11.23.22 - Volume 1, Issue 1

‘CU rreNT’ TreND

As chain retreats, nonprofits rise

BY KRIS OLSON

For many people across eastern Massachusetts over the past couple of years, the question has become less “if” you were profoundly disenchanted with what your local community newspaper under chain ownership but rather when you might get motivated to do something about it.

With today’s publication of its inaugural print edition, the Marblehead Current joins the

ranks of news nonprofits that have sprung up increasingly within the footprint of Gannett, formerly known as Gatehouse Media, the parent company of the Marblehead Reporter, as Gannett increasingly abandoned local reporting.

One of the earliest such ventures, the online-only

Bedford Citizen, was founded in June 2012 by three volunteers who had been active in their local chapter of the League of Women Voters, Meredith McCulloch, Kim Siebert MacPhail, and Julie McCay Turner.

A decade later, the Citizen now has multiple paid, full-time editorial staff members.

Then, the Ipswich Local News came along, co-founded by the late Bill Wasserman, former owner of North Shore Weeklies, a chain that included

the Marblehead Reporter before it was sold, first, to Fidelity, then the Boston Herald before being spun off to Gatehouse Media, which became Gannett.

For Wasserman, the final straw came in June 2019, when Gatehouse merged his hometown paper, the Ipswich Chronicle, with two others covering an area that stretched from Middleton to Wenham.

Wasserman died on Sept. 29, 2021, at the age of 94, but the Ipswich Local News continues to be overseen by his co-founder,

John Muldoon.

But for many — including the founders of this newspaper — the breaking point came earlier this year, when Gannett delivered the one-two punch moving nearly all the local staff reporters at its community weeklies to regional beats in February and then in March closing 19 weeklies and merging nine others into four. The Reporter was spared from the latter, but not the former.

Residents weigh in on ADU proposal

Zoning bylaw to be presented at Town Meeting in May

BY WILLIAM J. DOWD

Marblehead Planning Board members picked up quite a few ideas to possibly incorporate into a zoning bylaw proposal that they are crafting for Town Meeting’s consideration in May.

The zoning bylaw would aim to regulate what’s called accessory dwelling units – both their use and construction in Marblehead. ADUs are small living quarters on the same property as single-family homes, often referred to as “in-law apartments.”

demographic changes “compel expansion and diversification of its housing stock.” To that end, it lists ADUs as a way to “create naturally occurring affordable housing.”

“In Marblehead, the number of households led by someone 55 or older increased by 21 percent in seven years: from 6,597 households in 2010 to 7,978 households in 2017,” the plan reads. “The number of residents between the ages of 25 to 44 shrunk by 63 percent.”

BY CHRIS STEVENS

Weaving has been called one of the oldest surviving crafts in the world, tracing back to Neolithic times, and one Marblehead artist is working hard to keep that thread of history alive.

When she began working at craft fairs, Kari Breed discovered not a lot of people realized weaving is a craft that is still very much in vogue. So, she developed a slide show that she runs during shows to give people a feel for what has been her passion for decades.

Breed deftly moves a shuttle

“They can be created in a house, attached to a house, or detached from a house,” said the Planning Board Chairman Robert Schaeffner on Nov. 15. “All of them are intended to keep the feeling of a singlefamily residence always.”

Many communities, like Salem and Swampscott, have framed their ADU policies as one way to mitigate the Greater Boston housing crisis.

ADUs can help families stay together, allow seniors to age in place, keep caregivers close and create affordable housing, among other benefits.

The 2020 Marblehead Housing Production Plan notes the town’s

Marblehead Town Planner Becky Cutting and members of the Planning Board have been working on the zoning proposal for months. On Nov. 15, they highlighed what they described as the policy’s well-ironed-out areas:

» Restrict single-family homes to a single ADU per property

Either the ADU or the primary residence must be occupied by the single-family home’s owner

» One parking space for each ADU must be provided

The units cannot be separated and sold

» Short-term rentals are prohibited

Photo by Nicole Goodhue Boyd Marblehead High School seniors, from left, Arielle Mogolesko, Grace Cuzner, Lucy Sabin and Cate Santeusanio cheer on their classmates from the sidelines in the annual girls’ flag football game Nov. 19 at Blocksidge Field in Swampscott. Were the Magicians able to complete their comeback against their rival, the Big Blue? Find out in Sports, Page 17.

Kennedy

New faces, hopes for town’s faith leaders

There are many new faces among Marblehead’s faith leaders, with more coming in the next couple of years. Longtime Temple Emanu-El Rabbi David Meyer, who is the current head of the Marblehead Ministerial Association, spoke to Marblehead Current about all the changes and his hopes for the future.

“It is a challenge to keep the energy of the interfaith community strong as people are just getting to know each other,” Meyer said. “Hopefully, all the new ministers in town will take up with the same commitment and motivation for the interfaith work here.”

The MMA was formed in the late 1970s in response to antisemitic graffiti at Temple Emanu-El and the JCC. Since then, the group has met monthly and worked to stand against hatred and bigotry in town.

“We have a printed and signed document of mutual covenant with one another to stand as a unified community of faith in opposing prejudice and bigotry, racism and antisemitisn,” Meyer said.

The MMA has about 20 members representing the following faiths: Baptist, Catholic, Christian Scientist, Episcopal, Judaism, Lutheran, Methodist, Sufi and United Church of Christ. There is also a representative from the Marblehead Counseling Center.

New faces

The Rev. Jenna Crawford is the new minister at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Marblehead (UUCM) on Mugford Street. She started on Aug. 1. Her goal for her new church?

“I went into ministry with the hope of being able to address, in one particular way, the spiritual and justice needs of individuals and communities. And between the last twoand-a-half years of pandemic, and the fact that we live in a society malformed by white supremacy, cis-hetero supremacy, capitalism, ableism, and other oppressions, those needs are great.

“My goal for my tenure in Marblehead is to facilitate the creation of spaces, structures and spiritualities that work toward liberation from these ideologies and systems - at UUCM and in the wider community,” she added.

Crawford, who grew up in North Reading, was an outdoor educator before joining the seminary.

“I love to be outside,” she said.

In her free time, she enjoys hiking, canoeing and running.

Pastor Isac Garrigues-Cortelyou is the new minister at St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church on Cornell Road. He says his church is going through a time of transition.

“St. Stephen’s lost members during the pandemic - from Covid-19 and natural

The Rev. Jenna Crawford

interim minister as Old North Church looks for a permanent replacement for the Rev. Dennis Calhoun, who retired this summer.

Remick has served several churches north and south of Boston. At Old North, he hopes to help the church “adapt and thrive in the changing landscape of ministry, particularly in this pandemic time as it discerns its next chapter of ministry and the pastor who will partner with them through it.”

At. St. Michael’s Episcopal Church on Washington Street, the Rev. Stephen Voysey is serving as interim minister until a permanent successor is named. The Rev. Andrew Stoessel retired from St Michael’s last spring after 20 years at the church.

Voysey is a retired priest with 40 years of experience serving churches in the Dioceses of Chicago, New York and Massachusetts and completed interim ministry training in 2015. He and his wife live in Gloucester.

End of an era

attrition. We have this time where we can imagine what we want the church to be like while also honoring the tradition of 230 years of the Methodist movement in Marblehead.”

Garrigues-Cortelyou is looking forward to his work with the MMA.

“It is helpful for the Marblehead Ministerial Association to serve as a collective conscience for the town and for the faith community -to live into radical solidarity.”

Garrigues-Cortelyou grew up in Michigan and enjoys living in Marblehead.

“In such a small geographical area, you can pretty quickly go from rural to suburban to urban,” he said.

His wife is in seminary at Boston College and hopes to become a nursing home chaplain.

The Rev. Don Remick is serving as an

Rabbi Meyer is set to retire in July and will serve as emeritus rabbi after that. With more than 30 years of service, he believes he has the longest tenure of any faith leader in Marblehead in recent history.

“I’m a repository of a lot of history,” he said. “I’ve seen a lot.”

One of the memories that stands out the most is when the MMA called town residents together on Sept. 11, 2001.

“We gathered the community at Seaside Park in this aftermath of the attacks,” Meyer said. “We had several hundred people come out, and I sounded the shofar as an alarm that day.”

He continued, “I really hope that with a large number of new clergy, the energy of the MMA can be maintained and advanced with new ideas and new approaches.”

Boards set timeline to fill

BY WILLIAM J. DOWD

Marblehead Select Board has laid out a timeline and process to fill the School Committee seat vacated by Emily Barron in late October.

Select Board Chairman Moses Grader made the public announcement during a Nov. 16 meeting in Abbot Hall’s Select Board Room, with School Committee members and Superintendent John Buckey present.

Details on how and where residents can submit application materials surfaced on Thursday in a press release. Candidates will need to concurrently send application materials to the School Committee and the Select Board.

Two copies of a cover letter and

a detailed should be submitted, both on the same day — one to the School Committee and one to the Select Board (by mail, handdelivered or by email, addresses below). The deadline for submission is Wednesday, Nov. 30 at 4 p.m. Late applications will not be accepted.

School Administration Office –Attention: Ms. Sarah Fox 9 Widger Road, Marblehead, MA 01945 Email: Fox.Sarah@ marbleheadschools.org

In the subject line “School Committee application” AND Office of the Select Board –Attention Mr. Moses Grader 188 Washington St. Abbot Hall, Marblehead MA 01945

We want your news

The Marblehead Current welcomes submissions from the community.

Email is strongly preferred to info@ marbleheadnews.com, but press releases, letters to the editor and other announcements can also be sent by mail to 217 Humphrey St., Marblehead, MA 01945.

Photos are encouraged, but care must be taken to ensure the images are good enough

NEWSROOM

Managing Editor - Will Dowd  wdowd@marbleheadnews.org

Consulting Editor - Kris Olson kolson@marbleheadnews.org

Staff Reporter - Leigh Blander lblander@marbleheadnews.org Sports ReporterJoe McConnell jmcconnell@marbleheadnews.org

CONTRIBUTORS

Tristan Ashlock Linda Bassett Scot Cooper Laurie Fullerton Mark Hurwitz Brenda Kelley Kim John Lamontagne Pam Peterson Chris Stevens Linda Werbner

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Gene Arnould Jessica Barnett Ed Bell James Bryant - President Virginia Buckingham - Secretary Kate Haesche Thomson

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Kathryn Whorf DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS Marion Warner

FOUNDERS Jessica Barnett Ed Bell  Leigh Blander  Will Dowd David Moran Kris Olson

ADVISORS

Francie King Donna Rice

Marblehead News 217 Humphrey St.  Marblehead, Massachusetts 01945 910.781.8658 info@marbleheadnews.org www.marbleheadcurrent.org

Marblehead Current is published Wednesdays by Marblehead News Group, Inc., a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization. It is mailed to all addresses in Marblehead, MA 01945.

DONATE

Help us deliver sustainable local journalism. As the year-end approaches, please consider including The Marblehead Current in your philanthropic giving. To make a taxdeductible donation, https:// marbleheadcurrent.org/donate/ Please direct questions to info@marbleheadnews.org.

ADVERTISE

Advertising is available on our website and in our weekly printed newspaper. To learn more, our Director of Community Relations, Marion Greely, at mgreely@marbleheadnews. org, or visit www. marbleheadcurrent.org/ads.

Email: Wileyk@marblehead.org

In the email’s subject line “School Committee application”

The interviews and appointment will play out in a joint School Committee and Select Board meeting set for Wednesday, Dec. 7 in Abbot Hall (More details to follow).

“Please note that the individual appointed by the joint board will serve until the position is filled by the next municipal election scheduled for June 2023,” the School Committee wrote in a statement on Thursday. “If the appointee desires to continue in the position beyond June, the individual will have to seek election to the position on the School Committee.”

The Select Board’s decision to jump-start the vacancy-filling

quality to reproduce in print. Generally, the original .JPG file produced by a smartphone or digital camera will be fine, but photos copied down from websites will not.

Submissions should include a daytime phone number, in case our editors have any questions.

The deadline for submissions for publication in our print edition is 5 p.m. on

process ran contrary to a split vote among the four remaining School Committee members on Nov. 1 . The tie resulted in the vacancy remaining unfilled, temporarily.

“[State law] makes it very clear that the School Committee needs to fill the vacancies through a very specific process involving the Select Board,” Grader said.

“We’re going to do this just like we did with the Marblehead Light Department.”

Barron filed her resignation with Marblehead Town Clerk Robin Michaud on Oct. 27, citing “a decision not to implement a solution” that would have allowed her to continue her professional work and serve as an elected official under state ethics rules.

Wednesday, one week before the edition in which you hope to see them appear.

If submissions arrive after that deadline, the Current will make every effort to post time-sensitive announcements to our website, marbleheadcurrent.org, as soon as possible.

For further information, please contact managing editor Will Dowd at wdowd@ marbleheadnews.org.

VOLUNTEER

Join us. We invite you to help support our effort to establish and maintain a free press for a strong community. To get involved, visit www.marbleheadcurrent. org/volunteer.

REACT

We’re standing by to listen to your ideas. Please drop us a line and let us know what you would like to see in your community newspaper. Send your thoughts to info@marbleheadnews.org.

N

For

marbleheadcurrent.org A2 Wednesday, November 23, 2022 Marblehead Current CP_MBHC_20221123_1_A02

A stitch in time

Longtime Marblehead tailor retires at 96

BY LEIGH BLANDER

One of Marblehead’s longestrunning businesses is closing next month, and its 96-year-old owner is retiring — reluctantly.

“What am I going to do now?” asked Charles Katsoulakos, who opened his tailor shop more than 55 years ago. “Maybe I’ll sleep a little later.”

Katsoulakos said he has served “hundreds and hundreds” of customers over the decades. He’s seen dramatic swings in fashion, but doesn’t have a favorite style.

“For me, it doesn’t make a difference,” he said. “I’ll narrow the legs or shorten the hemline, to modernize.”

He enjoys working on prom and wedding dresses the most.

“Those beautiful dresses, I love seeing them,” he said.

Many of his customers send him photos of themselves wearing the outfits he has altered.

On a recent day, one customer came in to pick up a jacket Katsoulakos repaired.

“It’s my son’s jacket,” she said to him. “He doesn’t even wear it anymore, but I want it to last forever.”

She left with a smile on her face.

‘I came to New York with $400 in my pocket’

Katsoulakos grew up in Athens, Greece, and still speaks with a thick accent. He left school when he was 14.

“The Germans and Italians occupied the city, and the schools closed,” he said. He went to work with his

father, also a tailor. But by the time he was 30, there wasn’t enough work in the family’s shop to support them both.

“So I came to New York City with $400 in my pocket. But I didn’t know the language, and I didn’t like it there,” he said. “I had a friend who owned a Greek restaurant in Malden, and so I arrived at his door with my suitcase.”

Katsoulakos met his wife, Ellen, at the restaurant.

“She made her own dresses and was voted best dressed at her high school,” he boasted.

Katsoulakos got a job at a Malden department store, but he wanted to work for himself. So, he started taking tailoring work from the Vinnin Square clothing store, Judd’s.

“I had a small rack at home where I kept the clothes, but it collapsed the first week” because he had so much work, he explained.

Katsoulakos decided to open his own shop — first next to National Grand Bank and then, a few years later, down the street at 129 Pleasant. He and Ellen worked there together until she passed

away about 20 years ago. He’s been working alone ever since.

Walk into the shop now and you’ll see five old sewing machines, including Katsoulakos’s favorite: an old Singer that he’s had since he opened.

“Even about sewing machines, I have memories,” he laughed, affectionately patting the Singer.

There are clothes hanging on different racks and dusty old family photos on the wall.

“I hate to see the store go away,” Katsoulakos said. “I want someone to come in and take it

over. They can have everything for free, and I can help them.”

He encourages anyone interested to stop by the shop before it closes right before Christmas, or to call at 781-631-4812.

Katsoulakos has a message for all his customers.

“I want to thank the people of Marblehead,” he said. “They’ve kept me busy all the time.”

He is looking forward to one part of retirement.

“I have a chair in the trunk of my car, and I will go to Devereux Beach and sit there,” he said.

BY WILLIAM J. DOWD

Congressman Seth Moulton was a prominent face behind two unsuccessful challenges to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s leadership of House Democrats after the 2016 election and the 2018 election. He has never minced words with regard to his past dissatisfaction with the San Francisco Democrat’s leadership.

On Thursday, that past history pivoted to “water under the bridge.” Moulton characterized his former political foe as “a historic speaker and legendary Democrat” in a press statement on Thursday afternoon after Pelosi, the first woman to hold the House speakership, announced she would not seek a leadership position when the 118th Congress gavels into session in January. She will, however, remain in Congress to serve her two-year term.

The announcement arrives weeks after the speaker’s husband, Paul, was attacked in the couple’s San Francisco home. In Washington, many were calling her decision the end of a political era.

Pelosi has led the Democrats for two decades, championing legislation from the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” to the Affordable Care Act.

Moulton, however, attributed a big part of what he considers Democratic missteps in years past to House leadership.

‘The status quo isn’t working’

Before the 115th Congress gaveled into session in 2017, Moulton joined 62 other Democrats who backed Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio for the House minority leader post. President Donald Trump had just won the White House, and Republicans retained control in the House and the Senate.

Moulton’s ire, in part, was directed at Pelosi’s leadership.

“Clearly, the status quo isn’t working,” he told distraught 6th District Democrats piled into the Waterfront Hotel in Salem the morning after the 2016 election. “The idea that we can just go forward expecting the same plan, the same message, the

same messengers and suddenly start winning, I think is dead wrong.”

Democrats would win the House back in 2018. Voters elected the most progressive, diverse and young class of federal lawmakers in the county’s history. And before the 116th Congress began, Moulton put himself front and center, leading an unpopular, weeks-long crusade against Pelosi becoming House speaker.

The Salem Democrat circulated a letter for his fellow members to sign, pledging they wouldn’t support Pelosi. Some saw Moulton’s opposition as sexist, while others pegged his defiance as a distraction after such a historic win.

However, those descriptors were pinned on a congressman who has a history of not only marching to the beat of his own drum but also advocating for younger members to be involved in the party’s leadership.

When he unseated nine-term John Tierney in the 2014 state primary, Moulton stunned “establishment” Democrats like Pelosi, who stumped in the 6th Congressional District for Tierney.

On that year’s campaign trail, he told voters Washington needed a new generation of younger leaders. He expressed frustration at the House Democratic Caucus re-electing a trio of septuagenarians to top leadership positions following each two-year election cycle. He also felt the party’s leadership ignored younger members, failing to carve out opportunities to rise in the Democratic ranks.

But on Thursday afternoon, Moulton showered nothing but praise on Pelosi.

“Breaking one of the toughest glass ceilings in the country, she inspired generations of women and set an example I will use with my two daughters,” he said. “I am grateful for what she has done for our party.”

He added, “I am excited to support a new leader who will move us forward. Democrats need to come together focused squarely on the future.”

COURTESY PHOTO / OFFICE OF REP.SETH MOULTON

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, left, talks with Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, during a ceremonial swearing-in on Capital Hill on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019.

CURRENT PHOTOsS / LEIGH BLANDER

Tailor Charles Katsoulakos is closing up shop after more than 55 years

New state rep Armini talks post-election ‘nuts and bolts’

BY WILLIAM J. DOWD

State Representative-elect Jenny Armini was recently in Pleasant Street’s Starbucks when, in relatively short order, it became apparent in at least one way why she topped a sixway primary for the 8th Essex District Democratic nomination in September.

“Hi Jake,” Armini told the barista, clad in a red apron, behind the service counter. “How is your mom?”

Armini put her order in, and before she sat down, she would have conversations with two more people. Meanwhile, former Marblehead Select Board member Bill Conly spotted Armini and introduced her to members of his standing morning coffee club.

The impromptu exchanges encapsulate Armini’s interactions over the past two months. She officially became state representative-elect for Swampscott, Marblehead and a sliver of Lynn when polls closed on Nov. 8.

