04.12.23 - Volume 1, Issue 20

Dueling proposals target leaf blowers

One seeks to erase bylaw; other endeavors to strengthen it

BY WILLIAM J. DOWD

When the Town Meeting convenes May 1, residents are poised to enter a lively debate over dueling articles targeting regulations governing leaf blowers in town.

In 2022, the Town Meeting passed a seasonal ban on the use of gaspowered leaf blowers from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The ban passed on a vote of 254 to 202, a 52-vote margin, and that victory was hard-earned following more than a decade of failed

leaf-blower proposals.

Now on the 2023 Town Warrant, the Town Meeting will consider two citizen petitions. Article 47, sponsored by Todd R. Norman, seeks to erase the leaf-blower regulations, and its passage could come before the ban goes into effect for the first time in May.

Meanwhile, Article 48 endeavors to strengthen the existing bylaw, adding enforcement provisions and penalties for noncompliance. Marblehead police and health departments and their designees would enforce the bylaw,

targeting property owners upon whose land infractions occur — not landscapers or lawn care businesses. Penalties would progress with each violation, and they would be as follows:

» First offense, written warning

» Second offense, $100 fine

Third and subsequent offenses,

$200 fine

According to an analysis of gasolinepowered leaf blower bans, those penalties fall in line with others across

Sustainable Marblehead leads Green Homes Tour

Neighbors push back on sober house

At heated meeting, demand for answers, tighter

controls

BY LEIGH BLANDER

Tensions ran high as more than 100 people crowded into a meeting with the leaders of a new sober house on Humphrey Street in Marblehead on April 3.

» Recovery expert weighs in, Page 5

“I empathize with these people, but I don’t want them in my backyard,” said one neighbor, who identified herself as an ER nurse.

“What are you going to do about our property values?”

“And keeping our kids safe?” shouted another woman.

The men’s sober house opened about a month ago and is run by Vanderburgh House, which has 31 sober houses in seven states. Marblehead Fire Capt. Scott Murray, who is also an addiction counselor and social worker, is the supervisor at the house. He also supervises a Vanderburgh sober home in Beverly.

“I have 36 years of experience and have committed the rest of my life to helping

pOliTiCS

MHS grad seeks Salem’s corner office

Pangallo won Witch City’s preliminary election in March

BY WILLIAM J. DOWD

clothesline would work for them. It’s very idiosyncratic.”

BY CHRIS STEVENS

Behind Lynn Nadeau’s Surf Street home is her “energy-free clothes dryer.” You might recognize it as a clothesline.

“I had a consulting service for a while,” Nadeau said, standing on her back porch. “I had a little red wagon, and I’d go around and consult with people about where or how a

Nadeau’s clothesline was just one small stop on Saturday’s Green Homes Tour, an event sponsored by Sustainable Marblehead and aimed at teaching participants just how easy it can be to go green. According to Sustainable Marblehead Executive Director Louise Yarmoff, heating and cooling homes and buildings accounts for more than one-third of the town’s greenhouse gas emissions. With a goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, the local organization is putting an emphasis on educating residents.

That led to nearly a dozen residents opening their homes Saturday to let visitors see various energy-efficient technologies in action and talk to the homeowners who installed them.

More than just a car

For visitors to George and Jane Hooper’s Pine Cliff Drive home, it was easy to see green technology at work. All George Hooper had to do was take out his phone and open an app, and one could see exactly how many kilowatts the Hoopers were racking up via their Tesla solar glass roof. And the solar panels were,

On this 10th anniversar y, Bradle y Moore Pr imason Cuffe & Weber, LLP would like to honor the victim s, surv ivors, and first responders of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and to re cogniz e the city of Boston as stronger than ever

Dominick Pangallo, who graduated from Marblehead High School in 1999, has dedicated his career to public service, working as a legislative aide or chief of staff for elected officials. Most recently, he served as chief of staff for former Salem mayor and current Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll for a decade.

Pangallo is now running to succeed Driscoll in a special election in May. In a five-way preliminary election held in March, he emerged victorious, securing 42.7% of the 7,211 votes cast. Neil Harrington, the secondplace finisher, captured 31.9%, and the two now face off in the lead-up to the special

Rebates, incentives bring energy efficiency technology closer to home for many

CURRENT PHOTOS / EMILY STEVENS

George Hooper shows off his Tesla solar panel rooftop during Saturday’s Green Homes Tour sponsored by Sustainable Marblehead.

Fresca owners unwind with a homemade cannoli after work

BY MELISSA STACEY

The following is an interview with Claudio Araujo and Dan Domingues, the owners of Fresca Pizza and Pasta, conducted by Discover Marblehead. To try their Italian food, stop by their restaurant at 50 Atlantic Ave. in Marblehead or order online at frescapizzaandpasta.com.

Tell Us About Fresca Pizza and Pasta and why you started it. Our business, Fresca Pizza and Pasta, is a dream come true for us. We’ve always wanted to serve traditional Italian casual food in a welcoming atmosphere where customers become friends, and hopefully, repeat customers. Our employees are family. We all have a passion for fresh ingredients and our prized woodfire Neapolitan brick oven gives a special touch to everything we cook.

What is the best piece of business advice you ever

250TH ANN i VErSA rY

received? Create goals and enjoy the journey. Bring enthusiasm and creativity to the workplace every day andsuccess will follow.

What is your favorite spot in Marblehead, and why? Being originally from Brazil, the beach! Our favorite beach spot in Marblehead is Devereux Beach. It’s the perfect place to just sit and relax, with a delicious Frescarita (a margherita pizza), of course!

What is something people would be surprised to learn about you? Not too many surprises, but we like to relax with our two American

Staffordshire terriers on the couch after a long day at the restaurant, with a delicious homemade cannoli.

The business spotlight is a weekly feature published in partnership with Discover Marblehead.

Discover Marblehead is dedicated

to the promotion of our majestic seaside town of Marblehead. Their mission is to highlight local businesses, tourism, community events and attractions through social media, email marketing and community outreach. To learn more, visit discovermhd.com.

Elisha Story to be honored for role in Boston Tea Party

At 11 a.m. April 30, Dr. Elisha Story of Marblehead will be honored by the Boston Tea Party Museum and Revolution 250, a consortium of organizations working together to commemorate the 250th anniversaries of the events that led to the American Revolution.

They will place a commemorative marker at the gravesite of Story, a Boston Tea Party participant, at the Green Street Cemetery in Marblehead.

A total of 120 commemorative markers have been placed at graves of known Boston Tea Party participants so far this year.

All known participants will receive markers by the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party on Dec. 16. The event is open to the public

NEWS iN BriEF

The Current welcomes submissions (150-200 words) to News in Brief. Send yours to info@ marbleheadnews.org.

Patriot’s Day trash, recycling schedule

In observance of Patriot’s Day on April 17, Marblehead’s trash and

and will be attended by Evan O’Brien, Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum creative manager; Jonathan Lane, Revolution 250 coordinator, Massachusetts Historical Society; Don Doliber, Marblehead town historian; Eric Berg, the worshipful master of the Philanthropic Lodge in Marblehead; and members of Glover’s Regiment.

Story was a member of the Sons of Liberty. On Dec. 16, 1773, at 30 years old, he participated in the Boston Tea Party. He went on to serve in the Revolutionary War and was a surgeon present at the Battles of Lexington, Concord and Bunker Hill. He settled in Marblehead and had eight children. After his first wife’s death, Story married Mehitable (née Pedrick), with

recycling collection will be delayed by one day throughout the week. The revised schedule is as follows: Monday pickups will occur on April 18, Tuesday pick-ups on April 19, Wednesday pick-ups on April 20, Thursday pick-ups on April 21 and Friday pick-ups on April

NEWSROOM

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Consulting Editor - Kris Olson kolson@marbleheadnews.org

Staff Reporter - Leigh Blander lblander@marbleheadnews.org

Sports ReporterJoe McConnell jmcconnell@marbleheadnews.org

CONTRIBUTORS

Tristan Ashlock

Stephen Bach Linda Bassett

Nicole Goodhue-Boyd

Scot Cooper

Laurie Fullerton

Mark Hurwitz

John Lamontagne

Christine McCarriston

Eyal Oren

Frances Roberts Hill

Pam Peterson

Chris Stevens

Linda Werbner

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Virginia Buckingham - President

Gene Arnould

Jessica Barnett

Ed Bell

Francie King

Donna Rice

Kate Haesche Thomson - Secretary

Richard Weed - Treasurer

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Kathryn Whorf

DIRECTOR OF

COMMUNITY RELATIONS

Marion Warner Greely

FOUNDERS

Jessica Barnett

Ed Bell

Leigh Blander

Will Dowd

David Moran

Kris Olson

Marblehead News 217 Humphrey St.  Marblehead, Massachusetts 01945 781.910.8658 info@marbleheadnews.org

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COURTESY PHOTO

A marker will be placed at the gravesite of Dr. Elisha Story at Marblehead’s Green Street Cemetery on April 30 to commemorate Story’s participation in the Boston Tea Party.

whom he had 12 children. He lived the remainder of his life in Marblehead and served as one of the town’s representatives,

22. Additionally, the Transfer Station will be closed on April 17.

Earth Day event

Marblehead’s Conservancy is calling on residents to celebrate Earth Day/Arbor Day by participating in an annual community effort to preserve and protect the town’s open spaces. The event, co-sponsored by Gilbert & Cole, the Conservation Commission, and the Recreation and Parks Department, will take place on Saturday, April 29 from 9 a.m. to noon in Lead Mills.

Participants are invited to join in the festivities by meeting at the Conservancy’s tent, located just off Lafayette Street near the Forest River bridge. Activities for the day include planting wildflowers and cleaning up the beach. To ensure that everyone can participate, the Conservancy will provide seedlings,

chairman of the Overseers of the Poor, and chairman of the School Committee. He died in Marblehead in 1805.

tools, water, and trash bags. However, participants are encouraged to wear gloves and sturdy shoes.

Maureen Ashley, the event’s contact person, can be reached at 781.367.0923 or maureenashley@ gmail.com for additional information about the event. The Conservancy’s annual Earth Day/Arbor Day celebration is a great way to help preserve Marblehead’s natural spaces while having fun with family, friends, and neighbors.

Community Golf Day

The Marblehead Select Board invites you to participate in the Community Golf Day on Monday, May 15 at Tedesco Country Club, 154 Tedesco St. Registration begins at 10 a.m., with an 11 a.m. tee-off, rain or shine. The final date for registration is May 12, and the $175 player fee includes a round of golf with a cart, a box lunch, a postplay celebration with awards, hors d’oeuvres

and beer/wine. To learn more, visit: https://bit. ly/3ZWr8Sm.

The event supports the Marblehead Counseling Center (MCC), which has been improving the quality of life for Marblehead, Swampscott, and surrounding communities since 1969. MCC provides mental health counseling, family support services, community education, and charitable assistance in a safe and confidential environment.

Birdwatching program

Mass Audubon is hosting a free birdwatching walk at Marblehead Neck Wildlife Sanctuary on Friday, May 26 from 8-10 a.m. Made possible by the Marblehead Cultural Council, participants will learn about bird migration, breeding behavior, and basic identification skills regardless of their skill levels. Although the event is free, registration is required via this link: https://bit.ly/3Mnmtpy

Help us deliver sustainable local journalism. Please consider supporting the Marblehead Current by making a tax-deductible donation at marbleheadcurrent.org/donate. For stock transfer donations, please contact: Kathryn Whorf at kwhorf@marbleheadnews.org.

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Owners of Fresca Pizza and Pasta Dan Domingues (left) and Claudio Araujo stand by their wood-fired Neapolitan brick oven.

New life in Marblehead treetops

BY RICK CUZNER

I came across an adult great-horned owl sitting on a nest with two young owlets. There was another adult on a nearby branch. This photo was taken from a great distance, as the nest is extremely well-hidden and very high in a pine tree. It won’t be long

Curbside collection of leaves, grass

The curbside collection of leaves and grass will take place on residents’ regular scheduled trash and recycling days on the following weeks:

» April 24.

» May 15.

» June 5.

Only leaf bags will be collected. No plastic bags will be collected or emptied.

This is a leaves-and-grass-only collection. Bags containing brush or other material will not be collected. This type of material affects the quality of the compost generated from leaves, according to the Board of Health. No collection will occur on a legal holiday.

Trash collection to be delayed

In observance of Patriots Day on Monday, April 17, trash and recycling will be picked up one day late on the following days:

» Monday trash and recycling will be collected on

Tuesday, April 18.

Tuesday trash and recycling will be collected on

Wednesday, April 19.

» Wednesday trash and recycling will be collected on

Thursday, April 20.

» Thursday trash and recycling will be collected on Friday, April 21.

Friday trash and recycling will be collected on Saturday, April 22.

The Transfer Station will be closed on Monday, April 17.

now before the young owlets start to explore the branches around the nest.

The Marblehead Current is proud to partner with photographer Rick Cuzner. For the past 15 years, he has taken thousands of nature photographs that capture the wild animals who call Marblehead home

School of Ballet running Dance Week poetry contest

The Marblehead School of Ballet will be celebrating National Dance Week from Friday, April 14 through Sunday, April 23 and thanking the public for its support for 51 years by holding a poetry contest.

“The Marblehead School of Ballet takes pride in joining other organizations across the country in celebrating National Dance Week and spotlighting the importance of dance in our society,” said Paula K. Shiff, director of the Marblehead School of Ballet.

“During our 51st anniversary, we want to introduce more people of all ages — children, tweens, teenagers, adults, and seniors — to the

wonders and benefits of dance and our school’s programs in ballet, creative movement, stretch and strength, West Coast swing, Argentine tango, ballroom and Latin.”

In celebration, the Marblehead School of Ballet has launched a National Dance Week Poetry Contest.

Current and former students of the Marblehead School of Ballet and the general public are invited to submit a poem with the theme, “What does dance mean to you?” Contestants should submit the poem with their name, a photo of themselves, their age and contact information.

Submissions will be accepted through April 23. Submit entries to msb@ havetodance.com.

Three prizes will be awarded, with first prize a $100 gift certificate and second prize a $50 gift certificate, both to On

Your Toes Dancewear. The third-prize recipient will receive a copy of “Apollo’s Angels” by Jennifer Homans. For information, contact 781-631-6262 or send an email to msb@ havetodance.com.

