTESY PHOTO
Michael Robert Farewell (left) graduated
police academy in 2022
Gallo (right)
CURRENT PHOTO / GREY COLLINS Santa paddlers made their way from the Pleon Yacht Club to the Landing Restaurant during the annual Santa Paddle, which supports the Marblehead Food Pantry.
CURRENT PHOTO / WILL DOWD
Members of Daisy Troop 84104 wave and spread holiday cheer during the Christmas Walk parade on Saturday afternoon.
MORE CHRISTMAS WALK PHOTOS, PAGE A3
POLICE, P. A7
Median property tax bill to increase $333
BY WILL DOWD
Marblehead homeowners will see their tax bills rise again — even without an override — after the Select Board voted last week to set a single tax rate of $9.05 per $1,000 of assessed value for fiscal year 2025. That’s an increase of 9 cents or about 1% over the previous year. The owner of a median single-family home, now valued at $956,000, will pay $8,651.80 in property taxes for fiscal year 2025, an increase of about $333 or 4% from last year.
The decision came during the board’s annual tax classification hearing, where newly appointed Assistant Town Assessor Todd Laramie presented his first classification report since taking the position in September, following a tumultuous year that saw hundreds of abatement requests due to assessment errors.
The total taxable value of property in Marblehead has grown to approximately $9.3 billion, with residential properties comprising about 95% of the tax base. Commercial, industrial and personal property make up the remaining 5%.
Seventy-three percent of Marblehead’s housing stock is single-family homes, according to the 2020 Marblehead Housing Implementation Plan.
The tax rate increase reflects a slowdown in property value growth while the town’s tax levy — the amount to be raised through property taxes —continues its steady annual rise. The tax rate is determined by
dividing the levy by total property values, so when property values were rising rapidly in previous years, it helped keep the rate lower. Now that value increases have moderated, the consistent levy increase results in a higher rate.
Historical tax rate trend from 2021-2025:
» FY2021: $10.42 » FY2022: $10.52
FY2023: $10
FY2024: $8.96
FY2025: $9.05
The town will raise approximately $73.6 million through property taxes next year, up $2.2 million from this year’s $71.4 million levy. This increase comes from the standard 2.5% annual increase allowed under Proposition 2 1/2, plus new growth.
The town reported $468,709 in new growth for fiscal year 2024,
an improvement from recent years where figures typically hovered around $300,000 to $350,000.
“Marblehead’s new growth has always been low relative to other communities mainly because of the density of our settlement and smaller commercial sector,”
Select Board Chair Moses Grader explained. “So it is all the more important to track and administer any new growth that we have.”
During the hearing, Laramie outlined plans for a more hands-on approach to property assessment and new growth capture.
“We’re going to get out and look at the properties ourselves, capture the growth ourselves,” Laramie said. “Small things that weren’t on there before, like a small deck here, patio there — they add up, and that’s growth that hasn’t been previously
taxed.”
Finance Director Aleesha
Benjamin indicates the current figures don’t account for an anticipated general override to fund teacher contracts and address the town’s structural deficit.
“I’m going to try to get more data ready for a forecasting session in December, at which time we will have a better number,” Benjamin said. “But then the detailed information that everybody wants to know on an override — that will be at the State of the Town in January.”
Meanwhile, the Select Board rejected several other tax options, including a residential exemption that could have shifted burden within the residential class, a small commercial exemption, and an open space discount. These
TAXES, P. A14
Marblehead municipal employees seek teacher-level raises amid stalled talks
BY WILL DOWD
The town’s municipal employees union is seeking comparable raises to those recently won by teachers, potentially adding millions to an already looming override-ask as contract negotiations remain deadlocked since July.
“We are looking for a similar overall increase including but not limited to COLA raises, wage schedule changes,” said Terri Tauro, president of the Marblehead Municipal Employees Union (MMEU). “Most MMEU members are paid in the 35th percentile in the state and need some catching up.”
The teachers contract provides 2-3.5% annual increases over four years, with additional step increases for senior staff.
“We are trying to upgrade senior staff to make as much as
new hires,” said Tauro. “Some upgrades for existing employees have been initiated by (Water and Sewer superintendent) Amy
Here’s a look at key dates and events as the town heads toward an anticipated override vote.
Aug. 19, 2024: Finance Committee meets with Finance Director Aleesha Benjamin regarding the budget and longterm financial plan.
Sept. 6, 2024: Town budgets and capital requests due in ClearGov.
Sept. 20, 2024: Select Board convenes meeting to set goals for FY26 budget.
October 2024 – November
2024: Members of the Finance Committee join preliminary liaison meetings with their assigned departments (schools, library, Recreation & Parks, etc.).
Nov. 1, 2024: Budget forecasting begins, with Benjamin
and Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer.
Dec. 4, 2024: Select Board holds tax classification hearing, setting a property tax rate of $9.05.
Dec. 11, 2024: Benjamin presents FY26 forecast to Select Board.
Dec. 16, 2024: Benjamin presents FY26 forecast to Finance Committee.
Jan. 24, 2025 (noon): Deadline for registered voters to sponsor warrant articles.
Jan. 31, 2025 (noon): Deadline for town boards and commissions to submit their proposals. The warrant closes, and staff work with counsel to ensure articles are legally sound and written correctly.
Late January 2025:
McHugh but in general, new hires are making more than long term employees.”
Town Administrator Thatcher
Kezer delivers State of the Town, providing updates on Marblehead’s financial health, including considerations for a general override. In an interview with the Current, Kezer estimated a $3.2 million general override is needed to cover teachers’ contracts. This estimate does not account for increases to police or municipal employees’ expired union contracts, which are currently in negotiation and mediation respectfully.
Early February – April: Finance Committee budget liaison meetings take place.
Late February or early March 2025: The official 2025 Town Meeting warrant will be published and posted around town.
April 2025: Finance Committee leads a warrant hearing, offering
Kezer said funding just the teacher contract will strain town finances. Kezer estimates the teachers contract alone will require a $3.2 million override.
“That just takes care of the school contracts,” he said. “And just speaking hypothetically, [suppose] I just say we need another million [for municipal contracts]. So now that’s a $4.2 million override. What are the chances of that passing?”
Tauro pushes back on that argument.
“My union has only 100 members with a lower average salary than the teachers,” said Tauro. “[The town] could give us a 4% COLA at about $220,000 per year and police and fire together for about the same amount.”
The negotiations have grown
UNION, P. A14
residents an opportunity to provide input on articles, including potential overrides.
April 2025: Finance Committee report (offering its guidance on warrant articles) is finalized and printed to be distributed in May.
May 5, 2025 (7 p.m.): Town Meeting at Veterans Middle School. Residents vote on the general fund operating budget, financial articles and any proposed general override. A general override must pass by a majority vote at Town Meeting.
Post-Town Meeting: To succeed, a Proposition 2½ tax general override must also be approved by a majority vote in a subsequent ballot election — usually the town election in June. This year’s is on Tuesday, June 17. — Will Dowd
CURRENT PHOTO / WILL DOWD
Assistant Assessor Todd Laramie and Board of Assessors Chair John address the Select Board during the tax classification on Dec. 4.
CURRENT PHOTO / WILL DOWD
Union members show solidarity at Abbot Hall in November, advocating for fair treatment and salary equity among municipal employees.
Christmas Walk 2024
Santa7: CUTLINE: The Sea Hooker was bustling with holiday spirit as passengers enjoyed a festive ride with Santa and Mrs. Claus on Saturday. CURRENT PHOTO / WILL DOWD
CURRENT PHOTO / WILL DOWD Santa greets his fans after arriving by lobster boat Saturday morning.
CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER
Barbara Knowles brought her pup, Holly, to the Christmas tree lighting.
CURRENT PHOTO / WILL DOWD
Left to right: Henry Sorenson, Ruthie Fitzgerald and Foster Harrison enjoy the ride aboard the Sea Hooker with Santa and Mrs. Claus in the background spreading holiday cheer.
Opinion
eDITOrIAL
Forging better bonds
The end of the Dec. 5 School Committee meeting confirmed something we might have assumed was true: The town’s 11-day teachers strike may be over, but tensions remain.
The most conspicuous moment arguably should never have had the chance to happen. Chair Jenn Schaeffner had adjourned the meeting, only to reopen it to give resident John DiPiano a chance to speak, apparently because his request had been overlooked during the public comment period at the beginning of the meeting.
At a time when the two sides in the labor dispute have pledged to look forward and work to build support for the Proposition 2 1/2 override that will be needed to fund the teachers’ new contract, DiPiano regrettably chose to look back, demanding an apology from four union leaders.
DiPiano’s comment caused one of the co-presidents of the Marblehead Education Association, Sally Shevory, to storm out of the Marblehead High School library, but not before expressing disgust with the School Committee’s negotiating team, Schaeffner and Sarah Fox.
“Stand up for people once in your life,” she demanded of the pair.
That followed two other outbursts earlier in the meeting, in which union members shouted at the committee, and Fox’s defensible but arguably unnecessarily antagonistic position that teachers should have no say in when missed school days would be made up. Educators, too, would be provided the survey he intended to send out on Dec. 10, interim Superintendent John Robidoux said.
The lingering hard feelings would come as no surprise to stakeholders in the Newton school district, which endured an 11-day strike of its own earlier this year. Though the strike was resolved in February, the wounds have yet to heal completely, school officials told the Current.
It was interesting to hear that Newton has invested time and presumably some money in its efforts to recover from the strike, engaging in “speed-of-trust workshops” to develop a “shared vocabulary” and forthcoming training for community members on how to have civil conversations led by the consulting firm Essential Partners.
While it may seem that there is little time — or money — to spare, our town leaders might do well to research whether Marblehead can avail itself of similar opportunities.
The key word here, of course, is “trust.”
As “The Speed of Trust” author Stephen M.R. Covey explains, “The simple, often overlooked fact is this: work gets done with and through people. There’s nothing more impactful on people, their work, and their performance, than trust.”
“Trust” is the word Select Board member Dan Fox recently reached for when describing what town officials would need to do to avoid a repeat of the failure of a general override in 2023.
“We need to build trust back up throughout the town, the schools, the town,” Fox said.
Fox’s colleague Alexa Singer noted the strides that the town has made towards fiscal transparency, the launch of its ClearGov online database.
But clearly, more work needs to be done.
