The tax bill of a median singlefamily home valued at $807,400 would increase by $252.38 should voters approve a $2.5 million general override in the June municipal election. However, a twothirds majority of Town
lIFE-SAVING
Meeting attendees in May must first approve sending the general override to the ballot box.
The general override aims to address a projected structural deficit in the fiscal year 2024 municipal budget. Raising the additional property taxes would cover the town services cut from
By sharing his incredible story of receiving a lifesaving heart transplant, Marbleheader Gary Swain hopes to help others and spare families pain.
“Sign up to donate your organs,”
Swain said in an interview with the Marblehead Current coinciding with National Donate Life Month, which is observed in April.
“Be a hero. Save somebody’s life.”
Swain, who is 66, had suffered from irregular heart rhythms since he was a teenager. After an array of tests over the next few decades, his arrhythmia worsened, and he was eventually evaluated for a cardiac transplantation.
An avid outdoorsman and sailor, he continued to hike and sail.
“I remember thinking, ‘If I drop dead out racing, what better way to go?’” he said.
In September 2019, he was sick enough to be listed for a heart
the proposed $112.5 million fiscal year budget under Article 30. These cuts include the following:
» three fire positions
» a public works position two police positions 32 school positions plus programs (freshman
sports, middle school world languages) and facility maintenance
Marblehead has passed several debtexclusion overrides over the years, most recently in 2022 for nearly $25 million worth of capital projects. However, 18 years have passed since the
last time Marblehead approved a general override on June 15, 2005, for $2.7 million to fund supplemental expenses of several town departments. Unlike a debtexclusion (temporary) override, which
BY LEIGH BLANDER
The Marblehead Charter Community Public School Board of Trustees announced that a misconduct investigation into Head of School Peter Cohen has “unsubstantiated those specific allegations” and been closed.
Cohen, however, resigned, saying, “I have decided that what is best for the school and for me professionally and personally is to leave the school. I wish the school the best of success in the future.”
Cohen added, “I am moved by the many parents who took the time to reach out to me personally. I am grateful for those who worked to advocate on my behalf and tried to push for a speedy resolution. As you have been notified by the Board, the original complaint was without merit, and I have been cleared of any wrongdoing as it relates to the allegations that were raised in the complaint.”
transplant.
“It was hard — I’ll admit, it was very hard,” Swain said. “A lot of people looked at me and had no idea what was going on.”
Doctors ultimately diagnosed Swain
Marblehead Town Meeting convenes Monday at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of Veterans Middle School, 217 Pleasant St., and subsequent nights until attendees finish all the town’s business.
Marblehead has held Town Meeting since 1649, and its open town meeting format is direct democracy in action. It is vested with the authority to create and modify local statutes, known as bylaws, appropriate money to run the town, petition the Massachusetts General Court and
set elected officials’ salaries.
Any resident registered to vote 20 days before the annual Town Meeting can participate in the civic gathering. Attendees can vote on articles, express opinions, enter debates, make motions and, before the big night, sponsor citizen petitions. Votes are taken by a show of hands.
From leaf blowers and a $112.5 million budget to a $2.5 million general override and a proposed human resources department, the 2023 town warrant (the meeting’s
with a genetic defect, passed down from his father, that had damaged his heart. Swain had to ensure several
As Massachusetts observed its inaugural North American Right Whale Day on April 24, the lobster industry, regulators and conservationists remain at odds over how to protect the criticallyendangered species. The federal government has deemed lobstermen’s fishing gear a real threat to right whales.
Right whales are baleen whales, eating tiny crustaceans by straining immense volumes of ocean
Charter’s Assistant Head of School Stephanie Brant will serve as interim head of school while the board searches for a new leader, according to the email.
“I’m sad to see it’s resolved in this way with Dr. Cohen’s departure; of course, what choice did he have to return to such
water through their sievelike baleen plates, according to the U.S. National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The right whale population has dropped to around 350, and federal wildlife authorities warn that the species faces extinction in the near future.
Marblehead resident Rhod Sharp spent two years reporting on the conflict between lobstermen and right whale conservation efforts. That effort culminated in a sixhour series called “The Song of the Right Whale,” published by BBC Sounds.
Sharp said right whales are prone to “entanglement in the
fixed lines that fishermen use to position the buoys which let them find the lobster trawls they have placed on the seabed.”
Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution showed for the first time how fishing lines changed a whale’s diving and swimming behavior: “Fishing gear hinders whales’ ability to eat and migrate, depletes their energy as they drag gear for months or years and can result in a slow death.”
Marblehead resident and lobsterman Ray Bates wants to find a balance, but he blames
As Bay State observes first Right Whale Day, struggle for lobstermen continues
Submitted by the Meetinghouse Series at the Unitarian Universalist Church
Have you been worried about the decline in the number of honey bees, but unsure what you can do about it as a concerned inhabitant of planet Earth?
Colleen Guertin Parenteau, who has a master of science degree in Ecological Teaching and Learning from Lesley College, will explain how to plant a pollinator garden during a Meetinghouse Series talk at the Unitarian Church of Marblehead at 28 Mugford St. on
Sunday, May 7, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Parenteau, who teaches science and health at the Tower School, will speak about the relationship between native plants and critically endangered bumblebees and butterflies.
With over 20 years of experience as a naturalist, garden educator and classroom teacher, Parenteau is passionate about the importance of creating residential pollinator corridors to enhance a community’s resilience to climate cha
The Current welcomes submissions (150-200 words) to News in Brief. Send yours to info@ marbleheadnews.org.
Jazz at the Marblehead Arts Association
The Marblehead Arts Association and Gene Arnould are presenting a performance for their Jazz Concert Series. On Thursday, May 18, the Laszlo Gardony Trio will perform at the MAA, 8 Hooper St. Laszlo Gardony, a jazz pianist and composer from Boston, will be joined by Yoron Israel on drums and John Lockwood on bass. Tickets can be purchased online or in advance at the MAA or Arnould Gallery, 111 Washington St., for $35 per adult, which includes access to a cash bar and light refreshments.
Celebrating spring
A new exhibit entitled “Anticipating Spring” is on display at the Marblehead Natural Healing Center. The exhibit showcases the floral paintings of local artist Linda Lea Bertrand, a plein air painter who finds inspiration in the gardens, wildflowers and cherry trees around town. Bertrand’s paintings will be on display at the center for three months, from April 14 to July 15. The exhibit also includes seascapes and portraits, which can be viewed on Bertrand’s website at lindaleapainting.com. A reception with the artist will take place on Sunday, May 7, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Conservancy Earth Day event
Marblehead’s Conservancy is calling all 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, cosponsored 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. People should meet 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.
The Conservancy will provide seedlings, tools, water and trash bags. Participants are encouraged to wear gloves and sturdy shoes.
Maureen Ashley, the event’s contact person, can be reached at 7813670923 or
nge.
