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SPORTS
ARTS
EVENT
Thanksgiving game preview
Red carpet for MHS students’ movie
Meet ‘Spotlight’ journalist Walter Robinson
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November 22, 2023
| VOLUME 2, ISSUE NO. 1
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GROWING THE FAMILY
Keepers of the football flame
Celebrating 40 years, Gridiron Club seeks to increase ranks BY KRIS OLSON Along with turkey and pumpkin pie, many have long deemed football and family essential parts of Thanksgiving. But football and family are also central to the mission of the Marblehead Magicians Gridiron Club, founded in 1983. Given its name, one might have guessed the “football” part. But “family” is a key concept, too. Organized by the Gridiron Club, on senior night, members of the MHS football team,
cheerleading squad and band report to midfield with their parents. The moms get bouquets of flowers, and photos are taken, which are then made into plaques commemorating the dedication not just of the player but his support system as well. Perhaps more importantly, the Gridiron Club annually awards over $20,000 in scholarships to local student-athletes. “There are really no parameters on it,” said Evan Harris, the club’s president since 2013. “We do take care of football players, but we also take
care of other student-athletes and family members.” Harris calls handing out the scholarship checks and chatting with the winners his favorite presidential duty. A treasured possession is his box full of thank-you notes from the grateful recipients. Collectively, those nuclear families — and decades of their predecessors — also form a broader Gridiron Club “football family.” For that family, too, the week of Thanksgiving is a big one, even beyond the annual Thursday morning clash with
rival Swampscott. On Monday night, members of the Gridiron Club get together with their Swampscott counterparts for their annual old-timers’ banquet. The event was expected to have a bit more star power this year, with former Gov. Charlie Baker serving as special guest speaker. Then on Tuesday night, the Gridiron Club hosts a “steak feed” to allow the current Magicians and their coaches a last bit of bonding before the big game. These activities are
accomplished without a golf tournament or some other big fundraising event. Instead, the Gridiron Club has sustained GRIDIRON, P. A8
MARBLEHEAD RETURNS TO THE TOP
Magicians win Powderpuff classic BY JOE McCONNELL The Marblehead High powderpuff flag football squad sent Jacqui Bouchard, the team’s senior class advisor, off in style after an 18-year run along the sidelines with a 21-14 win over their Swampscott counterparts at Piper Field on Saturday, Nov. 18. Bouchard knows something about playing in this game, having suited up for it in 1993. She can certainly appreciate what it means to them. It’s only one game, but the players are willing to sacrifice for six weeks with daily weeknight practices just to compete in this annual tradition on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. And now to win it after Swampscott won the last two made this experience even sweeter. “We knew what we wanted to do, and we wanted to win it for (Bouchard), so she could leave on a good note,” said defensive coordinator Cam Comstock, who also plays on the boys basketball team. “We wanted to make her proud, and I think we definitely did that.” Comstock went on to say,
CURRENT PHOTOS / KRIS OLSON
The Marblehead High powderpuff flag football team celebrates its 21-14 win over rival Swampscott in the annual game at Piper Field.
Marblehead High powderpuff flag football fans cheer on the team to a 21-14 victory.
“Swampscott was a tough team, but we told the girls to follow the game plan, do their job and they’ll win, which they did.” The Magicians dominated the first half, leading at halftime, 14-0. The Marblehead defense limited Swampscott to only three first downs throughout the first two quarters of the game. At 4:11 of the first quarter, LeDaisha Williams, No. 80 in
your program, finished off the opening drive of the game with a short one-yard run to the endzone. Williams ran the ball three other times in that drive, compiling a big 38 yards to keep her offensive teammates moving in the right direction. Placekicker Rachel Albert tacked on the extra point to put the home team ahead, 7-0. With 17 seconds left in the CLASSIC, P. A9
BALANCING ACT
Resident loses fight over eco-friendly heating/AC system Case highlights tension between preservation, climate change measures BY WILLIAM J. DOWD The Marblehead Select Board unanimously upheld a decision requiring Front Street homeowner Sally Thompson to relocate exterior electric heat and air conditioning equipment on her historic home, despite her pleas of financial hardship. The Select Board rejected Thompson’s appeal of an order from the Old and Historic Districts Commission, demanding she move heat and air conditioning line sets attached to the outside of her house at 34 Front St. by March 2024. The OHDC said the highly visible line sets violated historic preservation rules prohibiting
BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW
CURRENT PHOTO / WILLIAM J. DOWD
Sally Thompson, center standing, makes her case before the Marblehead Select Board to allow exterior heat and air conditioning units to remain on her home in the town’s historic district during an appeal hearing.
modern equipment in public view. Thompson installed the line sets in 2020 without seeking
approval from the OHDC, which she argues was closed at the time because of COVID-19.
In her appeal, Thompson cited, in part, financial hardship, saying moving the lines indoors
could cost up to $20,000. She noted other homes have visible exterior air conditioners, arguing, “It makes me feel like this has been a very arbitrary and capricious decision.” OHDC Chairman Charles Hibbard told the Select Board the commission worked extensively with Thompson over four hearings before finally issuing its order. “The commission reiterated their objections to the visible line sets and asked the owner to consult an HVAC contractor about moving them,” Hibbard said. “Based on the owner’s testimony, it did not appear to HISTORIC, P. A7