Trust also can be built by demonstrating a willingness to listen to feedback and adapt to changing circumstances. To that end, the School Committee is to be commended for its decision to reverse course and hand the decommissioned Coffin School over to the town so that the property can be sold.
As for the plan to convert the Eveleth School into a dedicated early education center, Fox described it as a potential “revenue driver.” We would like to know just how much revenue we are talking about, but the waitlists to get into the town’s preschools do speak to an unmet need in the community, so the idea should not be immediately discounted. Trust can also be built by modeling the behavior we would like to see in others. On that front, the words of teacher Ashley Skeffington are worth noting.
Skeffington says that as she has confronted lingering hard feelings over the strike and the months that led up to it, she has tried to remind herself that “generally speaking, people do the things they do because they care for their students, their families and for their communities.”
She continued, “If the road to hell is paved with good intentions, I think the road back is paved with grace and empathy. If we can manage that, we can finally shift our time and energy into making our schools the best that they can be.”
That sounds like a good first step to us.
e V erYTHING WILL be OKAY
‘Mom-made’ holidays
BY VIRGINIA BUCKINGHAM
The perfect-shaped tree. Candy canes eaten right off the tinselcovered branches. Letters to Santa.
The exact toy I had circled in the Sears catalogue emerging from the wrapping paper.
The humming and sometimes full recitals of carols from the half of my family of 10 who could carry a tune (i.e. the females). The soft images of Rudolph and Frosty and Charlie Brown from the console television, mingling with reflections from the strings of colored lights. The cookies and milk, stalk of celery and single carrot always consumed by Christmas morning.
All my happiest childhood Christmas memories were the product of the Herculean efforts of my mother. Christmas was her love language. Having limited financial resources was somehow no barrier to ensuring every one of us was wrapped in holiday magic, tied in a bow of wonder. I have seen so many Instagram reels expressing this same sentiment lately — special holidays are mom-made — I should make one myself.
Did I ever say thank you to her? I think so, but surely not enough.
I apparently did express my gratitude to the big guy in the red suit one year. The crinkled piece of white paper was found by one of my siblings while clearing out my parents’ house. The writing was in slanted block printing, in pencil, with the occasional misplaced capital letter. I must have been too young to master the rigors of nun-supervised cursive, but the thank you note to Santa surely indicated that their emphasis on manners was having an effect.
In the note, I thanked him for the
organ — the organ! — he had left in a corner of the living room just for me.
I still remember the dark shadows, the as-yet-to-be-lit tree, and quiet whispers of the pre-dawn excursion my older brother had organized, creeping down the stairs to see if Santa had indeed come.
The learn-to-play instrument was unwrapped and I’m sure I squealed in excitement despite my brother’s hushing. I like to think that my mother lie awake in the bedroom which abutted our small living room and smiled at my exclamation, her hard work, despite the credit cards she’d pay off for months, making her as happy as she made us.
More likely, she was asleep, exhausted from it all.
This is the third year we will be re-inventing our holiday traditions not counting the enforced reconfiguring of the Covid era. Yet when I think of the evening in January, 2021 — when we actually celebrated Christmas that year following two bouts of the illness, it’s the happiness and relaxation of the non-traditional, and more familymade than mom-made, effort that I remember. My daughter made chana masala, a curried chickpea dish. My son and I watched a wine tasting
class on video he had given to me as a gift and we sipped along with the instructor and ate the recommended paired cheeses Jack had picked out. We all laughed a lot, and I remember feeling so much less stress. Why do I insist every year on running around to pick up and serve the exact same seafood and beef choices that I think make the holiday “special”? Why do I insist on the buying and wrapping of piles of presents, most of which we could do without?
You don’t have to be a psychologist to draw a direct line from my happiest childhood memories to what I have tried so hard to create in my own family. Yet, the year we had so much fun was when we tried something new, untethered to tradition, everybody contributing and simply spending time together. There’s a lesson in there for me. Have I learned it?
This year Hanukkah and Christmas coincide. My daughter wants to try to make homemade latkes together. I remember my mother making latkes, too, calling them potato pancakes, a favorite from her family’s Lithuanian tradition. I can picture her shredding the potatoes with a contraption she attached to the linoleum counter, not on Christmas, just on a winter day. I wish I still had that potato shredder along with the thank you note to Santa. I’m sure she was the one who saved it, because she knew it was special. Just as she was the one who made Christmas so special. Thank you, mom. I wish you were here. President of the Marblehead Current’s Board of Directors, Virginia Buckingham is the former chief executive officer of the Massachusetts Port Authority, chief of staff to two Massachusetts governors, deputy editorial page editor for the Boston Herald and author of “On My Watch: A Memoir.”
A Christmas Eve story
BY DAVE ROPER
My grandfather was a physician in New York City many years ago. His ambulance driver was a man named O’Hanlon. Mr. O’Hanlon had a little girl named Virginia, who in 1897 wrote The New York Sun newspaper and asked if there really was a Santa Claus. The editor’s response, the since famous “Dear Virginia” editorial answering her question, became the most reprinted newspaper editorial in the English Language. A lot of folks, it seems, wanted to know.
For over 60 years someone in our family has sat before the fire and read aloud Dear Virginia’s letter. For decades it was my dad, then my older brothers, then me, and now, I hope my children and then grandchildren will read it aloud to those next generations.
Fast forward 125 years from little Virginia O’Hanlon’s letter. It’s Christmas Eve 2022. I’m by the fire in the living room, having drifted off in that world of indelible memories of Christmas Eves past. Suddenly an anguished cry from a little girl shatters my reverie. She calls for her grandfather Poppy, who dashes upstairs to her bedroom. Her red-cheeked, white-bearded grandfather kneels by her bed. She looks at him through huge tears that fall from pleading, terrified eyes. He holds her tiny hand. She squeezes back. With her other hand she strokes his beard. “Mommy says you know Santa. Please call him, Poppy. Please call him and tell him not to come here.” She looks up at the ceiling in her room. “Not to land on the roof.” She looks toward the window. “Not through there. Not down the chimney. Not to even come in the house. Mommy says you know him. So please call him, Poppy.” As she squeezed my hand, I told her I would call him, but suggested that maybe Santa could leave the presents in the yard, to which my precocious granddaughter sternly replied: “I DON’T EVEN WANT HIM ON THE
PROPERTY!” As she squeezed my hand, I told her that I’d ask him to skip our house this year if that’s what she wanted. She nodded. Maybe we’d just open some presents from the family, I said. She nodded and wiped her eyes. Then I slipped out of the room after she gave me a kiss. Back by the fire, over a glass of wine, I got to thinking: This bright little three year old might be onto something. In this crazy world of crazy people, is the magic gone? Who wants a stranger climbing on their roof in the middle of the night? Or popping into their living room? And even if they are nice, how much can we truly appreciate gifts from an unseen stranger, when the only gifts we really need are the gifts of love and support from the ones we love. And that’s just what this little girl got that night — love and support.
Dave Roper is the author of five books and owner of A-Script, a Marblehead-based writing and career assistance firm founded in 1982.
GU eST cOLU mN
COURTESY PHOTO
Dave Roper and his granddaughter.
Thoughtfully reduce holiday waste with local, thrifty gifting
BY ELAINE LEAHY
The holidays bring us joy, celebration and connection — but they’re also a time when waste skyrockets. From plastic packaging and wrapping paper to unwanted gifts, the season of giving often generates a significant amount of waste, with many items ultimately ending up in landfills. Fortunately, there are ways to make your holidays both memorable and sustainable by embracing savvy gifting ideas. According to the Ecology Center, nearly five billion pounds of returned, unused gifts end up
in U.S. landfills. It may surprise you to learn that less than half of returns are repackaged and resold at full price. Some end up at thrift or discount stores while the rest are needlessly thrown in the garbage. One of the easiest and most meaningful ways to reduce waste is by giving experiences rather than physical items. Marblehead and the surrounding area are brimming with opportunities to gift memories instead of materials. Consider the following: » Tickets to local events:
Treat your loved ones to a show, music performance or movie. Check the Marblehead Current’s “Best Bets” section each week for ideas.
Classes and workshops: Think about gifting a pottery class, art lesson or yoga class from a local business. These not only support our community but create lasting memories and might even spark a new hobby.
Memberships: Give a gift that can be used all year with a membership to a museum,
zoo, aquarium or nature area. Another idea to consider is embracing the growing trend of thrift giving, which is increasingly viewed as savvy, sustainable and stylish. Giving pre-loved gifts is good for the planet because it extends the life of items that might otherwise end up in landfills, helps reduce the carbon footprint associated with manufacturing and shipping a new item, and keeps goods in circulation, supporting a system that values reuse and repurposing over single-use
Box mixes and butcher paper: Host
consumption. Explore local thrift stores such as the Magic Hat or St. Michael’s for jewelry, clothing or home decor items that reflect your recipient’s personality. Also visit the online thrift retailer ThredUp.com for great finds on clothing brands you know and love.
Have a friend or family member who loves to read? Why not try a pre-loved book from one of our local thrift stores or Sail Away Book Shop at the
a play-filled gathering the easy way
Hosting tips to keep the kids occupied so the grown-ups can hang out
BY LIZZIE ASSA
I am not a great cook, I use box mixes to bake, I am terrible at planning ahead ... and I am a mom of three who loves to host gatherings. Nothing makes me happier or more grateful than looking around my home when it’s bursting with my kids and their friends, the sound of laughter and roughhousing, and lots of food and play. My kids are older now (17, 15 and 11), but even when they were little, one of my favorite things was opening our doors to lots of kids and parents for play, art, food and drinks. Here are a few tricks I used when they were little to get the kids settled so that the adults could actually have a conversation or two!
Butcher paper tablecloths
Ditch the fancy linen and use
School Committee needs to be transparent about facilities projects
To the editor: Recently, we posed several straightforward questions to the School Committee ahead of their first facilities subcommittee meeting in over a year: Why had these meetings — previously held monthly — been stalled, especially when heightened oversight was so critical? Would the meetings be reinstated? Where can the FY25 facilities annual plan be found, considering the FY24 plan is outdated, and planning for FY26 should already be underway?