Big shoes to fill

Her swearing-in come January will restore the district’s representation after nearly a yearlong vacancy. Former Rep. Lori Ehrlich of Marblehead previously represented the district until she resigned in January for a job with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

In a lot of ways, she has already gotten to work, holding meetings and events on the campaign trail.

“I’m talking with people all over the district, listening and developing relationships that are going to help me do the job,” she recently told the Marblehead Democratic Town Committee. “I’m having conversations and meetings with an eye and ear toward legislation. When I talk

to people I ask myself, ‘What is it about this situation, this person that could play a role in legislation on Beacon Hill — or moving an agenda, even if it isn’t legislation.”

She will follow the footsteps of a state lawmaker whose nearly 15-year tenure was marked by either being where the legislative conversation was at or starting the legislative conversation.

Ehrlich ushered bills on a myriad of topics into state law from noncompete clauses and red flag regulations to improving animal welfare and safety and closing gas leaks (perhaps her centerpiece achievement, both in scope and commitment).

Armini and Ehrlich not only share Harvard Kennedy School of Government as their alma mater but also a deep interest in environmental issues. Armini considers climate change “the existential crisis of our time.”

“From Marblehead Light to the Nahant Rotary,” Armini said, “this is a crystal district.”

She hopes to land a seat on the Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy Committee, which she learned does more for climate change legislation than the Climate Change Committee.

“The Climate Change Committee really doesn’t do legislation it’s viewed more on Beacon Hill as a study committee,” Armini said.

“Naturally, I’m interested in that energy committee — what I’ll call a ‘blue chip’ committee.”

All politics is relationship-building?

Armini said she’s under “no illusion” that she’ll get a seat on the standing committee out of the gate.

“At least for the first time out,” she said. “But that will be a target for me.”

She’s also interested in labor, housing and education issues.

“There’s really so much,” Armini said.

She said she would like to be helpful in making downtown Lynn a public transportation hub.

“We have the commuter rail and buses to Wonderland,” she said. “We have to electrify the rail. We have to reinstate the Lynn ferry.”

She wants to be an advocate for bettering the social and emotional wellbeing of youth recovering from the COVID-19 era.

“I don’t want this to be a

COVID-19 generation,” she said. “We must get them what they need socially and emotionally.”

Armini supports more transparency atop Beacon Hill, but she said it’s a change that she suspects will happen over time — not overnight.

“We talked a lot about transparency on the campaign,” she said. “But I need to get in the room where the decisions are being made to really make sure that the transparency debate resonates.”

She added, “I’m really going to be focusing on building those relationships and bringing our voice to the debates.”

She said she understands change demands patience.

“It would be a mistake to tell you: ‘I’m gonna pass this, this and this as a freshman’ because that’s not realistic,” she said. “It wasn’t realistic when I worked in Congress either.”

She said she needed to respect precedent.

“These legislative bodies are deliberative,” said Armini. “They are hierarchical, and that’s the nature of these things.”

Armini will enter the state representative post with extensive political acumen. She has worked as a senior advisor and legislative aide, speechwriter and policy expert. She co-founded Elect Blue, a grassroots political group dedicated to electing Democrats in 2018, and served as head of communication for MassINC, a leading nonpartisan policy think tank in the commonwealth.

Armini will begin organizing her operations, schedule monthly office hours in the district as well as build out her team in earnest post-election.

“It’s going to be all about the nuts and bolts,” she said.

Material from the State House News Service was used in this report.

BY WILLIAM J. DOWD

Nearly 170 Old Burial Hill grave markers and foot stones need varying degrees of tender loving care, a recent assessment of the historic cemetery’s gravestones, tombs and markers found.

The Arlington-based Building and Monument Conservation report prioritizes and outlines nearly $75,000 worth of restoration and conservation work, from resetting stone to installing pins to rejoin separated markers. Old Burial Hill Oversight Committee members are busy digesting the report and prioritizing which stone makers to tackle first.

“The town approved a $10,000 budget, which will become an annual occurrence,” said Marblehead Town Planner Rebecca Curran Cutting.

“There is a lot that needs to be done.”“We will select the priority stones to be restored,” Cutting told Marblehead Current. “Priority stones will be the ones in worst shape, cracked or on the ground.”

She added, “Once decided, we will have specifications written and then have the work done.”

The report breaks down work by dollar amount, too, the following ways:

Repair 15 headstones: $15,000

» Repair five foot-stones: $3,000

» Restore 72 headstones: $28,800

Reset 63-foot stones: $7,875

Reset approx. 150 smaller markers: $18,750

Cutting said the assessment report updates a 2010 Old Burial Hill assessment, information on which the Old Burial Hill Oversight Committee carried out two rounds of restoration and conservation work in 2012 and 2013.

“Old Burial Hill is in better condition than it was in 2010,” writes Ivan Myjer of Building and Monuments Conservation in the 2022 report’s executive summary. “The 2010 survey indicated that roughly 20 percent of the grave markers in the burial ground required some level of treatment and resetting.”

Myjer added, “The current survey indicated that less than three percent of the markers required to repair, and roughly

17 percent require resetting.”

Several grave markers and foot stones sustained damage from lawn care. That, however, has dissipated over the past dozen years.

“In 2010, damage from impact with lawn care was identified as the single greatest cause of damage to the markers in the burying ground,” the report reads. “The markers that are currently most vulnerable to damage from lawn-care equipment are the small slate and marble foot stones.”

Tall grass can conceal foot stones, and others lying down

on the ground or tilted need resetting.

“Some of the smaller slate headstones are set very low in the ground,” the report reads. “This makes them even harder to see when the grass is at its highest.”

Resetting and repairs will not come without difficulty, given Old Burial Hill’s terrain, with its slopes and small mounds. Small markers often sink deeper when frozen ground melts, the report points out.

“There is a very high likelihood that some of the foot stones that are set so low because the

marker is broken and the lower section is effectively missing or still in the ground,” writes Myjer.

An estimated 1,000 grave markers make up Old Burial Hill, a 388-year-old cemetery situated on a hill with stunning harbor and ocean views.

“Out of 640 headstones, 120 predate 1740,” the town’s website reads.

There are grave markers of 60 Revolutionary War veterans, including the town’s beloved Gen. John Glover. However, there are some 600 Revolutionary War veterans in all interred on the historic site.

CURRENT PHOTOS / WILLIAM J. DOWD

Jenny Armini with Jake Deehy in the Pleasant Street Starbucks.

Jenny Armini addresses the Marblehead Democratic Town Committee in the Jacobi Community Center.

COURTESY PHOTO / NEWENGLANDHISTORY1

Marblehead’s Old Burial Hill headstones among lush green grass.

Bibbo, on baseball and bocce

change has been the advancement of technology.”

BY LEIGH BLANDER

Name: Pat Bibbo

Age: 88

Place of birth: Newton, MA How long have you lived in Marblehead?

“I’ve lived here 66 years. I moved here when I was 22 for my wife, who grew up in Marblehead. We met at a party at my fraternity house in Brookline when I was a student at BU, and she was a student at Lasell College in Newton.”

What is your fondest childhood memory? “In 1943, I went to my first major league baseball game at Fenway Park. The Red Sox were playing the Yankees. Most of the big stars, like Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams, were away in the service, but we saw pitcher Dave ‘Boo’ Ferriss. I went with my twin brother and my two sisters, and it was a great day.”

What jobs have you had and what was your favorite? “I worked at New England Telephone and AT&T for more than 35 years. I spent my career in management positions in marketing and sales, and human resources. After I retired, I worked as a consultant until 2010. I was a workaholic. I didn’t know what a 40-hour work week was or that the retirement age was 65.”

What is the biggest change you’ve seen in the world? “After World War II, there was a quiet period until the Korean War. It seems like we haven’t had a quiet period since then. There’s always something going on. The other major

What is your biggest accomplishment? “My greatest accomplishment is being a loving parent, grandparent and now great-grandparent of three. I received many awards as both a salesman and manager, but I think it is my extracurricular activities that make me the proudest. I still organize alumni events for my high school and Boston University. In Marblehead, I was a coach and official for 15 years with youth basketball and baseball. I joined the Marblehead Council on Aging in 2014 and spent 60 to 80 hours a month building the bocce, curling and (former) pickleball programs. When I arrived, the bocce program had 12 people and met once a week. Now, we have 64 people and meet five days a week. We even have a travel team that competes in other towns.”

Who is the most famous person you’ve met? “President Kennedy. I met him at his campaign office in Boston when he was running for president. I had the management responsibility for the communications for all the campaign offices in Boston for all the candidates for national and state elections.”

What moment in history is most vivid in your memory? “The day JFK got shot. I was walking from my office in Park Square to the financial district. I got as far as Tremont Street and a fellow standing next to his automobile said, ‘Did you hear the president got shot?’ It was a bad day.”

What piece of advice do you have for young people today? “Build confidence in yourself. Believe in something and go forth with it. Don’t hold back.”

”If I could, I’d like to end this interview with a few words regarding the Marblehead COA. Most of us have never met any of the folks that we get introduced to by becoming members. The relationships that we develop with one another are beyond belief. Never could any of us think that at this stage in our lives we would be meeting and associating with such a wonderful group of individuals.”

“Been There, Done That” will be a regular feature in the Current, allowing Marblehead seniors to share their memories and wisdom gained through their lived experience.

Courtesy photo

Pat Bibbo

Opinion

You have questions, we have answers

A few weeks ago, Marblehead’s only non-profit newspaper rebranded as the Marblehead Current, rolling out a fresh, distinctive look across our website, social media presence and every other point at which we reach Marbleheaders. Today, we add to the family our first weekly print edition. In so doing, we join the ranks of only a handful of papers that have served this town throughout our history. Welcome to a proud Marblehead journalistic tradition, Marblehead Current! We’re thrilled with the reception and enthusiasm we’ve gotten from the community, and wanted to take the opportunity to answer some of the most common questions we’ve been hearing.

Question 1: Is this the paper we have already been get ting in the mail?

No, that’s the Marblehead Weekly News, a product of Essex Media Group, which also publishes the Lynn Item among other properties.

Question 2: Why does Marblehead need “another” news source?

None of us wants to see our local paper rise and fall again. We have watched for-profit papers struggle to survive, even right here in town, while non-profit models are gaining traction across the country. We see people wanting reliable news from reporters they trust who are working within organizations built to stand the test of time. We believe that our experience matters — that the five decades of Marbleheadspecific reporting within our veteran newsroom lends valuable context, familiarity and reliability to readers. As a nonprofit paper, we consider ourselves a public service: a tool to allow community connection and engagement. And finally (but perhaps most importantly) we don’t have a “parent” or media owner, which means that our editors enjoy true independence, free of influence.

Question 3: The Current could have just stayed as an online news source. Why are you adding a print edition?

Call us old-fashioned, but having an actual printed newspaper, which can be read over coffee, and saved when a special event or person is covered, is important. Thoughtful modern news outlets serve readers across channels, offering choice in how you engage. The best ones build organizations in which the digital complements the print and vice versa. Starting today, we have the flexibility to share stories quickly (sometimes even in real time) in digital formats while maintaining the beloved tradition of print, and you have the choice, at any given moment, of how you’d like to consume the news.

Question 4: How does the nonprofit model work?

As a non-profit, we can invest all our financial resources in the mission of bringing you trusted news. We are part of a growing trend around the country to adopt a funding model for local newspapers consisting of taxdeductible donations, foundation

support, advertising and sponsorships that is proving more sustainable than the old for-profit model.

It’s pretty simple. Like NPR’s community of listeners, our community of readers donates what they can, when they can. The money we raise through these tax-deductible donations plus advertising, sponsorships, and foundation grants goes directly to the operations of the organization, paying our staff and production costs. Our board of directors — a dedicated team who, according to our by-laws, must reside in town — are fully volunteer. In alignment with the values of the Institute for Nonprofit News, the trusted organization of which we are a member, we are clear that donor support does not translate into influence over the stories we choose to write or the way in which we write them.

Question 5: How did the idea for a non-profit newspaper in Marblehead come about?

When Gannett bought the Marblehead Reporter in 2019 and subsequently reduced staff and local coverage, a group of former Reporter editors and journalists got together and decided toform a 501(c)(3) and build support in the community for launching the Current. Our tagline is “News for people, not for profit” to reflect our dedication to Marbleheaders instead of to the profit margins that levied such pressure in our former workplaces.

Question 6: Will the Current endorse local candidates?

No. As a 501(c)(3), under the Internal Revenue Code, we cannot by law support or oppose candidates for elected public office.

Question 7: Do you accept submissions from readers?

Yes! You can read all about this on page 2 or at www. marbleheadcurrent.org/ submissions. We welcome your life event notices, too: weddings, births, accomplishments and obituaries and we won’t charge a mint for publishing. (And while we’ve got you: we love and depend on volunteers. Drop us a line at info@marbleheadnews.org if you would like to participate!)

Question 8: How can I sup port Marblehead Current?

We’re glad you asked. Through Dec. 31, 2022, we’re participating in NewsMatch, an Institute for Non-profit News (INN) initiative to financially support and sustain non-profit community journalism. Any individual donation made through the end of year will be matched dollarfor-dollar by INN up to $1,000 — and recurring donations will be matched 12 times. Our goal is to collect $15,000 and raise a total of $30,000 with the match. Please visit www.marbleheadcurrent.org/ donate for all the details.

It has been a whirlwind of a beginning in the very best way. We are deeply grateful for the welcome and support we have received. We wish you and your families a wonderful holiday. Happy Thanksgiving Marblehead!

ANCHorS AND SAILS

Haul out the holly

BY BRENDA KELLEY KIM

“It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace.” —Agnes M. Pharo

This quote was written to reference Christmas; I looked it up. However, it could apply to almost any holiday. Easter? Absolutely. Memorial Day? No question. Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah? Completely. What holiday isn’t about tenderness, courage, and hope for the past, present, and future? OK, perhaps St. Patrick’s Day, at least the way many celebrate it, but as someone who is 100 percent Irish, I can say with certainty that it’s about all that and more.

As we head towards colder weather and the holiday season, there is much to do. Many homes will host dozens of relatives, which involves cooking, cleaning and shopping. I am so glad that a good friend hosts Thanksgiving. All I have to do is show up with pies and some wine, and I’m good to go.

Much like so many other customs at this time of year, a friend of mine recently mentioned that no matter what, she would not turn the heat on in her house until Nov. 1. I get it; heating a home is expensive, and holding off can save you some money. In my house, it’s entirely different. I don’t care if we all have to eat hot dogs and boxed mac and cheese; I need my heat.

Unlike most women of my age, I do not have hot flashes. I am constantly cold; the struggle is real. So if I need to, I will turn my heat on in September. When I told people this, I did not expect the deluge of comments about the environment, my finances and politics. Guess what? It’s my house and my meager bank account. I’m in charge here.

However, the debate over when to turn the heat on pales compared to the discussion on when to start decorating for the holidays. That, my friends, is becoming the real war on Christmas.

I will never understand why people get their panties in a wad over who decorates for what and when. One of my favorite Christmas carols goes like this:

“For I’ve grown a little leaner, grown a little colder.

Grown a little sadder, grown a little older. And I need a little angel sitting on my

In this space, we will ask a question of the week and encourage you to share your thoughts. But as the name implies, the nature of our print deadlines will require you to act quickly: To have your response considered for publication in next week’s print edition, you will need to send them by noon on Thursday. In future weeks, you will be able to get an early start on our question of the week by monitoring our website, marbleheadcurrent. org, and social media channels.

LeTTerS PoLICY

We want to hear

shoulder.

Yes, I need a little Christmas now.”

Remember Christmas of 2020? The world was in the midst of lockdowns and had been for months. Friends of mine were putting up their Christmas trees in September, and some of them kept them up well into 2021. Sometimes you need a little Christmas.

Even if your family doesn’t celebrate Christmas, it was a tough year; so many of us couldn’t wait for it to be over. If a few candles or other cheery bits helped you move through the end of what was truly an “Annus horribilis,” who cares what anyone else thinks? Many of our loved ones did not make it through 2020.

The following year, 2021, was barely a few days old when we all watched in horror as our democracy was attacked. We’ve now moved through the midterm elections and so much else.

Honestly, if you’re going to be mad about something, go right ahead, but holiday décor might not be where you want to put your energy.

Are you in your own house? If so, do whatever the heck you want. It’s your house. Put a pumpkin on the table in January. Use the turkey tablecloth for as long as you want. Send valentines in September. Put a tree up in April, any tree you want, and keep it up all freaking year. Do you like Easter eggs? Hang ‘em up all year. Bonus points if you put them on a Christmas tree and hold an egg hunt in July.

No one gets to tell someone else how to celebrate anything. As we move into another holiday season, it’s important to remember that not everyone likes turkey, not everyone wants to put an inflatable Santa on their lawn, and not everyone wants to drink themselves silly on New Year’s Eve.

Some of us like purple trees and colored lights, others might want to hike out into the woods and chop down some unsuspecting Douglas fir and drag it home. It’s all good. Find something that matters to you and celebrate any time you want. Cheers!

We are delighted Brenda Kelley Kim has agreed to write a regular column for the Marblehead Current. For over a decade, The Marblehead Reporter published her weekly column, “Not The Same Old Thing.” She is the author of “Sink or Swim: Tales from the Deep End of Everywhere.” She resides in town with her family and a snorty pug named Penny in a tiny cottage by the sea.

However, given the nature of this week’s question, it will be print-only this week.

Q: You’ve now had the chance to flip through the pages of the first print edition of the Marblehead Cur rent. What do you think? What do you like? Not like? What’s missing that you’d like to see in future editions? Send your responses via email to info@ marbleheadnews.org

from you

The Marblehead Current loves to get letters to the editor. There are just a few rules you need to know.

Generally, letters should not exceed 500 words. The Marblehead Current reserves the right not to publish submissions over the word limit and may instead return the letter to the writer for editing.

Letters must include:

1. The author’s name. Unsigned letters and form letters will not be published.

2. The name of the street the author lives on in Marblehead. Only the street name will be published next to the author’s name — not their full address.

3. For every letter, we will need an

author’s daytime/cell phone number (not for publication) for verification purposes.

4. If letters seek to introduce into a discussion purported facts that are not commonly known, writers may be asked to provide the source for those purported facts.

5. Letters must be received by 5 p.m. Wednesday to be published in the following Wednesday’s print edition of the Marblehead Current. Letters will be published to our website at the earliest opportunity, after verification. Email submissions to info@marbleheadnews.org.

While the Marblehead Current will make every effort to let writers have their say, it reserves the right not to publish letters.

Thanksgiving at home

BY VIRGINIA BUCKINGHAM

I’m thinking about the meaning of “home” this Thanksgiving season. I’ve lived in Marblehead for 25 years, and, without question, consider this beautiful place home. Yet, like many of our 20,000 residents, I made this my home after a move or two from other states, other cities, other towns. I bought my first house here but took my first steps in a house a few hundred miles away.

So what makes Marblehead more resonant as “home” than the place I was born and raised?

This question was top of mind last week when I “went home” to the town I grew up in, in rural Connecticut, for a ceremony at the public high school. My dad graduated from the same school, albeit in a different location, in 1945. Several of my eight siblings did, too.

I was there to be honored with a plaque outside the school library, claimed as one of the town’s own who had “brought distinction to Watertown High School and the community.”

The deep familiarity of the journey as I got closer, each highway exit, each landmark, resonated like only home can, even as buildings have gone up or been torn down, roads rerouted, trees felled. There is where I learned to ride a bike, drive a car. I kissed my first boy, got my first stitches, nursed a best friend’s wounded heart. All cherished memories of home.

The high school event was lovely – seeing former favorite teachers, balloons in the school colors, kind words of embrace. I was deeply grateful, yet I knew I could no longer call the place of my birth and upbringing home, despite it always holding a piece of my heart.

Here, I know menu items, the quietest tables, the kindest servers and yes, which wines I like by the glass. The plethora of coffee options in town always make for a perfect afternoon diversion from work

My parents have both passed, and my childhood home has been remodeled and sold. Does the fact that my parents and my first home are gone render my once-hometown less “home”? If I climbed the steep hill to their front door and found them playing cribbage or watching “Jeopardy,” daily routines as long as I can remember, would I feel “home”? Yes, for sure, that’s part of it. Certainly, “home” means “family.” Yet mine, the one I created with my husband and children, is based here in Marblehead.