CUZNEr iN NATU rE

NEWS iN BriEF

Kezer: HR dept. could save taxpayers’ money

BY WILLIAM J. DOWD

Marblehead has never had a human resources department within its municipal government, and Town Administrator Thatcher Kezers says investing in one could save taxpayers’ money in the long run.

The 2023 Town Warrant includes Article 24, which proposes that the Town Meeting establish a human resources department. If passed, it would also authorize the Select Board to appoint a director for a term not exceeding three years.

Currently, two Marblehead Finance Department employees handle payroll and benefits for approximately 216 full-time town employees.

Kezer emphasized the importance of having a human resources director, noting that employee benefits and insurance costs constituted 18% of the town’s $87.9 million budget in FY2022.

“That whole section of benefits, the insurance and Medicare and all that stuff, it’s like a $15 million line item,” Kezer said. “Employees’ salaries and benefits are the biggest costs to the municipal government.

“The concept would be hiring a person whose job it is to focus on these things and help us manage them better,” Kezer continued. “Our goal is to have human resources expertise, someone specifically focused on managing these resources.”

If Town Meeting approves Article 24, those functions would be transferred to the human resources department, consolidating general human

resource functions under one individual.

“The way we are organized right now, human resource functions are spread out among all the departments on the town side,” Kezer told the Marblehead Current.

The human resources department would be responsible for, but not limited to, the following tasks: Formulating and implementing personnel policies.

» Employee relations.

» Support for collective bargaining. Wages and salaries administration.

» Recruitment and monitoring

workers’ compensation.

» Police/fire medical administration. Benefits administration for town employees and retirees. Overseeing unemployment benefits.

» Managing personnel records.

At the Finance Committee meeting on April 3, Kezer stated that he has allocated a $110,000 salary for the human resources director in the proposed FY 2024 budget.

Superintendent John Buckey mentioned that he and former town administrator Jason Silva added a joint human resources director for the fiscal year 2022.

“Jason left Marblehead shortly

after we hired an HR director,” said Buckey. “She handled absences and leaves. She also onboarded our new employees.” He added, “In her tenure, she modernized the functions of the HR office.”

Marblehead Public Schools had its own human resources director until she left due to the position being eliminated and reorganized.

“We had an HR generalist in the override last year,” Buckey said, “but when that failed, we were not able to hire anyone.”

Buckey told the Marblehead Current that he would be interested in exploring a shared joint human resources position

between the town and the school district.

“I think there is potential for a combined town/school HR department,” Buckey said, “but it needs to be staffed appropriately and have clear guidelines for roles and responsibilities.”

Regarding a joint human resources director, Kezer expressed reticence.

“It’s a challenge when you look at these top-level positions, whether it be in the district, the town or multiple towns,” he said. “You can’t put a department head where they have two bosses, like where it would be a superintendent and a town administrator.”

Professor has a special connection to India, history

BY LEIGH BLANDER

Marblehead resident and Salem State University professor

Michele Louro has just returned from her latest trip to India with the Fulbright Scholar program, where she spent two months conducting research for a new book and teaching.

“It’s a cross-cultural, online teaching experience with students from Jawaharlal Nehru University and Salem State,” Louro told the Marblehead Current. “The four-week class explores colonialism, anticolonialism and women — thinking about women and their importance in this history.”

Britain colonized India in 1858 and ruled there until 1947.

“One of my goals is to not only teach history, but to teach students to be global citizens of the world,” she said.

In her three Fulbright trips since 2008, Louro has fallen in love with India.

“It’s a fascinating place and just rich in diversity and history,” she said. “The people are interesting.

I’ve developed friends and collaborations. It makes me want to come back.”

Louro has traveled much of the country, which measures 1,269,219 square miles. She spoke to the Current from the city of Chennai in south India.

“It’s wicked hot here,” she laughed. “It’s 95 degrees, and there’s no breeze.”

She’s been to Goa, Mumbai and, of course, the Taj Mahal in Agra.

“New Dehli is my favorite spot,” she said. “It feels like my home away from home.”

Louro has already written a book, “Comrades Against Imperialism: Nehru, India and Interwar Internationalism.”

Her new book takes a different tact.

“It will bring women to the front of these anti-colonial struggles,” she said.

She explained why lessons about India’s colonial past are still relevant today.

“The roots of our modern world are tied to colonialism — the way power is structured, protests are laid out. A lot of the ideas of our own world are legacies of the colonial period, and that’s the argument of the class.”

Louro has many funny stories about living abroad for months at a time.

“There are always a lot of mishaps,” she said. “Maybe my biggest challenge was riding around in the rickshaws. You get to know the drivers and talk to them. Everybody’s meter is ripped out of their rickshaw, so you end up negotiating.”

CURRENT PHOTO / WILLIAM J. DOWD

Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer addresses the Marblehead Finance Committee on April 3, talking about a proposed appropriation for a new human resources director.

Marblehead professor Michele Louro is shown with her colleagues and students in India.

In New Delhi, Michele Louro taught a virtual class about colonialism with students in India and Salem.

Our dreams are not in conflict

BY LAURA MCKOWEN

I got sober in 2014 by going to 12-step meetings in Marblehead, and my daughter has gone to school here since the third grade. As a single mom with a fulltime job who commuted to and from Boston every day, it wasn’t possible for me to go to rehab or stay in a sober living house, but I know many other women and mothers (as well as men) who credit their life with such spaces and the people who run them.

When I heard about the community’s strong negative reaction to the new sober house on Humphrey Street earlier this week, I was saddened and frustrated, but unfortunately not surprised. For most of my life I, too, thought addiction was something that happened to other people.

Thanks to growing up in the “Just Say No,” War on Drugs era, I saw addiction as an issue of willpower and morality, and believed only hardened criminals and lowlifes succumbed to it. Alcoholics carried their booze in brown paper bags while they begged for money on the street; addicts sucked on their crack pipes in abandoned homes and stole from anyone they could to get their next hit.

The problem of addiction, I believed, had nothing to do with me or people like me, and — as many in the community voiced

on Monday night — I wouldn’t have wanted to see it or have to deal with it up close. I’d likely have been concerned about living next to a sober house, too. I would have wanted to distance myself from “those people,” too.

I’d have been wrong about that, though; I was wrong about all of it.

I’m writing this today with good intentions, hoping to inspire a different conversation around the new sober house, but also to address the larger misperceptions around addiction and recovery overall.

I also assume good intentions on the part of those who are concerned and critical.

To be clear, I was not at the meeting on April 3, but I did speak at length with Scott Murray, the Marblehead fire captain and supervisor of the sober house, who hosted the meeting and fielded questions from the community for over three hours. Also, as someone who’s been in recovery for nearly nine years, I’m intimately familiar with the misunderstandings and judgments people place at our feet.

Sober living is for sober people.

A big misconception is that sober homes are like treatment centers, but they’re not. Sober homes are where people who are already sober go to transition back into their lives, not a place for those who are actively addicted or detoxing.

There’s a screening process to be accepted, most of the

residents are employed full- or part-time, and most importantly, their stay there is contingent upon their staying sober. If they break their sobriety or do not follow the strict rules of the house, they have to leave immediately.

I’ve known dozens of people, from varying demographics, who have stayed in sober living houses as part of their recovery. These places serve as a critical resource between treatment and “regular” life, offering a safe, reliable, affordable transition point for people.

“Almost all of our residents leave our sober living homes making a positive outward impact on others,” says Mindy Klein, board member of Designed Future, a local sober community in Florida, when I told her about the community response in Marblehead. “Chances are, one of the children they are trying to protect will end up in that exact house someday, and then they will be beyond grateful. I’ve seen it happen over and over again.”

Addiction is everywhere in Marblehead already.

One of the women at the meeting said, “I understand that your dream may be to help addicts, but our dream is to live in Marblehead safely. Our dreams are in conflict with one another.”

The irony of this statement is that the people living in this sober home pose far less risk to this town than all the active addiction hiding in plain

sight. The Marblehead Fire Department gets called out for overdoses and alcohol-related issues nearly daily. Underage drinking and drug use and drunk driving are well-known issues. Our restaurants, homes, school pick-up lines, yacht clubs, backyard parties and town gatherings are filled with people struggling with addiction, but we don’t see it. It’s disguised behind privilege, productivity and wealth.

When I was in the deepest part of my addiction, I was a vice president at an advertising agency in Boston, traveled all over the world for work and had a community of loving family and friends around me who had no clue how much trouble I was in. Nobody would have gone to a town meeting and complained about me being a risk to their children or bringing their property values down, but I was regularly driving my daughter to school hungover, modeling that alcohol was a totally normal and everyday way to connect and cope. Whenever my friends and I got together with our kids, we drank way too much and then drove home. In other words, I was a big risk to myself and the people around me all the time. I did not make Marblehead more safe.

Do you want to know where I learned to be a reliable, trustworthy, safe part of our community? In recovery. From people who live in this town and are all around you. If you want to remove all visible traces of recovery in Marblehead, you’ll have to get rid of entire swaths of

it, including people you depend on and connect with every day: first responders, restaurant workers, yoga teachers, real estate agents, teachers and business owners. You’ll need to shut down the dozen or so 12-step meetings that take place every day, and send a bunch of your neighbors — from Old Town to The Neck and everywhere in between — packing. You’d need to ask me to leave, too.

People in recovery — including the people who run and live in the new sober house — are folks we actually want in our community. They’re not “other people”; they’re us. The only difference is they’re humbly and actively working to address their issues instead of pretending like they don’t exist. When I was struggling, the judgment and stigma put on people “with a problem” kept me drinking and in shame for a long time. My inbox is filled with people who feel the same — many of whom live in our community.

Today, I’m so proud to be someone in recovery, I’m proud of the men who live in the new sober house, and I hope you’ll join me in welcoming them to Marblehead.

Laura McKowen is the bestselling author of “We Are the Luckiest” and “Push Off From Here.” She has written for The New York Times, and her work has been featured in The Atlantic, The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, and more. In 2020, she founded The Luckiest Club, a global sobriety support community.

called 9-1-1 from inside the house and then went outside to wait for the ambulance.

alcoholics and addicts,” he told the crowd.

Murray spoke at the meeting along with Vanderburgh Executive Director Hunter Foote and Michelle Ngila with Worcester Services LLC, which bought the house and is leasing it to Murray.

“I grew up in a household where I learned first hand what alcoholism can do to a family,” said Foote, who founded Vanderburgh in 2016. “There is a huge need for this. Addiction is everywhere. Addiction is in Marblehead.”

Right now, three men live in the Marblehead sober house, but it has the capacity for as many as 20 residents. Rent starts at $235 a week.

Not a treatment center

Foote emphasized that the house is not a treatment center but a structured and supportive sober living community for people who have completed addiction treatment and are transitioning back into society. Drug tests are conducted twice a week, along with random searches. Residents have a 10 p.m. curfew and are assigned chores. Most work full- or part-time.

“They’re not vegging out at home or roaming the streets,” Foote said.

The average stay in a sober house is about three months, according to Murray.

‘Sneaking into the community’ Murray oversees and manages the house, but there is no

full-time employee on site. One of the more senior residents volunteers as a “house mentor” and runs the weekly mandatory meetings and drug testing.

The house is licensed by the nonprofit Massachusetts Alliance of Sober Housing, which contracts with the state and conducts inspections. There are nearly 200 MASH-certified sober houses across the state, but not all sober houses are certified. There are no special town zoning or permitting laws that apply to sober houses.

Neighbors, many shouting at times, accused Foote of “sneaking” into the community without notifying them first and hearing their concerns.

“I really don’t trust you,” one man said.

Most of Vanderburgh’s sober houses are in cities, and many people at the meeting argued that a residential neighborhood is not the right location. Screen process

Neighbors grilled Foote and Murray about the screening process for applicants. The house does not allow people who are sex offenders or arsonists but currently does not do criminal background checks on applicants. It instead relies on virtual or phone screenings and information from referring treatment centers or parole officers.

Several people at the meeting asked if Vanderburgh could conduct criminal background checks moving forward.

“If I want to volunteer at my kid’s school, I need to get a CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) check,” said one woman.

“We’re all good people here,” said another. “We’d like a level of comfort. You could make your requirements more rigorous.”

People also expressed worry about addicts’ relapse rates and what they called “loosey goosey” supervision on the site. The

house will welcome people who have been sober for as little as two weeks, but “95% of folks are 30 days sober or more,” Murray said. He acknowledged that relapse rates are high among addicts but added that they do much better in settings like sober houses.

“How high should I build the fence around my house?” yelled one man.

Another man suggested drugsniffing dogs be brought into the house to search and act as a deterrent. Another worried that the sober house residents might hide their drugs along the bike path.

Murray said that at the Beverly house, police have only been called three times in the last year. He and Foote emphasized that the people who choose to stay in a sober house are committed to their recovery.

Neighbors asked about what they called a “serious incident” involving a sober house resident allegedly overdosing on the street. Murray denied that and said the resident, feeling unsafe,

Police chief weighs in When asked if he had concerns about the sober house, Police Chief Dennis King told the Marblehead Current, “I respect that people have a right to their views and opinions and concerns about sober houses, but our job at the Marblehead Police Department is to treat people fairly and with respect.

“If calls come in that represent a pattern of disruptive or disturbance-like behavior, we will address that with the property owners like we would any other property owner in the same situation,” he added.

King said he planned to stop by the sober house to introduce himself and establish a connection.

‘Dreams are in conflict‘

Foote said he would look into possibly conducting criminal checks and report back. Residents wrote down their email addresses to receive updates and requested a follow-up meeting. Foote agreed to a meeting in the next few months. Foote and Murray said residents can report any grievances to MASH, which will then investigate.

As the meeting wrapped up after nearly three hours, several people talked about hiring a lawyer.

“I understand that your dream may be to help addicts,” one woman said. “But our dream is to live in Marblehead safely. Our dreams are in conflict with one another.”

Marblehead Fire Capt. Scott Murray (right) is supervising the new sober house on Humphrey Street. Michelle Ngila and Hunter Foote are also involved.