In private email responses, facilities subcommittee member Sarah Fox dismissed community outreach as “vitriolic misinformation.” Predictably, during the meeting itself, direct answers were elusive. More concerning, however, was the revelation about the Marblehead High School roof replacement project. Approved at the 2022 Town Meeting for $5.36 million, the project has
butcher paper as your tablecloth. Not only is it affordable and easy to clean up, but it also serves as a giant canvas for kids and their grown-ups (even the adults can’t resist a doodle or two when the paper is out and the crayons are there). Scatter crayons and stickers across the table and the kids will draw and decorate. This can be particularly helpful for children who need time to warm up to the crowd. It gives them something to do with their hands and they can focus on creating instead of feeling uncomfortable. During the meal, it will keep children engaged and allow adults to savor their meals a bit longer.
Outdoor appetizers and play
If weather allows, even if it is a little cold, set up snack tables outside. Provide outdoor activities like chalk, a football or kickball, and wheeled toys. This gets kids playing and expending energy, while adults can mingle.
seen little progress and is now further complicated by an HVAC component. According to the project manager, combining the roof and HVAC work could push the total cost to over $11 million.
At the full School Committee meeting later that evening, Fox evaded accountability, downplayed the situation, withheld the alarming $11 million figure, and postponed further discussion until January.
Is this the transparency we expect from someone who claims to be a pragmatic, fiscally responsible leader?
How does this align with Fox’s vocal emphasis on financial constraints during the recent bargaining crisis?
To compound matters, the subcommittee ended the meeting by suggesting that Coffin School — a costly liability — be returned to the Town while retaining the similarly deteriorated Eveleth building for a proposed pre-K program.
We represent a coalition of Marblehead residents who believe:
Elected officials owe the community direct answers, clear documentation and respectful communication.
» The public has a duty to hold
Plus, it eases the crowding in the kitchen during those last-minute meal preparations.
Food Regardless of whether you are serving a formal holiday meal or a potluck, ease your guests’ worries about picky eaters by prepping a lot of kid-friendly sides. Think mac and cheese cups, pasta with butter, bread, crackers, fruit cups, etc. This way, your guests can relax and not stress over what their kids are eating (or not eating) during the party. Make extra because grown-ups love kid foods, too!
Involve your kids in prep Involve your kids in the preparation. Anticipation is half
this committee accountable for its actions and decisions, even when doing so may invite backlash — especially in such moments.
» Regular public meetings, including monthly facilities subcommittee meetings, are essential, especially during times of instability.
» With limited resources, we must prioritize maintaining and improving existing programs and facilities over pursuing new initiatives that may or may not come to fruition, particularly in failing buildings.
Given the subcommittee’s failures, we call for Sarah Fox to step down from her role. Further, we urge School Committee Chair Jenn Schaeffner to convene a meeting to address the following:
1. Why wasn’t the HVAC work — entirely predictable given the system’s life cycle — accounted for earlier?
2. What are the options for funding the roof project, and what are the consequences if funding cannot be secured?
3. Did prior awareness of the $11 million cost projection influence the committee’s teacher contract bargaining strategy?
4. Will the committee commit
the fun, especially when you are little! In the days leading up to the event, ask your children what kind of jobs they want to help with. For example, collecting and putting coats away, looking out for children who need help getting started playing and offering to play with them, making decorations ahead of time, etc. Giving your kids real jobs helps them feel big and important, which will impact their behavior.
Interactive dessert making station
Create a dessert station where kids can get hands-on in preparing their own treats. Offer simple ingredients for them to mix and match. Think fruit skewers, sugar cookies with
to returning both Coffin and Eveleth buildings to the town by the end of January?
Marblehead deserves leadership that prioritizes transparency, accountability and prudent resource management. Anything less is unacceptable.
Sincerely,
Mark Libon, Cedar Street
Melissa Clucas, Puritan Road
Marblehead
has the tools to fix its financial troubles
To the editor:
In a recent editorial, the Current suggested that the state may need to adjust the Prop 2 ½ statute to allow for tax increases in excess of 2.5% to support fixed cost increases in Marblehead and other municipalities. Unfortunately, the Current is really proposing that we ask the state to fix a fiscal problem that is entirely within our control. Arguing for a legislative solution by simply assuming that a general override cannot pass is both defeatist and lets Marbleheaders off the hook. It furthermore passes the buck to a state Legislature that almost certainly will not address Prop 2 ½ changes on
frosting and various sprinkles to decorate, or pre-scooped ice cream in cups with toppings to choose from. If weather permits, a bonfire with smores is always a hit with kids and adults!
Holiday PJs and movie marathon
Before the event, encourage parents to bring PJs for the kids. Once dinner is done and the dishes are cleared, settle the kids down with a holidaythemed movie. This can be the perfect wind-down activity and give adults the chance to relax or catch up with each other. Check commonsensemedia.org for the ratings you can trust on what’s appropriate. Expect at least some amount of chaos with kids around. It wouldn’t be a party without at least a few meltdowns ...
Lizzie Assa is founder of The Workspace for Children, a parenting strategist, play expert and mother of three who lives in Marblehead.
the timeline necessary to help Marblehead out of its current fiscal challenge. It’s on us to solve this problem and we have all the tools to do so.
While Marblehead’s long commitment to fiscal discipline and low taxes is noteworthy, it is important to recognize our current situation. It is virtually impossible to provide consistent levels of service in an inflationary environment while working within the constraints of Prop 2 ½. After 20 years without a general override, Marblehead, by many measures, has materially lower property taxes than surrounding and comparable municipalities. As a result, our time has come — it’s time to pay the piper. Instead of looking to Beacon Hill for a lifeline, its incumbent on our town leaders — Select Board, School Committee –and the editorial staff of the Current to provide voters with a compelling case for a general override in 2025. If we want great schools, good infrastructure and services that make Marblehead a safe and desirable place to live, we need to be willing to pay for it. If we’re not willing to do so, we’ll get what we deserve.
Matthew Hooks Nanepashemet
Street
ASK LIZZIe
For the 59th year, the Marblehead Festival of Arts is choosing a new logo, designed and created by a local artist. More than 60 people from Essex County entered the logo contest. Judges chose 15 semi-finalists and then whittled those down to three finalists, whose names are not being released. Now, it’s up to the public to choose the winner by voting.
The logos include: a red, white and blue anchor with stars and a heart; a blue and white lighthouse image; and a simple line drawing of three sailboats. The logos will be displayed for voting at retail stores and libraries in Marblehead, Swampscott and Salem until December 29. The winner will be announced in January. This year’s judges were Wayne George, owner of FL Woods Nautical Merchants; Mary Melilli, graphic artist and
Salem State professor; and Peter Schalck, graphic artist, website designer and owner of Marblehead Mercantile.
Festival logo judges display the three logo finalists. Judges are, left to right, Peter Schalck, Wayne George and Mary Melilli.
How to heal after the 11-day teachers strike
Newton leaders offer advice for Marblehead
BY LEIGH BLANDER
The School Committee’s Dec. 5 meeting — which included shouting from the audience and several slams of the gavel from the board’s chair — was evidence that emotions are still running high in the wake of Marblehead’s 11-day teachers strike.
Tensions have been high for weeks, with educators and School Committee members accusing each other of bad faith bargaining and community members using heated language at rallies and on social media. One evening, a group of about 20 people pursued Schaeffner, Fox and attorney Liz Valerio into the high school parking lot, shouting at them to stay and continue bargaining with teachers.
During the strike, Schaeffner said she was thinking every day about how the community would need to heal once kids were back in class.
The city of Newton went through a similar experience with its 11-day teachers strike last winter, and the pain still feels fresh to some.
“There are many wounds, and we are working to train staff and community members to heal from within and to facilitate hard conversations leading to a closer community,” Newton Superintendent Anne Nolin told the Current.
The Newton Public Schools worked with the Stephen Covey Leadership Center to host “speed-of-trust workshops that allow you to develop shared vocabulary for trust and practice it,” Nolin said. “We met in the spring, cleared space and processed some of the hurts and harms.”
Schools
From P. A1
remaining five missed days will be announced at the School Committee’s Dec. 19 meeting.
Angry moments
The Dec. 5 meeting, the first since the teacher contract was settled last month, erupted several times with residents and teachers shouting. Chair Jenn Schaeffner had adjourned the meeting before reconvening it to let resident John DiPiano add a public comment via Zoom. DiPiano, an attorney, said he had pulled his child out of the schools because of the strike and blasted the teachers — naming the four educators whom the School Committee identified in a petition for a strike investigation with the Department of
Police
From P. A1
Marblehead educators staged an 11-day strike for higher wages, better benefits and a new committee addressing school safety.
Newton Mayor Ruthann Fuller recently hired the consulting firm Essential Partners to help unite the community.
“We need to seize this moment of hurt, and recommit to each other, rather than retreat to separate camps,” Fuller wrote in an email to the Newton residents.
“People said some strong things, so how do you then come back together and work together to be polite and civil?” asked Newton’s Director of Community Engagement and Inclusion Hattie Kerwin Derrick.
She explained Essential Partners’ approach.
“They use a train-the-trainer process,” she said. “We’re gathering different community members, training them on how to have civil conversations and bring people together who are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Then they go out to their own
Labor Relations, which ultimately led a Superior Court judge to order them to go back to work. DiPiano demanded that those four educators apologize to the town.
Some teachers at the meeting became upset and started shouting. “Unbelievable. Stand up for people once in your life, for the staff of Marblehead Public Schools, Jenn and Sarah,” Shevory yelled before walking out.
Letting go of Coffin
The School Committee voted unanimously to hand the empty Coffin School back to the town. Members also discussed turning the vacant Eveleth School into a dedicated early education center.
Coffin is valued at $3.2 million, with $1.5 million of that coming from the land. The Eveleth was
court proceedings.
more than 100 hours at home during work shifts. Gallo, who received an estimated $172,000, or approximately $5,400 in monthly salary payments while on leave since June 2021, is now challenging his termination through arbitration.
“We’re just waiting on the arbitrator,” Kezer explained. Arbitration is a private dispute resolution process where both parties agree on a third-party arbitrator to hear the case and make a binding decision. In police termination cases, arbitration is typically available through collective bargaining agreements as an alternative to
communities.”
Newton Teachers Association President Michael Zilles said there’s a lot of work to be done.
“We have not healed here in Newton,” Zilles said. “On the contrary, most elected officials blame the union for the strike, even as the mayor creates structural impediments to settling a fair contract when we return to the bargaining table in two years.”