So perhaps “home” means “familiarity”?

I had dinner after the event in a fairly new restaurant, in a strip of storefronts, also new. I thoroughly enjoyed it, though I needed directions to the bathroom and the highway.

Here, I know menu items, the quietest tables, the kindest servers and yes, which wines I like by the glass. The plethora of coffee options in town always make for a perfect afternoon diversion from work – where shall I get my small black hot coffee and resist the cookie today?

There’s no ocean where I grew up despite the incongruously named Beach Avenue I lived on. Certainly, its place on the sea makes Marblehead an extra special place to live, but I don’t think the ocean makes it home for me.

Is it, then, ritual? Is it Halloween being celebrated here like a national holiday? The Harbor Illumination? Santa arriving on a lobster boat? My family walking to Preston Beach for Tashlich? Dozens more?

And friends and neighbors. Growing up, I could name every family who lived in every house in my neighborhood. I mostly can do that here, too. I can and have borrowed olive oil, onions, Worcestershire sauce, even sugar. I’ve passed the time on a walk with my dog. Remarked on the weather. Updated on my kids, their grandkids. Certainly, good neighbors make home.

As I drove back into town past the “Welcome to Marblehead” sign on Lafayette Street, my shoulders relaxed imperceptibly. Home as familiar and effortless as breathing.

A friend recently remarked that, to her, home “was a place you feel safe.” Another said, “it’s a feeling of being able to go anywhere in town and being taken care of if you need it.” The word that arose in my mind as they spoke was “sanctuary.”

So perhaps home is sanctuary. Yes, I think that is it. And the feeling of sanctuary is the sum of all the parts – familiarity, ritual, memories, family, neighbors, friends, good coffee.

Enjoy your sanctuary this holiday. I, for one, am deeply grateful for Marblehead, my home.

Virginia Buckingham serves on the Marblehead Current’s Board of Director. Buckingham is formerly the 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.” “Everything Will Be Okay” will be a weekly column.

Earliest Marblehead home to Naumkeag

BY PAM PETERSON

Marblehead is a small peninsula surrounded by ocean, with a large, deep safe harbor, and sheltering offshore islands. These are the physical elements that have always made Marblehead a desirable place to live and work.

There is some evidence that Vikings fished here along the North Shore, and European explorers, trappers and adventurers came to the area in the late 1500s.

Englishman John Smith mapped the coastline in 1616 and was the first to call the region “New England.” Geography has defined Marblehead’s settlement; its growth and personality are based on its location.

Before recorded history, the first known inhabitants of North America were Native Americans. It is acknowledged that the land known now as Marblehead was home to the Naumkeag band of the Massachusetts Pawtucket Tribes.

For centuries, this community moved through and lived upon this land. They followed the seasons, hunted, fished, raised families, grieved for their dead, nourished their living, shared the stories of their ancestors, and considered themselves the caretakers of this area.

The Naumkeag were a part of the nomadic Algonquin nation of Woodland tribes, who came to Marblehead in the warm seasons to live by the sea, to fish, and collect shells and salt.

Nanapashemet was the bestknown Sachem, or chief of the Naumkeags. He was known at

the time of the earliest European settlement.

After his death in 1617, the population of the tribe was greatly reduced by smallpox as well as intertribal warfare.

Nanapashemet’s wife became Squaw Sachem. She and her son Wenepoykin, known to the colonists as Sagamore George, were owners of the land that included Marblehead, which they called Massabequash, or Forest River.

When English settlers arrived, the indigenous population in Marblehead was small. In the 17th century, original native inhabitants gradually gave way to English colonists, who established a town and practiced the fishing trade.

First known as Marble Harbor, the settlers were attracted by the abundance of fish, a safe harbor, and sheltering small islands. These early settlers came not as a band of people with religious or political aims, but individually. They were mostly fishermen seeking a way to make a living for themselves and their families.

The history of Marblehead encompasses the founding and growth of our country, its events and its people. Marblehead Chronicles is a new column that will include the stories of Marblehead, with the intention of informing and entertaining all those interested in the history of the good old town.

Local actions have global consequences

BY LOUISE BULLIS YARMOFF

Over the past several weeks, the United Nations Climate Conference COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, has highlighted how our actions here at home affect global climate, impacting countries rich and poor throughout the world.

At this contentious summit, developing countries — where the biggest climate damages are — criticized wealthy nations — which caused the problem by burning coal, oil and gas — for not helping to rescue them from the worst impacts of a warming planet. And, although compensation to developing nations is important, critics are also saying that the U.S. and other large polluters should be focused, first, on cutting their OWN carbon pollution.

A recent Marblehead letter to the editor echoes this sentiment. The letter writer called church bell ringing to sound the alarm about climate change “charming,” but wondered what the churches were doing to actually reduce their carbon footprint. (Marblehead churches have been ringing their bells on the 11th of every month at 11 a.m. for 11 minutes to signify the 11th-hour need to take action on climate change.)

In fact, faith communities in Marblehead ARE leading the way to reduce carbon emissions, by such activities as exploring energy efficiency measures, volunteering to improve the tree canopy, and hosting talks like the one on home energy efficiency cosponsored by Sustainable Marblehead and the Unitarian Church on Nov. 13 For the program video, visit bit.ly/3AgQxwj.

But the letter-writer’s admonishment should be taken more generally. What are we as a town, and each of us individually, doing to reduce our carbon footprint?

The letter writer himself downplays the need for Americans to reduce their emissions, saying that Asia (read: China) is responsible for twice the carbon emissions of the U.S., so we should “record the bell ringing” and send it there, implying that we can wait for the largest emitter of greenhouse gases to cut its emissions before acting ourselves.

This strategy, though it may seem tempting to some, will not succeed. Climate change is a global issue, and while China is TODAY’S largest emitter of greenhouse gases, the United States is HISTORY’S largest.

Both countries, and indeed ALL nations, need to work together to solve this global problem. Last week, U.S. President Biden and Chinese President Xi acknowledged as much when they agreed to restart negotiating on climate.

Here at home, Marblehead has set a goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. (Click bit. ly/3OdP9QX to read the Marblehead Climate Vision Report.) But as the U.N. warns in a recently released expert report on net-zero commitments, such pledges risk being little more than “greenwashing” if not backed up with robust plans to actually reduce emissions.

The Green Marblehead Committee is working on just such a robust Net-Zero Roadmap for our town and depends on feedback from town residents to perfect the document. Keep an eye out for a public meeting

coming soon to discuss it, and consider attending monthly public meetings of the Green Marblehead Committee.

On a personal level, you can start by visiting the “Take Action” pages on Sustainable Marblehead’s website to find ways to reduce your carbon footprint, eliminate waste and protect the health of the planet.

According to our Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report, the three largest sources of Marblehead’s emissions come from heating our homes and buildings with oil and gas, vehicle transportation, and the carbon-emitting sources of our electricity (predominantly gas-fired power plants). Other smaller sources are landfill waste emissions and air travel.

Given those sources, our biggest carbon reductions would come from changing from gas and oil to electric heat pumps to heat (and cool) our houses.

The next largest reduction would come from reducing our transportation emissions by using our cars less (biking, walking and riding public transportation) or buying an electric vehicle or hybrid.

And the next biggest reduction would come from choosing the “Go Green Now” 100 percent carbon-free electricity option from the Marblehead Municipal Light Department.

Sustainable Marblehead realizes that these emissionsreduction actions require research and investment. Our goal is to educate and engage with town officials and Marblehead residents to help everyone take the actions necessary to reduce emissions.

We accomplish this by attending meetings of town boards, sponsoring webinars and beach cleanups, organizing volunteers to plant trees, and working to increase composting and reduce single-use plastic, among many other initiatives.

We need your help. Please join us by clicking on “Volunteer” at the top of our website at www. sustainablemarblehead.org .

Climate change is top of mind right now. Let’s keep it that way.

Louise Bullis Yarmoff is the executive director of Sustainable Marblehead.

“Think about whence you came, where you are going and to whom you must account.”

— Benjamin Franklin

English explorer John Smith mapped the region, naming it New England in 1616.

through the tunnel of yarn as her feet work the pedals of the 24-inch Schacht Baby Wolf loom that takes center stage in her home studio.

The studio is filled with light and scarves in blues, purples, greens and reds. A box of bright, woven bookmarks sits atop a shelf of even brighter-colored yarn.

“I’ve been doing this for 20 years now,” she said.

The loom was a gift from her mentor, master artist Edjohnetta Miller, a widely exhibited quilt/fiber artist. Her work can be found in numerous national and international museums and private collections.

“I’ve always had a knack for the arts, specifically with yarn and textiles and fibers,” Breed said.

In elementary school, she made and sold friendship bracelets. Later, she learned to crochet from her grandmother, who created intricate doilies and bed sheets.

In 2002, she was accepted into an arts apprenticeship program, Neighborhood

Studio, through Connecticut’s Greater Hartford Arts Council where Breed said she was able to choose which craft she wanted to study.

“I went through the textile studio … in the studio I did sewing, I did quilting, but I really took to a love of weaving,” she said.

Breed said she worked the program for three years and when it came time for her to head to college, she asked Miller where she could buy a loom. After recognizing her passion for the craft, Miller surprised Breed by offering her a loom from her collection.

“I was very, very honored that I was able to select one and the one that I chose, she said to me, ‘that was my first loom,’ so it was really very special to see all that come full circle,” Breed said.

It is the loom Breed still uses today, and it’s given Breed the drive to continue to grow in the craft.

“I can’t let her down,” she said with a laugh.

Why weaving?

Setting up the loom, threading the heddles and reeds, and tying the warp can be a time-consuming and painstaking

process, particularly for Breed, a selfproclaimed perfectionist. But once the hard work is done, it’s bliss, Breed said.

“When I’m weaving, honestly, it can go quick,” she said. “I kind of get in the zone, I put some music on; it’s very relaxing, very therapeutic. If I’m just using one shuttle for the piece it goes really quick because I’m just back and forth and back and forth controlling the pedals with my feet, the pedals control the pattern.”

“Quick” is a relative term. A table runner that covers the length of Breed’s dining room table has 480 threads threaded through it.

“That was very time consuming, a nice lesson in patience,” Breed said with a laugh.

It took her upwards of eight hours to complete the runner. A scarf, depending on the pattern, could take three to five hours, but the bookmarks, created on a small tabletop loom, take only 15 minutes or so to make.

Weaving her magic

Coming out of the studio program, Breed said she learned the basics of weaving and continued with them during college.

“I was kind of sticking with a lot of plain weave, log cabin weave, twill, just very kind of simplified techniques, just so I could kind of keep it up and keep my skill going,” she said.

After graduation, she launched a career in fashion merchandising and her own business, KJ’s Woven Scarves. Breed also began doing church fairs and holiday shows, namely in Connecticut, where she grew up. When she migrated to Massachusetts for work, she decided to step it up and dropped KJ’s to launch Weave the People, “a fun take on ‘we the people.’”

But it wasn’t until she hit the crossroads of COVID and yarn troubles that that Breed really made a change. Breed said COVID coincided with the discontinuation of the yarn she’d used for years, forcing her to explore other options. Bamboo was one of those options.

Worried that it might feel heavy or appear stiff, Breed said she picked a lacy pattern as a test and was smitten.

“I love that bamboo pattern because it is reversible, and you can make it dressy but you can also make it a more casual scarf, that’s been a fun one to work with,” she said. “Bamboo has a very silky, lightweight hand to it.”

Another fiber she recently discovered is Tencel, which is made from the wood pulp of Eucalyptus trees and is also very silky and lightweight, resulting in what Breed calls her four-season scarf. Though she doesn’t currently work in wool, Breed does weave soft chenille scarves as well, which are all about winter warmth and the cozy factor, she said.

The bookmarks and placemats are all created with 100-percent cotton, because life is messy.

“You can throw them in the wash and they stand the test of time wash after wash after wash after wash,” she said.

What’s next?

Breed said she’s not sure if she’ll add more categories to her inventory, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be new items.

“Certainly within scarves, within placemats and table runners, there’s a lot of different yarns and fibers and patterns to explore,” she said.

And there are shows to do. Breed said she loves talking to people face-to-face about the craft and hearing their feedback and enthusiasm, but eventually she’d also like to establish a website and maybe explore selling on consignment in local shops.

“I’m really using this year as a way to get feedback from customers, see what they’re gravitating toward, not only in the style of product but the price point as well,” Breed said.

Currently, Breed operates through Instagram at Woven by K, where shoppers can browse her inventory. They must however reach out through the site or email her at wovenbyk@ gmail.com to purchase. People can also meet up with her in person during Marblehead’s Christmas Walk, Dec. 3 and 4, where she will be stationed in Abbot Hall.

“I love the product, I love being able to work with my hands,” she said. “Honestly if I had all the time in the world, I could spend all the time in the world on my loom.”

Photo by Rob Kipp

A similar story as has happened in Marblehead has unfolded in Concord with its Gannett newspaper, the Concord Journal. Former Marblehead resident Margaret “Peggy” Burke – she arrived in town as an infant and lived here until leaving for college – had been talking with town officials and others in what became her hometown for years.

But over the past several months, Burke, the former director of the Concord Museum, and her co-founders former Select Board member Virginia McIntyre and Kate Stout, the founder, editor and publisher of the Map & Legend on Nantucket, decided to get serious.

In the spring, they launched their “Founders Campaign” to cover the start-up costs and create a cash reserve to ensure adequate cash flow for the first 30 months or so of operations for their news nonprofit, The Concord Bridge.

The first weekly print edition of The Bridge landed in mailboxes throughout town in the middle of October.

Burke described The Bridge’s fundraising efforts as “ahead of internal expectations,” noting that, after setting a goal of$1.13 million, they have raised just over $900,000. Aside from a small grant from the Knight Foundation, most of the money has come from the Concord community.

“I am hopeful that we will reach our initial goal by the end of 2022,” she said.

Asked what some of the biggest lessons she has learned from launching a nonprofit local news organization, Burke said, “This was much more work than any of us realized when we began the planning process in early spring. Our board is small, most of us are retired, and we each worked many, many hours to launch the paper.”

Burke expressed gratitude for the help The Bridge has received from more mature nonprofit newspapers and also spoke of the value of listening to the community.

“We did public forums in Concord and additional outreach to try to hear what the local community wanted its newspaper to be,” she said.

Despite the “mountains of work,” Burke said she would do it all over again.

“The positive feedback from the Concord community has been overwhelming,” Burke said. “We are still finding our way, but it has been a totally rewarding experience.”

Northeastern University journalism professor Dan Kennedy, who has been closely monitoring developments in the nonprofit news sector since the late 2000s, said that he had long been expecting an “explosion” of 501(c)(3) news organizations, but it was slow to materialize.

“I think part of it was that, for a number of years, the IRS

Why ‘The Current ’?

BY KRIS OLSON

No matter how we looked at it, it just fit.

That’s the simplest way to explain how what you might have been getting to know as “Marblehead News” has become “Marblehead Current.”

As seen in our new logo, “Current” is a nod to the ongoing importance the ocean has to our community. From Old Ironsides navigating into the shelter of Fort Sewall to the competitors who continue to do battle during Race Week or scoot up to Halifax every two years, to lobstering and Pleon Yacht Club lessons, important and fun things happen in the waters of our harbor.

But we all also have come to depend on electrical “current” to supply power to many modern conveniences that border on necessities.

Communities rely on “currents,” too, and quality local journalism is one of the things that keeps the juice flowing.

Sure, without it, you might be able to

inform yourself about election candidates or Town Meeting issues, monitor how the local government is functioning, figure out where and when to show up for community celebrations and follow the high school sports teams, but it becomes decidedly harder.

Think of it like washing and drying your clothes by hand during a power outage. You might be able to manage, but it becomes more of a challenge.

As an adjective, “current” can also mean “prevalent” or “customary,” and we are “current,” in that sense, too.

What you are holding in your hand no doubt looks and feels familiar. But there is an essential difference under the hood.

As explained in the story on Page 1, when Marblehead News Group, Inc., incorporated as a 501(c)(3) organization early this year, it caught a rising wave in the choppy seas of local journalism.

In the weeks and months ahead, we will explain more fully how we arrived at this belief, but we are convinced that if

Marblehead is to have the type of vibrant, independent, sustainable news source that it deserves — and has a history of supporting — the nonprofit model is the way to go.

Finally, current also can mean “up to the minute.” We know the answer to the question “how do you take your news?” has many answers, and we are committed to providing news in a format and at a pace that works best for you.

Whether you like to hold a newspaper in your hands once a week or need to be in the know immediately, between our print edition, website, social media channels and email newsletter, we are ready to serve up local news made to order, just the way you like it.

As we continue to work to earn your trust, if there are things we can do better, or if you have a suggestion for a story or new feature — or if you want to volunteer to join our team — please do get in touch.

So, we are Current. And we hope you will get — and stay — Current, too.

Kennedy is writing a book with former Boston Globe editorial page editor Ellen Clegg titled, “What Works: The Future of Local News,” due in 2024, in which the Bedford Citizen will be featured. He and Clegg host an ongoing podcast series of the same name.

Kennedy attributes Gannett’s actions over the last year or two to the debt they took on to build their chain of 200-plus newspapers.

Ready to get matched?

Marblehead Current launches NewsMatch campaign

We rebranded and now we are being matched!

Starting today through Dec. 31, the Marblehead Current – Marblehead’s only non-profit, independent newspaper – is participating in NewsMatch, an Institute for Nonprofit News (INN) initiative to financially support and sustain nonprofit community journalism.

As a nonprofit, we do not have a media parent company funding us – or dictating our community coverage. Our newsroom is right here in Marblehead, staffed by veteran local journalists with over five decades of combined experience covering our town. We depend on individual donations, which are tax-deductible, modestlypriced advertising and sponsorships, also tax-deductible, and support from foundations through INN and others.

Any individual donation made today through the end of year will be matched dollar-for-dollar by INN up to $1,000. And recurring donations will be matched 12 times, also to the $1,000 limit.

So, if you make a one-time donation of $100 today, that is $200 for the Current. A monthly recurring donation of $10 ($120 per year) is $240 for the Current.

Our NewsMatch goal is to raise $15,000 from donations for a total of $30,000 with the match.

made it really difficult for news organizations to get nonprofit status,” Kennedy said. “Then the IRS loosened its rules.”

But the other obvious

Several comments on Nov. 15 targeted areas that Schaeffner characterized as “things we don’t know.” They include:

» Size limitation to two bedrooms or a maximum of 900 square feet or 1,000 square feet

How to ensure rules are followed: Affidavits, certifications and/or annual inspections

» Whether to limit rent to 60 percent or 70 percent of area rents as determined by HUD, which would promote greater affordability, or no restriction, which would make the units more likely to be built

Creating incentives

“I understand there are concerns about not wanting to hamstring homeowners by controlling rents,” said Marblehead

Every dollar raised will go directly to supporting independent journalism – to paying for freelancers to add to the depth of our coverage, to our new print edition coming to your mailbox soon and to our digital news site.

Since 2005, more than 2,000 local newspapers have closed around the country, eroding vibrant coverage about local government, business, sports and the arts. These closures have resulted in “news deserts” where citizens no longer can count on being up to date on important stories in their communities. We don’t want that fate for our town.

After Gannett took over the Marblehead Reporter in 2019, slashed resources and bare minimum local coverage ensued. Former editors and journalists from the Reporter got together and vowed to not let Marblehead become one of those news deserts. The idea for a non-profit, sustainable, newspaper was born. Local leaders, like Jessica Barnett and Ed Bell, got involved, and the Current became a reality.

Two newspapers got Marblehead through its first 150 years. Our mission is to provide Marblehead with objective, independent news for the next 150. Will you help us by supporting the Current and get matched today? Donate here: https://bit.ly/3fggUv5

explanation for the sudden rise is the actions of some of the country’s largest newspaper owners of newspapers.