Parenteau will discuss ways to create home gardens that will effectively attract bees and butterflies by featuring native plants endemic to the Northern Coastal Zone. These include plants that are pollinatorfriendly nectar sources, pollen sources and host plants for butterflies, such as lavender, salvia and milkweed.
This Meetinghouse Series is sponsored by the U U Church of Marblehead and Sustainable Marblehead. Admission is free. Donations gratefully accepted.
maureenashley@gmail.com for additional information.
The Marblehead Rotary and Boston Yacht Club, in collaboration with the American Red Cross, will host a blood drive on Monday, May 1, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Boston Yacht Club, 1 Front St.
Community members are invited to donate blood. To schedule an appointment, call 1800RED CROSS (18007932767) or visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter “Marblehead.”
Donors can save up to 15 minutes by completing predonation reading at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass.
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. teeoff, 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 bit. ly/3ZWr8Sm.
The event supports the Marblehead Counseling Center, which has served Marblehead, Swampscott and surrounding communities since 1969. MCC provides mental health counseling, family support services, community education and charitable assistance.
On Saturday, May 13, the Driftwood Garden Club will host its annual plant sale at the Masonic Hall, located at 62 Pleasant St.
The event begins at 8:30 a.m. and offers a variety of perennials, annuals, ground covers and herbs, many sourced from local gardens.
Members of the Driftwood Garden Club, an allvolunteer organization, will be available to answer questions and provide assistance in selecting plants.
Proceeds from the sale will be used to maintain and improve several gardens and support civic projects in town.
The Cottage Gardeners’ plant sale will take place on Saturday, May 13, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at St. Stephen’s Church, 67 Cornell Rd. The event will feature a variety of locallygrown plants.
The Friends of the Marblehead Council on Aging will hold their annual auction fundraiser on Thursday, April 27, at the Landing Restaurant, 81 Front St., beginning at 5:30 p.m.
The event supports COA services and programs for senior citizens not funded by town or state budgets. The Landing will donate a portion of proceeds from meals and drinks sold during the event.
Items, services and events will be available for bid, with Gene Arnould of Arnould Gallery & Framery serving as the auctioneer.
Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling 7816391266.
Birdwatching program
Mass Audubon is hosting a free birdwatching walk at Marblehead Neck Wildlife Sanctuary on Friday, May 26, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Participants will learn about bird migration, breeding behavior and basic identification skills.
Colleen Guertin Parenteau, who specializes in ecological landscape design, will teach how to plant a pollinator-friendly garden as part of the Unitarian Universalist Church’s Meetinghouse series.
Although the event is free, registration is required at bit.ly/3Mnmtpy.
The event is made possible by the Marblehead Cultural Council.
Nomination papers available
Nomination papers are available for voters interested in running for local office in the Tuesday, June 20, municipal election.
Prospective candidates must submit a formal request in writing to pull nomination papers in person. Access the application at bit.ly/3yIIWFG.
“After receiving nomination papers, you will need to put your name and address (as registered to vote) on each nomination paper before obtaining the required 50 signatures from Marblehead registered voters,” according to the Town Clerk’s office. “You should obtain more than 50 to ensure you have enough.”
The cutoff to return signatures is Monday, May 1, at 5 p.m.
“If you are submitting papers on May 1, make sure to have extra signatures,” the Town Clerk’s office writes. “You will not be able to submit more papers after the deadline.”
Town Clerk Robin Michaud also reminds prospective candidates of the Office of Campaign and Political Finance’s filing requirements. All candidates must file three campaign finance reports, notwithstanding the election’s outcome or the amount of personal money spent.
Critical dates to file campaign finance reports are as follows:
» Eight days before the election or June 8
» Thirty days after the election or July 30
» Endofyear report, Jan. 20, 2024
Appointed vacancies
The town is currently seeking volunteers to fill several vacancies on appointed boards, commissions and committees. Potential candidates should submit a letter of interest and a resume to the Select Board, Abbot Hall, 188 Washington St., or via email at wileyk@ marblehead.org.
For more information, contact the Select Board’s Office at 7816310000. Below is a list of open positions:
» Task Force Against Discrimination, oneyear term
Affordable Housing Trust Fund, oneyear term
Job openings
The town has several job openings across various departments that it is currently seeking to fill:
Seasonal laborer in Cemetery
Transfer station operator in Health
Mechanic pipefitter II in Sewer
» Seasonal harbor assistant and seasonal pumpout assistant in Harbormaster
» Parttime building attendant in Recreation and Parks
Two volunteer positions in the Historical Commission
All of these positions are open until filled. Interested applicants should download an employment application at bit.ly/3i9ct6j and follow the instructions provided in the job description to apply.
Charter to host youth entrepreneur fair
On May 7, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Marblehead Community Charter Public School will host an entrepreneur fair. This event will feature student businesses offering homemade dog treats, soup kits, jewelry and sea glass pictures.
Young entrepreneurs between the ages of 8 and 16 who would like to sell their items can sign up at bit.ly/40O4n4a. Students from all over the North Shore are participating in this event. The Charter School will have 30 to 40 vendors, and the public is invited to come and support the students. Anyone with questions is invited to email jessicagelb1@gmail.com.
NEWSROOM
Managing Editor - Will Dowd wdowd@marbleheadnews.org
Consulting Editor - Kris Olson kolson@marbleheadnews.org
Staff Reporter - Leigh Blander lblander@marbleheadnews.org Sports ReporterJoe McConnell
Ed Bell
Virginia Buckingham
Kris Olson
Will Dowd
Robert Peck
Joseph P. Kahn
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
Editorial board
Ed Bell
Virginia Buckingham
Kris Olson
Will Dowd
Robert Peck
Joseph P. Kahn Design and Production North of Boston Media Group
Marblehead News 217 Humphrey St. Marblehead, Massachusetts 01945 781.910.8658 info@marbleheadnews.org
www.marbleheadCurrent.org
Marblehead Current is published every Wednesday by Marblehead News Group, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. It is mailed to all homes and businesses in Marblehead, MA 01945.
DONATE
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.
ADVERTISE
Advertising is available on our website and in our weekly printed newspaper. To learn more, contact our Director of Community Relations, Marion Warner Greely, at mgreely@ marbleheadnews.org, or visit www. marbleheadCurrent.org/ads.
VOLUNTEER Join us. We invite you to help support our effort to establish and maintain a free press for a strong community. To get involved, visit www. marbleheadCurrent.org/volunteer.
REACT
We’re standing by to listen to your ideas. Please drop us a line and let us know what you would like to see in your community newspaper. Send your thoughts to info@marbleheadnews.org.
With nomination papers due Monday, May 1, at 5 p.m., a field of candidates is emerging, setting the stage for two contested races — for Board of Health and Light Commission — in the municipal election on Tuesday, June 20.
There are 25 elected positions up for grabs across various boards, committees and commissions.