A standing-room-only crowd turned out for a meeting at the JCC with the leaders of a new sober house in town.

Opinion

EDiTOri A l

Time to put leaf blower matter to bed

Don’t look now, but gas-powered leaf blowers are back before the Town Meeting. We think it is time to put the matter to rest for the last time.

Last year, after a decade of debate, the town voted to ban the noisy machines from being used during the summer months. Electric blowers would be allowed to sweep up grass clippings and other lighter debris. The ban was supposed to be in effect from Memorial Day to Labor Day giving homeowners and their landscapers ample time to conduct spring and fall cleanups — and giving residents a noise-free and dust-free summer when many folks have their windows open.

But something happened in the process. No one thought to put enforcement provisions in the new bylaw.

“It was an oversight,” said proponent Jeannie Stahl.

Thus, it was business as usual throughout the summer of 2022.

This year, there are two articles in the warrant dealing with gas-powered leaf blowers. Article 47 calls on Town Meeting to remove the 2022 bylaw regulating gas-powered leaf blowers.

But Article 48 seeks to put teeth in the 2022 bylaw and names both the Health Department and Police Department as the enforcing authorities. The Select Board would have the power to suspend the ban in an emergency. Proponents say the issue has come before Town Meetings for at least the last 10 years.

Interestingly, penalties for violation of the ban would be placed on the homeowner, not the offending landscaper.

We think that this is the proper way to enforce the bylaw and a nod to the landscaping companies who otherwise would be caught between the rule of law and demanding homeowners who like their properties to be spotless.

Written warnings would be issued to the property owner for the first violation. A $100 fine would be imposed for the second and $200 for any violation thereafter.

No one can say that the leaf blower ban has not been argued before Town Meeting repeatedly. Proponents have been flexible over the years to reach consensus and finally reached it last year. They trimmed their proposal year after year, narrowing the window from Memorial Day to Labor Day in the last go-round, so no one can say they did not compromise.

We hope that, if Town Meeting grants enforcement powers, the Police and Health departments will take those powers seriously so that Marbleheaders can enjoy a quiet, dust-free summer.

EVErYTHiNG W ill BE OKAY

Driving Miss Ginny

BY VIRGINIA BUCKINGHAM

I got my first car when I graduated from college — a basic Chevy model with a stick shift, but I remember driving it home to Boston from the Connecticut dealership like I was behind the wheel of a Ferrari. Where I come from, owning a car in high school or college was a luxury, unless it was a total junker. For my parents, a purchase of a new car was akin to the excitement of bringing a new baby home, and they had eight of them — babies, not cars. I remember watching my mother pull the curtain back from the living-room window just to gaze in appreciation at their purchase.

Having a decent car meant something — not status, but freedom. To drive yourself to work. To the grocery store. To the local lake on a hot day. To the once-a-year vacation.

My second car, a four-door Mazda, was a step up from the first, the bigger monthly payment possible after working a few years. I found myself admiring it from the window of my apartment, an echo of learned appreciation for having the ability to buy a decent car.

I’ve had many since those first two. Cars with sunroofs and “sport” mode. Big SUVs that could fit car pools and skis. Smaller company-paid cars, which was a thrill — a decent car and no car payment!

Recently, an injury left me unable to drive for almost two months. I owe a big debt of gratitude to all who drove me where I needed or just wanted to go in that time period. Two months felt like two years (to them, too)!

Now that I’m driving myself again, I’m reflecting on the question of why it feels so fundamental to be able to drive yourself — not only practically, but emotionally. Why did I feel at such a loss when I couldn’t?

Much is made of the so-called American “car culture.” According to the most recent U.S. Census and

other federal data, 92 percent of American households own at least one car. There are almost 275 million personal and commercially registered vehicles. And the average American drove almost 14,000 miles in 2022. The Boston metro area has the fourth lowest rate of car ownership for an urban area but even so, at more than 82 percent, we far exceed the lowest, the New York metro area, which is at about 56 percent.

Commentary about this affinity for driving has a “tut-tut” tone to it these days. Bike lanes and mass transportation are the emphasis. I support sustainability initiatives, but I personally don’t think making owning and driving a car harder is the solution.

Cars, to me, unless you live in a city, are necessary tools and also something more. They get you where you need to go. They are fundamental to a sense of self-reliance. And having access to a car offers the possibility of adventure — or, sometimes, escape.

Could you look at yourself honestly when you had young kids — or were just having a really bad day — and not admit wondering how far you could get on a full tank of gas? Who hasn’t thought about driving from here to California, just because? Closer to home, who doesn’t love taking a “Neck run” or a drive around Nahant?

There’s a debate over whether our love of driving is borne of the independent American spirit or whether it has been inculcated by the car industry and popular culture. The lyrics to Springsteen’s “Thunder Road” certainly pick some romantic chord in me — “Hey, what else can we do now? Except roll down the window and let the wind blow back your hair. Well, the night’s busting open, these two lanes will take us anywhere.” If I’ve been inculcated, may I say, “Thanks, Bruce!”

Do you have a favorite song about driving and the invitation offered by the open road? Play it on your next Neck run. I won’t tut-tut, but drive safe. I’ll be driving myself right behind you.

Virginia Buckingham is the president of the Current’s board of directors. Her column appears weekly.

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.

BY COURT MERRIGAN

Amidst all the change we’ve undergone as a family since coming to Marblehead from Wyoming last fall, it’s been comforting that a few things have remained the same. To wit: winter is long.

Opening Day is cold. Each March, my Creighton Bluejays will decide they don’t want to play basketball anymore and get booted from the NCAA tournament. The wind will blow — it has proven to be much windier here in Marblehead than I would’ve thought. And this is saying something, hailing as I do from the state that invented the

word “windstorm.” The other consistency: kids everywhere have school concerts.

In common with parents everywhere, I’ve attended recitals since my kids were old enough to toddle on stage. Dance, band, choir, theater — if there’s a show, I’ll be there. They’re great fun, these shows. You get all the pride of watching your child perform and you also get a closet full of ballet outfits, cute little tap shoes and musical instruments. I collect programs to be carefully filed away later, clap with pride and then we all take a trip to the Dairy Queen for a sundae.

So I was expecting much the same when it came time for my sixth-grader to have his spring band

recital, even if there is no DQ in Marblehead (I can put a plug in for Terry’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream Shop, though. The black raspberry is to die for). But the show went beyond my expectations.

The format featured all the local school bands from fourth grade to high school. Waylon’s combined fifth and sixth grade band played “Colliding Visions.” The crowd was rip-roaringly enthusiastic.

You could really feel the appreciation for the kids and all the nerves that accompany performing in front of a packed auditorium at 12 years of age. In the case of my kid, he’d never so much as touched a trombone before we moved to

MY MA rBlEHEAD FirST TiME

‘Marblehead Forever’: Life in a town with its own song

CURRENT PHOTO / COURT MERRIGAN

The Veterans School fifth and sixth grade band played “Colliding Visions” at a recent concert.

Firefighters thank Female Humane Society

TO THE EDITOR:

The Marblehead Fire Department would like to acknowledge Directress Barbara Spiess Miller of the Marblehead Female Humane Society for their generous donation to our Senior SAFE program.

SAFE and Senior SAFE is a Massachusetts Department of Fire Services grant program that the Marblehead Fire Department has participated in and received for the last 25 years. The grant provides funding for student fire education in our schools, and Senior SAFE is a partnership with Marblehead Council on Aging.

We are experiencing a delay in the distribution of funds at the state level. We had to put our home safety audits on hold due to lack of funding for supplies.

Sharon Doliber of the Marblehead Council on Aging reached out to the MFHS and secured a $3,000 donation for the purchase of over 40 smoke detectors, 20 carbon monoxide detectors and 20 residential lock boxes. These detectors and lock boxes will enable the Marblehead Fire Department and Marblehead Council on Aging to get back out and provide free detectors and lock boxes to our older residents.

Our program strives to buy local. Fred Ferris and Karl Smith of Marblehead Hardware have continually supported our program by providing high-quality and affordable products.

The Marblehead Fire Department Library

foundation

To the editor:

Kudos to Abbot Public Library for the start of construction at 235 Pleasant St. this spring. Thanks to our town’s generous taxpayers (who approved the $8.5 million override request in 2021) and the private donors who gave $1 million towards the $9.5 million library renovation project, our 17th-century town is indeed getting closer to having a 21st-century library.

Once again, through this successful effort, our town honors the time-tested public-private partnership history of our library’s humble origin that began 146 years ago as a modest reading room at Abbot Hall.

Years in the making, we couldn’t be prouder of the accomplishments shared by all the teams working together to make this transformation come to fruition. The heart of the work includes new energy-efficient heating, cooling and lighting systems, upgraded and expanded

Marblehead. On several occasions, the sounds emanating from his room as he practiced proved it. But there he was, gamely playing, and though I didn’t catch a clear view of him up on the stage, I do think I detected a few trombone notes coming through.

Afterwards, Waylon told me he didn’t think the audience would cheer so loud.

Well, I asked him, what did you expect?

Just ice cream, he said.

At which point I tousled his hair and said, “All right, buddy let’s go.”

I must mention the fourth grade band. First off, I was impressed by the director’s ability to corral many fourth graders into sitting still … and then they played a dozen songs! I performed at a similar age at my tiny little country school out west, up on the stage in the gym. We were only a four-piece outfit, because not many of the sons and daughters of farmers had time for music. My mom played piano and is a singer,

fire alarm and sprinkler systems, a new elevator, a redesigned main floor, and new finishes throughout the space.

Meanwhile, the library is offering an impressive array of programs and services at their temporary location at the former Eveleth Elementary School at 3 Brook Road. In March, children could attend approximately 30 programs, including playgroups, yoga, author visits, storytime, chess meetups and art classes. Teens and adults could choose from more than 20 programs on topics such as tax counseling, assistance with digital devices, local marine science, a delightful poetry salon, craft programs, three different book groups and a very popular support group for older adults. The small meeting room is heavily booked by local garden clubs and committees.

Imagine the possibilities when the library returns to 235 Pleasant St., where there will be more meeting spaces in a variety of configurations, better access to technology, including high-speed WiFi, bright airy spaces for gathering, and a maker space.

We can’t wait to see the new Carten Gallery, which will be larger and adjacent to an event space with new hybrid technology, a catering kitchen and access to a newly designed garden space.

Now more than ever, we appreciate the work of public libraries. While many cities across our country are facing financial hardships in keeping doors to their libraries open, our town is ensuring that our newly renovated library continues to provide free, inclusive and adaptive spaces for gathering as well as fulfill its vital role as a supporter of literacy, lifelong learning, pursuit of knowledge and access to trusted information.

The Abbot Public Library Foundation is proud to continue building on the publicprivate partnership for Abbot Public Library. We have long appreciated the generosity and forward-thinking support of our committed citizens to maintain our library, the heart of our community.

ABBOT PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

EuRim Chun

Cathe Chiaramonte

John Donovan

Laurie Flowers

Kimberly Grad

Ted Grant

Ann Mizner McKay

Deb Payson

Maeve Rice

Mike Shanahan

Phyllis B. Smith

Meryl Thompson

Vote ‘yes’ to change Select Board term

To the editor: The Marblehead Select Board has a

however, so in our house, music appreciation was a required subject. I knew from an early age that I’d be up on that stage at the earliest opportunity. I was so nervous I couldn’t even hold my trumpet up straight because I was too afraid to look out into the crowd as we plodded through “Three Blind Mice” and ”Row Row Row Your Boat.” Here, though, the fourth grade band brought down the house with a rendition of “Seven Nation Army.”

TO WN OF MA R BLEHE AD BOA R D OF APP EALS The Board of Appeals will hold FINAL-21 Mon, Apr 10, 2023 3:56:54 PM

very unique service format, a one-year term. No other Select Board or School Committee we know of has a one-year term. Most towns have a three-year term for a reason. It improves governance and builds commitment. Article 44 proposes moving to a three-year term to do just that while maintaining cherished traditions.

Governance

Many tend to think of the Select Board as a legislative body, but it is an executive body, as the board functions collectively as a mayor. When we think of any executive position — be it mayor, governor, or president — they are always multi-year terms. Why? So that long-term strategies, initiatives, plans and subcommittee leadership can be developed carefully and thoughtfully over an extended period of time.

We want our Select Board to focus on running the town and not running for reelection. Presently, in any given 12-month period, a Select Board candidate will have run two campaigns. Think about that. Twice in 12 months, three times in 24 months — planting lawn signs instead of working on budgets!

Moving to a three-year term would align with the School Committee and other Select Boards in the area. In any year, one or two seats would be up for election, hence the term “staggered.” This allows for an experience base to remain as new people come on board. Would we really want a freshman class of five Select Board members, year after year, every year? No, we would not.

Some like the one-year term so we can quote “throw the bums out.” But frankly, today’s Marblehead voters are a sophisticated bunch with social media and internet research capabilities that were unheard of even a few years ago. Also, with a smaller field, it allows voters a chance to focus on individual candidates so as not to let the “bums” in to begin with.

Commitment

Town government in the year 2023 is complicated stuff. We have some huge issues in front of us, including ARPA projects, structural deficits, cash management and rebuilding a crumbling infrastructure of neglected roads, sidewalks, buildings and IT systems. We need people committed to three years of learning, listening and leadership. We need committed leadership for the long haul.

Tradition

Marblehead has a long history of preserving tradition while using Yankee ingenuity to keep up with the times. We have preserved Abbot Hall, Fort Sewall and the Old Town House yet kept up with the times by adding handicapped accessibility, energy efficiency and even bathrooms!

Our Town Meeting now features projectors and PowerPoint presentations — unheard of in 1649. The very first Select Board was a group of seven members, all men with a one-year term. No women were allowed at Town Meeting. We have progressed very nicely to a group of five men and women with Zoom calls and a town administrator. Now it’s time for another tweak to make the one-year term three years!

One final note: This year’s election will go on as usual, with a one-year term. The transition will start with a one-time election transition format to set up the stagger. After that, the elections would look just like the School Committee or other boards.

We urge you to vote YES for Article 44 and preserve tradition and improve democracy!