“Gannett and Alden Global

resident Kurt James, a Marblehead Fair Housing Committee member. “But there are various incentives that you could offer owners to offset those limits.”

James called attention to a Salem property tax exemption for ADU landlords as well as a grant program.

“The Marblehead Affordable Housing Trust has funds,” said James, adding it receives roughly $25,000 in state funds that don’t always get spent. “We need to explore [whether] those resources are available for these units – it might be an interesting grant program that we could [establish].”

He also suggested Marblehead follow Salem’s lead and offer a property-tax abatement for ADUs rented out at affordable-housing thresholds.

“There’s plenty of precedent for it,” he said. “It’s something that’s very viable, and that would reduce homeowners’ expenses.”

Capital, to name our biggest and most notorious newspaper chains, just began wiping out newspapers left and right,” said Kennedy.

What about enforcement?

Marblehead resident Lena Robinson asked about enforcement and ensuring compliance.

“We’ve had in the past bylaws that have passed that have ended up being more recommendations than enforceable,” she said. “Who’s going to be the one leading this when somebody either fails to comply or doesn’t know how to comply?”

Schaeffner thanked Robinson for her questions, adding the Planning Board hopes to strike a “Goldilocks” middle. He cited a Pioneer Institute for Public Policy report as a wealth of helpful information as they develop the zoning proposal.

“They do give some interesting examples of places where things are what I would consider overly restricted and difficult to enforce,” said Schaeffner. “We’re trying… to be realistic about what are the requirements that are most

“They also seem to have lost interest in their weeklies,” Kennedy said. “They’re still interested in their dailies, although they are cutting them, too. But the weeklies in particular, they are just closing them wholesale.”

When Gannett decided to reassign its reporters to regional beats, it left those communities without local government watchdogs, while somewhat nonsensically offering content that well-established outlets were already producing, Kennedy noted.

“Isn’t that why we have the Boston Globe and two big public radio stations and some pretty good TV newscasts?” Kennedy said. “We really don’t look to our local newspapers for that kind of coverage. We look for what’s going on at town hall and in our neighborhoods.”

Kennedy noted the main benefit of a media organization establishing itself as a nonprofit is the tax advantages, both to itself and its donors.

“Beyond that, I think there is a public service mission to a nonprofit organization, whereas with a for-profit news organization, it could be locally owned, it could be operated for the public good, but there’s always that chance that it is going to be acquired by a chain or that it will pass into the hands of someone who isn’t really interested in that public service mission, and then what you had at one time starts to go downhill,” Kennedy said.

reasonable, and the ones that are that we can actually enforce.”

The institute’s report, which studied 100 cities and towns around (but not including) Boston, found that among the 37 communities that allow ADUs, only 2.5 are built per year. A tabulation of ADUs closer to home revealed: “In the past three years, three were built in Swampscott, seven in Ipswich and 10 in Peabody.”

“It’s a little disappointing to see how few have actually been built in some of these other towns,” Marblehead resident and Realtor Meg Andrews said. “I would just really encourage you to think of any incentives that you possibly can to really make sure these are affordable.”

Officials said the ADU proposal will have at least two more public hearings before Town Meeting.

The year in pictures

Marblehead resident Eyal Oren, proprietor of the website wednesdaysinmhd.com, has been capturing stunning landscape photographs of his hometown since 2008. Every year, he chooses favorite images that best capture each

month and puts them together — in full color — as a Marblehead calendar (see ad on page 17).

To help us celebrate this first printing of Marblehead Current, he has graciously provided us with this year’s images.

Carnival Sunrise

Bird’s Eye View - Fall in Marblehead

Yellow Orange Glow

Fireworks over the Harbor

Arctic Sunrise over Tinkers Island

A Light After the Storm

Stormy Weather

Spring is in the Air - Grace, St Michaels and Crocker Park

Spring is in the Air - Abbot Hall

Hunting the Moon at Redd’s Pond

Marri… in a hurry

Marblehead’s next running sensation comes of age early on

BY JOE MCCONNELL

Marblehead’s great tradition in track has another runner coming up through the ranks, who is beginning to turn heads as a Marblehead High School freshman after a sensational fall on the state’s cross-country courses.

Her name is Marri O’Connell, and one of those heads she turned first was MHS girls crosscountry coach William Herlihy.

“Coming into this season, I didn’t have any expectations, because Marri had never run cross-country before,” Herlihy said. “But during the first week of the season, she finished first in our 2-mile time trial, and so it quickly became clear that she would be one of our top runners.”

Herlihy continued, “In the first dual meet of the season, we went up against Gloucester at Ravenswood Park, where Marri took first by over a minute after running a 21:51 on a course that’s a full 5k. Not only is that a strong time, but she was barely winded after crossing the finish line. I knew at that point she would be our best runner this season.”

Only a couple of days after the Gloucester meet on Sept. 10, Marri was the anchor leg on the Magicians’ top team at the Clipper Relays in Newburyport, an annual event consisting of individual schools that assemble multiple teams of three to run a 2-mile loop, with the anchor running a little extra to complete the course. Marblehead’s aforementioned top team finished 14th overall, with Marri splitting a 12:37, an impressive

time for an open 2-mile on a track surface, let alone on a trail loop that includes a significant hill, according to Herlihy.

A lot of cross-country training is based upon setting goals, while establishing a pace time, but Herlihy’s challenge for Marri this fall was to determine what her actual pace should be, because she got better every day.

“I kept on setting a target, and she would smash it in the next race,” said Herlihy.

“Following the Clipper Relays, Marri continued to improve dramatically. She finished the regular season undefeated with five firsts, but it was racing in the big invitational meets where she really shined.”

On Sept. 24, O’Connell won the Ocean State Invitational freshman race in Rhode Island by 36 seconds, turning in a 16:06 on the 4k course against competitors throughout the New England region.

A couple of weeks later on Oct. 14, the young Marblehead star finished fourth in the Glennon Twilight Invitational Large School Division. It was only the second time she ran a true 5k this fall, and ended up running it in 18:46.2, albeit without one of her shoes in the final 200-meters.

“It was already clear to me that Marri was a special talent, but this race in particular cemented her as a truly exceptional runner,” Herlihy said. “She had once again taken my targeted goal for a pace time (19:30), and shattered it by nearly 45 seconds. It was nearly an unprecedented

BY SCOT COOPER

Where were you on Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012? If you were at Blocksidge Field around noon that Thanksgiving Day, you saw the last time the Big Blue beat the Magicians on the gridiron.

The Marblehead boys (8-2 overall, 4-0 in the Northeastern Conference) will look to make it 10 straight over Swampscott (3-7 overall, 0-3 in the NEC) in the 119th edition of the rivalry between the two neighboring communities at Piper Field this year on Nov. 24, starting at 10 a.m.

For Marblehead, it will be a big lift after a tough playoff loss to host Milton in a Division 3 quarterfinal round game. Swampscott is also still smarting from its Division 5 Round of 16 playoff loss to host Hudson. Neither team will get that chance to repeat as Super Bowl champs, but a win on turkey day would be a nice consolation prize.

The Magicians have won eight straight on Thanksgiving Day, while also beating the Blue on April 23, 2021, during the COVID year. Marblehead has outscored Swampscott 272-87 since that 25-16 Big Blue win in 2012.

Marblehead coach Jim Rudloff said you can throw streaks, scores and everything else out with a win on Thursday. It will go a long way to putting that playoff loss to Milton behind them.

“We want to finish on a strong note, obviously. We’re still hurting, because we lost that game (to Milton). We certainly felt that we could have won that game,” Rudloff said. “We didn’t play our best game, and we’d now like to come out against Swampscott and play the way we think we can play.”

Marblehead captain Christian Pacheco expects a great effort from his team against Swampscott, especially with the game at Piper Field.

“We are very excited to compete against Swampscott,”

Pacheco said. “The game is at home, and we want to put on a good show for our Marblehead fans.”

Pacheco added, “After the loss to Milton, we were very frustrated, but since then we’ve been using that frustration for motivation going into the Swampscott game. We use it as fuel for the game. We know Swampscott is our big rival, so we’ve been working hard in practice all week long to get ready for them.”

Captain Zander Danforth echoed Pacheco’s thoughts on

playing

great game to

up

“Obviously, we are unhappy that we are not heading into the next round, but all of our focus is on Swampscott now,” Danforth said. “For almost all of us seniors, it will be the last time we put on the pads, so we are going to be going all-out. We are excited and ready to show what type of team we are.”

This year’s game will need some high drama to equal the 2021 edition, when a late Eli

Feingold

“Records don’t really matter in these games; it’s all about which team plays its best,” Pacheco said. “The younger guys have next year, but this is it for (the seniors). This year’s game is my Super Bowl.”

Rudloff added, “It’s nice we’ve had some wins, but each year is different. We’re preparing for what Swampscott does now. We certainly have a bad taste in our mouths

a

wrap

his stellar football career with a Thanksgiving win over the Big Blue.

field goal clinched the epic game for the Magicians.

from the Milton game, and beating Swampscott would help with that.”

PHOTO BY EYAL OREN / WEDNESDAYSINMHD

Marblehead captain Christian Pacheco (55) and his fellow seniors will be looking to close out their Magicians football careers with a win over rival Swampscott on Thanksgiving.

COURTESY PHOTO / MUFFY PAQUETTE

Marblehead High School freshman runner Marri O’Connell is shown staying ahead of her Danvers counterpart during a NEC cross-country meet this fall. MARRI, P. A15

Marblehead vs. Swampscott, looking back through the years

The first Marblehead-Swampscott Thanksgiving game was played in 1910, according to the 1984 book, “75 Years of Marblehead Football, 1909-1983,” by Bill Peabody.

Peabody’s research revealed that the teams played twice against each other in 1909 – on Oct.

1910: Swampscott 7 Marblehead 0

1911: Swampscott 6 Marblehead 5

1912: Swampscott 12 Marblehead 0

1913: Swampscott 13 Marblehead 0

1914: Swampscott 16 Marblehead 7

1915: Swampscott 20 Marblehead 0

1916: Swampscott 13 Marblehead 3

1917: Marblehead 20 Swampscott 6

1918: Marblehead 59 Swampscott 0

1919: Marblehead 0 Swampscott 0

1920: Marblehead 7 Swampscott 7

1921: Marblehead 21 Swampscott 0

1922: Marblehead 20 Swampscott 0

1923: Marblehead 12 Swampscott 6

1924: Marblehead 10 Swampscott 10

1925: Marblehead 53 Swampscott 0

1926: Swampscott 23 Swampscott 0

1927: Marblehead 19 Swampscott 7

1928: Swampscott 26 Marblehead 0

1929: Marblehead 19 Swampscott 6

1930: Marblehead 26 Swampscott 0

1931: Marblehead 6 Swampscott 6

1932: Marblehead 6 Swampscott 0

1933: Marblehead 13 Swampscott 6

1934: Marblehead 38 Swampscott 7

1935: Marblehead 33 Swampscott 7

1936: Marblehead 14 Swampscott 0

1937: Swampscott 0 Marblehead 0

1938: Marblehead 21 Swampscott 0

27 in Swampscott (won by Swampscott, 12-5) and on Nov. 15 at Seaside Park (a 0-0 tie) – but not on Thanksgiving.

The inaugural Thanksgiving Day game in 1910 was the second game of the season between the two teams (Swampscott won the first game, 15-0, on Nov. 9). The

1939: Swampscott 18 Marblehead 0

1940: Marblehead 27 Swampscott 0

1941: Marblehead 26 Swampscott 6

1942: Marblehead 7 Swampscott 7

1943: Swampscott 32 Marblehead 0

1944: Marblehead 19 Swampscott 8

1945: Marblehead 6 Swampscott 0

1946: Swampscott 13 Marblehead 0

1947: Marblehead 24 Swampscott 6

1948: Marblehead 24 Swampscott 0

1949: Marblehead 12 Swampscott 0

1950: Marblehead 26 Swampscott 6 1951: Marblehead 19 Swampscott 7 1952: Marblehead 32 Swampscott 19 1953: Marblehead 6 Swampscott 0 1954: Swampscott 13 Marblehead 6 1955: Swampscott 19 Marblehead 18

1956: Marblehead 19 Swampscott 12 1957: Swampscott 27 Marblehead 0 1958: Swampscott 41 Marblehead 6 1959: Swampscott 18 Marblehead 0 1960: Marblehead 12 Swampscott 6 1961: Marblehead 35 Swampscott 14 1962: Marblehead 7 Swampscott 0 1963: Swampscott 34 Marblehead 14 1964: Swampscott 30 Marblehead 6 1965: Marblehead 16 Swampscott 2 1966: Marblehead 22 Swampscott 21 1967: Swampscott 24 Marblehead 6

two teams have also played twice in 1911, 1912, 2013 and 2014. Marblehead won the pre-Thanksgiving game in each of those years.

The seven additional games bring the series total to 118 games, with 60 wins for Marblehead, 51 wins for Swampscott and seven ties.

1968: Swampscott 40 Marblehead 0 1969: Swampscott 15 Marblehead 14 1970: Swampscott 31 Marblehead 7 1971: Swampscott 20 Marblehead 0 1972: Swampscott 29 Marblehead 0 1973: Marblehead 20 Swampscott 12 1974: Marblehead 24 Swampscott 0 1975: Swampscott 14 Marblehead 0 1976: Swampscott 20 Marblehead 0 1977: Marblehead 34 Swampscott 6 1978: Swampscott 25 Marblehead 6 1979: Swampscott 19 Marblehead 10 1980: Marblehead 13 Swampscott 6 1981: Marblehead 21 Swampscott 8 1982: Swampscott 14 Marblehead 0 1983: Swampscott 19 Marblehead 12 1984: Marblehead 21 Swampscott 20 1985: Marblehead 6 Swampscott 0 1986: Swampscott 14 Marblehead 0 1987: Marblehead 21 Swampscott 7 1988: Swampscott 12 Marblehead 7 1989: Swampscott 17 Marblehead 14 1990: Swampscott 19 Marblehead 7 1991: Marblehead 26 Swampscott 6 1992: Marblehead 18 Swampscott 13 1993: Marblehead 14 Swampscott 13 1994: Swampscott 33 Marblehead 6 1995: Swampscott 44 Marblehead 0 1996: Swampscott 19 Marblehead 0

1997: Swampscott 49 Marblehead 14

1998: Marblehead 9 Swampscott 7 1999: Swampscott 49 Marblehead 0 2000: Marblehead 32 Swampscott 20

2001: Swampscott 39 Marblehead 6

2002: Swampscott 41 Marblehead 0

2003: Swampscott 35 Marblehead 21 2004: Swampscott 25 Marblehead 7 2005: Swampscott 13 Marblehead 6 2006: Marblehead 6 Swampscott 0 2007: Swampscott 42 Marblehead 16 2008: Swampscott 21 Marblehead 13 2009: Marblehead 32 Swampscott 27 2010: Swampscott 21 Marblehead 20 2011: Marblehead 21 Swampscott 7 2012: Swampscott 25 Marblehead 16

2013: Marblehead 51 Swampscott 13 2014: Marblehead 21 Swampscott 14 2015: Marblehead 51 Swampscott 0 2016: Marblehead 27 Swampscott 6 2017: Marblehead 35 Swampscott 17 2018: Marblehead 31 Swampscott 14 2019: Marblehead 22 Swampscott 16 2020: COVID Year April 23: Marblehead 34 Swampscott 7 2021: Marblehead 31 Swampscott 28

Total of 110 Thanksgiving games played: Marblehead 55 wins, Swampscott 49 wins, 6 ties.

Marfione to lead MHS hockey team

announced recently.

Marfione will take over the program from coach Chris Wells, who was behind the Magicians’ bench the last four years.

“Mark has a proven track record that brings experience and ability to continue building a successful team,” said Ceglarski. “We want to thank Chris (Wells) for his time and energy given to the program, as he was a valuable asset to the Marblehead coaching staff.”

BY JOE McCONNELL

The Marblehead High School boys crosscountry team went to the Division 1C State Divisional Championship in Wrentham Nov. 11 with a game plan and executed it flawlessly, coming home with its first state title since 2015.

Ryan Thompson (eighth, 16:22), Isaac Gross (ninth, 16:24), Harrison Kee (12th, 16:38), David DiCostanzo (20th, 17:05), Ryan Blestowe (27th, 17:12), Errol Apostolopoulos (50th, 17:44) and Gabe Bayramian (73rd, 18:14) were the winning Magicians in this meet.

“This is the team’s first divisional championship since 2015,” said veteran coach Brian Heenan. “The boys’ performance was even more impressive given that they were missing sophomore Will Cerrutti, one of our top runners, but they were able to defeat a very strong Oliver Ames team thanks to our depth.

Even though Oliver Ames took the first three places in the race, the Marblehead boys were able to get their first five runners across the finish line before Oliver Ames’ fourth runner, which allowed them to win the meet by two points, Heenan explained.

Thompson, Gross and Kee earned medals after finishing among the Top 15 harriers. But, according to Heenan, DiCostanzo and Blestowe made the most important moves in the race by overtaking a pack of runners in the last half-mile, which sealed the first-place victory for the team.

The Marblehead boys enjoyed their victory for a couple of days before getting ready for the All-State Championship Meet at Fort Devens in Ayer on Saturday, Nov. 19. against the other best teams in the state.

The field was set to include Brookline, Newton North, Westford Academy, BC High and St. John’s Prep, just to name a few.

According to Ceglarski, Marfione has had great success prior to coming to Marblehead. He has coached at a number of schools throughout the Greater Boston area, and most recently was the head coach of the Cambridge Rindge & Latin Falcons.

“(Marfione) brought (the Falcons) to new heights during his tenure there, and we are excited to have him lead the Marblehead program moving forward,” Ceglarski said. “He brings passion, energy and a wealth of knowledge to the school, and we have no doubt it will be a smooth transition.”

Courtesy photo

The Marblehead boys cross country team celebrates their Division 1C State Divisional Championship win in Wrentham Nov. 11.

Mark Marfione is the new boys’ hockey at Marblehead High School, Athletic Director Greg Ceglarski

Mark Marfione

Recapping the 2022 football season

BY JOE MCCONNELL

Marblehead 25, Concord-Carlisle 6

Marblehead quarterback Miles O’Neill was credited with four touchdown passes to three different receivers to lead the defending Division 3 Super Bowl champs past Concord-Carlisle, 25-6, at Piper Field on Sept. 9.

The Magicians scored the first four touchdowns of the game, before the Patriots finally got on the scoreboard late in the third quarter. Tight end Shane Keough accounted for the first and last Marblehead touchdowns of the game.

Connor Cronin and Andy Palmer also hauled in touchdown receptions from O’Neill to help give their teammates a 19-0 lead at halftime.

Marblehead 26, Lynnfield 18

On the surface, the average high school football fan around the state would have looked over Friday night scores and saw that Marblehead won again, this time in thrilling comeback fashion over nonleague Lynnfield, 26-18 at Piper Field. It was their 22nd straight win.

The Magicians were trailing at one point in the first half, 18-7, before captain Connor Cronin ignited the comeback by outleaping his Lynnfield counterpart in the endzone to complete a 40-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Miles O’Neill just before halftime.

Shane Keough then put the home team ahead in the third quarter, when he opportunistically p icked up the loose ball on a Lynnfield punt attempt and scooted 11 yards for what turned out to be the game-winning score.

But that was only part of the story. The human element dominated this game. Prior to the Friday night kickoff, coach Jim Rudloff and the team found out that Jeff Scogland, the father of junior lineman Jake, had passed away while working out. Jake came to Rudloff with the news, and said he wanted to play in the game against Lynnfield. Because of injuries, Jake ended up playing both offensive tackle and defensive end.

Speaking on behalf of his teammates after the game, senior captain Connor Cronin told the Marblehead Current via Twitter: “I think the huge thing about this team is that we are family. Having such a great team and teammates around each other every day helps us all become great people in life.

“After the passing of my friend (and teammate) James (Galante) last March, I really recognized how close this family and community really is. The news that we received Friday before our game (against Lynnfield) was truly devastating, but Jake was the strongest kid that day, and he played for his dad and (he) made him very proud.