Advice from Newton’s School Committee chair
Newton School Committee Chair Chris Brezaski remembers how ugly things got during the strike.
“People blocking your car in the parking lot, chanting ‘shame’ at you like you’re in (the TV show) ‘Game of Thrones,’” Brezaski said.
Brezaski has this advice for Marblehead: “Recognize that it’s
recently assessed at $2.65 million, with more than $2 million coming from the land value.
Initially, Fox wanted to hold on to the Coffin School in case the town sees population growth, especially if Marblehead ultimately votes to comply with the controversial MBTA multifamily zoning mandate.
“Coffin is deteriorating, and it needs to be dealt with,” she said Thursday.
Fox explained why she is proposing an early education center for Eveleth.
“We continually have waitlists to get into preschools,” she said. “It’s a revenue driver right now. We need to get really creative on how we’re going to fund things. Public schools shouldn’t be a revenue-generating business, but due to the state of our finances, here we find ourselves.”
“The arbitrator could reinstate him,” Kezer added, highlighting the significant power arbitrators hold in such cases. Under the police union’s collective bargaining agreement, officers who face termination have the option to either pursue their case through the courts or go to arbitration.
Police Chief Dennis King had recommended Gallo’s firing before the Select Board terminated him.
Farewell’s case stemmed from a June 2 incident where he Tased a 21-year-old driver who crashed into a house on Clifton Avenue and attempted to flee on foot. According to police reports, the shirtless driver was being chased by the homeowner, who
going to take time. Be realistic and don’t be disappointed when things don’t go right back to normal right away. Having a realistic expectation is super important.”
He continued, “What we’ve tried to do is just open up more lines of communication than previously existed, trying to give folks an outlet to have discussions one on one. Within two months, we started hosting town halls for staff with school committee leadership where teachers could ask questions. That’s been helpful.”
‘Grace and empathy’ The School Committee and the Marblehead Education Association both declined to comment for this article. Marblehead High School English teacher Ashley Skeffington shared her thoughts about
Interim Superintendent John Robidoux supported the idea, mentioning that Marblehead already offers seven classrooms of integrated preschool.
“There are a lot of school districts who go into that model of having an early education center,” Robidoux said. “It’s the early formative years where we really need to focus on the resources and the learning.”
Updated roof project doubles in cost
The School Committee approved a $400,000 contract with an architect to design a new roof for Marblehead High School.
Town Meeting in 2022 approved $5.3 million for the roof project.
At a School Committee facilities subcommittee meeting earlier that day, Assistant Superintendent for Finance and
Police Chief Dennis King had recommended Gallo’s firing before the Select Board terminated him.
was wielding a golf club, when Farewell deployed his Taser.
The incident occurred around 2:49 a.m., when Farewell and other officers responded to reports of a vehicle crashing into a house. In his report, Farewell wrote that he observed scratch marks on the suspect’s body and a torn shirt, leading him to believe a physical altercation had taken place between the suspect and the homeowner.
Farewell reported giving verbal warnings before deploying his
moving forward.
“One thing I often tell my students is that the road to hell is paved with good intentions,” she said. “Even as the dust settles, I find myself experiencing bouts of anger when I think about some of the things that happened over the last nine months. In those moments, I try my best to remind myself that generally speaking, people do the things they do because they care for their students, their families and for their communities.”
Skeffington continued, “If the road to hell is paved with good intentions, I think the road back is paved with grace and empathy. If we can manage that, we can finally shift our time and energy into making our schools the best that they can be.”
Asked if Marblehead is taking steps to heal wounds from the strike, interim Superintendent John Robidoux said, “The administrators have been working to make sure that staff are attending to teaching and learning in meaningful ways to ensure that we are moving forward for student success. I have met and will continue to meet with union leadership to discuss ongoing ways to move forward globally for the betterment of the district.”
More strike impact
The School Committee also warned that the new contract will leave a $3.17 million shortfall in the school budget over four years and require a Proposition 2 /12 override that would add $334 to the average property tax bill. If the override fails, layoffs will be necessary, the committee said.
Administration Mike Pfifferling said updated estimates include new rooftop HVAC units, increasing the cost to about $11 million. Construction will not begin this summer, as hoped.
The MHS roof leaks in several spots. Last December, wet ceiling tiles fell and hit a student. Mold has also been addressed in the building.
Marblehead teacher Samantha Rosato, speaking at the School Committee meeting, addressed the roof.
“My kids go to school here,” she said. “The maintenance of our buildings is a major issue. I really hope the roof can be worked on. And there’s mold. It shouldn’t ever have been left for all these years.”
Parent Kate Thomson also spoke about the pace of the facilities subcommittee’s work.
Taser, yelling “STOP OR YOU WILL BE TASED” and “TASER TASER TASER” before firing.
The Taser darts struck the suspect’s mid-back, “causing him to stop due to his body locking up,” according to Farewell’s report.
Sgt. Sean Brady’s internal affairs investigation found Farewell allegedly violated department policies on Taser use, falsifying records, untruthfulness and lack of cooperation with investigations. Before his resignation, King had placed Farewell on five days of unpaid leave on Aug. 2, the maximum punishment the chief could impose. The case was headed to a disciplinary hearing led by Kezer before Farewell resigned.
She asked why the subcommittee hadn’t met in more than a year and asked for Fox to step down. Pfifferling went through a list of facilities projects, some completed, others not. At the Brown School, for example, the roof has leaked, windows have cracked (due to the building settling, Pfifferling believes), a wooden archway is buckling, and there have been issues with the main staircase.
“I’m not pleased with the speed of the response” from the building’s project manager, he said.
Pfifferling said he would work with town Finance Director Aleesha Benjamin on school capital requests to be made at Town Meeting.
When asked repeatedly how many layoffs would be necessary, Fox has declined to answer.
Kezer outlined the standard progression for police disciplinary cases: “You go from negotiations to mediation to fact finding to implementation.”
The driver, who allegedly registered a blood alcohol content of 0.20% after the incident, more than twice the legal limit, told the Marblehead Current he held no ill will toward Farewell, saying “I think it’s silly that he Tased me in the back. It shows incompetence. I probably deserved much more than that, so I don’t feel bad for myself.”
The driver was charged with operating under the influence of liquor, leaving the scene of property damage, negligent operation of a motor vehicle and resisting arrest.
CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER
If you’res truggling to pay your bills or are experiencing asudden and unexpected financial hardship, we’reh eret oh elp.
Individual requests for financial assistance must be referred through athirdparty for consideration.
We urge you to contact our partnerslisted below, or speak to your local clergy to request assistance from Marblehead Female Humane Society:
Marblehead Counseling Center
781-631-8273
Marblehead Housing Authority 781-631-2580
Marblehead Council on Aging 781-631-6225
Marblehead Food Pantry 781-631-8340
Sports
Hockey Headers gear up to defend title
Marblehead boys hockey begins season against host Shawsheen Dec. 12
BY JOE MCCONNELL
The returning veterans on this year’s Marblehead High boys hockey team, the defending Division 3 state champions, won’t be fazed by anything. They understand the ups and downs of a season. They know as long as they play their best hockey at the right time, they will have a chance to play for the ultimate prize once again at the TD Garden on St. Patrick’s weekend. Nobody would have predicted last December that the Hockey Headers would be playing Nauset at the Garden in the state championship game. They were languishing at 1-6 throughout that first month of the season. Their lone victory was a 6-0 triumph over non-league Melrose the day before New Year’s Eve. They then defeated Medford, 3-1 on Jan. 3. But they returned to their losing ways against Northeastern Conference (NEC) rivals Winthrop (3-1) and Danvers (3-0). From that point on, however, they won their next seven games, before tying Danvers in a much better effort, 3-3. Ironically, after losing to Shawsheen Tech in the next game, 4-1 — the Headers defeated the Rams two months later in a state semifinal game at Stoneham Arena, 2-1 — they won their remaining eight games, the last one coming against aforementioned Nauset, 1-0. They ended up with a 17-9-1 overall record, counting the postseason, and were the sixth seed in the power rankings.
Crew Monaco, one of the team’s four captains this year, said that last year’s captains held a team meeting after the 2-8 start to wake them up in a hurry.
Monaco then elaborated before last Thursday’s practice at Salem State University: “(The seniors)
SPOTLIGHT
BY JOE MCCONNELL
NAME: Miles Fontela-Tuttle
AGE: 17
sat us down (after the Danvers loss) and told us what we had to do to get back on track. They (specifically) said that we had to work harder in practice to first get back to .500. The coaches also put the pressure on us to reach our capabilities. They knew we were definitely better than our record.”
To that end, the team obviously responded well to their words.
“We knew we were playing terrible, but we never gave up on each other,” Monaco said.
Turning the page to a new season, they have carried over that championship feeling with intense practices. “We know we will have a target on our
FAMILY: Parents: Jessica Fontela, Jamison Tuttle; Sibling: Phoebe Fontela-Tuttle, 14
SCHOOL YEAR: Junior
SPORTS YOU PLAY: Soccer, indoor/outdoor track
FAVORITE SPORT, AND WHY: Soccer is my favorite, because I have been playing it my whole life, and it is a major part of who I am.
MOST MEMORABLE GAME FOR YOU, AND WHY: Senior Night vs. Salem, when I scored my first high school hat trick in front of a packed student section. The atmosphere was incredible.
PLANS FOR AFTER
HIGH SCHOOL: I’m just starting the college process, but interested in looking at Connecticut College and St. Anselm.
MAJOR: Undecided, but I’m interested in chemical engineering.
DO YOU WANT TO PLAY SPORTS IN COLLEGE: Yes. I plan on playing soccer in college.
DESIRED CAREER: Undecided at this point.
backs, but we have a good young team to get the job done,” said Monaco, who just completed a memorable football season as one of the team’s five captains that ended up leading it to an 8-3 winning record, the last one coming against Thanksgiving rival Swampscott at Fenway Park on Thanksgiving eve, 42-6. Monaco is not taking these leadership roles lightly. “It’s very special to be a captain of these two teams,” he said. “I’m grateful my (football and hockey) teammates elected me as a captain, and it’s my hope that I was and will continue to be a good role model for the younger kids.”
Mark Marfione is beginning his third year behind the Marblehead bench, and he welcomed around 45 players to the first day of practice on Dec. 2.