Jim Zisson Mound Road

DiZoglio obligated to audit Legislature

To the editor:

As a concerned citizen of Massachusetts, we are appalled by the amount of power held by the speaker of the State House over the legislative process. It is unacceptable that one person has the ability to control which bills are allowed to pass, who chairs committees and even where legislators’ offices are located. This level of control creates a situation where the voice of the people is stifled and the principles of democracy are undermined.

The fact that the speaker controls any additional salaries over and above the base rate of $75,000 that each rep is paid is particularly concerning. This addition can range between $17,042 and $73,851. This creates a situation where legislators are beholden to the speaker for their enhanced livelihoods, which can prevent them from speaking out against the speaker’s ideas or decisions or advocating for issues that may not be in the speaker’s favor. This is not only unethical but also a direct threat to the democratic process.

Furthermore, the speaker’s control over committee assignments, resources and even parking spots creates a situation in which certain legislators are favored over others. This undermines the principles of democracy and fair representation.

Therefore, we applaud State Auditor Diana DiZoglio’s bravery in announcing her intent to conduct the first audit of the state legislature in 100 years.

Cathy Marie Michael Nicholson Hill Judith Black Prospect Street

its own town song. Sure, it may be a bygone relic of the temperance era, but I’ve never lived in a town someone composed a song over, just as they compose art.

So kudos to the band directors, especially Greg Harris at Village School, as well as the kids and this community, for turning out and then showing out for our kids. It’s a rite of

passage, a spring band concert, just as special for a kid whether it is their first or eighth time.

Marblehead Forever, I say, Marblehead Forever.

As always, if you’ve got an idea upon which I can embark for a Marblehead First Time, drop me a line at court.merrigan@gmail. com .

§18, this public hearing of the Board is being conducted via remote participation. The public can attend this meeting via the remote participation platform through the following ways: Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom. us/j/8787834 7282?pwd=enlwRXd3 V2xmdHE3c y92Sk1TU1BTUT09 Dial in +1 646 558 8656 Meeting ID: 878 7834 7282 Passcode: 404568

The other highly endearing thing about the evening? The entire ensemble, fourth grade through 12th, assembled to play “Marblehead Forever.” Some of the musicians, including a couple ’bone players, even stood in the aisles to bring the tune home. The audience clapped along in time. And though I’d never heard the tune before, by the end I was ready to strap on a football helmet and run through a brick wall for dear old Marblehead.

It was only later that I learned this tune isn’t just a school fight song. Marblehead actually has

Races, smiling faces at Girl Scout Derby

The Marblehead Girl Scout Service Unit held its annual Marblehead Girl Scout Derby April 1 at the Brown School.

Sixty-nine Girl Scouts ages 5 and up flexed their STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) muscles to turn a block of pinewood into a gravitypropelled race car.

After building their cars at home, the Girl Scouts had to pass inspection with a volunteer pit crew on site at the Brown School to ensure that their cars complied with the derby’s rules and regulations.

The school auditorium filled with cheers as the cars were sent down a six-lane ramp in six separate heats to compete for trophies in six categories.

“Win or lose, this girl-led friendly competition helps our Girl Scouts develop leadership skills, own a sense of accomplishment in the car that they have designed and build good sportsmanship skills,” said Calista Maharaj, a co-leader of Cadette Troop 82194 and Girl Scout regional delegate.

Derby results are as follows:

Overall Fastest Speed

1. Addison Torrence

2. Cara Crandall

3. Parker Horgan

Daisy

1. Winnie Gallagher

2. Sidney Rosenhagen

3. Eleanor Park Brownie

1. Milly Gallagher

the Bay State. Between 2012 and today, Brookline, Winchester, Lexington, Cambridge, Lincoln, Newton and Arlington have such bans.

Jeanie Stahl and Dr. Kathy Breslin, two main sponsors of Article 48, said they believe the ban passed in 2022 because information on the adverse effects of gasolinepowered leaf blowers is more prevalent in society.

“There is more data. The big thing that’s changed is the public is getting educated,” said Stahl, sitting at a table with Breslin in her home. “So

2. Rosie Smith

3. Emily Herendeen Juniors and Cadettes

1. Sivan Hod

2. Eloise Cohen-Mavros

3. Skyler Finn

Most Like an Animal

Vivien Lien

Most Girl Scout Spirit

Maeve Weibust

Most Like a Race Car

Eloise Gummere

Most Colorful Car

Ayla Fox

Best Overall Car Design

Beatrix Marcy

Twelve individual troops comprise and 128 participants comprise the Marblehead Girl Scout Service Unit, which is affiliated with the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts.

our municipalities, state governments and people are starting to realize that the science out there says gas-powered leaf blowers are unhealthy.”

Breslin said she lives in a condominium complex where leaf blowing can go on for three hours, and she says that no one should be subjected to such a high level of noise.

“I treat a lot of people with hearing loss, including landscapers,” she said. “As people accumulate so many years of loud noise, they ultimately have difficulty hearing as they age.”

Prolonged exposure to noise at or above 85 decibels can result in permanent hearing loss,

according to the National Institute of Health. The agency reports the extent of damage to your hearing caused by noise depends on three factors:

Decibel level: How loud the sound is.

Distance: How close you are to the source of the sound.

Time: The length of time

you are exposed to the sound.

A Massachusetts Medical Society report notes gasoline leaf blowers produce between 95 and 110 decibels. To put that in context, that’s equivalent to a plane taking off or a construction worker jackhammering cement.

The Marblehead Current attempted to reach the sponsor of Article 47. However, in prior years and at past Town Meetings, some residents and owners of landscaping companies argued they use gas-powered leaf blowers to efficiently carry out their lawn care.

A ban also impacts the bottom line because alternatives, including electric and batteryoperated leaf blowers, are less efficient, they’ve argued. Opponents also express their use as a

matter of individual freedom.

Gas-powered leaf blowers also produce significant pollution, emitting a range of harmful substances such as carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides, hydrocarbons, raw gasoline and fine particulate matter.

“These leaf blowers produce harmful emissions and volatile organic compounds that can worsen respiratory problems and contribute to climate change,” Breslin said. “And again, the noise pollution they create can be a real nuisance for residents and wildlife alike.”

In addition to the proposed bylaw, some residents believe the ban could help Marblhread reach its net-zero emissions goal by 2040.

COURTESY PHOTO / NATIONAL INSITUTE OF HEALTH

A Venn diagram explaining three factors that contribute to hearing loss from prolonged exposure to sounds higher than 85 decibels.

COURTESY PHOTOS

Winners in the Marblehead Girl Scout Derby proudly display their newly acquired trophies April 1 at the Brown School.

Merrill Wysor, left, and Juliette Gummere show off their creations for the Marblehead Girl Scout Derby, which was held April 1 at the Brown School.

A cheering section from Daisy Troop 77611 gets ready to support their troop mates in the Girl Scout Derby April 1 at Brown School.

MAGiCi ANS NOTEBOOK

Seasons begin for baseball and girls lacrosse

BY JOE McCONNELL

Baseball drops opener to Danvers

In the summer of 2018, Mike Moroney was helping lead his Danvers National Little League Williamsport all-star teammates to the state championship game against Pittsfield American in Millbury. This spring, he is trying to do the same for the Danvers High School varsity baseball team. After one game, he is off to a great start.

In the Falcons’ 17-8 triumph over host Marblehead on April 5, Moroney started the game on the mound and gave up six hits, one walk and four runs (one earned) over five innings. He was also one of the offensive leaders with four hits in five at-bats, including a triple. He knocked in two runs, scored twice and stole one base.

Danvers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first and then scored six runs in both the fifth and seventh innings to seal the deal late.

“Mike Maroney was absolutely dealing for Danvers, going five strong for the win,” said Marblehead coach Mike Giardi.

Senior captain Shane Keough helped pace the Marblehead offensive attack with two hits and one RBI. Chris Cannuscio also connected on two hits that drove home three runs. Stefan Shepard scored once on two hits. The Magicians were credited with nine hits in the game.

Girls lacrosse looks to get untracked

The Marblehead girls lacrosse team opened up the season with three nonleague losses, but there is still plenty of time to turn things around.

The Magicians were at Woburn on March 30, where the host Tanners defeated them, 13-4. The home team led at the half, 5-2.

Isabelle Ferrante (one goal), Sydney Langton (one goal, one assist) and Ramona Gillett (two goals) accounted for the Marblehead offense. Goalie Addie Lydon made 10 saves.

On April 3, the Marblehead girls came home to Piper Field, only to lose a close battle to Manchester Essex, 7-5. The Hornets led at the break, 6-4. Each side scored just once in the second half.

Langton (one goal, one assist, four caused turnovers, three ground balls) once again stood out for the local entry. Maddie Forbes (one goal, three ground balls), Gretchen Smith (two goals, one assist, one ground ball), Neely Payne (one ground ball) and Gillett (one goal, one assist) also contributed in this game. Lydon came up with eight saves to keep things close.

It was another close game three days later in Ipswich as the host Tigers escaped with a 6-5 victory. The Marblehead girls did outscore Ipswich, 2-1, in the second half but not enough to overcome the halftime two-goal deficit, 5-3.

Gillett (three goals, three ground balls) was the leader on offense against Ipswich. Gretchen Smith chipped in with two scores. Caroline Scroope netted one. Lucy Wales collected one ground ball. Langton was credited with an assist, two ground balls and one interception. Kate Burns and Forbes had one ground ball apiece. Lydon saved nine shots in net.

Setting a Dyer standard

Hockey icon a pioneer for generations of girls

BY JOE McCONNELL

Since 1987, the month of March has been set aside to celebrate the contributions of women in history, culture and society. Locally, Kelly Dyer Hayes certainly stands out as a woman of achievement, who helped pioneer the evolution of hockey for girls and women as a goalie.

Dyer Hayes never thought of herself as a pioneer while growing up in Acton. She just naturally fit in well on the ice.

“I didn’t really see any restrictions; I’m sure there were some, but I never paused long enough to see them,” she said. “I actually started off as a figure skater, but then as Bobby Orr was lighting things up with the Boston Bruins, every kid on all the side streets wanted to be him.”

Dyer, too, wanted to be Orr, at least until she decided she would much rather be like Bruins’ goalie Gerry Cheevers.

“But the goalie I actually looked up to the most was Ken Dryden of the Montréal Canadiens,” she explained.

After getting her start in youth hockey, Dyer Hayes participated in track, soccer and softball — in addition to hockey — at Acton-Boxborough High School, before spending a year at the New Hampton School, where she played three sports:

soccer, lacrosse and hockey. She ended up in the Hall of Fame at both schools. It was then time for college, and her choice was Northeastern University, where she helped lead the Huskies in goal, starting in 1986.

Born to be a Husky

Dyer Hayes had been considering the University of New Hampshire and the Rochester Institute of Technology, but

once she toured Northeastern, there was never a question where Dyer Hayes would attend college.

“Once I walked into Matthews Arena, I knew that’s where I wanted to play, and of course they had tremendous academics and the co-op program,” she said. “Their uniforms also had the best colors — black and red.”

Talented freshmen may help Magicians ‘reload’

Softball begins new campaign with much promise

BY JOE McCONNELL

This spring, Marblehead High veteran softball coach Johnny Gold has a program that is filled with young, eager players. This normally means a rebuilding season, but by the time the state tournament rolls around, it just might be your classic “reload,” if history means anything.

Gold is carrying 14 players on the varsity and 14 more on the JV squad. Five of those varsity players are freshmen — Tessa Francis, Hailey Schmitt, Tessa Andriano and twins Ashley and Isabell Mortenson — and they all know how to win. They have been playing together for several years in the Marblehead Softball Little League, where they have succeeded beyond the town’s borders, securing Little League and Junior Little League state titles.

“We definitely have a very young team with only one senior (Anna Bobowski) on the varsity roster,” said Gold. The rest of the varsity roster includes

two sophomores (Lyla McGovern and Penguin Academy transfer student Luka Fornhorst) and six juniors (Clara Donovan, Sophia Hallisey, Ruby Calienes, Ila Bumagin, Eva Walton and Colleen Corrigen).

The Magicians lost their opener to Salem, 4-3, but for the first time out this season in a real game, they played pretty well, according to Gold.

Francis is the team’s regular starter in the circle, while Fornhorst is behind the plate setting up the location of her pitches. McGovern is at first, and Calienes and Schmitt have everything under control up the middle at second base and shortstop, respectively.

Andriano, who is coming off a sensational girls basketball season, is guarding the hot corner at third base. Andriano, again just a freshman, helped lead coach Paul Moran’s club to the postseason. Gold hopes her talent and influence will guide the rest of his team to

the same destination.

Ashley Mortenson is patrolling centerfield, while twin sister Isabell will be next to her in right, or she can be McGovern’s backup behind the plate. Bumagin is the left fielder.

Gold will once again rely on his veteran assistants Todd Norman and Joe Fields. Norman is his third base coach, and his responsibilities include going through the signs for the batters. Fields is Gold’s bench coach.

Michael Joyce also returns to his staff for the 10th straight year to help out the team with other vital tasks that helps the entire operation run smoothly. Taylor Henry, a teacher at the Glover School, is the JV coach for the third year in a row.

After taking on Saugus April 7, the Magicians will be off for a few days before heading to Gloucester Wednesday, April 12 to go up against the Fishermen, starting at 4:30 p.m.

Longtime Marblehead resident Kelly Dyer Hayes is shown on the cover of the fall 1998 issue of the SGMA (Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association) Today magazine

COURTESY PHOTOS T

Longtime Marblehead resident and ice hockey pioneer Kelly Dyer Hayes is shown with USA Hockey President Walter Bush and President of Hockey Canada Murray Costello at the Salt Lake City Olympics in 2002, where Dyer Hayes served as the game day operations manager for men’s and women’s ice hockey.

DYER, P. A10

MHS VA rSiTY SpOrTS SCHEDU lES

Wednesday, April 12

4 p.m. girls tennis vs. Swampscott at Swampscott Middle 4 p.m. boys tennis vs. Swampscott at Marblehead High

4:30 p.m. sailing vs. Lincoln-Sudbury at Pleon Yacht Club

4:30 p.m. softball vs. Gloucester at Gloucester High

Thursday, April 13

4 p.m. girls lacrosse vs. Swampscott at Blocksidge Field, Swampscott

4 p.m. boys lacrosse vs. Swampscott at Marblehead High Piper Field

4:30 p.m. sailing vs. Winchester at Winchester Boat Club

4:30 p.m. boys tennis vs. Brookline at Marblehead High

Friday, April 14

4 p.m. baseball vs. Masconomet at Seaside Park

4:30

Navigators seeking host families for 2023 season

The North Shore Navigators of the New England Collegiate Baseball League are seeking host families for the 2023 season.