Noticeably absent from the Select Board lineup was incumbent Jim Nye. The 18year member of Marblehead’s executive branch had yet to pull papers as of press time. Incumbents Moses Grader, Alexa Singer, Jackie BelfBecker and Erin Noonan are seeking reelection, and former Select
Board member Bret Murray of Abbot Street pulled papers.
Board of Health
Incumbent Todd BelfBecker’s threeyear term expires in 2023. He has not taken out papers, but three nonincumbents have — Thomas McMahon of Gregory Street, Thomas Massaro of Lafayette Street and David BelfBecker of Nonantum Road. McMahon ran unsuccessfully against Helaine Hazlett in 2022. If David BelfBecker (Todd BelfBecker’s father) were to emerge victorious in June, it would be a return to a board that he previously served on.
Municipal Light Commission
The other contested race taking shape would be between incumbent Lisa Wolf and former light commissioner Walter Homan of Haley Road for a threeyear term. Homan lost to Light Commissioners JeanJacques Yarmoff and Michael Hull in a close race among the three candidates in 2022. Meanwhile, interim Light
Commissioner Adam Smith pulled papers to run for the remaining year on an unexpired term. Last year, the Select Board and Light Commission selected Smith to fill the vacancy created when Karl A. Johnson resigned his seat following the June election, citing health reasons.
Marblehead Housing Authority
Theresa Tauro, an interim member of the Marblehead Housing Authority Board of Trustees, is running for the remaining two years on an unexpired term. The Select Board and the Housing Authority’s commissioners unanimously appointed the former 8th Essex District state representative candidate to fill the vacancy created after former commissioner Joan Cutler resigned in September. School Committee
A pair of School Committee seats open in June, and incumbent Sarah Gold has not yet pulled papers, but two
residents have: former Glover School Principal Brian Ota and Karen TalMakhlof.
Rec and Parks
Four of the five members of the Recreation and Parks Commission, Linda Rice Collins, Matthew Martin, Karen Ernst, and Rossana Ferrante, are running for reelection.
Newcomer Shelly Bedrossian of Jersey Street, meanwhile, pulled papers. Recreation and Parks Commissioner Derek Norcross pulled papers but won’t seek reelection.
“Though I took out papers for reelection, I will not be turning them in,” said Norcross, who served 18 years on the commission. “I’m hopeful that by letting people know that maybe some other — hopefully younger – person will be interested in running and joining the commission.”
Library Board of Trustees
Incumbent Gary Amberik pulled papers to run for the Abbot Public Library Board
of Trustees, as has newcomer Katherine Barker of Locust Street.
Other incumbents who have taken out papers include Moderator Jack Attridge, Planning Board member Robert Schaeffner, Assessor John Kelley, Cemetery Commissioner Pam Peterson and Water and Sewer Commissioners Thomas Carroll and Barton Hyte. Town Clerk Robin Michaud reminds prospective candidates of the Office of Campaign and Political Finance’s filing requirements. All candidates must file three campaign finance reports, notwithstanding the election’s outcome or the amount of personal money spent.
Critical dates to file campaign finance reports are as follows:
» eight days before the election or June 8 thirty days after the election or July 30
» endofyear report, Jan. 20, 2024
The Y is excited once again to do its part to set kids up for success this summer as it celebrates Healthy Kids Day, a nationwide Y initiative promoting funfilled activities to celebrate kids being kids. Summer is the perfect time for kids to explore new things, make new friends, unplug from technology while staying active and engaged and the Y is committed to providing the pportunity for kids to kick off their summer with healthy and fun events and activities.
Join us Saturday, April 29, for free events and activities open to the community to celebrate this YMCA nationwide initiative. For over 30 years, YMCAs and their communities have hosted free community events aimed to inspire kids and families to keep their minds and bodies active throughout the summer months and beyond.
This annual event features a variety of familyfriendly
From P. A1
an environment at our school that had cast [aspersions] of his character from the very first communication we received as a community about the investigation?” asked parent
Keiko Zoll in an email to the Marblehead Current.
Zoll continued, “I’m concerned this entire situation leaves our school with the appearance of unsteady leadership at a time when we should be concentrating on
activities to encourage healthy kids, healthy families and a healthy start to the summer season.
Family fitness activities:
9 a.m. Move & Play (ages 510)
10 a.m. Zumbini (ages 04)
10 a.m. MagicDance (ages 46)
11 a.m. MagicDance (ages 79)
4 p.m. Earth Day Family Yoga (all ages)
Other events: Local vendors & giveaways
Open gymnastics & pool times
» Test your green thumb with a planting craft
closing out the year strong and welcoming our newest families for this coming fall. As a new family to the school this year, I have to put a lot of trust into the acting head of school to guide us through the end of the year, knowing that she, too, is equally as new to the school as our family is. Most of all I feel for Dr. Cohen, who’s given many years of loyal service to an otherwise thriving school. It’s a shame all around.”
MCCPS Board member
Lindsay Smith defended the school’s handling of the investigation.
Spin the wheel prizes
» Lawn games like cornhole, giant Jenga and Connect 4
“It is so important for kids to stay active over the summer, both physically and mentally,” said YMCA President and CEO Chris Lovasco. “At the Y, we believe in providing resources to families to ensure that their children have access to what they need to reach their full potential, no matter the time of year. Healthy Kids Day is a fun, free communitywide event that encourages families to take advantage of all the great
“We followed a due process in accordance with our policies and in consultation with our legal counsel,” Smith said. “We recognize how frustrating it may be for our community not knowing all of the facts. However, we stand by our decision to protect the privacy of all those involved and are confident in our process and findings.”
Smith added, “Moving forward, we are confident that our interim Head of School Ms. Brant, with a demonstrated history of collaborative leadership and
summer resources that the Y has to offer.”
In honor of Healthy Kids Day, we are sharing a few activities that may encourage your kids to try something new at the Y. Share these opportunities with your children and inspire them to “find their fun” by discovering an activity that they love.
Find your swimming skills with Y swim lessons
Each year the Y teaches thousands of children to swim. This helps them find their confidence and teaches a lifelong skill.
Find your adventure with Y summer camp
Summer is a time for kids to explore new things. Whether experiencing the wonder of Children’s Island or having a blast with new friends onsite at the Y day camps, kids can find their adventure at the Y.
living principles, they also teach the value of teamwork, help fuel determination and build character. Visit northshoreymca. org/locations/lynchvanotterlooymca and check out all the sports programs available to help keep children active all summer long.
To learn more about our YMCA and all that it offers, visit northshoreymca.org/joinymca or reach out to Membership Dir. Jane Rizza at rizzaj@ northshoreymca.org.
Find
Youth sports are just the start of something bigger — in addition to teaching healthy
supporting successful student outcomes, will be a tremendous asset to MCCPS through this transition.”
Charter’s board suspended Cohen with pay last month after a staff member made a misconduct allegation against him. The board declined to comment on the nature of the allegation, except to say that it did not involve students.