“I knew that we would again have to have a real sense of community around this disaster, and help our teammates who needed it. Our team (had to deal with) incredible adversity that day after such a long day. Being down by two scores with one minute to go in the first half, I knew that we were going to fight together and make plays all around the field to win that game. And that’s what we did. We climbed back into the game, and won it. But we would not have been able to do this without Jake and his strong heart.”

O’Neill got his teammates on the board in the first quarter with a six-yard touchdown pass to Andy Palmer. But then, the Pioneers scored the next 18 points, before the Marblehead boys regrouped to come together again to keep their winning streak alive, while bonding for each other to overcome adversity.

O’Neill provided some insurance with an 11-yard scoring strike to Aven Denbow with nine minutes to play in the game. The Marblehead defense then took over to stymie the Pioneers offense on three consecutive possessions.

Marblehead 12, North Andover 7

For only the third time during their state-best 23-game winning streak, the Marblehead held a lead of less than six points late into Friday night’s road trip to blustery Walsh Stadium in North Andover.

Good thing the Magicians had captain Christian Pacheco’s defensive instincts to make sure they held onto that slim lead. Host North Andover dialed up a screen pass on fourth-and-long with 2:03 to play, but Pacheco read it perfectly, and

Marri

From P. A13

jump at this level.”

On Saturday, Oct. 29, under perfect racing conditions, O’Connell ended up second to Sarah DiVasta of Peabody during the annual Northeastern Conference Meet at Stage Fort Park in Gloucester.

DiVasta is a well-known elite harrier.

“It was not the result (O’Connell) had hoped for, but often our toughest races can be the most important,” said Herlihy.

Confident competitor

Following that loss, O’Connell showed even more determination, much to the chagrin of her peers in the Division 1C Stare Meet two weeks later, where she finished second with

swallowed up the Knights’ running back to enable his Magicians to run out the clock on a hard-fought 12-7 victory.

The Knights, who were 2-0 coming into the game, picked up one first down.

Marblehead made sure tackles on the next two plays, before Pacheco was there for the game-sealing tackle on fourth down.

“Christian had that killer instinct toward the end of the game. He came up huge,” said Magicians head coach Jim Rudloff. “He’s played great all year, and he’s one of the kids that’s getting better every week. That shows you he’s a good listener and a hard worker in practice.”

Once again, it was a long catch on a seemingly impossible down by Connor Cronin that kept Marblehead’s win streak alive. Trailing 7-6 late in the third quarter, the Magicians faced a fourth-and-14 only to see Cronin find a free seam in the end zone. Quarterback Miles O’Neill delivered a lofty pass for the 39-yard go-ahead touchdown. Ryan Commoss (3 receptions for 39 yards) accounted for the team’s first six points in this game.

Peabody 40, Marblehead 7

The Football Magicians tied up the game against visiting Peabody at seven in the first quarter on the heels of a two-yard run by Eddie Johns and extra point kick by Greg Motorny, but then the momentum changed dramatically, not to the liking of the Marblehead fans on hand at Piper Field.

an outstanding time of 18:35.2 on the 5k course. It qualified her for the State Individual Championships at Fort Devens in Ayer on Saturday, Nov. 19.

Marri was confident that she could compete on the varsity level as a freshman, but maybe not this well.

“I had a feeling that I could run in the low 20s, but I was surprised at how quickly I was able to break 19 minutes in a 5k,” she said during an interview with the Marblehead Current earlier this week.

But the amazing part of her story is the fact that track was never a priority.

She concentrated mostly on playing soccer and basketball after coming to Marblehead four years ago.

“This is my first-time running cross-country, and I attribute these early results to my competitive mindset, while playing

quarterback Miles O’Neill in the second quarter. Greg Motorny’s first of three extra-point kicks in this game then made it 7-0. It was the O’Neill-Commoss connection again that accounted for Marblehead’s second touchdown. This scoring strike went for 16-yards, before captain Connor Cronin ran 60-yards to secure the team’s third touchdown of the game in the third quarter. A short time later, O’Neill hooked up with Eddie Johns to complete the team’s offensive output against the Falcons.

O’Neill also helped himself out with his feet, running for 49 yards to keep drives alive. He threw for another 217 yards during the rout. Cronin scampered for 65 yards on the ground. Johns ended up with 26, and Bernardo Bannis picked up seven more rushing yards for the team.

Division 3 Round of 16 playoff game Marblehead 35, Whitman-Hanson 0

The 70-minute ride from WhitmanHanson High School to Piper Field for a Division 3 Round of 16 playoff game probably seemed a lot longer on the way home for the Panthers (4-5, ninth seed) after the Magicians (7-1, eighth seed) dispatched them to the tune of 35-0 on Nov. 4.

Marblehead opened up its Division 3 Super Bowl title defense with a solid effort on both sides of the ball.

The Panthers went for some trickery on their first possession with a fake punt, but it went nowhere, and one play later Marblehead took the lead, when quarterback Miles O’Neill found captain Zander Danforth open downfield to account for the 35-yard scoring play. Eddie Johns then made it a two-touchdown advantage after scampering 16-yards to the endzone on Marblehead’s next possession. Johns wasn’t done scoring touchdowns in the first half, however. He got into the endzone from the three to complete three straight successful touchdown drives for the home team, who led at halftime, 21-0. Greg Motorny made all three extra points after each touchdown to help account for that score.

Things did not get any better for the visitors in the third quarter, when O’Neill hooked up with Chris DeWitt for a short pass from their own one that turned into a 99-yard touchdown. Finally, Marblehead’s all-purpose playmaker Connor Cronin put the finishing touches on the Panthers in the fourth quarter, scoring from five yards out.

Division 3 quarterfinal round playoff game: Milton 24, Marblehead 20

It was not the way the playoffs were supposed to go for Marblehead, the defending Division 3 Super Bowl champs (7-2, eighth seed).

Marblehead 41, Beverly 0

It was not Beverly’s night at Piper Field.

it all worthwhile.

“The winning streak is something we are proud of, but now we have to just focus on the next game,” coach Jim Rudloff said afterwards. “I really don’t think these kids thought about (the streak) at all. I don’t think they think that way. They were naturally disappointed to lose, but it was losing to Peabody that stung, not a losing streak that in some cases might have been only a three-game streak for some players on this year’s team.

“This year as each week went by, we had convinced ourselves that we weren’t the team that won 20 games in a row; we are only the team that had won three in a row,” the coach added. “All of the things that we had gotten away with had piled up, and they reared its ugly head (in this game).”

Marblehead 28, Masconomet 7

For the first time in about three years, Marblehead had to respond after a loss. After Peabody snapped their winning streak at 23 games, the home team got back into the win column versus Masconomet.

Quarterback Miles O’Neill ran one in for a touchdown, and threw for two more to Connor Cronin to ignite the offense.

Senior Eddie Johns scored the winning points with 8:05 left in the third quarter, scampering in from 13-yards out.

The home team Magicians destroyed the visiting Panthers to improve to 5-1 on Oct. 14. Since losing to Peabody that broke their 23-game winning streak, the Marblehead boys have outscored the opposition to the tune of 69-7.

Eddie Johns opened the scoring for the Magicians to complete an eight-play drive that covered 61 yards, before he took it in from one-yard out. Shane Keough was then on the receiving end of a 60-yard bomb from quarterback Miles O’Neill.

Johns’ second touchdown of the game made it 20-0. O’Neill followed up that score by calling his own number from 21 yards out to make it 27-0 late in the first quarter.

O’Neill and Bernardo Bannis tacked on touchdowns for the winners in the second half for good measure.

Marblehead 27, Danvers 7

Marblehead got right back at it after its bye week to knock off host Danvers. The Magicians were up by four touchdowns before the home team finally got one into the end zone.

With the win, Marblehead clinched the Northeastern Conference Dunn Division championship with a 4-0 record, 6-1 overall. It’s now onto the playoffs to begin their defense of their 2021 Division 3 Super Bowl championship.

Ryan Commoss ignited the offense after grabbing a 34-yard touchdown pass from

Leading 20-7 over host Milton (9-0, top seed) in a Division 3 quarterfinal round game on Nov. 11, the Magicians went cold in the second half, while the Wildcats, coached by longtime Swampscott mentor Steve Dembowski, put 17 more points on the scoreboard to eliminate Marblehead.

“It’s really eating me up right now,” coach Jim Rudloff said afterwards. “That was a winnable game, but we didn’t win it. That’s not to take anything away from Steve (Dembowski) and his team, but we should have won that game, and the reason we lost it was on us.”

Marblehead was whistled for over 80 yards in penalties in the second half alone, never a recipe for success when the yellow flags are flying against a team in a tight ballgame.

Marblehead jumped ahead 7-0 on a touchdown by Eddie Johns and a Greg Motorny extra point. But the Wildcats knotted things up at seven on a touchdown by Jack Finnegan.

Connor Cronin then swiped away a Wildcat pass to set up the second rushing touchdown by Johns, followed by another Motorny boot. Marblehead’s third score was a result of a quarterback Miles O’Neill 52-yard aerial to Zander Danforth. It put the visitors up 20-7 at halftime, and seemingly in control of another game. But unfortunately, that was all the offense the Magicians could muster, while the home team went on to engineer an effective comeback to advance to the state semifinals, where they edged Hanover, 32-30 to secure a trip to Gillette on Dec. 3 to face Wakefield in the Division 3 Super Bowl game. On the other hand, Marblehead returned home following the heartbreaking loss to get ready for Thanksgiving rival Swampscott Thursday morning, Nov. 24, at Piper Field.

was in the fourth grade,” she said. “That helped build my confidence early on. They always challenged me to do my best, and to never give up. They have always supported me no matter what.”

multiple sports in the past,” said O’Connell.

O’Connell admits she was somewhat scared at the start of the NEC Meet, but at the state divisional meet, she felt there was nothing to lose.

“I was relatively relaxed at the start of the divisional meet,” she said.

“I planned for a fast start, and was confident that I could keep up that pace throughout the race.”

O’Connell continued, “I did not really change

my strategy. I was able to sustain my pace that I set prior to it. I was targeting a top-seven finish, and felt strong all the way to the end.”

Family ties

Marri, who has a younger sister – Mckenna – credits the encouragement of her parents Matt and Mimi O’Connell for her early desire to run track.

“They even did one of my Girls on the Run fun events with me, when I

O’Connell continued, “I also think my teammates were very supportive, and my coach helped with my pacing during workouts. Together, they encouraged me to enjoy the season with no pressure.”

O’Connell will be getting ready soon for basketball tryouts. She enjoys the team aspect and different elements of each sport, but with three years to go, she is already planning on running in college, where she wants to major in veterinary medicine, because of her love for animals.

But that’s long term. In the moment, her

coaches are just happy she’s a Magician right now. “While there is no doubt that Marri is an exceptional talent, she still earned all of her successes this season,” said Herlihy. “She put the work in day in and day out, including training over the summer during captains’ practices. What she has already accomplished is astonishing, but this is only the beginning. With her work ethic and competitive spirit, the sky’s the limit.”

Herlihy added, “But it’s not just her racing that makes Marri such an invaluable part of our team. It’s also her smiling and cheerful personality. Marri brings an unmatched energy to practice every day, and I’m very much looking forward to having her on our team for

next three years.”

The Tanners got that score right back, before the end of the first quarter to regain the lead, and then went on to score the next 26 to snap Marblehead’s 23-game winning streak in convincing fashion.

The streak started on Thanksgiving Day in 2019 against Swampscott, and what followed will be talked about for many years to come, even that spring football season during the height of the pandemic that preceded that glorious day at Gillette last December, making

Following the game, Johns thinks his team responded well after last week’s shocker against the Tanners. “We have so many options on this team, so many good players, we’re tough to stop if everyone’s going well,” he said.

the

PHOTO COURTESY OF MIMI O’CONNELL

Marblehead freshman Marri O’Connell, second from right, bottom row, poses with other top finishers in State Division 1C Meet in Wrentham on Friday, Nov. 11.

Zander Danforth and his teammates blanked Beverly, 41-0.

Quarterback Miles O’Neill threw for four touchdowns as Marblehead opened its season with a win.

Photos by Eyal Oren/WednesdaysInMhd.com

Connor Cronin sealed a 35-0 opening-round playoff win over Whitman-Hanson, scoring from five yards out.

Marbleheadto-Halifax Race to return for 2023

The 39th biennial Marblehead-to-Halifax Ocean Race will return in 2023, the first time the event will be held since before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019.

The Notice of Race is up on marbleheadtohalifax. com, and registrations are now being accepted. The committee is already at work planning for onshore activities.

The 363-nauticalmile race will start in Marblehead Harbor on July 9, 2023, sponsored by the Boston Yacht Club and the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron.

“The Notice of Race is up, and we’re thrilled to be back,” said Vice Commodore Bruce Baker, co-chair of the race. “We think there is pent-up demand because of the pandemic, and we are expecting a brisk signup.”

The 2021 race was cancelled when the pandemic closed the US-Canadian border.

Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron Co-Chair Graham Roy added, “l echo Vice Commodore Baker’s excitement.

RNSYS is thrilled to be welcoming this group of sailors back to our club next summer. The longstanding tradition of the race, and skipping 2021, has increased the interest from the local boats that are looking to participate. We hope to have a banner year in both entries and champagne sailing conditions.”

The Marblehead-toHalifax is one of the oldest races on the eastern seaboard. It began 1905 and has continued every other year except during war time and now the pandemic.

PA rK AND reC ProGr A mS

Basketball leagues set to start soon

To sign up for programs and learn more about Marblehead Park and Recreation Department, visit: bit.ly/3UO9Fdl.

Started Tuesday, Nov. 15 2:30 p.m.- 3:30 p.m. Games to the MAX, second-third grade 4:30 p.m.- 6:30 p.m. Girls

Basketball league, thirdfourth grade Starting Sunday, Nov. 27 10 a.m.- 11 a.m. Field hockey clinic, third-eighth grade Wednesday, Nov. 30 3:15 p.m.- 5:30 p.m.

Gingerbread house decorating, all ages Starting Saturday,

Dec. 10 8:45 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. Jr.

basketball league secondthird grade 9:45 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Jr. Basketball league kindergarten - first grade 10:45 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Jr.

Basketball league ages 4 and 5 Monday, Dec. 18 3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Holiday Kids club kindergarten - fifth grade Tuesday, Dec. 19 3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Holiday Kids club, kindergarten - fifth grade Wednesday, Dec. 20 3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Holiday Kids club, kindergarten - fifth grade

An overview of the

The JCCNS is an award-winning community center that enthusiastically welcomes members from across the North Shore. We offer enriching programs and services for everyone in the family- from our Early Childhood and J Adventure After-School Program to Senior Strength & Balance classes, from parent-tot swim classes to adult education and travel. The JCCNS features a state-of-the-art Fitness Center, over 85 weekly Group Exercise classes, after-school programs, summer camps, cultural programs and more. Everyone is welcome at the J!

The JCCNS is proud to offer a wide variety of programs this winter, and every season. J fitness classes offer something for everyone at every age, ability, and fitness level. Members enjoy classes in Yoga, DancEnergy, Pilates, barre, Power Pump, Results 3C, strength training, aqua-aerobics, cardio, Zumba, Latin dance, Spin, core and balance, stretching, and have daily access to our fitness equipment and personal training at every level. Whether you are looking to get started on a new fitness program or to enhance your current workout regimen, the JCCNS Fitness staff can help you achieve your personal goals.

The award-winning JCCNS Early Childhood Program (ECP), named BEST Regional Preschool nine years in a row, offers a safe and secure place for kids to learn and grow, while also allowing flexibility to busy parents and guardians. Our ECP welcomes children ages 2 months - 6 years. Our enriching curriculum encourages social, emotional, and physical growth in each individual child. We support and promote positive feelings about school and strive to instill a life-long joy of learning and discovery.

Our ECP staff love what they do and it is evident in the experience they provide our community of children. They teach with love, support, and care, and are trained in understanding the youth development process.

The JCCNS’s Early Childhood Program has welcomed generations of children, building trusting relationships that support each child’s individuality, creativity, and potential. We are known for our experienced teachers, small class sizes, research-driven curriculum, exciting specialties, and beautiful facilities, including an indoor pool, dance studio, gymnasium and playground.

Our JCCNS Aquatics Department is top-notch and offers swim classes and lifeguarding classes for all levels. The JCCNS proudly hosts the JCCNS Sea Serpent Swim Team and the Olympic Way Inclusive Swim Team (all ages). Swimmers in both programs love competing in our fun, supportive, family-friendly environment. The Sea Serpent Swim Team competes in dual meets and USA Swimming meets. Swimmers ages 6-18 are welcome to try out and participate.

Y mCA UPDATe

When the sun is shining and school is out, Summer at the J Camp is the place to be! From KinderCampers (2 years, 9 months to entering Kindergarten) to LITs (entering 8th, 9th and 10th grade) our awardwinning summer camps offer something for everyone! KinderCamp is THE most fun place to be for local little ones offering daily art, stories, music and swimming, while Camp Simchah (entering grades 1-7) introduces kids to the wonder of traditional summer camp through a day filled with traditional camp activities, fun in the pool, spirit days, and more -- all while fostering a love of camp, community and friendship. Our Inclusion Camp allows children of all abilities to participate in the fun of summer camp alongside their neurotypical peers. Information regarding our 2023 Summer at the J Camps will be available beginning February 2023!

In the summer, the J’s outdoor pool is a familyfriendly place to enjoy the sunshine and meet up with friends. Members have access to the pool daily, and we offer a special summer membership for families, as well.

For adults, we offer travel programs, cultural programs, educational classes, and various kinds of communal learning opportunities. Our signature events, including the Jewish Book Month Speaker Series and our International Jewish Film Festival bring awardwinning arts and culture to our small towns North of Boston. Year after year, hundreds gather to engage with speakers, lecturers, artists, and experts, all sponsored and supported by the JCCNS.

We are proud to partner with local organizations and agencies on events and programs that serve our community and promote inclusivity. In every sense and at every level, we are a local community center truly committed to serving our community.

For more information about our wide array of offerings and activities, please visit our website at JCCNS.ORG.

Holidays at the Y begins with the Giving Tree

You may know us for our fitness centers. Maybe you know your Y for camp. Maybe it’s where you learned to swim. We want you to know us for more than our facilities and programs. We want you to know us for the people we serve, the cause we drive, the connection and belonging we create, and the change we make right in your local community! Your Y is a place and a purpose.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the Lynch/van Otterloo YMCA is grateful to be part of the Marblehead community and provide the opportunity for children, adults, and families to enjoy a variety of fun and engaging programs, a wide range of health and wellness options, and a welcoming place to connect and belong. We are so thankful for our members, participants, and community partners who join us every day in making a positive impact on the North Shore.

We’re excited for the holiday season! We continue our longtime Giving Tree tradition where we ask the community to join us in this special way to provide the opportunity for all children to experience the season of giving. The Y’s Giving Tree will be in the lobby of our Y beginning November 25th, it will be adorned with holiday tags/ wishes from local children. Each year, through the generosity of staff, members, and the community, the Y is able to spread more holiday cheer and support local children and families. To donate, stop by the Y at 40 Leggs Hill Road, take a child’s wish (or two!) and bring back your gift and the Y will be sure it gets delivered before the holidays.

Lots of holiday fun is coming. Thursday, Dec. 1, 5:30 - 7 p.m. Get creative at our Winter Paint

On Saturday, Dec. 3, join our friends from the Beverly Y for their annual Reindeer Run 5k. Race starts at 10 am at the First Baptist Church, 221 Cabot St in Beverly. Get your best holiday gear on and join us as we run, walk, or prance through Beverly’s coastal roads and historic downtown while supporting Corner Stone, the Y’s collaborative program that provides free membership and support to individuals with cancer, those in treatment/recovery and their immediate families. The course is dog and stroller friendly. Wednesday, Dec. 14 from 3-6 p.m., don’t miss the Y’s annual holiday event highlighting local business, artists and crafty folks. Visit the Y for holiday cheer, wonderful local items, gift wrapping on site, special giveaways, and more! If you’d like to be a vendor, please contact Jane Rizza rizzaj@northshoreymca.org. Saturday, Dec. 17 at 11 a.m., the Y

will host a special holiday event for families. Bring the kids to the Y for face painting, holiday crafting, games and live holiday music performance. This event is free to the community!