In order to continue bringing in talented players from all over the country, the Navigators, who play their home games at Frasier Field in Lynn, are looking to add to their dedicated group of host families.

Host family requirements are simple: a bed, laundry facilities (for personal items), a parking spot (some players do not have cars; some do) and some help with meals.

“The players are provided with food before and after games, so don’t let feeding them be a deal-breaker because the bed is needed most!” the Navigators stressed.

Each host family will receive a stipend based on the number of players they host, a season ticket for each family member, as well as a special Navs gift package. Players will arrive in the North Shore area shortly before the season begins on Wednesday, June 7 and will remain through early to mid-August.

To express interest in becoming a host family or for more information, email Derek January at dj@nsnavs. com. Stay up to date on the latest Navs news by visiting nsnavs.com and following the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Sailing scholarship offered to teenage girls

The Women’s Sailing Foundation is offering the Sue Corl Youth Sailing Scholarship in 2023 to young women 14 to 19 years old who want to broaden their sailing experiences but need financial assistance in order to do so.

The scholarship was established in 2015 in memory of Sue Corl of Marblehead, a board member and a tireless advocate for WSF programs. Opportunities for interested girls

The games were fierce.

UNH, Providence College and Northeastern University had the best women’s hockey programs around back then, while the Ivy League teams were up and coming, according to Dyer Hayes.

“It was fun to see the other teams’ growth and development in such a short amount of time,” she added.

The Huskies had never won an ECAC (the precursor to the NCAA tournament) championship before she got to the Huntington Avenue campus. But that all changed during her junior and senior years, when they won back-to-back to titles.

“We had very strong teams,” Dyer Hayes recalled. “In my senior year, I was one of seven seniors that united the rest of the team from Day 1. We then stayed connected through to the end.”

She had a career 2.04 goalsagainst average at Northeastern and was the team MVP her final two seasons. The Huskies went 48-3-1 during those two years.

Dyer Hayes was a three-sport athlete at Northeastern, also playing soccer and lacrosse.

Besides winning the ECAC Tournament twice, she was also a Beanpot champion four times, assistant team captain and MVP.

After graduating in 1990, she became the team’s goalie coach from 1990-1993 and was later inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame. She was also named to the Northeastern University’s Celebration of Women in Sports all-time Title IX team.

Family affair

Dyer Hayes credits her brother David for her involvement in hockey.

“We’d be in the same arena at

may include, but are not limited to, an advanced sailing program, a racing program, a tall ship or liveaboard experience or a marine or maritime-related program.

The scholarship — up to $500 — will be awarded to one applicant who would be unable to attend the program of her choosing without financial assistance. The scholarship funds are applied to the tuition cost. WSF encourages all eligible young women to apply.

Applications must be received by April 15. When there are multiple requests for a program, sailing-related programs take precedence.

For more information and an online application, go to womensailing.org/sue-corlyouth-sailing-scholarship. For questions specifically related to the scholarship, email SueCorlScholarship@ womensailing.org.

Donations to the fund may be

made online to womensailing. org/get-involved/donate-now/ or by check made payable to the Women’s Sailing Foundation and mailed to the Women’s Sailing Foundation, P.O. Box 588, Marblehead, MA 01945.

The Women’s Sailing Foundation is a 501(c)(3) educational organization. Its mission is to enhance the lives of women and girls through education and access to the sport of sailing.

The two main sponsors of the foundation are the National Women’s Sailing Association and AdventureSail.

WSF accomplishes its mission by providing NWSA members with educational programs and opportunities in sailing and networking. The AdventureSail program is a life-enhancing mentoring program for underrepresented girls. For more information, visit womensailing. org.

the same time,” she said. “He was playing hockey, and I was a figure skater. When I wasn’t on the ice, I’d go over to the other side of the arena and watch him play hockey, and it seemed a lot more exciting than my figure skating lessons.”

Still, Dyer Hayes had to ask for almost two years if she could play ice hockey until her father finally found a girls program in Concord, the next town over.

“Playing sports was as natural as breathing back then; whatever was being played, I just jumped

in and played it,” she added. She was always supported by family — her parents, Joan and Richard, now living in the Washington, D.C. area; and older brother, David, who today lives in Dover, New Hampshire. Kelly married her husband, Christopher Hayes, in 2005, and their daughter Elizabeth was born three years later.

After her stint at Northeastern as a player and while working at the school as a coach, she played on the Team USA Women’s National Team from 1990 to 1996. In her first season

on the national team, she was team MVP. She also earned the goaltender’s award.

From 1993 to 1995, Dyer Hayes played professionally in the Sunshine Hockey League for the West Palm Beach Blaze. She was only the third female hockey player to play men’s professional hockey. The Blaze won the league title all three years she was there.

Not the retiring type

Dyer Hayes moved to Marblehead from Louisville in 1997, just before heading off to the 1998 Olympics in Nagano, Japan, where she worked for USA Hockey as an athlete representative for women’s ice hockey.

While in Kentucky, Dyer Hayes had been working in the corporate headquarters of Louisville Hockey, a division of Louisville Slugger, as a product manager to advance its hockey division, while also creating a line of women’s ice hockey equipment. They sponsored her when she was a player.

“It was a great experience, but I was excited to get back to New England,” she added.

But she also continued to work with Louisville Hockey until 2010.

In 2002 at the Salt Lake City Olympics, Dyer Hayes was USA Hockey’s game day operations manager for both the men’s and women’s ice hockey squads. It is always difficult to give everything up, but sooner or later it happens to every player. For Dyer Hayes, that did not happen until after completing her pro career.

“Retirement was not that hard — I simply knew it was time,” she said. “I had a wonderful career and had so many opportunities to play in so many different places.

I felt satisfied with all my accomplishments. I was involved in hockey on many levels, from representing athletes to being on the executive committee of USA Hockey to running an all-girls goalie school with Joe Bertagna to coaching goalies at various schools. I also sold hockey equipment with a specialty in goalie gear.”

She is also involved in the Women’s Sports Foundation, where she is a representative for the sport of ice hockey.

Dyer Hayes is currently trying to decide what her life’s next great adventure might be. But if her history is any indication, she is sure to find success.

Longtime Marblehead resident and ice hockey pioneer Kelly Dyer Hayes, first row, third from right, is shown with the Marblehead Wolfpack, the town’s cold-water dip team, before making a splash in the Atlantic on a recent winter day.

Dyer Hayes was featured on this hockey card produced for the 1994 Women’s World Championships at Lake Placid, New York.

COURTESY PHOTOS

Dyer Hayes meets Boston Bruins Hall of Fame defenseman Bobby Orr at the Assabet Arena in Concord when she was a 12-yearold youth hockey player.

WOMEN’S SA iliNG FOUNDATiON

Frost’s ingenious M.O.

BY BOB BAKER

It’s one thing to have an idea; the trick is to package it in its most effective form.

Arrival at that ideal place requires deciding which elements to discard, which to retain and refine, which to combine; which new elements to consider. It’s an often confusing journey of decisions-decisions-decisions.

“The Road Not Taken,” one of Robert Frost’s most popular poems, speaks to that journey: “Two roads diverged in the wood / And I took the one … / And that has made all the difference.”

nnn Little could I know when the phone rang that evening in 1954 that I was about to discover a “shortcut” that would simplify my own journeys — in the realm of ideas, and life itself.

The call was from Don Edwards, a guy from New Canaan I’d met freshman year at UConn but scarcely knew. Don had a date lined up, and would I like to meet

and party up with her friend?

Saturday night, I saddle up my ‘43 Merc in Greenwich and course the Merritt Parkway to meet Don in greater downtown New Canaan. I jump into Don’s vehicle and, en route to datesville, seek to find out where Don’s coming from — other than New Canaan. At one point I asked what his dad did.

“Oh, he … he’s Robert Frost’s editor,” Don tosses off. He could as easily have said, “He’s the assistant bookkeeper for the Horticultural Society.” It was that ho-hum.

(I mean, here I am, a literary wannabe extraordinaire, and this Don guy, did he say … Robert Frost?! America’s poet damn laureate?!)

“Your dad … Robert Frost’s? … editor?”

“Yuh.”

“You … ever … meet? … Robert Frost?”

“Sure.”

“Spend any time with him?”

“Yeah.”

“TELL me about him!” I keep pumping him, 83 questions in 92 seconds. But Robert Frost isn’t

of interest to Don — fingers drumming steering wheel; not-answering, not-answering, not-answering.

Finally. “Oh yeah. Went to Frost’s farm when I was a kid. Stayed overnight. Took walks with him sometimes.”

“You walked with … ?! What happened? He say or do anything … ?”

“Nah. Not much. We just walked. Around. You know. Through woods and stuff.”

“Must be something you remember about it! Anything, Don. C’mon, Don … gotta be something!”

“Oh yeah. One thing. His old jacket ... every now and then as we’re walking along, he grabs a stubby pencil and piece of scratch paper from a pocket ... scribbles something ... sticks it in another pocket. On the way back, we stop at a cabin up from the house. He opens the door, grabs the scribbled papers, chucks ’em in a beat-up old leather mailman’s bag on the table right inside the door there.”

nnn

Wow. Robert Frost’s thought

file: Empty the bag onto the table. Paw and scan the scribbles. Most go smack back in the bag. Some in the wastebasket — “Whatever the hell was I thinking?” A dozen maybe get spread on the tabletop. Mix and match. “This and this might work together … a germ somewhere in these three … but how about this … with this?! These boys … connect!”

I’ve adopted it as a primo organizational-formatting device. I call it Connect-aThought. On a given project: A slew of thoughts-bearing 3-inchby-3-inch pad pages spread out on a tabletop. Winnow, winnow, winnow. Add a couple new ideas. Now — maybe the best part of the system! — rearrange the sequence … maybe three or four times … just by reordering little pieces of paper! Now type up that final sequencing — as opposed to typing or longhanding a whole new page each time you re-sequence a multi-item list.

nnn That Robert Frost anecdote is ripe with possibilities, none

of which is that I made it up. This much I know for sure.

From Lawrance Thompson’s “Robert Frost: The Later Years”: “Alfred Edwards, head of Henry Holt Publishers in New York in the appropriate years, who commuted to his home in New Canaan, was a close friend of Robert Frost -— to the degree that he was “executor of the estate of Robert Frost.” And though Don misspoke in calling his father “Frost’s editor” (technically, he was Frost’s publisher), Al Edwards did often visit Frost and stay on Frost’s farm in Ripton, Vermont. Frost’s cabin was just up the hill from the main house.

nnn

The bonus kicker to this improbable-but-true story is that my date that night would turn out to be the love of my life. The Merritt Parkway made all the difference.

Bob Baker has a branding and creative services firm in Marblehead. His memoir-inprogress is “Outlucking Gatsby: From Greenwich to The Green Light.”

outdoors. Think of it as an air conditioner that can also work in reverse.”

in turn, powering two Tesla vehicles sitting in his driveway.

“We like to say we’re driving on sunshine,” Jane Hooper said.

“And I like to say it’s free, but it’s not,” George Hooper said.

One must pay for the system, which Hooper admits does not come cheap, but economics wasn’t really his incentive for putting in the Tesla rooftop.

“It was to support Tesla’s mission, which I agree with, to transition the world to sustainable energy, to accelerate the transition,” he said. “We need to move away from fossil fuels to sustainable energy, and this is the start.”

Despite the lack of southern exposure, George Hooper said during the summer months, the panels generate more electricity than they need to power not only the cars but the entire house. The additional power gets credited back through the Marblehead Municipal Light Department and can be applied to the grayer, colder months when they are forced to draw off the grid, he explained.

“He’s very cutting-edge,” Jane said of her husband.

“George is an early adopter of all technology, so when we got the roof, we knew it wasn’t going to generate year-round because of the position of the house, but he wanted it anyway.”

Hooper admits he was first drawn to the Tesla vehicles because they are quick, quiet and fun to drive, but he jumped on the green bandwagon because it made a lot of sense. For anyone thinking of joining the Hooper’s bandwagon, George recommends looking into another Tesla option, leasing solar panels.

“Because for a lot of people, it comes down to dollars, and economically the payback on this is many years,” he said. “If you lived in Florida or southern California or with a southern exposure, the payback could be six or seven years, but for me, it’s over 20.”

Incentives and rebates

Along with technology, homeowners also provided a list of possible rebates and incentives for visitors seeking greener pastures. Sustainable

Marblehead Board Member

Petra Langer called the programs offered through

MassSave, federal tax credits and Marblehead’s own Municipal Light Department important “because I think that’s one thing holding people back is the cost.

It’s an upfront investment.”

But the incentives are increasing. John Livermore, whose Russell Street home was also on the tour, said MassSave offers “a great program,” where

homeowners can borrow money, interest-free, to convert their homes to renewable energy while taking seven years to pay it back.

Livermore and his wife Kelly O’Malley are in the process of going all-electric.

“We’ve got a quote for airsource heat pumps, and we’re going to get an electric induction

system,” he said. “We have to stop burning things because of the climate issue.”

According to the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, a heat pump system “uses electricity to power a compressor and transfer heat using the refrigeration cycle. In winter, it transfers heat indoors; in summer, it transfers heat

Livermore said the big picture when it comes to green technology is to electrify all end uses, everything in the home and transportation, and decarbonize the electric grid “so we get all our electrons from renewable sources.”

And it helps to be advanced

Like Hooper, Nadeau said she’s always been ahead of her time. She got an induction stove 20 years ago and has never looked back.

“People are really reluctant to get their induction stoves … because everyone is a stick in the mud; they stay with what they know,” she said.

Nadeau said the stove is simple and fast.

“If my kids call me and they’re in the car at the General Edward’s bridge (in Lynn), I might have a big pot of water sitting on the stove, and I turn it on, and by the time they get here, the pasta is ready,” she said. She called the stove better than gas and a good way to foil the gas company, “and we’ve got to foil them in whatever way we can.”