Besides Monaco, goalie Leo Burdge, defenseman Kyle Hart and forward Sean Dolan are the other three captains. Burdge is returning after a memorable postseason, where he gave up just five goals in just as many state tournament games to lead his teammates to the Garden party.
Marfione says this year’s varsity roster is far from being finalized, and they should take nothing for granted as the defending state champs. “It’s a brand-new season,” he said. “For the next four months, we are not a state championship team; we’re just one of 50 (Division 3 statewide) teams starting from scratch.
“We are going to take a close look at many players in the upcoming scrimmages, and see who can play minutes for us,” added Marfione.
Marfione continues to set up a formidable non-league schedule, and this year they start the regular season against those Shawsheen Rams on Dec. 12 at
Billerica’s Hallenborg Memorial Pavillion, starting at 7:10 p.m. Their first NEC game will be against Beverly at Endicott College’s Bourque Arena two days later, beginning at 4 p.m. They also have Malden Catholic (Dec. 21 in Malden, 5:30 p.m.), Hopkinton (Jan. 1 at New England Sports Center in Marlboro, 2 p.m.) and Methuen (Jan. 15 in Methuen, 7 p.m.) on the non-league schedule.
“We always try to play a challenging non-league schedule, and we also have some in-season tournaments in order to prepare us for the states,” said Marfione. “But give credit to (assistant athletic director and former hockey coach) Mark Tarmey for building the schedule, as well as the incredible JV schedule that helps develop our future varsity players. Because of him, our JVs probably have the most ice time of any team in the state. They have about 55 ice times for a few hundred dollars per player. It blows my mind when parents waste $10,000 on one season in so-called select hockey leagues, instead of playing for their hometown.”
MHS girls basketball begins season Friday night at home against Danvers
BY JOE MCCONNELL
Marblehead High girls
basketball veteran coach Paul Moran welcomed 26 players to the first day of practice on Dec. 2. With Thanksgiving and Christmas practically right on top of each other this year, there’s not much time for a coach to settle into a starting lineup, before the season gets underway on Friday, Dec. 13, in the home opener against Danvers, starting at 7 p.m.
“We are basically just evaluating them right now,” said Moran at the end of the first week of practice on Dec. 6. “We’re basically just doing drills, and trying to figure out what’s the best fit for everybody.”
Last year, these Marblehead Magicians (10-8, 42nd seed) were eliminated by Northeastern Conference rival Masco, 52-35, in a Division 2 preliminary round state tournament game at Boxford. But with a plethora of young talent returning, there was little despair over this postseason loss.
Forbes and Olivia Goldwater are this year’s captains. “These are three great kids, who deserve to be our leaders this year,” said Moran.
Ireland Duran, Sierra Leinberry and Zoi Guzzini, an exchange student from Italy, round out the senior class on the varsity roster.
Junior Tessa Andriano returns to stake out the claim that she’s one of the best three-point shooters in the NEC. Andriano will be counted on even more this year, because sophomore Ainsley McDonald tore her ACL during the soccer season. “We’re going to miss her shooting ability,” said Moran, “and she’s also one of the best players to coach. She works very hard every day.”
Joe Fields is back as the assistant head coach, and his daughter, Melissa, is in charge of the JV team. Michelle Bradbury is slated to help out as an additional coach for both teams.
Matt Moran, Paul’s son, who’s on the Swampscott High boys freshman team, will also assist his dad, primarily during practices, when time permits him.
“We have only less than two weeks to get ready for our first game against (aforementioned) Danvers,” said Moran. “It usually takes three or four weeks for a team to completely gel. But we’re fortunate to have our three captains this year, and Andriano and her consistent shot to help carry us earlier on in the season.” Moran was only able to schedule two scrimmages before the Danvers opener. He had them facing Essex Tech last Saturday and Lynn English two days later to get in at least a couple of warmups prior to the start of the regular season.
“We should know our probable starters for the season after the Lynn English scrimmage,” Moran said.
But if everything goes according to plan, these Magicians should have another double-digit winning season, which will lead to another postseason berth. GIrLS HOOPS Shortened
Seniors Ramona Gillett, Maddie
Crew Monaco, one of four senior captains on this year’s Marblehead High boys hockey squad, celebrates the Division 3 state championship with sophomore Avin Rodovsky.
CURRENT FILE PHOTOS / NICOLE GOODHUE BOYD
Hogan Sedky, the 2023-24 Marblehead High boys hockey captain, proudly poses with the Division 3 state championship trophy surrounded by his teammates after they shutout Nauset, 1-0 to secure the title last March at the TD Garden.
HOCKEY, P. A10
Zampese, Fontela-Tuttle earn EMSCA all-star honors
BY JOE MCCONNELL
The Marblehead High boys soccer team (11-3-6) had a great year, finishing up the regular season as the 10th seed in the Division 2 power rankings. They then dropped a quarterfinal round (Elite 8) decision to host Wayland in overtime, 2-1 after
beating Somerset-Berkley in a Sweet 16 game at Piper Field, 2-1, also in overtime.
Marblehead senior goalie
David “Rory” Zampese and junior teammate Miles FontelaTuttle, a forward on the varsity team, were singled out this fall as Eastern Massachusetts Soccer Coaches Association
all-stars. They went on to compete in the annual all-star game, helping their teammates come out on top, 4-3. The game was played at Concord-Carlisle High School the day after Thanksgiving. By all accounts, both Zampese and FontelaTuttle represented Marblehead very well.
Reliving an iconic night at Fenway
BY JOE MCCONNELL
In case you didn’t get enough of the MHS Football victory over rival Swampscott at Fenway, here are a few more snapshots from that night on Thanksgiving eve.
The Magicians dominated the proceedings, 42-6. For their efforts, they were awarded with a silver bat trophy by Red Sox officials, plus on the way out they
were given the MHS sign that was on the Green Monster scoreboard, which informed thousands of fans who showed up for the game, which team was actually ahead. Both prized possessions are on display right now in the high school’s trophy case. But before the silver bat reached the trophy case, the Marblehead boys took turns taking a few simulated swings at the fabled Green Monster.
From P. A9
admires the Shawsheen approach to the sport, and it’s no accident they are playing them again in the season opener. “Shawsheen has a great program, and they just bring out the truth in our team when we play them. The BS does
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
Friday, Dec. 13
5 p.m., boys basketball, Danvers, Salem Academy Charter School
7 p.m., girls basketball, Danvers, Marblehead High gym
Saturday, Dec. 14
TBD, boys basketball, multiple schools, Salem Academy Charter School
7:30 a.m., wrestling, TBA, Wakefield Memorial High
not work against them. I think the most important (regular season) game that we had last year was the ass-kicking we took against them (a 4-1 loss). (That loss) told the truth about what we were, and where we needed to be. We didn’t lose again after that.”
Tim Kalinowski (power play, faceoff coach, who works
3 p.m., boys and girls indoor track, NEC Invitational, New Balance Track, Boston
4 p.m., boys hockey, Beverly, Endicott College, Beverly
8 p.m., girls hockey, Leominster, Wallace Civic Center, Fitchburg
Monday, Dec. 16
7 p.m., girls basketball, Cristo Rey Boston, Marblehead High gym
Tuesday, Dec. 17
6 p.m., girls basketball, Beverly, Beverly High
7 p.m., boys basketball, Beverly, Marblehead High gym
Wednesday, Dec. 18
5 p.m., girls hockey, Newburyport, Graf Skating Rink, Newburyport
5:45 p.m., wrestling, Peabody, Peabody Veterans Memorial High
Thursday, Dec. 19
4:30 p.m., boys and girls indoor track, Peabody, Marblehead
primarily with the forwards), Kyle Koopman (defensive coach) and Liam Gillis (another defensive coach who focuses on the penalty kill and conditioning. He’s also the team’s video coordinator) are back as Marfione’s assistants.
“I think we have a very collaborative effort; it’s almost like we have four co-coaches,”
High gym
5:30 p.m., wrestling, Pentucket, Pentucket Regional High
7 p.m., boys basketball, Saugus, Saugus High
Saturday, Dec. 21
7:30 a.m., wrestling, TBA, Mt. Hope High School, Bristol, Rhode Island
12:15 p.m., diving, NEC League, Peabody-Lynnfield YMCA
2:30 p.m., girls hockey, Pope Francis Preparatory, Salem State University
5:30 p.m., boys hockey, Malden Catholic, Valley Forum, Malden
Monday, Dec. 23
Noon, boys hockey, Danvers, Ray Bourque Arena, Beverly
Thursday, Dec. 26
7 p.m., boys hockey, Medford (tournament), , Talbot Rink, Gloucester Friday, Dec. 27
Marfione said. “They help me focus on some bigger picture things.”
When it’s all said and done, Marfione is still looking forward to the season. He knows his team is a talented, hard-working and detailoriented group that learns their lessons in time to compete for championships, just like last year.
“I think last year’s slow start
TBD, boys hockey, TBD, Talbot Rink, Gloucester
7 a.m., wrestling, TBA, Pentucket Regional High
Saturday, Dec. 28
2 p.m., girls hockey, Leominster, Salem State University
Monday, Dec. 30
9:30 a.m., boys and girls indoor track, NEC Freshman/Sophomore Meet, Gloucester High Wednesday, Jan. 1
2 p.m., boys hockey, Hopkinton, New England Sports Center, Marlborough
Thursday, Jan. 2
6:30 p.m., swimming/diving, Peabody, Lynch-van Otterloo YMCA
Friday, Jan. 3
7 p.m., girls basketball, Masconomet, Marblehead High gym
7 p.m., boys basketball,
was a learning experience,” said Marfione. “We learned that basically every team had similar talent, where details usually prevail. Small details are the difference between winning and losing. You can go 0-6 with a talented, hard-working and detail-oriented team, and we have some great kids still here that proved it last year.”
Masconomet, Masconomet Regional High, Boxford
Saturday, Jan. 4
9 a.m., wrestling, boys quad, North Attleboro High
6 p.m., boys hockey, Peabody, Salem State University
Sunday, Jan. 5
3 p.m., gymnastics, Danvers, Yellow Jackets Gymnastics Club, Peabody Monday, Jan. 6
7 p.m., girls basketball, Peabody, Peabody Veterans Memorial High
7 p.m., boys basketball, Peabody, Marblehead High
7:30 p.m., girls hockey, Peabody, Salem State University
Wednesday, Jan. 8
6:30 p.m., wrestling, multiple schools, Marblehead High
7:30 p.m., boys hockey, Medford, Salem State University
manual scoreboard on Fenway Park’s fabled Green Monster says it all after the Football Magicians made it 14 straight over Swampscott, their longtime Thanksgiving rivals, on Thanksgiving eve.