And last but not least, during the holiday school vacation week, the Y will provide full day childcare for children enrolled in our afterschool program. That week we will also have a whole host of activities for the whole family! We will have plenty of time for open basketball shoot around, tumbling in open gymnastics and of course sliding down the water slide and playing on our Wibit (water obstacle course). Check our schedules page at www. northshoreymca.org for more information and daily activities.

The Lynch/van Otterloo Y is so much more than a place to work out. We provide swim lessons to more than 800 children each year, teaching them how to swim safely and learn a lifelong skill to keep them safe around water. We provide Early Education to more than 150 children in Marblehead and Swampscott. And perhaps most importantly, we ensure all members of the community can access our Y by offering flexible member pricing that makes membership affordable for all.

The Y is one of the nation’s leading nonprofits, strengthening communities through youth develop.m.ent, healthy living, and social responsibility. For more than 160 years, the YMCA of the North Shore has been the foundation of the community. It serves more than 40,000 members and program participants in 25 cities and towns across the North Shore and into Southern New Hampshire. Learn more at www.northshoreymca.org.

Party. Join Rita from Create Play & Paint and paint a beautiful winter landscape, $25/person.

COURTESY PHOTO

Competitors leave the starting line in Marblehead Harbor, bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Clock expires on comeback

Magicians fall just short in annual flag football game

BY SCOT COOPER

Swampscott’s Mia Schena scored the first of her three touchdowns on her team’s first play from scrimmage to give the Big Blue a lead it would never relinquish, but Marblehead managing to make things interesting in the waning moments of the annual flag football matchup between senior girls from the two rival schools Saturday morning, Nov. 19, at Swampscott’s Blocksidge Field.

By late in the fourth quarter, Marblehead had battled back to make the score 21-13. Needing a touchdown and two-point conversion to tie, Marblehead got the ball deep into Swampscott territory, but time expired after a pass from Nev Koughan to Lucy Sabin inside the Big Blue 20.

Marblehead’s Stella Monaco thought her team was moving well, but the clock was not on the visitors’ side.

“I think time was our biggest enemy,” Monaco said. “We thought we could catch them and win it. It would have been tough because there are so many good athletes on Swampscott. We were playing well in the second half, but the clock was our enemy – our biggest enemy.

Monaco continued, “We needed to come out stronger in the first half than we did, but I thought everyone played really hard in the second half, but we just ran out of time.”

Marblehead’s offense came on two touchdowns by Sydney Langton and an extra point by Monaco. Langton also said they needed a better start, and it caught up to them late in the fourth quarter.

“If we came out stronger at the beginning, I think we could have taken them,” Langton said. “Our defense did a good job, but we needed to give ourselves a better chance to win.”

Marblehead coach Jacqueline Bouchard gave credit to all her girls and her coaching staff, which got every single player – 97 in all – into Saturday’s game but not the results she was hoping for.

“Swampscott played very well, but our offense and our defense also worked hard, and our coaches were able to get everyone in, so we’re happy with that, but not the (result),” the coach said. “It was close. We were right there. The girls got a good pep talk at halftime from the coaches, and they really picked it up in the second half.”

Bouchard added, “We were right there at the end. It was just a great game for everyone on our team.”

Defensive stand: Marblehead girls celebrate a flag pull on Swampscott in the annual girls’ flag football game.

PHOTO BY NICOLE GOODHUE BOYD

YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN BLACK

PHOTO BY NICOLE GOODHUE BOYD

Boosted by friend Kate Burns, Marblehead’s Talin Selby gives her classmates some support in the annual girls’ flag football game Nov. 19 at Blocksidge Field in Swampscott.

PHOTO BY NICOLE GOODHUE BOYD

Marblehead’s Lucy Wales carries the ball as Swampscott’s Isabela Miranda goes for the flag.

PHOTO BY EYAL OREN / WEDNESDAYSINMHD.COM

Marblehead’s Sydney Langton celebrates one of her two touchdowns in the annual girls’ flag football game against Swampscott Nov. 19.

PHOTO BY EYAL OREN / WEDNESDAYSINMHD.COM

Marblehead’s Stella Monaco boots the ball through the uprights for an extra point.

Recreation and Parks Commission, Nov. 15

BY KAY RIEPER

The Marblehead Current is pleased to be supplementing its coverage of public meetings with Observer Reports provided by volunteers from the Marblehead League of Women Voters. To learn more about the League and its activities, see my.lwv.org/massachusetts/marblehead.

» Board: Park and Recreation Commission

» Date: Tuesday, Nov. 15

Location: Community Center Conference Room

Members present: The meeting was called to order by the vice chairman, Linda Rice-Collins. Karin Ernst, Matt Martin, Peter James, and Jaime Bloch were present. Derek Norcross and Rossana Ferrante were absent.

Meeting highlights:

The minutes from the last meeting were approved.

Gregg Riskin appeared before the Board with a proposal for a memorial for his parents, Marty and Annette Riskin, which would consist of a bronze casting of their artist’s palette to be placed on a manmade rock at Chandler Hovey Park. The request was approved.

Projects

Peter reported he had a notice of intent for the small pavilion replacement at Devereux Beach which should be done the first week in December. The Seaside Park infield repair has been completed. The water line at the Stramski house should be done next week and other work is being done with the help of Essex Tech students. A plaque with Article 32 written it from the Cultural Council will be hung in the building lobby.

Park update

A tree has been taken down near the lighthouse.

A temporary fix has been made to the sidewalk at Redd’s Pond. The Highway Department and Town Administrator are working on a permanent improvement to the sidewalk. Sidewalks aren’t Rec. and Parks Dept. responsibility.

Leaves and trash have been picked up, and lawn cutting is mostly done. Irrigation is fully off.

The tarps at Seaside will go down in mid-December.

Recreation

Jaime gave a report on spending from the revolving fund, comparing last year and this year. She will ask for more money be put into the fund as programs, and employee hours have expanded.

Recreational basketball has started. This is the biggest program in the winter The indoor park will start this week.

There was a presentation and discussion of the things Rec and Parks provide for the schools: field usage for sports including tennis and field hockey at Seaside, high school and middle school cross country at Gatchell’s, field trips to Hammond Nature Center, field days at Seaside, Glabicky Park, Hobbs, and the Carnival at Devereux. The Rec and Parks department uses the field house for basketball, the weight room, a high school classroom, and Piper Field, mostly in the summer.

The Elf in Training event will be on Dec. 15 (a school half-day). The next meeting will be on Dec. 6 at 6:30 p.m.

BY BOB KATZEN

GET A FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO MASSTERLIST – Join more than 22,000 people, from movers and shakers to political junkies and interested citizens, who start their weekday morning with MASSterList — the popular newsletter that chronicles news and informed analysis about what’s going on up on Beacon Hill, in Massachusetts politics, policy, media and influence. The stories are drawn from major news organizations as well as specialized publications selected by widely acclaimed and highly experienced writers Keith Regan and Matt Murphy who introduce each article in their own clever and inimitable way.

MASSterlist will be e-mailed to you FREE every Monday through Friday morning and will give you a leg up on what’s happening in the blood sport of Bay State politics. For more information and to get your free subscription, go to: lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/aPTLucK

THE HOUSE AND SENATE: There were no roll call votes in the House or Senate last week. This week, Beacon Hill Roll Call reports local senators’ roll call attendance records for the 2022 session.

The Senate has held 146 roll calls so far in the 2022 session. Beacon Hill Roll Call tabulates the number of roll calls on which each senator voted and then calculates that number as a percentage of the total roll call votes held. That percentage is the number referred to as the roll call attendance record.

Thirty of the 40 senators did not miss any roll calls and have 100 percent roll call attendance records. This high level of participation can likely be attributed to the fact that under emergency rules adopted because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the vast majority of the 40 senators are not in the Senate chamber during a session. Most are watching and listening to the session from their home, business or Senate office and casting their votes remotely.

Senators’ remote votes are communicated to Senate officials during the session or prior to the session if senators are informed in advance that there will be a roll call vote. If a member wants to speak on an issue under consideration, they do so on a separate “debate phone line” and their voice is then heard in the Senate chamber and by anyone watching the broadcast online.

The number of senators who had 100 percent roll call attendance records in the four years prior to the pandemic was lower than 2022 as follows: 28 in 2019; 20 in 2018; 25 in 2017; and 17 in 2016.

It is a Senate tradition that the Senate president only votes occasionally. Current Senate President Karen Spilka follows that tradition and only voted on 39 (26.7 percent) of the 146 roll calls while not voting on 107 (73.3 percent) of them.

Nine (23 percent) of the 39 senators, other than Spilka, missed one or more roll calls. Sens. Cindy Friedman (D-Arlington), Diana DiZoglio (D-Methuen) and Sen. Joan Lovely (D-Salem) each missed three roll calls for a roll call attendance record of 97.9 percent. Sens. Sonia Chang Diaz (D-Boston), Harriette Chandler (D-Worcester) and Ryan Fattman (R-Sutton) each missed two rolls and scored a roll call attendance record of 98.6 percent. Finally, Sens. Mike Rush (D-West Roxbury), Adam Gomez (D-Springfield) and Nick Collins (D-Boston) each missed only one roll call for a roll call attendance record of 99.3 percent. Beacon Hill Roll Call contacted the nine senators asking why they missed some roll calls. Only two of the nine responded.

“I was prevented from engaging in three roll call votes while working remotely because my internet connection was interrupted,” said Sen. Lovely. “I have participated in all other roll call votes this session and submitted a letter on how I would have voted to the Senate Clerk.”

With today’s edition, The Marblehead Current begins coverage of the Mas sachusetts legislative session with our weekly Beacon Hill Roll Call report. This iconic feature is a clear and concise com pilation of the voting records of local state representatives and state senators at the Statehouse.

Beacon Hill Roll Call provides an unbiased summary of bills and amendments, argu ments from floor debate on both sides of the issue and each legislator’s vote or lack of vote on the matter. This information gives readers an opportunity to monitor their elected officials’ actions on Beacon Hill. Many bills are reported on in their early stages, giving readers the opportunity to contact their legislators and express an opinion prior to the measure being brought up for final action.

The feature “Also Up on Beacon Hill” informs readers of other important matters at the Statehouse.

Beacon Hill Roll Call is written and pro vided by Bob Katzen, a Marblehead native and former Boston radio talk show host at WRKO, WMEX, WITS and WMRE. Katzen has been providing this feature to hundreds of newspapers across the Bay State for 47 years (since 1975).

Katzen founded Beacon Hill Roll Call in 1975. He was inducted into the New England Newspaper and Press Association Hall of Fame in 2019.

“A vote of mine was not recorded due to remote communications issue,” said Sen. Rush. “I submitted a letter [indicating how I voted] shortly after with my vote on [the roll call].”

Sens. Friedman, Chang-Diaz, Chandler, DiZoglio, Fattman, Gomez and Collins did not respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call asking them for a statement.

SENATORS’ 2022 ROLL CALL ATTENDANCE RECORDS

The percentage listed next to the senator’s name is the percentage of roll call votes on which the senator voted. The number in parentheses represents the number of roll calls that he or she missed.

Sen. Brendan Crighton, 100 percent

ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL

REVOCATION

PROHIBIT

OF PROFESSIONAL LICENSES IF A PERSON DEFAULTS ON A STUDENT LOAN (H 5195) – The Senate approved legislation that would repeal current state laws which create professional licensure consequences for anyone who defaults on their student loan. Under existing law, a borrower’s state-issued professional or occupational certificate, registration or license can be suspended, revoked or cancelled if the borrower is in default on an education loan. The House has already approved the measure and only final approval is necessary in each branch prior to the measure going to Gov. Charlie Baker.

“As a former seventh grade public school teacher and an education attorney for more than a decade, I’ve come to expect Massachusetts to be identified as a pioneer in a promising practice or out in front on an education issue,” said sponsor Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian (D-Melrose). “So I was quite surprised to find that Massachusetts is one of the only states that mandates the denial of professional licenses to student loan defaulters. This draconian approach prevents an individual from access to the profession for which he or she has trained and has the perverse result of furthering hindering their ability to earn a living and making it more difficult to make loan payments.”

SPEECH PATHOLOGISTS (H 5094) –Gov. Baker signed into law a bill that would allow fully licensed speech pathologists to be granted a provisional license to practice in Massachusetts during their 36-month fellowship. Currently, Massachusetts is one of only eight states that does not provide a provisional license that allows their students to begin practicing during their fellowship.

Supporters said that by forbidding the right to practice during their 36-month fellowship, the state runs the risk of losing professionals educated in the Bay State to other states where they become

valuable members of their community and welcome additions to the economy.

CELL PHONE SAFETY (S 187) – A bill that would require all mobile phones sold or leased in Massachusetts to disclose the dangers of mobile phones clearly and conspicuously on product packaging has died after being shuttled off to a study committee.

“Studies by the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Environmental Health Science have identified potential health risks in regard to Radio Frequency exposure,” said sponsor Sen. Julian Cyr (D-Truro). “States are in the position to provide guidance on steps to reduce exposure and protect the public’s health. I am always seeking avenues to prioritize public health and safety and will continue to do so as we review what legislation I will be refiling next session.”

PRIVACY OF LOTTERY WINNERS (S 223) – Legislation that would allow Lottery winners to request that their name, address and other identifying information not be disclosed by the Lottery Commission has died in a study committee. The measure also requires the Lottery Commission to inform a winning ticket holder of their right not to have their personal information disclosed to the public. Another provision gives winners the right to refuse to perform any public action in connections with the awarding, payment or collection of prize money.

“Private citizens should never have to worry about their personal privacy or safety should they choose to play the lottery,” said Sen. Mark Montigny (D-New Bedford). “Right now, the commonwealth effectively forces a prize winner to hire private legal counsel in order to remain confidential. This policy needs to change before someone is harmed by the shameless publicity and marketing sought by the Lottery, which is the only reason this bill has stalled.”

Lottery Executive Director Michael Sweeney opposed the bill. “Providing a public record of winners is important to the integrity and public trust in our games, assuring the public that prizes are being awarded in a transparent manner,” said Sweeney.

QUOTABLE QUOTES

“If you or anyone you know has interest in serving on a committee or working with us in this administration, I encourage you to get involved. I will say out loud, we are not above poaching. So if you have talent, be prepared to share.”

—-Lt. Governor-Elect Kim Driscoll, head of the Maura Healey transition team planning for the transition from the Baker Administration to the Healey Administration.

“The pandemic proved beyond all doubt that our parks are essential for our physical and mental well-being. It’s long past time to treat them that way. We truly appreciate the progress we have made over the last year, but it will take at least another decade of similar support to erase what took a decade to break.”

—- Massachusetts Conservation Voters executive director Doug Pizzi who along with more than 50 organizations is calling for major improvements at Massachusetts state parks.

“Our earlier work found disappointing compliance with Massachusetts’ 2012 healthcare price transparency law. And now we find that compliance with the federal law isn’t much better. We are not insensitive to the challenges providers are facing, but it is disappointing that compliance with the law has not budged much since 2017, when Pioneer began monitoring hospital price transparency efforts.”

—-Pioneer Institute Executive Director Jim Stergios on the institute’s survey that found spotty compliance with the Federal Price Transparency Law by Massachusetts hospitals. The law requires hospitals to make prices for 300 shoppable services available online in a “consumer-friendly format.”

Local Democrats to host Globe’s Abraham, NBC10’s King

The Marblehead Democratic Town Committee will present Boston Globe columnist Yvonne Abraham and Alison King, political reporter for NBC10 Boston, at its monthly meeting on Monday, Nov. 28 at 7 p.m. Both journalists have covered the local and national political scenes for over two decades. Attend in person or via zoom. Hear what they have to say and ask the

burning questions you’ve had since the country’s Nov. 8 elections.

To accommodate the anticipated large in-person and Zoom audience, the meeting is being held at the Clifton Lutheran Church, 150 Humphrey St., Marblehead. In-person entry requires items the Democratic Town Committee’s food drive; zoom attendance requires preregistration. Virtual and physical doors

open at 6:30 p.m.

Abraham has been at the Boston Globe since 1999. She writes about local and national politics, the people who make Boston Boston, the ways in which big, abstract decisions affect the lives of actual people (especially women), and whatever else catches her eye.

King has served as NBC10 Boston’s political reporter since 1995. She has

covered six presidential races and a wide range of New England political stories. Register in advance to attend this meeting virtually:

https://us02web.zoom. us/meeting/register/ tZYrf-2trjorGtalBgvJ2w7Yg92DqudND4jo

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Marblehead students

‘Walk for Ruby,’ against racism

BY LEIGH BLANDER

More than 1,000 Marblehead students joined the national Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day on Nov. 14 and learned about the little girl who made history in America’s civil rights movement by integrating her elementary school.

“I think there were lots of students who understood it and found it meaningful,” said Principal Amanda Murphy at the Village School, where about 500 students and teachers participated.

On Nov. 14, 1960, 6-yearold Ruby Bridges became the first Black student to attend her elementary school in New Orleans after a federal court ordered Louisiana to desegregate its schools. Guarded by federal marshals, she walked past crowds of students and families shouting racial slurs.

Today, Bridges is a civil rights leader who speaks out against racism.

Caja Johnson, director of Marblehead’s METCO program, encouraged local schools to observe Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day. (METCO brings students from Boston neighborhoods to 33 suburban school districts, including Marblehead.)

At the Village, Brown and

Because some students take a bus to school — whether from Boston or neighborhoods in Marblehead — Murphy decided to have everyone meet at the school’s track and walk together.

“We want to be inclusive,” she said. “Almost every student and teacher joined in.”

At the Brown School, students and staff gathered outside and “reflected on how fortunate and grateful we all are to be able to walk to school safely every day,” said Principal Mary Maxfield.

“We acknowledged that for Ruby Bridges, it was much more

difficult, but she was brave and kind and made a difference, just like Brown School students. We also acknowledged how important it is for all of us to remember her bravery. Then all 500-plus of us walked down Baldwin Road.”

Glover students also participated in a walk in front of their school.

Murphy said she hopes to join Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day again next year.

“Our plan is to get Ruby Bridges herself to come and speak, virtually or on Zoom,” she said.

Marblehead Garden Club wreath sale kicks off Dec. 3

The Marblehead Garden Club is putting the garden at the Lee Mansion to bed, just in time to start prepping for a green and festive holiday season. This year’s Christmas Walk activities for the MGC include the popular wreath sale and a Christmas tree in a special (and surprising!) location. The weather made the summer challenging, and it was a busy season for the MGC.

In addition to protecting plants from drought conditions and ravenous rabbits, there were many new additions to the Garden. In the ongoing effort to only use native or historic plants, the Club chooses replacement plants that the Lee family could have had in the original garden. 2022 plantings include an American Hornbeam, Rhododendron maximum, Ilex glabra (Inkberry), a Redbud Tree, Mountain Laurel, and Rosa virginiana. In non-gardening news, The MGC had a frontrow seat to the archeological excavation by the University of Massachusetts, Boston’s Fiske Center for Archeological Research. The Marblehead

Museum launched the project to learn more about the Lee Mansion and its detached brick kitchen and the people who lived and worked here, both free and enslaved.

We’re excited about our upcoming holiday events and look forward to seeing you at

the Christmas Walk. Please stop by the Lee Mansion Saturday, Dec. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the annual Marblehead Garden Club Wreath Sale at the Lee Mansion, for a unique, beautifully embellished wreath created by MGC members. The MGC will also be putting

together holiday goodie bags for Council on Aging seniors, and joining other Marblehead garden clubs to decorate the Hooper Mansion. And when the sun sets on December evenings, be sure to look up to the roof of the Lee Mansion for the magical sight of the Christmas

tree that the Marblehead Garden Club will place in the cupola.

The Marblehead Garden Club, organized in 1926 and founded in 1927, is the oldest garden club in Marblehead and maintains the gardens of the Jeremiah Lee Mansion.