That said, Nadeau admits she hasn’t totally given up on gas. When it comes to heating her 115-year-old home, she has a dual system that includes an airsource heat pump for the second floor but a gas furnace for the first floor. She also has a minisplit, which is a smaller-style heat pump, to warm the kitchen in cold weather, a tankless hot water heater and a “very fine compost heap that I’ve had since 1970.”

“When the furnace broke three years ago, I was just nervous relying on just the heat pump because it was kind of new, so I do, in the interest of honesty, have a gas furnace as well,” she said. That tankless hot water heater is also gas-fired.

“My problem was I wanted it not gas-fired, but it would have entailed changing the electricity in the whole house, which I couldn’t do, so it is gas-fired,” she said.

And in the end, Nadeau said she’s OK with that because when it comes to going green, you have to do what you can.

“What is it they say, perfection is the enemy of the good?,” she asked. “One tries to do what one can do.”

CURRENT PHOTOS / EMILY STEVENS

Lynn Nadeau invited her neighbors to use her “compost heap,” which she has been proudly generating since 1970.

John Livermore is electrifying his home. He showed off green technology during Saturday’s Green Homes Tour sponsored by Sustainable Marblehead.

Programs, classes, events for seniors in April

All programs are held at the Judy and Gene Jacobi Community Center, 10 Humphrey St., unless otherwise stated. Questions? Call 781-6316225 or email councilonaging@ marblehead.org.

Lunch at the COA

Lunch is offered on Tuesdays at noon for $3. The meals are prepared in the Council on Aging’s commercial kitchen. These lunches are supported by The Friends of the Council on Aging.

Grab-n-go lunches

Grab-n-go lunches are offered on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at the Council on Aging. Pick-up time is from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Reservations must be made the Thursday before by calling 781-631-6225.

Traveling Chef

On Friday, April 14, at noon, enjoy lunch prepared by the Traveling Chef. There will be no grab-n-go lunch this day.

Friends of the Council on Aging

fundraiser

Save the date: This fundraiser will be Thursday, April 27, 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Landing Restaurant. More details to follow.

Visit with your state representative

Chat with State Rep. Jenny Armini at the COA on Friday, April 14, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

COA Speaker Series

Preview to Town Meeting: Hear from Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer and Town Moderator Jack Attridge as they discuss the May 1 Town Meeting. Wednesday, April 19, at 12:30 p.m. To RSVP, call 781-631-6225.

Sing-along

Come sing to golden oldies, show tunes, hymns, folk tunes, sea shanties and more. Wednesday, April 18, 11 a.m. to noon. If you play a musical instrument, bring that along.

From P. A1

election in May.

“I was definitely feeling good about the campaign we’ve been running. It was a very positive, grassroots-focused effort. We were doing a very heavy field campaign, so knocking on doors, making calls and doing the stuff you need to do to win,” said Pangallo. “We’re certainly continuing with that same approach for the final election.”

Growing up in North Salem, Pangallo and his twin brother Matt attended Marblehead Public Schools from kindergarten through 12th grade. They were allowed to attend Marblehead schools because their father Salvatore Pangallo taught physical education at the old Bell School and coached wrestling and football.

“While attending school in Marblehead, I was involved in student government in middle school and high school, as well as Model United Nations,” Pangallo recalled. “The teachers I had in Marblehead Public Schools greatly influenced me and contributed to my interest in government and community involvement.”

Pangallo’s time in Marblehead nurtured a deep interest in political science, and he was very active in extracurricular activities. “I played football my freshman year in high school. But then a time constraint between doing theatrical stuff and doing football was just not compatible,” he explained. “In the end, I was more theatrically inclined than athletically

(Triangles and kazoos count!)

Movie Days

Come watch “Jerry & Marge’’ on Friday, April 14 at 1 p.m. When retiree Jerry Selbee discovers a mathematical loophole in the Massachusetts lottery, he and his wife go on an exciting, multi-million dollar winning spree with the goal of reviving their small Michigan town.

Then on Friday, April 28, at 1 p.m., watch “To Catch a Thief.” American expatriate John Robie, living in high style on the Riviera, is a retired cat burglar. He must track down a copycat thief to keep a new wave of jewel thefts from being pinned on him. RSVP at 781-631-6225.

Trips & Tours

The COA is planning several trips and tours this spring and summer, including a luncheon and Bee Gees tribute concert at the Danversport Yacht Club on Tuesday, May 23; a luncheon and The Texas Tenors concert at the Danversport Yacht Club on Tuesday, June 23; and a Montreal-Quebec trip July 18-21. For more information and to sign up, call Janice at 781-631-6225.

Coffee with a Cop

Join Chief Dennis King or someone else from the Marblehead Police Department to discuss community concerns. Fridays at 8:30 a.m.

Blood Pressure Clinic

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

Fitness Center is open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Passes can be purchased for $10 for five visits.

Tap is Back at the COA

If you’ve always wanted to try tap dancing, or if you took classes as a kid and want to start again, check out this introductory class on Thursday, April 13, at 9:30 a.m. Taught by Debi Cocco, the class will keep you moving and cover all the basic tap steps.

Tai Chi/Qigong

Tai Chi/Qigong is an excellent form of exercise for low-impact strengthening, stress relief, balance and flexibility. Qigong is an ancient Chinese system that combines breathing, movement and meditation to cultivate health and wellbeing. Thursdays at 1 p.m. $5.

Chair Volleyball

Chair Volleyball is now at the COA on Wednesdays and Fridays, 1 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.

Muscle Conditioning

Senior Muscle Conditioning with Kim on Mondays and Fridays at 9 a.m and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Cost is $3.

Stay Active

North Shore Physical Therapy runs an osteo class on Mondays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. There’s also Balance and Mobility with Mary Manning on Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. Each class is $3.

Zumba Gold Zumba Gold classes are held on Wednesdays at noon. It is a lower intensity dance class inspired by Latin and world music.

Parkinson’s Fitness

The Parkinson’s Fitness class is free on Wednesdays at 11 a.m. Specifically developed for folks with Parkinson’s disease but appropriate for all, this class focuses on strength, mobility and balance. This program is paid for by the Friends of the Council on Aging.

Indoor Curling

Indoor curling takes place on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.

No experience is necessary for this indoor sport. Instructions on how to play the game will be available at every session. Yearly fee is $15. Contact pbibbo@aol. com with questions.

Stretch & Strength

The Council on Aging offers a Strength & Stretch class on Mondays at 11:30 a.m. and Thursdays at 11 a.m. Cost is $3.

Step it Up

Karen Jancsy leads this lowimpact movement and muscle conditioning class on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8 a.m.

Weight Training

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

Yoga with Evie

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

Chair Yoga

Gail Perry Borden teaches Chair Yoga on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11 a.m. Cost is $3.

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 is $5.

Quilting

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

Knitting Group

Drop-in knitting is Thursdays at 9 a.m.

Cribbage

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

Mahjong

Play mahjong Mondays and Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

I Love Bridge

This advanced bridge instruction class meets Mondays, 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Cost is $5. Drop-in bridge is on Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to noon, and Fridays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Canasta

Canasta is now at the COA on Thursdays and Fridays, 12 p.m. to 2 p.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 eight years. Call Nadine Lepick at 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.

Want a lift?

The COA offers transportation services to both in-town and outof-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 and 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 781-631-6225.

Home safety audits

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

task force was so focused on supporting our small businesses that we had no net loss of businesses,” he said. “We didn’t have to lay off any employees. We had a wastewater surveillance testing program that served as a model for other cities and towns.”

Pangallo takes pride in the Salem Skipper, a popular on-demand ride service. For $2, people can get a ride to buy groceries or pick up prescriptions.

“It came about through Salem For All Ages as a way to provide a low-income transportation option for Salem seniors,” he said. “But it’s used by everybody.” If he wins, Pangallo sees opportunities to partner with Marblehead.

inclined.”

At Bates College, Pangallo continued his involvement in student government and theater. He led the Robinson Players, Bates’ theater group, and wrote a weekly political column for The Bates Student, the school’s newspaper. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a minor in theater and later earned master’s degrees in public administration and political science from Suffolk University.

Pangallo returned to Salem after college and managed the campaign for state representative John Keenan. Upon winning, Keenan asked Pangallo to be his chief of staff.

Initially, Pangallo envisioned serving on Capitol Hill as chief

of staff or legislative aide to a representative and/or senator. However, the congressional gridlock he witnessed during a college internship jaded him.

“Seeing and working with city officials and on local problems, I realized big change can come most powerfully from the local level,” he said. “I felt like we were making a difference in people’s lives on a daily basis.”

Pangallo succeeded Jason Silva, former chief of staff to Driscoll and Marblehead town administrator, in 2013. As a key player in the revitalization that Salem underwent during Driscoll’s 16-year tenure, Pangallo highlights their strong partnership.

“We had a very aligned vision and values that focused on a

city that could be professionally managed, innovative, responsive, sustainable, equitable and forward-looking,” he said. While Driscoll focused on setting larger goals, Pangallo’s detailoriented approach helped drive day-to-day operations.

Pangallo has helped implement policies at City Hall, concentrating on transparent governance, fiscal management, affordable housing, transportation and local climate action. As a key member of the city’s COVID response team, he assisted in coordinating testing, a vaccination program and maintaining access to essential services during the pandemic.

“Our economic recovery

“I think there is potential for collaboration in transportation, education and improving connections between all the communities on the North Shore,” he said. “I think there’s room to partner on climate change. I believe that’s the greatest existential crisis we face as coastal communities.”

Early in his campaign, Pangallo found it “different” to discuss his accomplishments in the first person.

“As the chief of staff, your job is not to put yourself forward, not to be a self-promoter,” he said, adding that the role was about supporting the administration’s agenda. “I’ve been so accustomed to not putting myself forward.”

Pangallo lives with his wife, Kristin, and their two daughters in Salem.

COURTESY PHOTO / LT. GOV. KIM DRISCOLL

Dominick Pangallo, Marblehead class of 1999, and his former boss, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, pose for a photo. Pangallo, a candidate for mayor in Salem, was Driscoll’s chief of staff during part of her tenure as Salem’s mayor.

COURTESY PHOTO / DOMINICK PANGALLO

Dominick Pangallo, who graduated from Marblehead High School, is running for mayor of Salem. He served as chief of staff for former Salem mayor, now Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll for 10 years.

Pangallo

talk to focus on horseshoe crabs

As part of the 2023 Underwater in Salem Sound lecture series, Salem Sound Associate Director Alison Frye will discuss horseshoe crabs Wednesday, April 19, 6:45 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. in the program room at Abbot Public Library and online via Zoom. Register to attend in person or on Zoom at tinyurl. com/APL-Horseshoe-Crabs.

Horseshoe crabs evolved almost 450 million years ago and are considered the “living fossils” of our time, surviving ice ages, asteroids and five mass extinctions.

Today, they continue to serve an important role, both ecologically and economically, as their eggs provide sustenance for endangered shorebirds, and their blue blood is used to advance biomedical research, according to Frye.

Though horseshoe crabs have endured these catastrophic events throughout earth’s history, their population is now in decline. Frye will discuss the importance of this elusive, prehistoric creature and how we

can help it survive the next mass extinction.

Frye is the associate director at Salem Sound Coastwatch, where her primary focus is on coastal resilience and habitat restoration projects. She earned a BS in biology from Bates College and a MS in marine biology from Northeastern University. There, her research focused on nature-based solutions for climate adaptation, specifically utilizing living shorelines to mitigate erosion in the Great Marsh.

Before coming to SSCW, Frye was a long-time science teacher and continues to teach a marine and climate science course to high school seniors at Waring School in Beverly.

For the past 11 years, Underwater in Salem Sound has been jointly sponsored by Salem Sound Coastwatch and Abbot Public Library. All the lectures are free and

open to the public. For more information, visit salemsound.org. Additional information is also available at abbotlibrary.org, by emailing mar@noblenet.org or calling 781-631-1481.

Four tricks to lower your internet bill

BY STEPHEN BACH

You’ve probably felt frustrated by this at some point.

Internet and cable companies use “bait and switch”

limited-time offers and hidden-but-rising service fees to get you to pay more over time.

If you’d like to save a few bucks on your internet bill, it’s time to take the power back. Here are four “tricks” to do just that:

1. Switch providers. Check out BroadbandNow.com to get

a list of all the providers in your area. Disclaimer: Make sure any “budget” service providers meet your need for speed.

If you’re a family or a heavy user of computers, tablets and phones, you might want download speeds of at least 100 Mbps and upload speeds of 10 Mbps.

2. Threaten to cancel. Call your service provider and ask about current offers in your area. Or mention a competitor. No need to be mean if you’re not the confrontational type. You can simply tell whoever answers you’re thinking of switching and ask. (And honestly, there is very little service difference between the major players, despite what

their advertising says!)

“What can you do for me?”

3. Sign up for the Emergency Broadband Benefit. The federal government will foot $50 of your internet bill if you qualify. It’s one of many funding initiatives for Americans whose income was hurt by the pandemic.

Also, Lifeline offers very low-price connections. And Comcast, America’s largest Internet service provider, offers its Internet Essentials package for $10 to folks who meet certain criteria.

4. Buy your own modem and router. (The Docs only recommend this if the monthly savings are very important.) Most internet companies charge you from $10 to $25 per month to rent the modem and router you need. But you also have the option to forego renting them and buy your own for between $80 to $150 each (sometimes less, if refurbished).

Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that if you do buy your

own, your provider will only be able to troubleshoot service problems to your office or home, and not be able to check your modem or router!

It’s a bit of an upfront investment, but you’ll save in the long run (and your connection may even be better).

That does it for this one.

If you need to help to get your internet running smoothly, your first call is to your provider (Comcast, Verizon, Dish, etc.). They can do a lot (for free) before you call a professional. If all else fails, call your favorite computer and network support folks!

Stephen Bach is the owner and chief of surgery at The Digital Docs in Marblehead.

Pot-smoking girls set off Terry’s fire alarms; child’s shoe reignites neighbor dispute

Friday, March 24

5:43 a.m. An officer investigated a neighbor complaint on Creesy Street.