Cohen became Charter’s head of school in 2019, after working as a principal in Nantucket and Westford.
In an unrelated incident, the Current previously reported that
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.
former Charter employee Robert Erbetta of Marblehead had filed a complaint against Cohen with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination after being fired last June.
Erbetta had been affiliated with the school for 27 years, serving as a board member at one point. He most recently worked as the facilities director, overseeing construction projects.
“I believe I was unfairly terminated by Mr. Cohen on June 30, 2022, based on my age alone,” Erbetta, who is 80 years old, wrote to the MCAD.
The following is an interview with Jessica Kreyer, owner of Coastline Ballet Center, conducted by Discover Marblehead. To learn more about the ballet school at 165 Pleasant Street #12 in Marblehead, go to coastlineballet.com.
Tell us about Coastline Ballet Center. Coastline Ballet Center is a ballet school that serves students ages 3 to adults. My husband, Pavel Gurevich, and I own the studio and are both former professional ballet dancers. I danced with the Milwaukee Ballet, Columbia City Ballet, Ballet Memphis and Jose Matoe’s Ballet Theatre. Pavel danced with the Milwaukee Ballet, Suzanne Farrell Ballet and Boston Ballet as a principal dancer for over 10 years.
After retiring from the stage, we both found ourselves at the front of the room teaching the next generation of young dancers and loving it. Soon, I rose to the rank of principal of the North Shore Studio of the Boston Ballet School which used to operate out of the YMCA building. During the COVID pandemic, Boston Ballet made the difficult decision to close the North Shore location. Pavel and I felt strongly that this community and all of its beautiful dancers deserved a local studio where they could continue their studies at a high level, in a professional environment with experienced and knowledgeable instructors who are some of the best in our industry, not just here in Massachusetts. We had fallen in love with the North Shore and wanted to maintain the connections we had built with the people here and remain a part of the fabric of this place. So, we decided to take the leap, literally and figuratively, and open our own studio right here in Marblehead — in the middle
of a pandemic! We wanted the students’ experience to remain as uninterrupted as possible. They had already endured a lot with COVID. We had about six weeks to find a suitable space and renovate it for dance, which was almost an impossible feat. But with lots of encouragement and support we made it happen and have never looked back. We have built a beautiful home for our students and ballet, and we couldn’t be more grateful!
What is the best piece of business advice you’ve ever received? The best piece of business advice I’ve ever received was the encouragement to finally open my own business and be my own leader. Even before the pandemic, people were always saying to us, “You should open your own studio,” but we never quite felt it was the right time. As a dancer you’re told what to do your entire career — you’re a vessel carrying out and delivering someone else’s artistic vision. It can be difficult to develop your own voice and the courage to forge your own path. We spend our professional lives in the corps de ballet literally staying in line. So to step away and act on your dreams is hard. Pavel and I couldn’t have done it without the support of the community, students, family and friends cheering us on.
What is your favorite spot in Marblehead? I would have to say my favorite spot in Marblehead is the beach! Since I spend so much of my life
indoors, every chance I get you will find me and my family parked on the sand. My favorite thing to do is to go early in the morning and then head back in time for lunch.
What is something people would be surprised to learn about you? I don’t know if there is anything about me that would surprise people. I am colorful and very animated, probably from spending the first half of my life always onstage and the second half in the front of a classroom around curiouslywonderful kids. Pavel is more
reserved, he is the mysterious one, but I would never share his secrets! I think what doesn’t always come to mind with something as beautiful as ballet is all the work and toil that goes into it that isn’t so glamorous. There is a lot of time backstage, offstage, outside of the studios doing all the work that no one sees. And if you do that work correctly no one should see it. It’s all meant to look graceful, elegant and effortless. It’s part of the allure and mystique of ballet. Now that I am on the other side, producing shows, sewing
costumes, doing administrative tasks — all of that “invisible” work is far more exhausting than dancing ever was!
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.
ablations, when doctors shocked his heart back into normal rhythm. While he was waiting for an ablation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital one day, he went into tachycardia — his heart was beating too fast, uncontrollably.
“I’m talking to the doctor, and my eyes rolled back into my head,” he said. “They brought in the crash carts. They eventually got me out of it. I remember asking, ‘Can I please have a new heart now?’”
Those incidents moved Swain up to the top of the transplant list. Doctors wouldn’t let him go home until he received his new heart. He got the word on Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021.
“They came in and said, ‘Gary, we have a heart for you,’” he recalled. “I can’t even tell you the emotions on that. First, pure terror. Everything had been surreal and now reality hit. And then a sense of relief. And then, it hits that somebody is dying, and I’m getting their heart. Somebody is losing somebody.”
That somebody was Michele Decoteau of Mason, New Hampshire, whose 39yearold son, Daniel, suffered a traumatic brain injury. An Iraq War veteran and father, he was riding his motorized skateboard when he hit a newly graded part of a road and fell, hitting his head.
“People just loved him,” Swain later learned. “He supposedly had a heart of gold. And now I
have his heart.”
Daniel Decoteau never signed up to be an organ donor, but his mother felt certain he would want to help others, even in death. So, after agonizing for hours with family members, she decided to donate her son’s heart, liver, kidneys, corneas and tissues.
Swain received Decoteau’s heart on Aug. 8.
“From the donor family side, we’re so happy we saved lives, but we’re still having a hard time,” said Michele Decoteau.
Swain reached out to Michele in a letter and enclosed a glassblown heart. He did not know at the time that the Decoteau
U.S. ORGAN TRANSPLANTS BY THE NUMBERS
» 104,234 men, women and children are on the national transplant waiting list.
42,000 organ transplants were performed in 2022.
» 17 people die each day waiting for an organ transplant.
» Every donor can save eight lives and enhance 75 more.
family had enjoyed glass blowing as a hobby.
Swain and his wife, Sheelah, met Michele and her husband
at a New Hampshire park on Mother’s Day 2022. Michele brought a stethoscope and listened to her son’s heart beating inside Swain’s chest.
“The day was very meaningful — especially because it was on Mother’s Day,” she said.
Choking back tears, Swain added, “It was healing for them. Their son is living on through me.”
Both Decouteau and Swain now speak out in support of organ donation. Decoteau led a Donate Life event at the New Hampshire State House this month. They will both speak at Brigham and Women’s Hospital
next month.
They share the same message: Sign up to be an organ donor, and encourage your loved ones to do the same.
“The impact Daniel has had on so many people is incredible,” Swain said.
To learn more about organ donation, visit DonateLife. net. Swain recommended the nonprofit HeartBrothers Foundation (HeartBrothers.org) as a resource for heart failure and transplant patients, and Decouteau encouraged parents who have lost children to visit CompassionateFriends.org.
COURTESY PHOTO Gary Swain received his new heart in August 2021.EVERYTHING
Town Meeting attendees are being asked to approve Article 44, which calls for Select Board members to serve staggered threeyear terms instead of oneyear terms. While this is not the first time Town Meeting has been asked to consider this question, we believe the proposed change should be adopted.