Holiday Pops returns to Abbot Hall Dec. 10

The Rotary Club of Marblehead Harbor’s Holiday Pops concert will take place on Saturday, Dec. 10 in Abbot Hall.

Maestro Dirk Hillyer and the Hillyer Festival Orchestra will present an evening of seasonal music. The evening begins at 7 p.m. with a champagne reception for all ticket holders, and the concert will start promptly at p.m. Maestro Hillyer will conduct the Festival Orchestra, presenting holiday music from many cultures.

Soloist Jacyn Tremblay, a singer, songwriter and recording artist who is inspired by the vocal styling of artists such as Whitney Houston, Pink, Brandi Carlile, and Kelly Clarkson, will perform.

The concert is an opportunity for family and friends to enjoy great music, and away to kick off the season with

family and friends. Holiday candles and wreaths will decorate Abbot Hall’s auditorium, adding to the festive scene of round tables on the floor and great views from the balcony.

Hillyer is a highly recognized figure on Boston’s North Shore who also performs nationally as musician/conductor/horn player/mentor. Hillyer Festival Orchestra (HFO) is locally in the limelight with over 200 performances so far on the North Shore. Their concert at Salem’s Fourth of July concert alone attracts 30-40,000 people each year. Jazz and rock play a significant part in Hillyer’s make up. In 2015 Hillyer took the baton for DISNEY-IN-CONCERT engagements featuring all the classics, including “Frozen”, “Lion King”, “Mary Poppins” and many others.

Hillyer holds a PH.D. from Tufts

University and two additional degrees from The New England Conservatory of Music. When he isn’t conducting his own orchestra or playing French horn for the Boston Lyric Opera, Hillyer is at Salem State University, where he is a tenured professor of music.

The Rotary International theme for the year is imagine, and we can all imagine a lovely evening of seasonal sights and sounds. Tickets will go on sale on Nov. 6 and may be purchased through Eventbrite, on the RCOMH website rotaryclubofmheadharbor.org/, through Eventbrite at HolidayPops2022. eventbrite.com or at the Arnould Gallery in Marblehead. Floor seats are $75 and balcony seats are $35.

This event is the primary fundraiser for RCOMH, supporting both local and international charities.

Glover schools, teachers read students Bridges’ new book, “I Am Ruby Bridges,” and read a letter from Bridges to students around the country.

“Together, one step at a time we can commit to a better tomorrow and to stomp out racism and bullying,” Bridges wrote.

Students at the Brown School participate in Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day.

Students at the Village School walk to honor Ruby Bridges and the fight against racism.

Maestro Dirk Hillyer.

GA rDeN CLU b UPDATe

COURTESY

PHOTO / MARBLEHEAD GARDEN CLUB

Members of the Marblehead Garden Club putting the garden to bed for the winter.

BUYER1

Thomspon,

Santoro,

December schedule at Abbot Public Library

All events and programs take place at the library unless specified otherwise in the briefs below.

New digs

The Abbot Public Library has temporarily moved into the Eveleth School, 3 Brook Road, as their Pleasant Street building undergoes a multi-million renovation. Library hours are the following:

Monday: 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m.

Tuesday: 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m.

Wednesday*: 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m.

Thursday: 12 p.m.-6 p.m.

Friday: 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

Saturday: 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday: Closed *Please note: the Children’s Room will close at 6 p.m. on Wednesdays.

Returns are accepted inside the library in the blue Library Return bin near the main desk or, if the library is closed, outside our main entrance in the black Library Return bin. Book donations are only accepted on Book Donation Days.

For updates on the Renovations, please visit abbotlibrary.org/news/ renovation-news.

Sign up for the library’s newsletter at tinyurl.com/ Abbot-News.

Fines no more

Abbot Public Library is now fine free. Visit https:// abbotlibrary.org/about/generalinfo/ to find out more about borrowing materials and getting a library card.

Need to use a copier?

Abbot Public Library doesn’t charge a fee per page, but it does ask that patrons contribute what they wish at the time of copying. Funds will be donated to The Friends of Abbot Public Library. Get your museum on Visit abbotlibrary.org/whatwe-offer/get-a-museum-pass to reserve passes and promo codes for the following regional museums:

Boston Children’s Museum Harvard Art Museums (coming soon)

» The House of the Seven Gables*

» The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston*

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum* (new!)

» Museum of Fine Arts

» Museum of Science

» New England Aquarium (now a digital promo code)

Peabody Essex Museum Trustees Go Pass* (new)

Zoo New England*

Patrons without access to the internet may reserve a pass/ promo code right at the main desk or by calling (781) 631-1481, though some passes may require an email address in order to be used. Passes with an asterisk must be picked up at the library.

Courageous aging: a support group for older adults

Fridays, Dec. 2, 9, and 16, 3 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.

“Are you getting older and need a place to process what really matters to you, who matters to you, what has given you purpose and meaning in life, what you feel good about

having accomplished, what you feel grateful for, what you regret, what you feel passionate about, and what you would you like to be doing going forward?” writes library staff. “If so, please join us for this 5-week program facilitated by Dr. Mark Nickolas, a licensed mental health counselor, and Carol O’Brien, MSW.”

Open Lab

On Mondays, Dec. 5, 12, and 19, Drop-in 2:30 p.m. - 4 p.m., the library will have open lab hours.

“Do you have a question about your computer, smartphone, or tech gadget? Do you want time to practice where someone can help if you get stuck? Every Monday, join a staff member for one-on-one help with your device. For attendees who are unable to transport their device, there will be Windows laptops available. Drop by the Program Room anytime between 2:30 p.m. - 4 p.m.,” writes the library. Registration is not required.

Tech and misc. things

The library offers Book Club Kits, Chromebooks, Hotspots, and more in our Library of Things. Visit https://abbotlibrary. org/what-we-offer/library-ofthings/ to learn more.

Volunteering at Abbot Public Library

On Tuesday, Dec. 13, 3 p.m. - 4 p.m., learn about new volunteering opportunities for adults at Abbot. Attendees will get an overview of potential positions, expectations, and how to begin the application process. Stop by the Program Room at Abbot Public Library at Eveleth School, 3 Brook Road, Marblehead on Tuesday, Dec. 13 at 3 p.m. to learn about the Volunteer Program. No registration is required.

Nutcrackers: A Colorful History

On Thursday, Dec. 1 at 11 a.m., the Abbot Public Library will partner with the Tewksbury Public Library for a virtual presentation led by art historian Mary Woodward on the colorful history of Nutcrackers spanning from the political changes of Communist-era Germany to a Russian ballet and American G.I.s which helped inspire the charming and colorful creations we enjoy today. To attend via Zoom, please register in advance for this meeting here: tinyurl. com/APL-Nutcrackers. After registering, patrons will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. This event is sponsored by the Friends of Abbot Public Library.

PoLICe LoGS

Thursday, Oct. 27

7:51 a.m. Tree branch reported down on Prospect Street. 7:51 a.m. Lights on flash reported on Pleasant and Smith streets.

7:54 a.m. Officer investigated report of past assault and battery on Broughton Road. Officer found the reporting party crying and shaking because a work crew hired by the Marblehead Housing Authority to do asbestos abatement showed up to her residence unannounced shortly after 7 a.m. She claimed a member of the work crew put his hands on her. Woman explained she had received a written notice from the Marblehead Housing Authority a short time earlier advising residents work would be conducted for the asbestos abatement during a certain time in October and November between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Prior to the work being started, each resident was to be notified the day prior in order for them to be prepared. According to woman, she never received notification the day before and was upset because the workers were there around 7:15 a.m., moving her belongings from her yard and cutting down shrubs. Upset with the unannounced visit, woman had decided to take video with her cell phone of the work crew to provide to the Marblehead Housing Authority. Once outside, woman said a work crew member confronted her while she was filming and pushed her back, which is when she contacted police. Officer reviewed video on woman’s cell phone, which seemed to support the allegation that the worker had pushed her. Officer spoke to worker to get his side of the story. He said he understood he was being filmed, but was concerned for woman’s safety, as she was inside a sectioned-off “danger zone.” Worker said he only pushed her back because it was his responsibility to keep her safe. Officer advised the worker that, though his intentions may have been good, he never should have put his hands on the woman. Officer the reviewed the video a second time and determined that woman had not, in fact, entered the sectioned-off area. Officer said he would document the incident, in case she wanted to pursue criminal charges.

1:12 p.m. Officer spoke with a resident regarding an act of vandalism to his Chevy pickup truck. Man said he had parked his truck on Heritage Way at about 3 p.m. Oct. 25 and returned to find someone had smeared feces (unknown if human or animal) underneath the driver’s side door handle. Man had not witnessed the perpetrator in the act, but he believed it might have been his next-door neighbor, with whom he had been having issues since this past spring related to a tree he wanted to take a tree down on his property. When workers arrived to take down the tree, she allegedly told them that she was going to ruin the man’s life. In addition to the tree incident, man alleged there were two other recent incidents where neighbor caused a disturbance, one when he was putting up a privacy fence on his property, which abuts the neighbor’s property. While the workers were putting up the fence, the woman allegedly came outside and started to

complain to the workers about the fence’s location and the fact that it was not facing the correct way. It got to the point where the workers had to stop their work, the man said. The other incident occurred when the man’s friend brought an excavator to his property to do work on a Sunday, which is not allowed in town. Man said she had gone as far as blowing an air horn in the direction of his property. Officer advised man that all three alleged incidents would be documented. Officer also planned to check the area of Heritage Way to see if there were any security cameras that might have recorded the vandalism to the truck.

4:22 p.m. Officers were dispatched to the area of Steer Swamp for a report of gunshots. Neither officer heard gunshots or saw signs of shooting while in the area, and they spoke to a person walking a dog in the area, who said he had not heard or seen anything either. Officers concluded that caller may have heard hunters on the ocean firing at birds, as it is currently waterfowl hunting season (Sept. 24 until the last Sunday in January).

8:05 p.m. Keys were found in the door of a building on Washington Street.

Friday, Oct. 28

6:11 a.m. A suspicious man was reported on Calthrope and Stonybrook roads.

7:40 a.m. Lights on flash reported on Lafayette and Maple streets.

9:38 a.m. A crosswalk violation was reported on West Shore Drive and Waterside Road.

4:07 p.m. Walk-in to police station reported harassment.

6:04 p.m. An intoxicated man was transported to the hospital from Pleasant Street.

7:07 p.m. Man came to the police station to file a report of alleged criminal harassment. Man said he had gotten into the elevator at his condominium complex with his service dog and realized that the dog’s leash was stuck in the doors as the elevator began to move. Man said he was trying to get the elevator to stop, but it kept pulling at his dog’s leash. The elevator then stopped before the man or his dog got hurt. But the elevator was now broken, and the Fire Department had to come get them out. Man said the owner of the complex could not get the elevator company there to fix it for a few days and that he was now being blamed him for breaking the elevator, when it was just an accident. Man showed the officer an unsigned postcard addressed to him that had a picture of Red’s restaurant in Salem on it, on which was written a message blaming man for breaking the elevator.

Man believed he knew that an upstairs neighbor had sent it, as the man had confronted him on the subject at a local cafe. Man said another neighbor had also been harassing him by “yelling stuff” as he walked past his door and badmouthing him in the parking lot. Man said he wanted a restraining order against both of his neighbors. He was told he could apply for a harassment prevention order in court and that he should call police if there was any kind of confrontation.

Saturday, Oct. 29

7:33 a.m. Lights on flash reported on Lafayette and Maple streets.

11/01/2022 950000

9:13 a.m. Vehicle crash reported on School Street.

9:49 a.m. Officer responded to report of a man possibly down on Tedesco and Salem streets in Swampscott.

10:39 a.m. Investigated report of rock painting on West Shore Drive.

1:04 p.m. Officer spoke with woman who came into the police station to report that on Oct. 11, her son had been walking to school on the rail trail and stepped into a hole while attempting to cross the street at the Mohawk Road and Pleasant Street crosswalk, which she believed had been created by the sidewalk construction project in the area. Woman stated that the crossing guard located at that location told her son that he should sue the town. Woman added that her son limped his way to school, where the school nurse sent him home for the day due to his injuries. When she reported his injuries, the principal of Marblehead High School told her to file a police report. Officer suggested reaching out to the public works superintendent and filing a formal complaint with her as well.

1:16 p.m. Investigated report of larceny, forgery or fraud on Green Street.

10:26 p.m. Investigated disturbance reported on Shetland Road.

11:12 p.m. Assisted with disabled vehicle on Atlantic Avenue and Smith Street.

Sunday, Oct. 30

2:22 a.m. Well-being check conducted on Stratford Road.

12:46 p.m. Owner of a Washington Street antique shop reported that someone had taken a thunder pine, valued at $250, and its flower pot, valued at $60, from out front of the shop overnight. She just was looking to have the incident logged.

9:09 p.m. Officer investigated report of large bonfire on Washington Street.

Monday, Oct. 31

9:48 a.m. Fingerprint services rendered on Wallingford Road.

5:52 p.m. Assisted with response to vehicle accident on Lynn Shore Drive in Lynn.

7:58 p.m. Investigated report of suspicious activity on Humphrey Street.

8:29 p.m. Investigated report of suspicious activity on High Street.

8:45 p.m. Investigated general complaint on Atlantic Avenue.

10:46 p.m. Report taken after disturbance on Pleasant Street.

Tuesday, Nov. 1

9:36 a.m. Officer was dispatched to Pleasant Street to take the report of a past attempted break-in. Homeowner stated that when he had taken his dogs out this morning, he had noticed the striker plate on his front door was loose, and the door was not closing properly. He then noticed a gash located to the right of the doorknob that had not been there the day before. Man believed he knew who had tried to get in, though he had no proof, beyond the fact that the damage was new, and that he had been involved in a previous incident with the alleged perpetrator.

1:23 p.m. Officers investigated a hit-and-run in which a retaining wall on Beacon Street

BUYER2

SELLER1 SELLER2 ADDRESS CITY DATE PRICE

Lenore E Allen, Diane S and Allen, Theodore F 5 Peach Highlands Marblehead 11/01/2022 710000

Ashley and Santoro, Benjamin M Donovan&T Phelan Jr RET and Phelan, Michael D 9 Tidewinds Ter Marblehead 11/04/2022 840000 Bealor, Christopher and Clark, Tiffany Price, Katrina 28 Waldron Ct Marblehead 11/01/2022 800000 Towler, Elizabeth and Towler, Kevin P Susan L Martin 2019 T and Martin, Susan L 32 Pickwick Rd Marblehead 11/01/2022 799000 Realty Investors LLC 24-40 Essex Street LLC 29 Essex St Swampscott 11/01/2022 800000 Powers, Gina and Addis, Kory Clark, William J and Labarba-Clark, Anita M 44 Linden Ave Swampscott

Margot E. Ivers, 69

Margot E. Ivers, 69, of Marblehead passed away on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2022, surrounded by her family after a two-and-a-half-year battle with esophageal and pancreatic cancers. She was the beloved wife of James Ivers, with whom she shared 38 years of marriage.

Born in Chicago, Margot was the daughter of the late John J. Enright and Patricia (Garvy) Enright Allen.

She was the devoted mother to Allison I. Bourque and her husband, Ryan, and Andrew Ivers and his wife, Sara. She was also the cherished “Gram” to her 18-month old granddaughter. She was predeceased by her sisters, Stella Demaret and Lynne Napolilli. She is survived by her siblings, Dianne Guest and John J. Enright, as well as many beloved nieces and nephews.

Margot grew up in Chicago and graduated from Regina Dominican High School in 1971 and John Carroll University in Cleveland in 1975. Being a foreign-language major with a passion for travel, she became a flight attendant with TWA, where

Wayne T. Butler, 91

Wayne T. Butler, 91, of Marblehead, died peacefully on Oct. 23, 2022 with his family by his side, in the Chelsea Soldiers’ Home after battling Alzheimer’s disease for many years. Born on Oct. 9, 1931, to Emma Frances (Hammond) and Edward Royer Butler, he was the first of five children. Although born in Boston, Wayne was a “true Marbleheader,” having spent all of his life living in and giving back to the town he loved. He graduated from Marblehead High School in 1950, and earned his Bachelor’s degree from Boston University in the College of Business.

Wayne joined the Navy at a young age and served on board the USS Trout and USS Harder submarines. He ultimately served 20 years in the U.S. Naval Reserves, ending his career as a lieutenant commander.

In 1958, Wayne married Susie Gangi of Waltham and together they raised three children. His father had established a boat-building business, E.R. Butler & Sons, which was passed to Wayne in the early 1960’s. Over the years, Wayne made and sold small wooden rowboats (known as prams) and an array of other wooden products including bookcases, mailboxes and his signature window boxes that graced many homes in Marblehead and beyond. Always a problem-solver and intrigued with new challenges, he eventually redesigned his business to focus on the ever-increasing demand for specialty packing crates for antique dealers and local manufacturing

she met her husband and many wonderful lifelong friends. She held various local administrative assistant positions over the years but was best known as the secretary to the principal at Marblehead High School for over 10 years.

Margot was an active volunteer within the Marblehead school system

while her children were growing up. One of Margot’s greatest gifts was her devotion to her friendships. She maintained close lifelong friendships with her JCU college girls, The Beach Club community, multiple tennis groups, book club friends and past coworkers, just to name a few.

She was described as a “warrior” by her medical team at Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and was a favorite patient to the nurses on Ellison 16.

Despite her diagnosis and multiple complications, Margot was determined to meet her granddaughter and walk down the aisle at her daughter Allison’s wedding on June 19, 2022. Both wishes were granted with many thanks to her MGH care team and the never-ending support of her family and community of friends.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Margot’s memory to the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center: https://giving. massgeneral.org/where-to-give/ cancer-center/. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy for the Ivers family may be shared at eustisandcornellfuneralhome.com.

with thank-you notes from Gerry School kindergarteners who took annual field trips to see his boat building in action. Neighborhood kids could count on a great story, and he was always there for his own kids, nurturing their passions and interests. As his nephew, Joshua, put it, Wayne’s “love language” was mentorship, and he excelled at it.

Patricia ‘Patsy’ Kane

Patricia Anne Kane, a longtime Marblehead community member, passed away peacefully on Oct. 22 at the Kaplan Hospice House in Danvers. She is survived by her brother, Robert Kane, as well as nieces Madeleine Russo, Meagan Limperis and nephew Patrick Kane.

Patricia, known by everyone that came to meet her as “Patsy,” was born on March 17, 1948 — Saint Patrick’s Day. Her parents were Madeleine Kane, a school teacher, and Timothy Kane, an attorney. Patricia’s first home was on Washington Avenue in Chelsea. From there, the family eventually settled in Melrose.

Patsy always excelled academically. At Melrose High School, she earned the highest ranking in her class. She kept that ranking until the last marking period.

Patsy’s scholarship earned her admittance to Pembroke, part of Brown University. Her father, a passionate partisan of the Kennedys, tirelessly campaigned for Manhattanville, which the Kennedy girls had attended. Patsy honored her father’s wishes.

At Manhattanville, Patsy majored in English. All the great writers became Patsy’s close companions. She kept a lookout for new writers whose words, style and narratives would be lifelong sources of pleasure.

After graduating, Patsy felt compelled to attend Katherine Gibbs, a secretarial school. After earning her certificate, she worked at the Kennedy School. The school’s intellectual atmosphere as well as Professor Edward Banfield’s mentorship extended her stay.

companies throughout the North Shore. Wayne loved history!

He was a consummate reader, had volumes of books, and especially enjoyed reading about WWII and the history of Marblehead. He also loved to travel, and made many trips to Europe and the Holy Lands, on his own and with family members, where he enjoyed sharing his vast knowledge of each country and its culture. Wayne nurtured a deep interest in archeology as well, and participated in many archeological digs in Israel, England, and the US. After he retired, Wayne’s love of Marblehead led him to volunteer at Abbott Hall where he served on, and led, the Historic Commission for several years. He earned the “Marblehead Forever” award for his work on organizing the vast array of physical objects and historical documents that had been donated to the town. Wayne also loved children! He was a caring father, and a doting grandfather. One of his favorite quotes, “A man never stands as tall as when he stoops to help a little boy.” was a motto he lived by.