9:12 a.m. A Pleasant Street resident reported having received annoying phone calls.

10:20 a.m. An abandoned bike was reported on Rowland Street.

12:05 p.m. An officer assisted a Summit Road resident.

1:52 p.m. An officer spoke in the station who had already spoken with another officer about ongoing harassment by another man, who had just texted him, prompting him to plan to spend the night away from home. The officer advised him to block the number and explained the process to obtain a harassment prevention order. Hours later, the officer went to the man’s apartment to get a picture of the texts, but he had already deleted them.

3:38 p.m. An officer spoke at the station with a contractor who reported months’ worth of harassment while doing a job on Ocean Avenue from a man who had begun taking photos and, more recently, video of

their work. The man had also retained the services of a lawyer, who had been emailing the town requesting the permits of the project. The contractor requested that the officer speak with the man regarding the situation, and the officer advised him that it would be better to contact the police while the situation was happening. The officer further advised the contractor how to obtain a harassment prevention order.

6 p.m. Officers assisted with disabled vehicle on Ocean Avenue and Pleasant Street.

9:23 p.m. Officers restored the peace after suspicious activity was reported on Sewall and Elm streets.

Saturday, March 25

12:14 p.m. Officers assisted the Fire Department with investigating a third-floor smoke alarm on Pleasant Street.

3:57 p.m. An officer patrolling the downtown heard fire alarms sounding at Terry’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream on Atlantic Avenue. Upon entering Terry’s, the officer immediately

detected the “overwhelming odor” of marijuana inside of the shop, according to his report. An employee then approached the officer and reported that a customer had informed her that three girls had exited the female restroom, where they had been smoking marijuana, triggering the smoke detectors and causing them to flee. The employee knew two of the girls from school but did not know the third. Firefighters reset the fire alarms. The officer spoke with the owner of the building, who had come to the scene after receiving several phone calls from tenants about the fire alarms sounding. He was informed of his right to issue no-trespass orders for the three girls. The officer then spoke with the owner of Terry’s, who led him to his back office to review the security footage, which had documented the girls entering the restroom and then one of them exiting followed by the two others approximately four minutes later. The officer explained to the owner his right to issue no-trespass orders against the girls, which he said

he would consider. He also said that he would like the girls to come down to Terry’s with their parents to apologize. Later in the evening, the officer went to one of the girls’ homes and was met at the door by one of the girls. As she began to deny that anything had occurred, the officer cut her off and told her to stop talking, noting that he could not legally question her without her parents present. The officer eventually spoke to the parents of the two girls whose identity was known and learned the first name of the third. The parents were informed about the situation, including the owner of Terry’s request for an apology. The officer planned to share his report with the school resource officer to get his help identifying the third girl.

Sunday, March 26

1:17 a.m. While patrolling in the area of Atlantic Avenue and Bubier Road, an officer came across what appeared to be parts of a vehicle on the side of the roadway and on the sidewalk in front of a telephone pole.

Upon pulling over to investigate further, he noticed that the support cable attached to the telephone pole had been broken off from where it was attached to the ground, and the neon yellow plastic that is usually wrapped around the cable had been broken off and thrown roughly 15 feet in front of the pole. Based on the car parts at the scene and the snapped support cable, the officer notified dispatch that a vehicle had driven into and broken the support cable and fled the area. Upon inspection of the car parts left at the scene, the officer was able to determine that the suspect vehicle was a gray BMW. Other officers joined the search for the vehicle, while a dispatcher notified the Marblehead Municipal Light Department that the pole needed to be inspected. While photographing the crash scene, the officer discovered two vehicle parts, a fog lamp and a bumper cover, that had BMW logos and serial numbers on them. He cleared the scene and

Though horseshoe crabs have endured catastrophic events throughout earth’s history, their population is now in decline.

‘Small but mighty’ club seeks new members

BY WILLIAM J. DOWD

The Swampscott-Marblehead ElderAct Club does not do well with complacency. Members keep busy, living out the Rotarian’s mantra of “service above self.”

The local ElderAct Club, a joint project of the Rotary Club of Marblehead Harbor and the Swampscott Rotary Club, offers seniors a sense of fellowship, purpose and the opportunity to make a difference in their communities. Founded in 2014, it is the first community-based ElderAct Club in the United States and the seventh in the world.

“We have a membership of between 30 and 40 people, but only about 13 to 15 come to regular meetings,” said Joan Cutler, one of the club’s founding members. “The others donate and volunteer, so we are small but mighty.”

In an interview with Cutler and fellow members Judy Arnold and Linda Maffeo, the trio emphasized that the ElderAct Club welcomes new members and has no membership fees. Cutler and Arnold have been members since the club’s incorporation, while Maffeo joined a couple of years ago upon her retirement.

“When I retired, I thought to myself, ‘Well, what am I going to do?’” said Maffeo. She reached out to someone at the Council on Aging in the Jacobi Community Center, who gave her Cutler’s number.

“I called her,” said Maffeo.

Cutler chimed in, “And I told her, ‘Oh, we can keep you busy.’”

Maffeo confirmed the club has

delivered on that promise.

For a recent project, Maffeo sewed small bags called “ditty bags” to hold toiletries and necessities for college students through a partnership with Salem State University. She turned her home into a production line of sorts with bottles of shampoo, toothbrushes and soap in neat rows.

The ditty-bag project began when members learned that

OTTErlOO YMCA

some students were sleeping in their cars.

“Many do not get much support from their families, but they are going to school,” said Cutler.

The club’s projects are not limited to the North Shore but extend nationally and internationally.

“The beauty is we can play to people’s strengths,” said Arnold.

“We are dedicated to finding new projects because people want to do different things.”

She added, “We have really tried to stay local, national and global.”

The trio characterized the local club as a waiting-in-thewings corps of volunteers who help where help is needed.

Nevertheless, they say that most of their projects focus on service members, families and seniors.

During COVID-19, members rolled up their sleeves.

“We had to volunteer from home,” said Maffeo. “We kept knitting. We kept sewing. We kept cooking for LifeBridge, and we had to deliver the food.”

Members stepped up to help send everything from diapers to linens abroad during the Syrian refugee crisis in 2017. Some members serve as “reading buddies” in local elementary schools, while others regularly sing to residents who live in assisted living facilities.

A centerpiece project for ElderAct was getting a lockbox program off the ground, which involves installing lockboxes on the homes of people with disabilities and senior citizens. The secure boxes hold a key inside that gives first responders quick access to the home during emergencies.

“The Rotary Club of Marblehead Harbor was able to purchase 40 lockboxes initially,” said Cutler, whose late husband, Hooper Cutler, was a firefighter. “The Fire Department runs the program themselves now.”

During the growing season, members tend to an organic garden on town property near Stramski Park.

“We are all responsible for its care,” said Arnold. “[Local] Rotaries buy organic seeds and products.”

The harvest ends up in the community rooms of Marblehead Housing Authority’s senior housing complexes.

These are only a few ElderAct Club’s service projects. Others have included:

» Supporting the U.S. Armed Forces by providing scarves, hats, personal care items and goodies for deployed troops.

» Clipping and gathering coupons to aid the families of members of the military serving overseas.

Sewing additional “ditty bags” for use by medical and emergency relief global outreach organizations.

» Collecting can tabs for the Shriners patients’ transportation fund.

To learn more about how to get involved, email Maffeo at lindamaffeo@comcast.net.

The Y’s offers Corner Stone and LIVESTRONG programs for cancer patients, survivors

BY BRIAN FLYNN, LVO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

In its ongoing commitment to meeting the needs of those in the community it serves, the YMCA offers two unique programs for cancer survivors: Corner Stone and LIVESTRONG. Each program provides cancer survivors with access to health and wellness options that support those impacted by the disease. Corner Stone is a collaborative effort involving volunteers, partners in the healthcare community and donors.

While Corner Stone offers cancer patients, cancer survivors and their immediate families free membership and more, LIVESTRONG is a 12-week wellness program specifically designed to help participants build muscle mass and muscle strength, increase flexibility and endurance and improve functional ability during or after cancer treatment.

Each program provides a welcoming environment where people can continue their post-cancer wellness journey outside of the medical space. YMCA fitness instructors work with each participant to fit the program to their individual needs.

The instructors are trained in the elements of cancer, postrehab exercise and supportive cancer care. They are here to help every step of the way. Over the last year, the Y has provided more than 250 complimentary Corner Stone memberships to residents of Marblehead and Swampscott. Since relaunching LIVESTRONG, more than 30 people have completed the program and 12 are currently in

the program.

In addition to a complimentary one-year YMCA membership, Corner Stone members receive a free week of summer camp for their children enrolled in the program and free onsite drop-in babysitting for those Corner Stone members who are currently in treatment.

Corner Stone members can also participate in the YMCA’s LIVESTRONG program. In addition, Corner Stone participants have access to all Y amenities, fitness classes, virtual YMCA360 platform and all member benefits. Learn more at ymcacornerstone.org

LIVESTRONG, a nationwide YMCA initiative, aims to assist participants in developing their own physical fitness

program so they can continue to practice a healthy lifestyle, not only as part of their recovery, but as a way of life.

“A cancer diagnosis is devastating and the goal of Corner Stone is to build a community support structure and provide essential daily support for cancer patients, survivors and their families,” said Chris Lovasco, President and CEO of the YMCA of the North Shore. “For more than 100 years, the Y has been a community resource that has experience offering a wide variety of crucial health, wellness and education programming. We’re excited that Corner Stone and LIVESTRONG benefit so many adults and families in our local communities.”

YMCA resources and facilities provide a comfortable and friendly environment where patients and survivors are able to access all of the programming and support they need to regain strength and rebuild their lives after a cancer diagnosis.

If you or someone you love is coping with cancer and would like to be part of the YMCA and these programs, please contact: Jane Rizza at rizzaj@northshoreymca.org

(Corner Stone) or Jeff Hunt at huntj@northshoreymca.org

(LIVESTRONG). To learn more about our YMCA and all that it offers, visit northshoreymca.org/ join-ymca

The Y is better together, refer a friend Refer a friend to the Y

and we’ll thank you with a free month of membership while your friend receives a $0 enrollment fee. Visit the welcome center or reach out to Membership Director Jane Rizza at rizzaj@northshoreymca.org. About the YMCA of the North Shore

The Y is one of the nation’s leading nonprofits, strengthening communities through youth development, 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 45,000 members and program participants in 25 cities and towns across the North Shore and in southern New Hampshire.

lYNCH/VAN

LIVESTRONG participants and coaches: Bob Peterson (left to right), instructor Lauren Pohlmeyer, Becky Whitehill, Beth Hoffman, instructor Jeff Hunt, Gail Gilbert and Marika Bruell

COURTESY PHOTO / ED BELL

From left, ElderAct members Terry Lavelle, Joan Cutler and Dick Auffrie check out a lock box installed on a Marblehead senior’s home in 2015.

COURTESY PHOTO / SWAMPSCOTT-MARBLEHEAD ELDERACT CLUB

ElderAct members grow, harvest and deliver organic vegetables to senior housing complexes from the Stramski ElderAct Garden.

returned to the police station with the two pieces of evidence. He then ran both serial numbers through a BMW parts database and concluded that the suspect vehicle was manufactured between 1997 and 2000, and was either a 540i or 528i. The officer then had the dispatcher run this information through the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services database to find a potential match, which returned a list of potential matches. The first suspect vehicle that the officer checked was a gray 1998 BMW 528i located on Union Street. Upon inspecting the front end of the vehicle, the officer immediately noticed fresh frontend damage to the left, center and right of the vehicle. It was also missing a fog lamp and had a puncture similar to the shape of the base of the support cable. The officer determined that this was the suspect vehicle and alerted dispatch that he would be attempting to make contact with the owner. The officer then knocked on the door of the home and was met by a man who confirmed that he had been driving earlier in the evening and, after thinking about it for a second, that he had struck something, which he believed had been rocks in the road, as he was returning to town after having showing the driver who had picked him up at the airport how to get out of town. According to the officer’s report, the man “brushed the damage off as being no big deal and did not seem to comprehend that he had struck more than just a rock in the roadway.” The officer wrote, “Throughout our conversation, [the man] never seemed to grasp the severity of what happened and came up with multiple different excuses [as] to why he may have struck something.”

5:26 p.m. An officer spoke to a man about someone trying to make a claim for unemployment using the man’s Social Security number. The man said he had already reported it to the unemployment office and his employer. The officer advised him to alert the credit bureaus, and the credit card companies and banks with which he had accounts.

5:49 p.m. An officer investigated a report that the traffic lights were on flash on Atlantic and Ocean avenues.

Monday, March 27

8:06 a.m. An officer investigated a report that trucks had been idling for more than 15 minutes on Stonybrook Road.

10:02 a.m. A caller reported that cars had been egged on Schooner Ridge.

10:16 a.m. Services were rendered after a disturbance on Devereux and Beach streets.

10:24 a.m. A necklace was found on Smith and Pleasant streets.

3:24 p.m. Officer investigated a disturbance on Creesy Street and filed a report.

4:25 p.m. A kitchen knife was found on Atlantic Avenue.

5:41 p.m. Officers investigated a report of larceny, forgery or fraud on Amherst Road.

Tuesday, March 28

2:35 a.m. Officers investigated a disturbance on Creesy Street and filed a report.

7:49 a.m. A missing traffic cone was reported on West Shore Drive.