Having Select Board members’ terms run for three years instead of one year removes the need for all members to be focusing a significant portion of each year planning reelection campaigns instead of devoting all of their available time to the issues at hand.
Furthermore, by having staggered threeyear terms, voters would have a better opportunity to evaluate the individual job performances of Select Board members instead of simply assessing the effort of the board as a whole.
In the case of newly elected board members, they should be given time to familiarize themselves with the various aspects of their position. And while we know of no instances when this has occurred, imagine the chaos that might ensue if in a given year there was a complete turnover of the fivemember board. There would be no continuity of governance, and five “rookies” would be tasked with the job of running the executive branch.
While we do have a town administrator, he/ she reports to the Select Board, not the reverse scenario, as it is the board, not the town administrator, that sets policies, approves licenses, appoints citizens to town committees and carries out the other duties required of the position.
Having oneyear terms also discourages citizens from running for office when all five incumbents are running for reelection. History has generally shown that only when there is a vacancy on the Select Board will multiple nonincumbents choose to seek election.
With staggered threeyear terms, it is easier for a nonincumbent candidate to run against an individual incumbent and to seek to highlight the differences between them as a way to enable voters to make actual comparisons of the candidates. And it is interesting to note that this year two of our five incumbent Select Board members support the change to threeyear staggered terms.
There are 292 towns in Massachusetts that have Select Boards and, according to the Massachusetts Municipal Association, they know of no other town in Massachusetts that has a Select Board with oneyear terms for its members. We see nothing so unique to Marblehead that supports a continuation of oneyear terms.
We urge you to vote yes on Article 44.
lETTERS pOlICY
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.
I’ve devoted a lot of my life to finding the right words — to explain, to explore, to sometimes inspire. The phrase “Boston Strong” didn’t sit right with me ten years ago after the Marathon bombings. No, that’s an understatement. It made me ache and seethe. I’ll explain why in a minute. But I’ve come to understand the solace those words provided and still do.
For a lot of people, the call to be “Boston Strong” was necessary to get through those terrifying days and an aftermath filled with so much loss. The words helped summon something, some measure of determination to bear the unbearable. It was and is a collective call to community.
Still, “Boston Strong” didn’t apply to many people’s emotional experiences. Onesizefitsall definitions rarely do. It can be isolating to not fit the resilience mold our culture creates, pain deepening with each realization that the trauma you experienced made you feel the opposite of stronger.
I grappled with this dissonance in the aftermath of 9/11 when feeling similarly isolated and not at all stronger set me on a journey to redefine resilience. The ideas I came to were that trauma can make you unrecognizable, even to yourself. It can break you. That resilience isn’t an offtheshelf tool every person can grab and apply to their situation, like strapping on a psychic strengthtraining resistance belt. If we’re “strong,” this theory goes, we can withstand the blow until it recedes and reshapes with the passage of time.
Rather, I believe resilience looks more like building a life of meaning and joy, always cognizant of the foundation of the loss and pain that remains. You move forward and carry both — pain and joy.
The metaphor that worked for me was comparing this process to the making of sea glass — to a bottle tossed in the sea, tumbled about in the water, the sand and the salt until it becomes something else entirely, yet still capable of bringing joy. Maybe you have your own way of thinking about resilience. It seems we have now made room for those and for a more nuanced definition of what it means to be “Boston Strong.”
With this Marathon anniversary, memorialized with
Op-ED
It can be isolating to not fit the resilience mold our culture creates, pain deepening with each realization that the trauma you experienced made you feel the opposite of stronger.
the kind of saturation coverage such moments demand, I sensed a shift. I watched and read in the media a recognition that Boston Strong doesn’t quite capture what needs to be captured.
There was the thoughtful story of a childhood friend of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev who has struggled to explain what it’s like to have a best friend you thought you knew but who is actually a monster. There was an interview with the head of the trauma unit at Boston Medical Center who finally dared say out loud what she thought 10 years ago: Why don’t we pay attention to the daily trauma inflicted on the people she regularly treats, some who also lose limbs?
There was the painful story of the sister of a Boston cop who continues to fight to have her brother’s death — a year after the bombings from injuries suffered during the Watertown manhunt count — as a casualty of that day. Imagine having to fight so the tragic death of your loved one is part of a community’s narrative.
And there were the interviews with the survivors who lost limbs and lost loved ones. Maybe I was looking for it, but there seemed to be more willingness than in years past to share realities like “some days I’m not OK, some days totally suck, and some days I’m not sure I can get out of bed.” Or maybe they were saying that all along, and it was us who weren’t ready to hear them.
I don’t believe time heals — it’s another story we tell ourselves — but perhaps I need to reconsider that blackandwhite belief, too. Time does soften raw edges of fear and pain. It does allow a broader awareness and compassion for complex reactions to trauma.
That certainly is the case for me and my appreciation that “Boston Strong” isn’t perfect but it helps. If time doesn’t heal, it sure does educate. I’m grateful for that.
Virginia Buckingham is the president of the Current’s board of directors. Her column appears weekly.
April 24 is Right Whale Day in Massachusetts. In one of his last acts as governor, Charlie Baker signed a proclamation that this day should (rightly) be set aside for the people to promote the preservation of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale.
For the commercial lobsterman — not so much. In fact, about a month later, in February, another bill was referred by both houses of the state Legislature to the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, as one might expect for an endangered species.
When it comes out — if it does — S.552 will be more than a proclamation that lobstermen (and women and their families) have a right to coexist, too. Its purpose is the establishment of a fund to provide financial assistance to lobstermen to mitigate the financial impacts of fishing area closures due to protection of endangered marine species. If it comes to pass, it will be known as the Lobstering Closure Mitigation Fund.
Should it happen, it may do something to redress a balance that in recent years seems to have
swung disastrously against a way of life that has given this part of New England a lot of its history and character. In this event, we the people will be saying that while we love the right whale, it’s not right that lobstermen should be collateral damage in its fight to survive.
Area fishing closures up and
down the northeast coast have been a powerful tool in conserving this weirdly beautiful large whale since 2014 — especially in Cape Cod Bay, where the whales have lingered longer than usual in 2023. Researchers worry that the clouds of copapods, the tiny plankton
I do not understand how Article 47 came to be on the agenda this year.
It calls on Marblehead residents to rescind the bylaw we only just passed last year to ban the use of gaspowered leaf blowers during the summer months.
After we passed that ban in 2022, it took another 120 days for the attorney general to turn it into a new bylaw. This means that the ban was never in effect in 2022. How can you rescind a law which has never been tested? What new evidence could you possibly present when there was no change from prior years?
Nobody successfully convinced the AG to not approve this ban during those 120 days before it officially became a bylaw. What is the point of this appeals period if it can be stretched to what are now 360 days?
I hope we vote down this attempt to reverse the will of the residents of Marblehead.