His woodshop was papered

Wayne had a strong faith and was an active member of the Old North Church throughout his life. He is survived by his daughter Sandra Butler (Patrick Michael Dethridge) of Marblehead, his sons Robert Butler (Deede) of Wylie, TX, and Charles Butler of Marblehead; two grandchildren, Foster and Madisyn Butler of Wylie, TX; three brothers, Edward R. Butler, Jr. of Peabody and his family, David Butler of Danvers and his family, and Christopher Butler (Denia) of Marblehead and their family (his niece, Melissa Bronnenberg (Cory) of Marblehead and nephew, Joshua Butler (Christina) of Methuen were like grandchildren to him); as well as extended family members and friends. He is preceded in death by Susie, his loving wife of sixtythree years; and his sister, Margaret Withum.

Service Information: The family would like to thank the staff members at the Soldiers’ Home for the compassionate care they provided. A “Celebration of Life” memorial will be held this summer on July 8, 2023, at the Old North Church in Marblehead. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at eustisandcornellfuneralhome.com for the Butler family.

Eventually, Patsy decided to join the private sector. She joined a group of high-level developers who constantly tested her. They sent her to Cincinnati to fix a struggling development. After a year, the project was fixed, and Patsy was back home in her beloved Marblehead.

Patsy’s most satisfying work in real estate came about through Richard Carlson, an important figure in North Shore real estate. He appointed Patsy to run his commercial business. Appointing a female to run the commercial business was unusual. It proved to be a smart choice. Dick Carlson and Patsy made lots of sales.

Patsy began to slow down. She spent more time swimming, at times more than two miles in a single session. She devoted more time to collecting antiques, enriching her collection of art and shopping. Her nieces and nephews were the recipients of her shopping sprees. It seemed that every day, a UPS parcel arrived at her niece’s front door.

Patricia showed her love for her extended family by making frequent calls, hosting sleepovers and traveling to distant locations to celebrate weddings.

She was almost always with the family for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Friends and family members remember how Patsy walked. Her quick determined steps told the story of a woman on the move, a woman whose ambitions far exceeded the hours on a clock. She was rare, she was talented, and she will be remembered.

Funeral services are private. In lieu of flowers, make donations to the Special Olympics. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy for Patsy’s family may be shared at eustisandcornellfuneralhome.com.

Houses of worship service schedule

CATHOLIC

OUR LADY STAR OF THE SEA

» 85 Atlantic Ave. 781-631-0086

Regular Mass Schedule Saturday Vigil: 4 p.m.

» Sunday: 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m., 11 a.m.

» Every weekday (Monday-Saturday): 9 a.m.

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE

FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST, SCIENTIST 134 Elm St.

» 781-631-3868

» Sunday Church Service: 10-11 a.m.

» Sunday School (open to children and young people under the age of 20): 10-11 a.m.

Wednesday Testimony Meeting: 7:30-8:30 p.m.

» Reading Room (in church building): Tem porarily closed COMMUNITY CHURCH GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH 17 Pleasant St.

CONGREGATIONAL

OLD NORTH CHURCH, THE FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST IN MARBLEHEAD

» 35 Washington St.

» 781-631-1244

EPISCOPAL

CHURCH OF ST. ANDREW, EPISCOPAL

» 135 Lafayette St.

» 781-631-4951

» Regular Sunday services (Rite II of the Episcopal liturgy): 8 a.m., spoken service; 10 a.m., musical service

St. Michael’s Episcopal Church 26 Pleasant St. 781-631-0657

» Sundays: Holy Eucharist, Rite II, 10 a.m.; in-person and online on church’s YouTube Channel

Wednesdays: Morning Prayer, 9:30 a.m. on Facebook Live

» First Sundays: Choral Evensong (Septem ber through May), 5 p.m.; in-person and online on church’s YouTube Channel

JEWISH

TEMPLE EMANU-EL, REFORM

CONGREGATION

» 393 Atlantic Ave.

» 781-631-9300

Shabbat: Friday, 6 p.m., in person and on Facebook Live

Torah Study: First and second Saturdays of month, 10 a.m. on Zoom

TEMPLE SINAI, CONTEMPORARY CONSERVATIVE SYNAGOGUE

1 Community Road 781-631-2762

LUTHERAN CLIFTON LUTHERAN CHURCH

» 150 Humphrey St. 781-631-4379

Weekly worship service: Sunday, 10 a.m., live stream on Zoom

METHODIST

ST. STEPHEN’S UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

67 Cornell Road

» 781-631-2756

» St. Stephen’s is open for Sunday morning worship. Every Sunday, they have traditional worship at 10:30 a.m. with Sunday School for all ages at 9:15 a.m. On first Sundays, the congregation has a community breakfast at 8:30 a.m, a family worship service at 9:15 a.m. and traditional worship at 10:30 a.m.

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH OF MARBLEHEAD

28 Mugford St.

» 781-631-1215

» Sunday service is at 10:30 a.m. and on

Zoom: bit.ly/3EIRKiF All persons attending a regular Sunday Service in person are asked to wear masks in the sanctuary.

Several day trips offered in December

All programs and events are held in the Judy and Gene Jacobi Community Center unless otherwise stated in the individual briefs below. Questions should be directed to (781) 631. 6225 or email: councilonaging@marblehead.org

‘Enjoy coffee with a cop’

Enjoy coffee with a cop Tuesday mornings from 8:30 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.

“While it is Chief Dennis King’s priority to join, be assured someone from the Marblehead Police Department,” writes COA staff, “there will be a cop here to discuss community concerns or just life in Marblehead.”

In-stitches boutique

Get an early start on shopping for the holidays! A pop-up-like boutique of sorts will be in the Council on Aging between Monday, Nov. 28 and Thursday, Dec. 1 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will be a large selection of handmade knitted and crocheted items. All proceeds support the COA.

Blood pressure clinic

Drop-in blood pressure clinic on Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Muscle conditioning

Senior muscle conditioning with Kim on Mondays and Fridays. No class on Friday, Nov. 25. Cost: $3

Zumba classes

Zumba gold classes are held on Wednesdays at noon.

“A lower intensity, Latin and worldmusic inspired dance fitness class for all abilities.”

Parkinson’s fitness

Parkinson’s fitness class is free on Wednesdays at 11 a.m. “Specifically developed for folks with Parkinson’s Disease, but appropriate and beneficial for all. Class combines focus on strength, mobility and balance. This program is paid for by the generosity of the Friends of the Council on Aging.”

Indoor curling

Indoor curling began Monday, Nov. 14. The activity takes place on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 2:45

PAWS & CLAWS

Meet Artichoke

Breed: Domestic Short Hair Size: Medium Age: Kitten

Sex: Male

p.m. “Come and enjoy an indoor sport with a mixed group of fun, friendly men and women. Experience is not necessary. Instructions on how to play the game and learn the rules will be available at every session.” Yearly fee: $15. Contact pbibbo@aol.com withquestions.

Line dancing

Kate Hoffman teaches line dancing on Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The first hour is focused on beginners, however, all are welcome and encouraged to participate. Cost: $5

Chair yoga

Gail Perry Borden teaches chair yoga on Tuesdays at 11 a.m. Cost: $3.

Strength and stretch session

The Council on Aging offers a strength and stretch session on Mondays at 11:3o a.m. and Thursdays at 11 a.m. Cost: $3.

Weight training class

A weight training class is held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8:45 a.m. Cost: $3

Yoga class

A yoga class is held on Mondays at 9 a.m., Wednesdays at 8:3o a.m. and Thursdays and Fridays at 9:30 a.m.

Quilting class

Learn how to quilt class on Thursdays at 10 a.m. Cost: $5 per class.

Cribbage

Cribbage is held on Tuesdays. Doors close at 9: 30 a.m.

Get a senior Charlie Card

People who are 65 years or older are eligible for reduced MBTA fares with a senior Charlie Card.

These cards are valid for 8 years. Call Nadine Lepick, (781) 631-6225, Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. to ask questions or make an appointment to process an application. Cards can also be reloaded with cash on any bus.

Gingerbread house decorating

The COA and the Recreation and

Parks departments have teamed up for a gingerbread house decorating activity on Wednesday, Nov. 30 from 3:15 - 5:15 p.m. Cost: $22

“Grab a few friends and create your masterpiece,” the COA writes. “Bring your grandchildren and enjoy a funfilled afternoon creating memories. All materials are provided.”

Register by calling 781.631.0528

Scam presentation

On Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 10 a.m., Marblehead Police Lt. David Ostrovitz and the Essex County Sheriff’s Department assistant Maurice Pratt will present on scams, supplying statistics, some common scams and prevention measures. Light refreshments will be served. RSVP by Friday, Dec. 2.

Upcoming day trips

The following upcoming day trips are planned as follows:

» Dec. 6, Paul Anka, Danversport, $74 per person Dec 6 - 7, Christmas Prelude, Kennebunkport, Me. $349 per person double occupancy » Dec 16- 19 Country Christmas in Nashville, Tenn.

All day trips must be paid for in full at time of registration. Deposits are required on all overnight trips at the time of registration. Checks payable to Best of Times. Because most of our trips require a great deal of walking and staffing is limited, all travelers must be able to attend to their own needs independently or bring their own escort for assistance. Call Janice (781) 631-6225 for more details.

Need help with heating costs?

The Home Energy Assistance Program at North Shore Community Action Programs, Inc. helps income-eligible households pay their winter heating bills even if the cost of heat is included in their rent. If their gross household income falls within the limits shown in this chart, they may qualify for payment towards your winter heating bills. In addition, eligible National Grid customers may qualify for a discount of up to 32% off their electric and gas bills, too.For more information

about Home Energy Assistance, call: (978) 5318810 or email: fuelassistance@ nscap.org.

Need a lift?

The COA offers transportation services to both in-town and out-of-town medical appointments and in-town errands such as the hairdresser, bank, to vote or to the COA for programs and/or lunch. Weekly grocery shopping trips to Crosby’s & Market Basket and bimonthly trips to the North Shore Mall are also available.

Transportation runs Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. To schedule a ride, call us at (781).631.6225

Holiday social

The Friends of the Council on Aging are hosting a holiday social on Thursday, Dec. 8 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Refreshments will be served. A craft fair will be staged during the open house. RSVP by Friday, Dec. 2nd.

Caregiver support group established

A newly established caregiver support group will meet on Wednesday, Nov. 30 from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

“We have designed the time specifically for those who would like a break from a busy day of perhaps working outside of the home only to resume caregiving in the evening or being at home all day with your loved one. This will be a time reserved for you. Make arrangements for family or a friend to stay with your loved one for 90 minutes,” writes COA staff. “Come and meet people who are walking in the same shoes as you. Eat dinner uninterrupted. Our goal is to enhance our coping skills through mutual support and share information and resources.”

Home safety audits

The town offers home safety audits to local residents. A representative from both the Marblehead fire dept and the Council on Aging will schedule a time to meet seniors at their home and review/discuss home safety options with you. Also, free fire alarms, carbon monoxide detectors and lock boxes can be installed as necessary. To learn more, contact Sharon Doliber (781) 631-6225.

mILeSToN eS

Social news policy

Have you recently become a parent — or a grandparent? Gotten married, or engaged? Turned over one of those magical “round numbers” on your personal odometer?

Artichoke is a lovely, playful kitten. He was found feeding at a feral colony by one of the Marblehead Animal Shelter’s feral feeders. He is extremely curious and loves when he is given a new toy. Like another cat up for adoption at the shelter, Sweet Pea, he enjoys hanging out on the scratcher post. He would love to be adopted to home with another active, young cat or perhaps adopted with Sweet Pea. Artichoke is up to date with routine shots and house trained.

If you are interested in Artichoke, please fill out an adoption at marblehead-animal-shelter.org, and you will be contacted.

Resident joins Girls Inc. board

Marblehead resident and health coach and corporate well-being advisor Kiki Walker has joined the board of directors of Girls Inc. of Boston and Lynn. She first learned about Girls Inc. through a holiday book drive she contributed to with her twin daughters. She became involved with Girls Inc. using her background as a fitness trainer and coach to help girls reach their potential.

“I see how using support, care, and love can lift roadblocks,” says Walker. She recently served on a panel at Girls Inc. and looks forward to using her years as a fitness coach to mentori girls. “I recognize the power of having someone believe in you,” says Walker.

Girls Inc. of Boston and Lynn Executive Director Deb Ansourlian added, “Kiki is a great addition to our board. As a female business owner and wellness advocate, she is a great role model for our girls.”

W eDDING

Ben and Eileen Bryant

When Ben Bryant and Eileen Plaehn met on Sept. 14, 2018, at a bar in Boston, neither of them knew or expected it would lead to a lifetime of friendship and commitment to each other. After exchanging phone numbers that night, a week later they had their first date at Franklin Cafe in Boston’s South End.

In the years since, they have become best friends and life partners, and times have been filled with memorable experiences, including summers in Marblehead, Swampscott, and travels across the country.

Ben is a native of Marblehead, and Eileen a native of Wrentham. Ben’s family continues to live in Marblehead, while Eileen’s parents coincidentally moved to Swampscott in 2017, just down the road from the Bryant home.

In December of 2021, after three years of dating, Ben proposed on a trip to Old Quebec at the top of a hill overlooking the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac Hotel and Lawrence River.

Ben and Eileen were married on Nov. 5, 2022, at the Mary Queen of the Apostles Parish, followed by a night of dinner and dancing at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem.

The two look forward to a lifetime of being together. While currently residing in Charlestown, they look forward to returning to the North Shore in the future.

For Marblehead residents and natives, The Marblehead Current publishes life announcements — weddings, engagements, milestone birthdays and births. We offer this service free of charge to the community, but ask that you consider a suggested donation of $25.

Please submit all announcements well in advance — or soon after — the life event occurs… using the forms that can be found on our website, at marbleheadcurrent.org/ announce.

We also accept and publish obituaries. Generally, we work directly with funeral homes to coordinate this.

If you have any questions, please contact us at info@ marbleheadnews.org.

SU bmISSIoN PoLICY

You’re the boss

Have you recently gotten a promotion or a professional honor?

Are you a new business getting ready to swing open your doors to welcome the public?

Is your business engaged in a charitable endeavor to support a local nonprofit?

We want to hear about it.

Submissions by email to info@marbleheadnews.org are strongly preferred, but submissions may also be sent to 217 Humphrey St., Marblehead, MA 01945.

Photos are encouraged, but care must be taken to ensure images are of good enouvgh quality to reproduce in print. As a rule, the original .JPG file that is produced by a smartphone or digital camera will be fine; an image copied down from a website will not.

Generally, the Marblehead Current will not publish what are, in essence, “free ads” — sales pitches that seek the exchange of money for goods or services, unless such announcements have some independent news value — for example, when a product is novel or unique.

To share this type of information, we encourage you instead to contact our director of community relations, Marion Greely, at mgreely@marbleheadnews.org to inquire about our advertising rates.

If you have any questions, please contact us at info@ marbleheadnews.org.

Kiki Walker

It goes without saying that nonprofit organizations, and the volunteers who run them, add color and vibrancy to communities like ours. As Marblehead's nonprofit newspaper, we commit to helping drive awareness of those working to better the community around us. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we recognize:

Sustainable Marblehead is acommunity organization working to reduce waste and pollution and achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040. For more information, visit: sustainablemarblehead.org

Friends of the Marblehead Public Schools is an independent, community-based corporation working to enhance the quality of education in Marblehead's public schools. For more information, visit: friendsofmarblehead.org

Want to recommend alocal nonprofit for recognition in afutureissue? Email info@marbleheadnews.org

The Marblehead Current staff and board extends special thanks to the individuals and organizations who were instrumental in the formation of the Current and in the production of this inaugural issue.

Jack Attridge

Diane Barbour

Fletcher Boland

David Deutsch

Jason Grazado

Nancy Gwin

David Johnston

Susannah Haesche

Francie King

David Moran, Esq.

Donna Rice

Joanna Shellenberger

Sean Waters

JonathanWitty

Katherine Koch, Marblehead Chamber of Commerce

John Muldoon, The IpswichLocal News, Ipswich, MA Koly Martin &Chris King, Marblehead Post Office Shubie's Marketplace Wines and Spirits

The HarpswellAnchor, Harpswell,ME

Melissa Stacey, Discover Marblehead The Concord Bridge, Concord, MA North of Boston Media Group The Landing Restaurant

And those whomade donations... even before we asked.

Volume 1, Issue 1Dedication

To Ed Bell, and all journalists who have covered Marblehead

To Fraffie Welch, whosevoicewehear in the newsroom

ToRon Olson -InMemoriam

had been damaged. Officer observed multiple rocks along the side of the roadway, which appeared to have fallen from the retaining wall. He took photographs of the damage. He then returned to the station to speak with the witness via telephone. Witness told officer that she had seen a black truck with a trailer attempting to make a multi-point turn, and that the wall had been struck while the driver was backing up the trailer. She surmised that the driver may not have even noticed the damage, as he completed his turn and headed down Crowninshield Road without stopping. Officer located the driver at a construction site on Crowninshield Road, who apologized and stated that he indeed had not even noticed he had struck the wall. Officer told him a report of the

incident would be emailed to his supervisor.

1:45 p.m. Report taken after vehicle crash on Lee Street.

4:47 p.m. Report taken after vehicle crash on Lafayette and Martin streets.

Wednesday, Nov. 2

7:33 a.m. Officer met a woman in the police station lobby, who explained that around 6:45 a.m., while she was having coffee on her front steps, she observed her neighbor strike her trash barrels with the front of his car and keep driving. Woman stated that she had a no-trespass order on the man and had tried to get a harassment prevention order in Lynn District Court but was denied. Officer recommended she apply again for a harassment prevention order.

11:15 a.m. Officers assisted with exchange of papers after minor vehicle accident on Atlantic Avenue.

12:30 p.m. Officer assisted at scene of minor vehicle crash on

Humphrey Street.

2:38 p.m. Trucks blocking the road reported on Broughton Road.

Thursday, Nov. 3

6:27 a.m. Solicitors reported on Elm and Harris streets.

8 a.m. Officer was dispatched to Corinthian Lane on the report of a dispute involving an inn owner and one of her renters over nonpayment. Officer tried to explain to the woman several times that this was a civil matter and that her best course would be to consult an attorney. Woman asked that officer write a report so that she could send it to the renters in question.

8:52 a.m. Caller on Cleveland Road reported an email hacking incident.

12:21 p.m. Officer spoke with a West Street resident who called police to file a report about a package stolen from his porch, which contained contents from Italy valued at $700. Shipping company said that it had proof

that the package had been dropped off at the residence. Officer asked the man if he was aware of any home security systems in the area, but he was not.

2:56 p.m. Officer investigated construction complaints on Smith and Pleasant streets.

7:54 p.m. A 24-year-old man was arrested on an out-of-town warrant on Cowell Street.

Friday, Nov. 4

7:05 a.m. Solicitors reported on Front Street.

2:43 p.m. Report filed after general complaint on Clifton Avenue.

3:50 p.m. Officer assisted with neighbor dispute on Front Street.

5:14 p.m. Officer investigated a report of bricks in the road on Village and Vine streets.

6:44 p.m. Lost wallet reported on Pleasant Street.

Saturday, Nov. 5

1:10 p.m. Person was

transported to the hospital after a general complaint on Atlantic Avenue.

1:43 p.m. Officer took a report after hit-and-run on Franklin Street.

2:40 p.m. Harbor Avenue resident reported receiving annoying phone calls.

5:26 p.m. Bonfire reported on Phillips Street. Resident was later issued a burn permit.

9:26 p.m. Investigated report of suspicious activity on Mechanic Square.

10:46 p.m. Investigated report of a disturbance on Pleasant Street.

Sunday, Nov. 6

10:08 a.m. Vandalism reported on Turner Road.

11:01 a.m. Report taken after vehicle crash on Atlantic and Rockaway avenues.

12:20 p.m. Report taken after vehicle crash on Lafayette Street and Everett Paine Boulevard.