COURTESY PHOTO
Marblehead High boys soccer players Miles Fontela-Tuttle, left, and David “Rory” Zampese pose with coach Elmer Magana at the EMSCA all-star game in Concord. These two Magicians made the prestigious EMSCA team, before combining to help their all-star teammates to a 4-3 victory.
Marblehead senior Sam Thompson checks his swing while celebrating with the silver bat that the team had won after beating Swampscott, 42-6 on Thanksgiving eve at Fenway Park.
Marblehead junior Breydan Callahan stretches with the silver bat that the team had won after beating Swampscott, 42-6 on Thanksgiving eve at Fenway Park.
After beating rival Swampscott handily, 42-6, it was time for Marblehead senior running back Bernardo Bannis to turn his attention to baseball with the silver bat that the team had won after beating Swampscott on Thanksgiving eve at Fenway Park.
Marfione
Hockey
BY WILL DOWD
The Current welcomes submissions (150-200 words) to the news in brief. Send yours to wdowd@marbleheadnews.org.
Snow ban emergency reminder
The Marblehead Police Department is reminding residents about parking restrictions during snow emergencies.
When a snow emergency is declared, vehicles, including boat trailers, must be removed from the streets to allow for snow removal and ensure road safety. Violators risk ticketing and towing as part of the town’s efforts to maintain clear and treated streets during icy conditions.
Residents are encouraged to sign up for CodeRED alerts — marblehead.org/subscribe — to stay informed about snow emergencies. The overnight parking ban for the 2024-25 winter season is now in effect.
Select Board signs off on conditional officer
The Select Board approved a conditional offer of employment Monday for a new police officer.
Brandon Boutilier will join the Marblehead Police Department pending successful completion of required testing. A current dispatcher for Beverly police, he graduated from Westfield State University after attending Peabody Veterans Memorial High School.
“A thorough background check and oral board interview has been conducted and, in my opinion, he possesses the qualities that we are looking for in our police officers,” Police Chief Dennis King wrote in his recommendation letter to the board. “He will be a welcomed member to the department.”
The conditional offer requires Boutilier to pass the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Physical Abilities Test, complete a physical examination and undergo psychological evaluation. All testing will be conducted by town-selected medical professionals.
Boutilier’s start date is set for Jan. 6, or the first available police academy opening.
Dollars for Scholars
honors Gearhart with Peterson Award
Marblehead Dollars for Scholars presented George Gearhart with the Peterson Award, named for founders Sue and Nils Peterson, at its annual meeting this fall. The award recognizes outstanding service to the organization, which provides need-based college scholarships to Marblehead
students. Gearhart, who has served as treasurer and on the advanced standing scholarship committee, received a golden cod in recognition of his contributions. The award was presented by organization vice president Chris Saulnier and president Jac Bentley. 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, at 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 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.
Tree bonfire set for Jan. 6
The town’s annual Christmas tree bonfire will return to Riverhead Beach at 6 p.m. Jan. 6, fire officials announced Wednesday. Fire Chief Jason Gilliland
and Department of Public Works Director Amy McHugh will coordinate curbside collection of trees from Dec. 26 through Jan. 3 for the community event.
“Residents are invited to attend this community event,” Gilliland wrote in a letter to the Select Board.
Trees must be free of lights, ornaments and stands, and cannot be in plastic bags.
Holiday wreaths, roping and garland won’t be collected. While curbside pickup continues through Jan. 10, trees received after Jan. 3 won’t be part of the bonfire. After Jan. 10, residents must take trees
to the town transfer station for disposal.
Local entrepreneur named to Forbes 30 Under 30 for e-commerce
Andrew Gilliland, a Marblehead entrepreneur and founder of Action Holdings, has been named to Forbes magazine’s 30 Under 30 list in the e-commerce category. The recognition highlights his seven years building Action Holdings, managing acquisitions and overseeing brands including Embark Pets, iSpyPens and BBQ-AID.
Gilliland credits his 12-person team as the driving force behind the company’s success and thanked his mentors, family and supporters who have shaped his entrepreneurial journey.
Get involved
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.
Abbot Library for the perfect gift. Combine the book with a unique greeting card from a local shop and include a personal note about why you chose it. Your recipient is sure to love your thoughtful choice.
Finally, you can never go wrong by giving homemade treats. Opt for a great combination gift that is also thoughtful by adding a
few thrifted finds like tea cups or mugs with homemade cookies or bread. For an added personal touch, place your gifts in a found wicker basket or decorative box for a beautifully curated, lowwaste gift.
When packaging your sustainable gifts, reduce waste by incorporating some creative wrapping methods. Americans use approximately 4.6 million pounds of wrapping paper annually, with the majority used during the holiday season.
Since most shiny, metallic or glittery wrapping paper is lined or manufactured with plastic, it often cannot be recycled and instead ends up in the landfill. Instead, try something more earth-friendly like repurposed, home-decorated or stamped brown paper bags. Consider having your kids decorate plain white paper gift bags or boxes now and everyone will cherish them in the years to come. You might also try a beautiful Japanese method
called Furoshiki wrapping that reuses clothes or other fabrics to wrap your gifts. You can tie the fabric to look like a bow, or top it with seasonal foliage like pinecones or twigs from a pine tree. Many families also use the same store-bought gift bags and decorated boxes year after year to reduce waste. According to a study by Stanford University, if every American family wrapped just three gifts in one of these alternative methods instead of traditional wrap, we could save
enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields.
When you give sustainably, you might inspire others to think about their impact, too. Sharing the “why” behind your thoughtful choices can spark conversations and encourage more people to embrace ecofriendly practices during the holidays and beyond. Wishing you and yours a happy and sustainable holiday season. Elaine Leahy is the executive director of Sustainable Marblehead.
CURRENT PHOTO /
Marblehead Police Chief Dennis King, left, sits with new hire Brandon Boutilier, who received a conditional offer of employment from the Select Board on Dec. 4. Boutilier, a current Beverly police dispatcher, is set to join the department pending successful testing and training.
COURTESY PHOTO / NANCY MARRS
Left to right, Chris Saulnier, vice president of Marblehead Dollars for Scholars, George Gearhart and president Jac Bentley at the organization’s annual meeting where Gearhart received the Peterson Award.
BY GREY COLLINS
The Marblehead High School Film Club, which released the popular movie “Currently a Paperboy,” last December, is in the early stages of developing a new project. Co-Presidents Matias Watts Cruz, Phineas Jakious and Quinn Scheib, are leading the effort.
“The film explores the themes of passion, purpose and meaning,” said Watts Cruz, a junior and co-president of the Film Club. ”It follows Josh, a high schooler, who is unsure about what he wants to do with his life. As the story goes on, he finds a passion and he tries to cling to it.”
The Film Club is developing a script and wants to start filming in the spring. It hopes to start editing by late summer, and have a finished product done before this time next year.
“We want to show it at the Warwick and possibly some other local theaters as well,” said Watts Cruz. “We also want to get it into some film festivals.”
This is a hefty project that needs lots of time and
equipment, so the Film Club is having a fundraiser on Wednesday, Dec. 11, at Chipotle in Swampscott. A percentage of the restaurant sales that day will go toward the movie production. Customers should mention that they are a part of the fundraiser and if you order online, use the code X4KG4ET.
“The fundraiser will help us buy filming equipment, which will help us get more practice in the Film Club with more equipment like lights, cameras and lenses, so we’ll be able to do more within the Film Club,” said Watts Cruz. “That equipment will also help us make a better movie and a better final product
BY WILL DOWD
MHTV, Marblehead’s community access television station, honored one of its founding members Tuesday by naming its main studio after Ed Bell, a veteran journalist and longtime community leader who served the organization for 15 years.
The dedication ceremony at MHTV’s facilities drew a packed room of family, friends, Select Board members and town officials who gathered to recognize Bell’s contributions since the station became a nonprofit in 2009.
Bell, who served as MHTV’s treasurer and hosted the award-winning show “Up for Discussion,” stepped down from the board in 2024 after helping establish the station as a cornerstone of local media.
“Ed brought all of his energy, imagination and skill to the table year after year,” said Bob Peck, MHTV president. “What better way to show our appreciation than to name the studio after
him. From now and forevermore, people will be coming into the Ed Bell Studio.”
The ceremony featured a surprise video message from Susan Wornick, the former WCVB-TV anchor whose career began when Bell hired her at WBZ radio in the 1970s.
“Eddie, you have been my friend, my mentor. You taught me about journalism, for sure, but mostly you taught me about
life,” Wornick said. “You are not only a remarkable journalist, but you are an amazing man.”
Bell knew that there would be a dedication, but he didn’t know the main studio would be named after him.
“I didn’t have a clue,” he said.
“To the employees, to the staff of MHTV. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”
Before helping establish MHTV, Bell had a distinguished
when we start filming in the springtime.”
Members of the Film Club are eager to work as a team to make this production happen.
“It’s been allowing everyone to be creative,” said Cole Barbeau, a junior and treasurer of the Film Club. “Everyone has been getting to share their ideas,
and it really is a great group of people.”
Watts Cruz believes that the production process will provide students with opportunities to connect with each other that aren’t found anywhere else at MHS.
“When I was a freshman, I acted in “Currently a Paperboy,” and what still stands out to me now is that it connected me with a lot of people who I wouldn’t have known otherwise,” he said.
“So in terms of the Marblehead High School community, it will do a great job of bringing people together. Freshmen and sophomores will meet juniors and seniors, and people who, under normal circumstances wouldn’t talk to each other, will form bonds.”
They also hope that their movie will be able to bring the Marblehead community together in a new way.
“The adults, the students and the elderly will all be able to come see it, and they will get to take a look at what our lives are like, so it can really connect the entire Marblehead community,” said Watts Cruz.
BY LEIGH BLANDER
Second grader Avianna Paradise stood at the entrance to Glover School last Thursday morning, waving and welcoming her fellow students and teachers. She then walked into the main office to deliver announcements over the intercom.
“Lunch today is French toast, pretzel, yogurt and chef salad,” the 7-year-old said into the microphone. She also made an executive decision: “Today, we will be having five extra minutes of recess.”