Felix Twaalfhoven Doaks LaneTo the editor:
It’s hard for Marblehead Racial Justice Team to find words strong enough to denounce an “incident report” on the website of a regressive nonprofit, Parents Defending Education, targeting Dr. Henry Turner.
Dr. Turner is a Marblehead resident, respected educator and presenter, and a visionary about practical steps to combat systemic racism.
As small as the population of people of color is in Marblehead, our town needs to exude admiration for a resident as accomplished as Dr. Turner. That group’s criticism of Dr. Turner revolves around his scholarship and presentations that aid diversity, equity and inclusion in schools.
MRJT stands firm that schools everywhere must have a robust diversity, equity and inclusion program as long as systemic racism permeates life in the United States as it does.
At the Marblehead Public Schools budget hearing for the 20222023 school year on March 31, 2022, the discussion during a 20minute period gave many valuable explanations about diversity, equity and inclusion — for example, that such programs do aid curriculum needs.
Those are features about which Dr. Turner ably conducted projects for our schools.
Marblehead schools surely can benefit from more focus on connections among folks involved in the schools and the community and among students and adults.
MRJT members have
From P. A6
they feed on, are less abundant this year on the rest of their northern migration route to the Bay of Fundy and beyond.
Because of this, the fisheries arm of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration extended the Cape Cod Bay closure to May 7. They also reimposed a 2022 ban on all lobster trawls and gear on a wedgeshaped piece of inshore water extending roughly from Hull to Cape Ann for all of April.
That pushed the Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association over the top. Having cooperated to the full with last year’s extensive new rules and having spent the previous winter splicing colorful gear markings
personally experienced Dr. Turner’s presentations in Marblehead and his writings, and we endorse his expertise unequivocally. We are thrilled he is a Marbleheader.
Marblehead Racial Justice TeamTo the editor: Your article “Selectboard runs afoul of the law” (April 19) points out the problem in our town of incomplete minutes from the Select Board on one occasion. In this case, an alert citizen complained to the AG’s Office.
But most boards and committees are derelict in providing informative and timely minutes. How can we know what is going on in town?
Townspeople want to know what is going on! We may be sick, disabled, have old or young to care for, or just be too tired to get to a meeting.
The best way to ensure informed citizens is to make attendance and observation of meetings convenient for all.
Articles 51 and 52 address the need to make it easy for people to know what is occurring (or what occurred) in meetings. Synchronistically or asynchronistically, we should use uptodate equipment to provide the knowledge of who said what.
How modern!
Lynn Nadeau Surf StreetTo the editor:
As the sponsor of Article 45, “Enhancements to the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,” I would like to share the intent of the article and the benefits that will accrue to the town with its passage. Contained in this article are provisions that will make a positive contribution to the town audit by facilitating the public’s access to audit information and providing a more open and independent process for reviewing the final audit report.
I was motivated to pursue this citizen’s petition after reviewing five fiscal years of town annual audit documents produced by the town’s independent auditor (Powers & Sullivan LLC), certified public accountants and the report of a consultant (Clifton Larsen Allen LLP) the town hired in 2021 to assess the operations of the Financial Services Department.
I also consulted with and reviewed publications of various state and federal organizations
into trap lines and adding new weak links that will break after 1,700 pounds of pressure, the MLA’s 1,800 members are digging even deeper in their pockets to go to court in a lawsuit that alleges government overreach and argues that the “wedge” is a place where the whales are not.
In 2020, a report from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute concluded that the lobster fishery may turn a higher profit by operating with less gear… and a shorter season. Yes and no, as it turned out. In 2021, the value of the lobster harvest in the state topped $800 million for the first time. Maybe it was just another consequence of COVID, but the actual take in 2022 fell by some 10% — and then came September.
with expertise in government auditing. These included the Government Finance Officers Association, the Massachusetts Association of Municipal Accountants & Auditors, the Massachusetts Association of Finance Committees, the Massachusetts Department of Revenue/Bureau of Technical Services, Massachusetts Municipal Association and Massachusetts Office of Inspector General.
After also meeting with various town officials, it became apparent to me that the town Finance Department could improve on the manner in which it chooses to make information contained in the audit report accessible to the public and reviewed by the town’s stakeholders
The town has a new and highly competent town finance director who has a herculean effort ahead of her in managing the town’s financial affairs, all while implementing major technological improvements to the town’s budgeting and accounting systems. Therefore, before the new fiscal year gets underway, I would argue it is equally critical to also put in place the practices contained in Article 45, which the aforementioned experts recognize as among the best for reporting and reviewing a municipal audit.
Ron Grenier Sagamore RoadTo all Marbleheaders:
I am a crossing guard who works at the corner of West Shore Drive and Jersey Street, crossing fourth through sixthgraders safely to and from the Village School.
I have the responsibility to protect our future generation, and I take that responsibility very seriously. The kids I cross every day I refer to as “my kids.”
And on the morning of Friday, April 14, the day before their vacation started, I was crossing a set of twins, and all three of us were nearly killed by a distracted driver, driving way over the speed limit.
I was wearing my reflective vest, and I have even attached flashing lights to my stop sign for added visibility. There was plenty of time for this driver to see us and to safely stop if he had been paying attention to the road ahead of him. This could have been any intersection in our town, with or without a crossing guard.
I cross these sisters every day, and I can relate to them as I am an identical twin myself. I am 75 years young and, although we live in separate towns, my twin brother and I remain close. We don’t see each other as much as we like, but we golf together, our families have gone on vacation
California lobbed a hardball at New England when the Monterey Bay Aquarium “redlisted” American lobster caught on buoyed lines in the U.S. and Canada as unsustainably fished. Even Dan McKiernan, the normally mildmannered director of Massachusetts Department of Marine Fisheries, boiled at what he called a “colossal mistake.” A month later, Whole Foods stopped selling all Maine lobster.
The value of lobster landed at the dock roughly halved last year to $4 a pound or even less, whereas fuel and gear costs were — you guess. November saw a federal judge order even tougher regulations on buoyed lines, but Congress later blocked NOAA from enforcing them until 2028.
Conservationists and scientists feel the blow keenly.
together, and we remain very close. I say this because those sisters almost did not have that opportunity.
Our town is only 4 square miles small. The roads are narrow and hilly. And we have a lot of children walking or biking to school.
I urge everyone to please pay attention while driving through town, but especially between 78:30 a.m. and again from 23:30 p.m. Our kids deserve nothing less than our full attention. Nothing, and I mean nothing, can be that important that you need to ever take your eyes off the road.
It takes more than crossing guards to keep our kids safe; it takes ALL of us. I thank the majority of safe drivers who pass my crossing post every day. But it only takes one. My wish is that every child gets a chance to grow up. Thank you.