11:27 a.m. An officer was dispatched to the National Grand Bank on Pleasant Street to investigate a possible grandparent scam in progress. The officer was met by a bank employee who explained that a woman had just come into the bank stating she was being recorded and needed to withdraw a large sum of money

from her account. As the officer first approached the woman in the customer service waiting area, she whispered that they were being listened to and then held up her phone to show that it was currently on speaker phone. The officer asked the woman if he could terminate the call, and she agreed. The officer explained that the people who proceeded to try to call her back were scammers. The woman agreed to let the officer block the number to prevent them from calling her back. The woman then explained that she had gotten a call about two hours earlier from someone claiming to be Amazon’s fraud department. She stated that the person claimed that there was a fraudulent charge on her account for a computer and cellphone totaling $1,425. She was then transferred to another person who claimed to be “Officer Roger Green” with the Federal Trade Commission. The woman stated that at some point the call got disconnected, and she received another call from the same “Roger Green’’ but from a different number. The woman was then instructed to put the phone on speaker and go to the bank to make a withdrawal. The woman stated that she was told to make a cash withdrawal of “as much money as the bank would allow” and to stay on speaker phone throughout the transaction. “Roger Green” told her that someone would come to her house the following day at 10 a.m. to sign paperwork, allowing the cash to be transferred. The bank was able to stop the woman prior to making any withdrawals. The officer explained to the woman that this was a phishing scam and reviewed the red flags to look out for. The officer advised the woman to keep the number blocked and to not answer any calls or other messages from people she did not know. When the officer asked what information she had given to the scammers over the phone prior to coming to the bank, she stated just the last four digits of her Social Security Number. The officer advised her to contact the Social Security Administration to report that her SSN had been compromised. The woman stated that she also pays for identity theft protection and would make the company aware in order to put a fraud alert on her credit.

3:55 p.m. An officer spoke at the station to a man who explained that he was scheduled to have a package containing two iPhone 14s and an iPad delivered to his house on Pequot Road earlier in the day. He had gotten a notification from FedEx that the package was delivered, but when he went back to the house, the package was missing. A representative from FedEx contacted the driver, who explained that while dropping off the package, he was approached by a man outside of the house who asked if the package was being delivered to the Pequot Road address. The FedEx driver said he asked for the man’s ID, and the man produced an ID that matched the name on the package, so the FedEx driver gave the man the package. The officer planned to share information about the suspect with detectives for further investigation.

6:07 p.m. An officer investigated a report that a vehicle had damaged a fence on Lime Street.

Wednesday, March 29

11:07 a.m. An officer spoke in the police station lobby with a woman whose debit card had recently been compromised, resulting in numerous fraudulent charges to Apple on her account, totaling just over $200, plus another charge to Facebook. Her bank had already reversed the fraudulent charges and issued her a new card number, and she was not out

any money. The woman told the officer that her account had been compromised back in 2020 as well and that she thought it was likely she had fallen victim to a card skimmer device. The officer advised the woman to continue to monitor all of her accounts and to report any additional fraud and to also check with the major credit bureaus to put a fraud alert on her profile.

12:58 p.m. An officer spoke by phone with a woman who earlier in the day had received a series of text messages from an unknown number, which was traced to a person in Brooklyn, New York. The messages contained pictures of a white bald man in his 50s who was completely nude. At the bottom of the picture was the name “Brian Husky.” The officer asked the woman if she was having issues with anyone in her life, and she responded that she was not. The officer recommended that she block the number and shared details of the incident with detectives for further investigation.

3:56 p.m. An issue related to kids on bikes was reported on Wyman Road.

5:32 p.m. A woman came to the police station to report that earlier in the day her work supervisor had received a call from someone claiming to be from “ADS,” who wanted to go to the woman’s place of work to “serve her.” The woman did not want to call back the number that she was given for fear it was a scam. She said she had no idea what it could be about. Officer agreed that it was likely a scam but called the number provided. The woman on the other line said they were a civil lawsuit firm. The officer advised the woman on the phone that if she wanted to serve the woman to come to the police station. The woman on the phone asked for the officer’s badge number, which he provided.

7:46 p.m. An officer was dispatched to Pitman Road to mediate a dispute between neighbors. The caller told the officer that one of her children’s friends had lost a shoe over their fence into a neighbor’s yard, and the neighbor would not give the shoe back. The officer then went over to speak with the neighbors, and a man living at the home confirmed that one of the children in the neighborhood had knocked on his door earlier and told him he accidentally kicked his shoe into his yard. The man said he told the child that he was eating dinner and that when he was done, he would get the shoe. The man said he had thrown the shoe back over the fence into his neighbor’s yard about 20 minutes later. The officer then went back and spoke with the caller, who told him about the well-documented history of problems she had with those same neighbors. The officer advised the woman that the shoe had supposedly been thrown back over the fence and asked if she had gotten it. She said that she had not checked yet, and the officer asked her to do so. She then asked the officer if not returning the shoe was harassment. The officer asked her whether she thought it was harassment and also relayed the neighbor’s explanation of why he had not returned it immediately. The officer then asked the officer if he was friends with her neighbors. He replied that he was not. She then said she thought she had seen the police motorcycle in front of their house last summer. The officer advised her that was Indeed his motorcycle, but he was there on a call for service and had taken a report from them. Then she said, “You were the one that tried to arrest my husband for no reason.” The officer had charged her husband with trespassing, but he did not attempt to arrest him at any time, according to his report. He

then explained to the woman that she could try to obtain a harassment prevention order against her neighbor in court.

Thursday, March 30

8:56 a.m. An officer spoke with a local man about a case of identity fraud and mistaken identity.

According to the man, the issue started back in 1997 when he attempted to renew his Massachusetts driver’s license and discovered that someone else in Florida shared the same legal name and date of birth as him, which had raised questions about his true identity. This past June, he had received a bill from an emergency medical clinic in Florida, requesting he pay $596 for the services that the clinic believed they had provided him but that he had not received. The man said he had been able to clarify the matter before it was sent to a collection agency. But on March 29, on a return flight from the Dominican Republic, he got detained at Logan Airport. Once again, he was able to resolve the matter, but he said he was growing weary of being inconvenienced by this issue over a long period of time. In addition, he had received notification via email from Airbnb advising him that not only had his rental been canceled for his upcoming trip to Nantucket in May but his account had also been locked due to an alleged violation of the service’s terms and conditions, which he was trying to resolve with the assistance of the police report he was asking the officer to generate, confirming his residency in Marblehead and that he had a valid Massachusetts driver’s license.

12:30 p.m. The officer spoke by phone with a man seeking advice about civil issues that he was having with his landlord. The officer advised the man to consult with a landlordtenant attorney regarding the disagreement over his lease disagreement. He also advised the man to park his vehicles on the public way to prevent the landlord from towing them off his property. The man also felt as though the landlord was harassing him, so the officer explained his rights to a harassment prevention order. The man planned to call the police if the landlord showed up at his apartment unannounced.

12:45 p.m. An officer was dispatched to Seaside Park on a report of past vandalism. He spoke with a Park and Recreation Department employee who explained that they just discovered new vandalism to the park: graffiti spray painted on the side of the utility shed for the tennis courts. The employee stated that the person had also tried to break into the shed but was unsuccessful due to a padlock. The employee stated that the door and doorframe were damaged as a result of the attempted forced entry. The employee then showed the officer the damage to the door and the graffiti on the side of the shed, which he photographed. The employee then showed the officer more graffiti located on the tennis practice wall, which he photographed as well. The employee told the officer that the vandalism must have occurred in the last 48 hours, as they had done work in the park a couple of days earlier, and there was no vandalism at that time.

2:46 p.m. A caller on Gregory Street reported that a package had been delivered to the wrong address.

4:49 p.m. An officer was dispatched to a retail store on Washington Street to investigate a shoplifting report. He was met inside the store by an employee, who informed him that earlier in the day she noticed a woman come into her store while on her phone who appeared like she did not want to engage with the

employee. The employee had gone to the back of the store to assist another customer, and when she returned she noticed an empty hanger where the woman had been browsing and realized that the woman had stolen a linen shirt that was being sold for $52. The employee had reported the theft to the business’ owner, and they were able to confirm that the unknown woman had stolen the shirt because they caught it on video camera. The officer shared the information, including photos of the stolen shirt and the video footage, with a detective to investigate further.

5:50 p.m. An officer assisted with a disabled vehicle on Pleasant Street.

7:39 p.m. Officers investigated a report of a wire down on Pleasant Street.

Friday, March 31

8:03 a.m. An officer was dispatched to the grandstands at Seaside Park for a report of tagging. Upon arrival, he talked to a Park and Rec Department employee who showed him the writing on the grandstands and said, “It’s the same old thing.” Officer took a photograph of the tagging and forwarded it to detectives.

10:29 a.m. An officer met with a man known to him to take a report regarding threatening text messages. The man explained that he had been messaging with a person on Snapchat about a potential job opportunity in the past several days. The person then sent him what the man believed was a fake digital check. The man continued that, after the check had been sent, he was then contacted through an iCloud account by a person who began threatening him and demanding that he send $2,000 via Cash App or Venmo. The person using the iCloud account sent various photographs of dead bodies, which the officer recognized as being the same pictures that have been used in other recent scams reported to Marblehead Police. The man agreed that it was a scam but wanted the incident documented. The officer advised him to call the issuing bank of the possible fake check and let them know that he had filed a police report. The officer then advised the man to block the accounts that had reached out to him and let police know immediately if he received any more threatening messages.

10:32 a.m. An officer assisted with a tractor-trailer stuck on Captains Walk Lane.

11:05 a.m. Officers assisted at the scene of a vehicle crash with unspecified injuries on Turner Road.

1:04 p.m. A sign was reported down on Beacon Street.

5:25 p.m. An officer responded to the scene of a minor vehicle accident on Pleasant Street.

Saturday, April 1

11:01 a.m. An officer on patrol traveling inbound on Pleasant Street in the area of Bessom Street saw a man that he knew had a suspended driver’s license get into the driver’s seat of a parked Subaru station wagon and begin driving outbound on Pleasant Street. The officer turned his cruiser around and confirmed that the man’s license was still suspended. The officer stopped the vehicle on Lafayette Street and requested the driver’s license and registration. The man was unable to produce either document and admitted he had a suspended driver’s license due to a failure to pay fines. Another officer then arrived on scene to assist with the vehicle stop. The man was issued a citation, and the vehicle’s owner came to the scene to prevent the vehicle from having to be towed.

11:01 a.m. A lost computer was reported on Foster Street.

STiGMA

What to do and say when someone tells you, ‘I’m not OK’

BY WENDY TAMIS ROBBINS

Has anyone ever told you they are struggling — mentally or emotionally? Did you know what to say or do in that moment, with that information, with that sudden responsibility?

It can be scary to be on the receiving end of that disclosure, whether you’re at home, at a coffee shop or at work. We know what to do if someone shares a physical ailment or financial woe. We are comfortable in this space. We often lead with, “I had a pain just like that last week! Just take some Tylenol,” or “I was in the same situation after my divorce and my accountant was able to help.”

Or maybe they are struggling in a relationship and you immediately compare it to your current or prior relationships, convinced they will relate to and benefit from your experiences. We try to connect over the struggle. It’s human nature.

It’s not the same when someone confides in you that they are feeling anxious or depressed or something they don’t have the vocabulary to articulate. These waters are more tricky to navigate. Based on my experience, most people try to control the situation or solve the problem. That’s how we’ve been programmed to show love and support. This seems fine in theory, but practically speaking, can do more harm than good.

If your struggle is knowing what to do or say when a loved

one or colleague shares that they are no OK, here’s what I know to be true based on my own lived experience on both sides of that conversation:

When someone finally says these words out loud “I’m struggling” or “I’m concerned about my depression, or anxiety levels, or recent thoughts of “X”, this has likely been going on for some time. It didn’t just start yesterday and will pass, as some anxious or depressive thoughts do. You are likely looking at someone who is asking for a lifeline while trying desperately not to fall apart in front of you.

Do not try to connect over it! This is not the time. The minute you turn your attention back to you, the door closes. You have likely lost your opportunity to help, at least in this moment.

Example: If I say, “I’m really getting worried about my anxiety,” and you say “Me too. I was so anxious yesterday after

that email I got from my mother. It kept me up all night. She really knows how to push my buttons.” I feel more alone in that moment than I did before my disclosure and will likely not open up to you again. There is a time and place for shared stories and experiences to express “We are all in this together. You are not alone.” This is not one of them. Do not try to talk them out of it by recounting how productive they’ve been or how quick they are to smile, laugh or crack a joke. Their struggle is internal, and does not always present externally. How well someone can hide their struggle is not an indicator of how much or how quickly they are unraveling inside.

What to know: For the person expressing these concerns to you, it is at least one, if not all, of the following: painful, scary, embarrassing and shameful. It

is not at all easy, they are not seeking attention and you may be the only person they open up to. Don’t miss this opportunity to help.

What to say: I hear you and I see you. Maybe not explicitly, but at least implicitly with other phrases like:

“Thank you so much for confiding in me. That must have been really difficult.”

“I’m so sorry you’re feeling this way. It must be scary.”

“Are you comfortable telling me more?”

“Do you remember when it started?”

“Was there something specific that set it off?”

“What are you most afraid of?”

“Have you felt like this before?”

“Are there things you’ve done in the past that have helped?”

“What do you need?”

“What can I do to support you?”

“You are not alone. I’m here for you. We’re in this together.”

Now is the time to say this, as a way to hold space for their fear and pain. This says, “The weight of this struggle must feel too heavy to bear alone so I will help you carry it.” You are in this together because you are there to support them, not connect over shared struggles. Again, okay later, but not at this moment.

What to do: I like visuals (you’ll see them a lot in this column). Picture this person at the bottom of a well. It’s dark and they have no way of getting out. You have a rope. With each

question and action, you are lowering that rope in and then, hopefully, pulling them out. You can’t see how deep they are or when the rope reaches them, but you will feel a tug. It may get harder for you as you pull them up to bear the weight of what they are sharing. Watch for clues to see if they’ve recoiled and let go or if they continue to hold on long enough to step out and into the light — at this moment at least. Watch their eyes. Were they making eye contact and now they are staring down or into the distance? Have they become more or less physically uncomfortable? Listen closely and be completely present. Maybe close the door for privacy.

Maybe reach out your hand or open your arms, if appropriate.

Maybe push the tissue box closer signaling a safe space to show emotion.

Maybe search for and call a therapist together.

Definitely schedule a time tomorrow to check-in or another time to connect in a few days.

Whatever the action, it should say, “I am here for you.”

Wendy Tamis Robbins is an anxiety expert, bestselling author of “The Box: An Invitation to Freedom From Anxiety,” and founder of CAVE Club, a wellness community exclusively for professional women. She works globally as a mental health and wellness coach, speaker and advocate. She will be speaking and signing books at Shubie’s Marketplace on May 11 at 4 p.m.

Anxiety expert Wendy Tamis Robbins: ‘You’re not alone. I’m here for you.’