Paradise was Principal for the Day, as part of a fundraiser at the Glover and Brown schools sponsored by the Friends of Marblehead Public Schools. Students at the two schools entered a raffle for the chance to to serve as principals.
At Brown School, Principal for the Day Ava Stanchfield also made announcements and
career in journalism spanning four decades. He started as a reporter at the Salem Evening News before becoming news director at WBZ radio and WHDH radio and TV in Boston.
He later served as Associated Press bureau chief in Boston from 2000 to 2006.
After retiring, Bell doubled down on community service.
Beyond his work with MHTV, he has been active in the Rotary Club of Marblehead Harbor, serving as the Rotary district representative for ShelterBox disaster relief. He chairs the Marblehead Council on Aging and founded its Men’s Luncheon Group. He also is a cofounder and co-chair of the Marblehead Current.
His daughter Andrea Bell Bergeron was moved by the recognition of her father’s impact.
“It made me tear up when Bob called and told me this was happening,” she said, referring to Bob Peck. “The appreciation they had for the time he gives to things like MHTV and the
Current — he likes to breathe life into these things.”
Bell’s dedication to community media earned him multiple honors in 2019, including Marblehead Chamber of Commerce Person of the Year. The studio dedication represents a permanent recognition of his role in establishing MHTV as a vital community resource.
Joan Goloby, MHTV’s executive director, noted the station’s growth during Bell’s tenure, including winning national awards for overall excellence and expanding its programming to include 51 local sports broadcasts last year alone.
“The dedication of this studio ensures Ed’s legacy will continue to inspire future generations of community media makers in Marblehead,” Goloby said.
The newly named Ed Bell Studio will serve as the primary production space for MHTV, which provides programming on Comcast channel 8 and Verizon channel 28, with HD options on channels 1073 and 2128 respectively.
observed classrooms with Mary Maxfield, who will be principal again tomorrow. Stanchfield said she wants to be a teacher, and maybe even a principal, when she grows up. Both girls invited friends to
enjoy a special lunch in “their” offices. Friends of the Marblehead Public Schools is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. It raises money for
Ed Bell, center to right, celebrates with family members including his wife, Barbara; daughter, Andrea Bell Bergeron, far right; and son-inlaw Mike Bergeron on Dec. 3 during the dedication ceremony naming MHTV’s main studio in his honor. Bell, a veteran journalist and founding member of MHTV, served the organization for 15 years and helped establish it as a nonprofit in 2009.
COURTESY PHOTO
Co-president Mathias Watts Cruz is leading the MHS Film Club’s effort to produce a new movie. Watts Cruz appeared in the recent MHS Film Club movie, “Currently a Paperboy.” You can see him with the cast of “Currently a Paperboy” in the front row, third from the right.
CURRENT PHOTOS / LEIGH BLANDER Brown School Principal for the Day Ava Stanchfield and Mary Maxfield, who usually has the job.
Glover School Principal for the Day Avianna Paradise makes announcements with her “colleague” Frank Kowalski.
Blander at lblander@marbleheadnews.org.
Chances to meet Santa Santa arrived in Marblehead via lobster boat on Saturday, but if you missed him, don’t worry! He’s making the rounds to greet more children (and pups) this weekend. Here are three opportunities.
Friday, Dec. 13, 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Meet Santa at Mud Puddle Toys, 1 Pleasant St. Bring your coziest PJs and Mud Puddle Toys will supply the milk and cookies.
Saturday, Dec. 14, 9 a.m.-noon
Santa will be at Marblehead Bank, 21 Atlantic Ave. A professional photographer will be there, too, to snap photos of your kiddos with the man himself. Saturday, Dec. 14, 9 a.m.-noon, sign up for a time slot The Power of Speech is hosting a sensory-friendly meet and greet with Santa, at 40 South St, Suite 101. This is free and available to any child who might need extra time, space or support to feel comfortable. Sensory accommodations will be available. Sign up at https:// loom.ly/iv8VRNY.
Come sit by the fire at Abbot Library
Wednesday, Dec. 11, 11
a.m.-noon
The public is invited to join the Abbot Library staff and board of trustees at an open house event where they will light the fireplace in honor of the start of the winter season and in celebration of the completion of the front walkway project. Find out more about programs and services to be offered in 2025. Hot chocolate, tea, coffee and cookies will be served. 235 Pleasant St.
A perky pairing
Saturday, Dec. 14, 2:30-3:30 p.m.
Guest presenter Kim Larkin will teach you everything there is to know about coffee and chocolate, the ultimate perky pair. This presentation at Abbot Library, 235 Pleasant St., covers coffee’s and chocolate’s interesting histories, benefits, cultivation, terminology, famous pioneers, best brewing and roasting methods and more. Larkin shares her love of coffee and chocolate with a fun display of vintage coffee grinders and coffee pots, an interactive trivia quiz and, of course, plenty of samples, including espresso chocolate, bittersweet and a classic decaf Italian Affogato. Registration is required and limited to 35 attendants. Please register at tinyurl.com/ Coffee-and-Chocolate.
Wreaths Across America ceremony
Holiday Pops
Saturday, Dec. 14, 7 p.m. Join Marblehead Harbor Rotary for the 2024 Holiday Pops concert at Abbot Hall. The program features Maestro Dirk Hillyer and the Hillyer Festival Orchestra with soloist Andrew Scoglio. A champagne reception begins at 7 p.m., followed by the concert at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $45-$85. rotaryclubofmheadharbor.org.
a cappella night hits all the right notes
On Nov. 26, the Marblehead High School a cappella groups the Grizzlies, Shirley Tempos, Jewel Tones and Luminescence performed before a packed house at the annual Sing Free a cappella night. Guest stars the Beelzebubs — also called the Bubs — came from Tufts University to teach an a cappella workshop and headline the concert.
The Bubs were founded in 1963 and are a nationally renowned a cappella group that performed at the White House last year, and were the inspiration for the
“Pitch Perfect.” Griffen Collins, a Grizzlies and Jewel Tones alum and current Bub, returned to his hometown to work with his former partners in song.
The Tufts Beelzebubs lead an a capella workshop with the MHS jewel tones. CURRENT PHOTOS / GREY COLLINS
Charlie Seleger solos during the Bubs workshop.
Left to right: Jane Rickards, Anya Kane, and Cassidy Clock perform on stage with Luminescence.
The Jewel Tones perform at the MHS a cappella concert. Griffen Collins, far right, solos
on “Sweet Caroline” with the Tufts Bubs.
Charlie Seleger solos with the Jewel Tones.
“It was great to go back and see everyone,” said Collins. “It was great to see all the new faces and see how the music department has been growing and thriving.”
The Bubs held a workshop before the concert offering advice to the MHS a cappella groups before they performed.
The Bubs performing tips included keeping eye contact, grooving with each other and keeping dynamic changes consistent among the whole
group.
“It was fun,” said Anya Kane, a senior and member of Luminescence. “They offered us a lot of great insight to our set and seem very passionate about the work they do.”
The Sing Free night was the first performance of the year for MHS a cappella groups, getting them ready for a year of concerts and competitions.
“It’s always fun to showcase Luminescence for the first time each year,” said Kane. “I feel really confident in this year’s group, and I’m so excited to continue working with these talented girls.”
The performance took place just minutes after the end of the Marblehead teacher strike was announced, so it was full of celebratory moments. The Jewel Tones sang “Marblehead Forever” to celebrate the end of the strike, and the crowd applauded Andrew Scoglio, the music director and a teacher at MHS, for all of his hard work.
“It was great seeing Mr. Scoglio again,” said Collins. “I was reminded of how great a director he is and how he lifts students up both musically and personally.”
Current intern Grey Collins is Griffen Collins’ brother.
CURRENT PHOTOS / GREY COLLINS
The Jewel Tones perform at the MHS a cappella concert.
After being adopted once, Sylvie is unfortunately back at the Marblehead Animal Shelter. COURTESY PHOTO
BY GREY COLLINS
movie
Griffen Collins sings “Sweet Caroline” with the Tufts University a cappella group.
Jeannette Fontaine Yeaple, 85
Jeannette Fontaine Yeaple
died Friday, Nov. 22, at Lafayette House in Marblehead after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. She was a beloved mother to Stephen and Jennifer and wife to Donald Yeaple (1936-2022).
Yeaple was born in Fairbanks, Alaska, in 1939 to Marjorie and Azarie Fontaine and grew up in Melrose. She majored in chemistry at the University of Rochester, graduating in 1961. At
Kathleen Ann Tuveson, 81
Kathleen “Kathy” Ann (Walker) Tuveson, 81, of Marblehead, passed away due to complications from colon cancer on Thursday, Nov. 28. She was born March 10, 1943, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the daughter of the late Francis and Jessie (Ahearn) Walker. Kathy graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1961. In 1963, she earned an associate in arts degree from Westbrook Junior College in Portland, Maine. Kathy married her high school sweetheart and love of her life, Roger, in 1964, spending over 60 wonderful years of marriage. Early on, many days
POLIce LOG
Rochester, she became part of a lovely group of friends who were a source of joy for the rest of her life.
After graduation, she studied at Northwestern University, leaving
were spent at Kathy’s family’s home on Baycliff Road, enjoying the beautiful tidal bay, dock and boats. This was the site of their wedding and many family gatherings in the following years. Kathy and Roger moved to Marblehead where they raised their family, worked and forged lifelong friendships. Kathy was involved with the religious education of her children through Our Lady, Star of the
with a master’s degree in 1963 to marry Donald Stephen Yeaple of Walden, New York. Their son Stephen was born in 1966, and their daughter Jennifer was born in 1969. The young family moved to Marblehead in 1973.
After her children were older, she returned to work, first as a chemistry teacher at Salem State and later as a computer programmer at General Electric’s jet engine group and then for Harvard University’s payroll department.