Dana Kiernan Sunset RoadTo the editor:
Thanks to Cathy Marie Michael and Judith Black for their thoughtful letter (“DiZoglio obligated to audit Legislature,” April 12) regarding state Auditor Diana DiZoglio’s “bravery in announcing her intent to conduct the first audit of the state legislature in 100 years.”
I had newspaper clippings about DiZoglio’s intention piled next to my computer but hesitated writing for fear I wouldn’t be able to articulate clearly the issue within the word count needed. I’m a Democrat, but I’m not pleased with the actions of the Democratic speaker of the house and the current Democratic president of the Senate.
Michael and Black did a beautiful job succinctly articulating key points and threats to transparent democratic justice in the Commonwealth.
I suggest they send a copy of their letter to The Boston Globe so that others can clearly see why we should all support DiZoglio in her efforts to uphold a democratic legislative process and maintain proper controls over those who seek to keep hold of power.
Ginny O’Brien Garden RoadAt the 2022 Town Meeting, Marblehead residents voted 252 to 202 to enact a summer break from gaspowered leaf blowers. The bylaw will be in effect this year from Memorial Day through
Some lobstermen are not waiting to see their investments of several hundred thousand dollars in boats and gear fold.
Massachusetts made history this February when it allowed a handful of fishermen using “whalesafe” remote release traps to fish in closed areas. The gear, which costs roughly $4,000 a unit, is essentially on a long loan from the federal government while it is being evaluated. It would be a truism to say that most New England lobstermen will have nothing to do with it.
What happens now?
Worst case, the current laws prohibiting it change and small operators in Maine and Massachusetts are squeezed out by large concerns, as has happened in other fisheries.
Some of our favorite neighbors could go bankrupt. Right whale
Labor Day. However, the new bylaw lacked enforcement and fines.
This year, Article 48, sponsored by Jeanie (Beatrice) Stahl and others, addresses these issues by instituting enforcement by either the Police or Health departments. Both departments have agreed to enforce this bylaw.
Enforcement is directed to the homeowner, since they hire and direct the landscapers on their property. The first violation is a warning; the second is $100 fine; subsequent violations are $200 each. Compared to most other communities’ fines, our proposed fines are very lenient.
Also this year, there is Article 47, sponsored by a local landscaper, Todd Norman, which seeks to rescind the summer break bylaw passed last year. We have ample scientific evidence of adverse health effects of gaspowered leaf blowers to support the summer break. The extremely loud and penetrating noise, traveling for great distances and through house walls is one issue.
As an ear, nose and throat specialist (otolaryngologist) at Mass Eye and Ear, I have treated numerous patients over 30 years with permanent noiseinduced hearing loss. Excessive noise not only causes hearing loss but has been shown to increase blood pressure, heart disease, stress hormones, and difficulty concentrating and learning, especially in children.
No one will lose a job by not using a gaspowered leaf blower during the summer months; there are minimal leaves. Rakes and brooms are adequate, inexpensive and harmless.
The excessive toxic fumes and exhaust from these twostroke gas leaf blowers is well documented. One hour of using a gaspowered leaf blower has the same emissions as a modern sedan driving for 1,100 miles.
Please see this link for more scientific documentation: bit. ly/3US2O3k.
Dr. Kathryn A. Breslin Brackett PlaceI am deeply concerned about the portions of Governor Healey’s budget that propose to reduce taxes on the very wealthy. This proposal, which was quickly approved by the State House in a vote of 170 to 3, undermines the Fair Share Ballot Question passed by voters last November.
If Governor Healey’s budget is passed — most notably the estate tax and shortterm capital gains tax — it will deprive us of an essential opportunity to affirm the Commonwealth as a state committed to fairness and equity for all. It will deprive us of the opportunity to invest in education,
numbers could make a seriously miraculous recovery, prompting a rethink. Or the federal government could come up with a lot more money. A lot more.
Marblehead’s Congressman Seth Moulton has been trying to squeeze anything out of the federal budget for lobstermen since before the pandemic. His latest effort, the Right Whale Coexistence Act of 2022, would pry loose $67 million over the next five years for competitive grants for projects to protect the whales, including the purchase of whalesafe gear. It’s in committee.
For a wider look at efforts to conserve the North Atlantic right whale and the social issues this raises, listen to Rhod Sharp’s BBC podcast, “The Song of the Right Whale.”
The late 19thcentury blackpainted tin peanut roaster in the Marblehead Museum’s collection is not much to look at. And yet, the human story behind its history brings it to life. In 1871, 28yearold Giovanni Batista
Bacigalupo and his wife, Maria Chiesa, left Italy in search of their own American dream. They first settled in Boston, where the family welcomed three daughters. By 1880, Giovanni had moved to Marblehead, where he rented rooms at 47 Washington St. The family soon followed.
Giovanni made his living as a peanut vendor. The town directories, the Yellow Pages of the day, list his stand at the corner of State Street and Washington Street, by the Old Town House. A grainy photograph shows Giovanni seated with his cart at that very spot.
Sadly, Giovanni’s wife, Maria, died on April 30, 1887. According to the death registry, Maria passed away at home of
heart disease at the age of 41. However, the story seems more complicated, for listed directly
under Maria is an unnamed male son who died of premature birth. In one day, Giovanni lost both his wife and son. Giovanni (sometimes referred to in records with the anglicized, John) continued vending from his spot at the Old Town House until he moved into a small store at 81 Washington St. in about 1897. According to Benjamin Chadwick, he was nicknamed “Freshy Bake.” Others remembered his resounding cry of “Peanos!” He became such a town
institution that when he chose to leave Marblehead in 1900 to move in with his children, the Marblehead Messenger included a lengthy article about him. Thankfully, his photograph survives in the museum’s archive, so that we can all know the face of the town’s most famous peanut seller.
From the Vault is a monthly column highlighting an item from Marblehead Museum’s collection of over 60,000 artifacts. Learn more and explore at marbleheadmuseum. org.
Marblehead Museum announced that it has received an Historic Places Planning Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. This $40,000 grant will help fund exhibit planning in the museum’s newlyacquired kitchen and slave quarters at the Jeremiah Lee estate. The exhibits will share the largely unknown stories of the lives and experiences of the enslaved people of Marblehead and other maritime communities on
the North Shore. The project will also include a reinterpretation of the Jeremiah Lee Mansion and estate to incorporate the experiences of all those who lived and worked on
the property during the late Colonial era, including the enslaved individuals.
The project includes an 11person advisory panel made up of scholars from around the country who study the
enslaved experience in the Northeast, as well as community stakeholders and educators. Museum staff will work with Kristin Gallas of Muse Consulting and the Proun Exhibit Design firm, both Massachusettsbased, to develop the exhibit and interpretive materials.
In 2021, Marblehead Museum purchased the 1766 brick building adjacent to its magnificent Jeremiah Lee Mansion. One of the finest examples of Georgian architecture in the U.S., the museum has owned and given tours of the mansion since 1909. The acquisition of the new brick building, which research shows was used by Lee as a detached kitchen, coach house and slave quarters, brought back together all of Colonial merchant Jeremiah Lee’s original property. Since 2021, museum staff, alongside archaeologists, architectural historians and scholars, have studied the brick building and the history surrounding it, including that of the enslaved people who worked and lived on the estate.