A Marblehead resident for 50 years, Yeaple was an active member of the town. She helped preserve the town’s green space as a member of the conservation
Sea Church and spent many years working at Marblehead Pediatrics. Some of her true joys were being with friends at the Swampscott Beach Club, accompanying Roger on the family boat to read, socialize and participate in a bit of fishing, and hosting overnight visits, dinners and cocktail parties in her home. Kathy and Roger spent a great amount of time at Merepoint in Maine, enjoying family and friends, exploring Casco Bay and connecting with many Bowdoin folks in the Brunswick area. They also enjoyed planning adventurous trips, traveling to Italy, Ireland, Bermuda, Saint Kitts, Barbados, Aruba, Hawaii and many other U.S. locations. An ever-devoted spouse, parent, grandparent and greatgrandparent, Kathy loved and cared very deeply for her family, always placing their needs before her own. There is nothing she
commission from 1977-1980. She also painted landscapes and seascapes of her beloved town and exhibited her artwork at the Fourth of July Arts Festival for many decades. She loved to garden and contributed to the design of many gardens around Marblehead. She had many loyal friends in town including a tightknit group that were initially part of a supper club encouraged by General Electric for recently hired employees. Jeannette and Donald were also longtime members of the Old North Church.
Yeaple was an intense person with a sharp intellect, a powerful
can-do attitude and a deep sense of responsibility to her family and to the community. She loved to travel, to create beauty and to spend time in nature. She had a soft spot for little dogs on whom she doted. In her later years, she loved to chat with other walkers along Front Street and at Fort Sewell as she walked her Yorkie, Lulu. She will be sorely missed by her family and friends. She is survived by her two children; her five grandchildren Rebecca, Katerina, Lewis, Sey and Scott; and one great-grandson, Miles. A service will be held in her memory at Old North Church at 1 p.m. on Feb. 16.
loved more than being with her beloved family members, whether it be cheering at her grandchildren’s athletic events, catching up over a glass of wine, or hosting or attending a holiday gathering. Her family adored her and will always remember Kathy’s supportive nature, lively conversations, laughs and, of course, Kathy’s amazing appetizers, cosmopolitans, fish chowder and blueberry cake. Kathy is survived by her husband, Roger, and their daughters, Kristine Ganong and her husband Rick of Boston, and Katy Gearan and her husband Mike of Lynnfield. She was the loving grandmother of Ryan Ganong (Lilly), Kimberley Ganong (Ryan Medeiros), Jessica Gearan and Sadie Gearan; and the adoring great-grandmother of Blair and Mae Ganong. She is survived by her brother Richard Walker and his wife Loretta of Hampton, New Hampshire, and is predeceased by her sister Marie (Walker) Odiorne and her husband Norman Odiorne. Visitation for relatives and friends will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 4-6 p.m. at Eustis & Cornell of Marblehead, 142 Elm St. Her funeral Mass will be celebrated on Thursday, Jan. 9, at 11 a.m. at Our Lady, Star of the Sea Church, 85 Atlantic Ave. Marblehead. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Abbot Public Library Foundation, PO Box 1409, Marblehead, MA 01945 or via abbotlibraryfoundation. org ; or to the Kaplan Family Hospice House, mailed to Care Dimensions, 75 Sylvan St., Suite B-102, Danvers, MA 01923 or via https://tinyl.io/Bo0o. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at eustisandcornellfuneralhome. com for Kathy’s family.
Police investigate dusty cars, parking fights and missing helmets
BY WILL DOWD
Excerpts from the Marblehead police log Nov. 19 - Dec. 4. 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. 19
7:26 a.m. — Officer Samuel Rizos took a report regarding alleged fraudulent Western Union transactions. Garcia reported an unauthorized $806.99 withdrawal from his Citizens Bank account linked to Western Union. Money was transferred in Mexican pesos. Garcia worked with the bank to resolve the issue.
9:11 a.m. — Patrol Officer Daniel Gagnon responded to Fountain Inn Lane regarding an
From P. A2
increasingly contentious, with the union filing prohibited practice charges with the state Department of Labor Relations in September. The complaint alleges the town implemented new workplace policies without bargaining and has failed to provide requested financial analyses of union proposals.
“The most concerning changes are to the employee conduct and discipline,” said Tauro.
A recent grievance highlighting pay disparities added fuel to
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decisions align with the town’s historical approach to taxation.
The Finance Committee
Chairman Alex Goolsby said the town projects approximately $1.5 million in fixed cost increases for
alleged carpet cleaning scam. A resident reported a company called “Certified Green Team” from Brighton charged a $5,000 deposit for a $10,000 cleaning job. Resident canceled the check after realizing potential fraud. Company claims the rugs were sent to New Jersey.
2:30 p.m. — Sgt. Sean Brady responded to Orne Street for a report of dirt/debris damage to a parked vehicle. Investigation revealed the landscaper was operating a leaf blower, allegedly causing dust accumulation on the complainant’s legally parked car. No crime determined.
4:12 p.m. — Officer Charles Sweeney dispatched to Mechanic Square regarding an alleged parking dispute between residents and construction workers at the Gerry School site. Residents were advised to contact police if the driveway was blocked.
the tension. Engineering clerk
Lisa Lyons won a grade increase and back pay after challenging the town’s decision to hire an external candidate at a higher rate.
“At least a dozen are paid less than the new hire … we fought the fact that she was refused a position she was more than qualified for,” said Tauro. “We are trying to upgrade senior staff to make as much as new hires.”
Meanwhile, negotiations with the police union also remain unresolved since contracts expired in June. Unlike the municipal employees who are in mediation, police talks are still
fiscal year 2026, including about $1 million in health insurance increases and $500,000 in pension obligations, even before factoring in potential wage increases from ongoing and settled union negotiations.
Nov. 20
12:04 a.m. — Officer Nicholas Fratini responded to Farrell Court for a neighbor complaint about cigarette smoke. The resident reported smoke entering the unit through the heating system from the upstairs neighbor. The matter was referred to the Council on Aging.
Nov. 23
2:34 p.m. — Officer Nicholas Fratini investigated suspicious activity at Goldthwait Road. A resident reported a man male urinating in bushes, discarding
in direct negotiations.
“You go from negotiations to mediation to fact finding to implementation,” Kezer explained. “That’s when mediation fails. You go to fact finding.”
Kezer faces mounting pressure as he develops next year’s budget amid the uncertainty.
“What I try to do at the State of the Town is figure out — here’s the bottom line, with no override. That’s what we have to build our budgets on,” he said. “And then we have what we call level services, not level funding level services. What would it cost just to maintain the way
“Simply put, Marblehead’s recurring general fund operating expenses have been growing at a rate that exceeds the allowable increases in property tax revenue under Proposition 2 1/2, leading to a structural deficit,” Goolsby has said. “An increase in new growth levels would be beneficial in mitigating or potentially eliminating the annual deficit.”
Select Board member Dan Fox emphasized the need for
wine and a container before departing in black pickup truck. Partial plate provided but no matches found.
3:00 p.m. — Officer Adam Mastrangelo responded to Pickwick Road for a noise complaint regarding a postPowder Puff game gathering. Multiple units responded. Party dispersed without incident.
Nov. 24
8:00 p.m. — Officer Nicholas Michaud investigated an alleged hit-and-run on Rockaway Avenue. Vehicle’s driver’s side mirror was damaged while parked. Owner provided an accident report form.
Nov. 26
2:34 p.m. — Officer Nicholas Fratini met with a resident at Mechanic Square regarding an anonymous harassing letter about parking disputes.
we’re doing business? And that determines how much we need in an override.”
For municipal workers who maintain everything from streets to cemeteries, the stakes are high as they seek wage equity with both teachers and new hires.
“I understand how important the schools are but so are we,” Tauro said. “My union members take care of most of the town’s infrastructure. We help protect its most vulnerable residents at the COA and Parks and Rec. We manage the beautiful Marblehead Harbor and the Abbot Library.”
transparency in any override request.
“We need to build trust back up throughout the town, the schools, the town,” Fox said. “We can’t just go to the citizens. I think that we need to figure out that number that we can go for that’s sustainable because we do need our fire, police and town employees.”
6:28 p.m. — Officer Charles Sweeney took a follow-up report regarding the same harassing letter incident.
Dec. 2
3:38 p.m. — Officer Robert Picariello took a report of an alleged stolen football helmet ($600 value) from the Marblehead High School locker room. Matter referred to the school resource officer.
Dec. 3
9:57 a.m. — Officer Adam Mastrangelo investigated an alleged hit-and-run on Driftwood Road. A vehicle sustained a dent to the front driver’s side panel. 2:45 p.m. — Lt. Jason Conrad witnessed a near-miss incident between a vehicle and a juvenile pedestrian at Pleasant and Smith streets during school dismissal. No injuries. Students advised on crosswalk safety.
The next mediation session between the town and municipal employees union is scheduled for next week. The police contract negotiations are ongoing, though specific details of those talks were not disclosed. Kezer and others argue town officials must balance maintaining competitive wages while considering taxpayers’ appetite for potentially substantial override requests. Kezer and Finance Director Aleesha Benjamin said the State of the Town address in late January or early February is expected to provide more clarity on override amounts and timing.
Finance Committee member Molly Teets recently spoke to the town’s financial position: “The fact that our town has been able to go for so long without an override is truly commendable. But at some point, we all have to balance the low tax rate with investment in our town, in our community.”
Shining a light on the news you care 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’ high school 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 nine 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 added an extra note of confusion to the already hectic time senior students are in. Some are reporting that it delayed 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 seven 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 a bigger workload for each student as they fill out each school’s application and write supplemental essays.
The high stress caused by the 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 four 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
Throughout the entire Marblehead Education Association strike there were many questions flying around. Parents wondered when their kids would be able to go back to school. Kids wondered when they would be able to see their friends again. Families wondered if they would have to be sending kids to school in July. Everyone knew that these days would have to be made up at some point. One problem is that the School Committee can only add five days to the end of our school calendar. No one has an idea if students are going to have days missed because of weather this winter. So the big question here is: When 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 the February and April vacations, with the possibility of additional days at the end of the school year. The Marblehead School Committee chair and member of the bargaining committee, Jenn Schaeffner, said that the decision, “Would be made at the next regular School Committee meeting after the strike ends and the teachers return to work.” The decision is ultimately that of the School Committee. Schaeffner 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 included here.
The arrows connect the days missed with the dates that 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. Since the strike continued past 11/21, more school vacation time 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.
School Committee Update: Superintendent Robidoux confirmed that the listed replacement dates will be school days; he added that, "We will work to determine how we will make up the remaining five days."
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.
Headlight Staff 2024-2025
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.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Benji Boyd ASSISTANT EDITORS: Grey Collins, Kathleen Hanson, Georgia Marshall FACULTY ADVISOR: Thomas Higgins
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