The museum has received one of only 15 Public Humanities Project grants awarded this cycle.
I moved to Marblehead in 1965. In 1974, I finessed the selfdelusional ephemera of “awardwinning ad honcho” in corporate Boston in favor of ... freedom. I set up my creative services shop here in Real Dealtown. In addition to coming up with branding and marketing ideas for fun clients, I’ve been able to play The Game of Life and indulge in some Marbleheadiconic doings along the way:
1975: Marblehead Chamber of Commerce footwithholly Christmas Walk logo. 1976: Landing wine glasswithsail logo. Late’80s: Marblehead Bank seagull logo. 2016: Marblehead Female Humane Society Victorian woman/ lighthouse logo.
» The NERCOM New England states tourism special section in the May 11, 1980, New York Times Magazine, in which I recounted experiences in each of the six states. Massachusetts began: “Marblehead, a craggy seacoast village beyond
fascination and beauty, where I make my home, where I shall forever be at home.”
1988 Best of Show, Marblehead Arts Festival Writers World (an excerpt from my unpublished novel, “Reflections in O’Mara’s Mirror”— O’Mara’s is a fictional late’60s Maddie’s).
Title of the piece, “July 4th, 1976” — The narrator, Elicia SteinWatkins, a woman of 37, reminisces:
“Fourth of July, I’m seven.
On Dad’s beautiful white schooner, Ondine.. It’s about 7. The harbor’s already filled to overflowing with boats from Boston and Gloucester and Manchester and Beverly and Salem. They all come here, because Marblehead really is the Fourth ... the fireworks and illumination ... the fisherman’s town on the one side of the harbor and the Merchant Princes’ on the other ... the Old Glory of it all ...
And I had on my white dress with the redwhiteandblue sash and Mom had braided my hair and finished off the braids with redwhiteandblue ribbons. And the thrill was growing throughout the
harbor, the boats all dressed in flags from bow to mast to stern, the starspangled dissonance of horns and rockets and firecrackers and ships’ cannons; and Dad said I was the prettiest girl in the harbor, which he always did; and we had picnic there in the cockpit of the Ondine, sliced chicken sandwiches and deviled eggs and potato salad, and sarsaparilla for me and scotch and soda for Mom and Dad, and nothing ever tasted better or even as good; and Mom looked so beautiful in her long white dress, with her hair up and a beautiful tortoise shell comb in the back, and she had a redwhiteandblue sash about her waist, too, and I felt so good that we were dressed alike, and Dad told us that he was the luckiest man in the harbor, because he had the two most beautiful girls in the harbor to escort that evening; and Dad was so handsome in his white trousers and black blazer and King George tie, and Mom and I told him so, of course ...
And at dark, the harbor illumination. Hundreds of dim red flares set out by those whose houses rim the harbor.
A glimmering rose necklace encircling the hundreds on hundreds of boats now quieted in expectation of the thunder and lightning to come.”
1997. I was awarded an honorary lifetime membership by the Marblehead Chamber of Commerce
1997. The incredible visit and sail of the iconic USS Constitution. I created a proposal for a coffee table book of reminiscences, and produced an evocative poster of “Old Ironsides” at the mouth of the harbor.
1999. I created a branding line (“350 years proud”) for the town’s 350th anniversary celebration and recalled the impact of the Constitution’s visit in the commemorative program. An excerpt:
“For two whole days time stood still — we were allowed to swim in the purity of a better time.
An air of the supernatural over all. The unreality of the haunting reality. The impossible grandeur of the majestic vessel which ought long ago been but a ghost of memory. Resurrection, rebirth. So many
It’s not like email is new.
You’d think as a culture we’d be proficient at this particular form of communication. Yet, it is often rated as one of the biggest time wasters.
According to productivity experts, here are a few email “nonos” that annoy everyone:
Using ALL CAPS in the subject line. All caps are the internet equivalent of shouting.
According to research, using all caps in your subject line does NOT move you to the front of your recipient’s inbox line, contrary to what you might think. In fact, it dramatically reduces response.
If your email is urgent, consider
GUEST COlUMN
adding a deadline in the subject, or more about WHY it’s urgent, such as including phrases like “Approval Needed” or “Signature Needed.” Unclear subject lines. “Hey” simply doesn’t cut it. If you want eyes on your email, it’s always better to make it
My grandmother used to say, “Children decorate our lives.” I painted those words on my daughter Shanna’s bedroom wall when she was 3 years old. My Nana’s words have become a way of life for generations who never take for granted the beauty, humor, grounding and joy that children bring.
My Nana had 10 beloved children, the last three at once. My mom is the youngest of the triplets by a minute, the youngest of the 10.
At 40 years old in 1941, with none of today’s advanced medical technology, Nana was not aware she was carrying triplets. The shock was simply joyful for my grandmother, who treasured her children and made sure they knew it every day.
My mother owned and operated a family day care where she cared for and loved many
children over the years, potty training them, hosting birthday parties, creating traditions and memories, and often buying them holiday outfits. The kids became like family to us. My mother is called “Auntie” by the nowadults she cared for years ago.
When I was 4, she began caring for a boy who spent so much time with us, sometimes living with us for periods of time, that he became a cousin. I still remember the “cousin adoption ceremony” we had in our kitchen for Dino who, along with his wife and children, is still an integral part of our family.
We would hold another such ceremony for Ericka and Stacy, two daycare cuties who came to us and bonded for life. Now we have Ericka’s daughter, Zoey Catherine, who has my sister to thank for her middle name and who calls Shanna “GMama” (godmother). Zoey tells everyone she has a “million aunties,” but people struggle when they look for a blood
clear what the email is about.
BONUS TIP: In group emails, if the subject of the conversation shifts, edit the subject of your reply to reflect this. This will also make it easier to find the thread later.
Not using CC or BCC. Using cc and bcc are great ways to communicate info all on their own. “Cc” means you’re being kept “in the loop,” but no action or reply is needed (at least not from you), whereas “bcc” makes you the proverbial fly on the wall and signals that your presence is truly hushhush.
» Writing too much or too little. Experts say it’s crucial to give your message the gravity it deserves. Best not to cut corners or exclude important details merely for the sake of keeping things short and sweet. But
who would scarce darken the inside of a house of worship save for weddings and funerals would recall it as ‘a religious experience.’ Celebration. Streaming tears of joy and pride, newfound neighbors at every turn. Tower bells, cannons, bands, bunting, flags waving, tens of thousands of voices at full throat.”
1999. I had official site approval from Marblehead Park & Rec for my copyrighted Marblehead Naval Memorial design — the memorial to be adjacent to Marblehead Light at Chandler Hovey Park. At a 2002 meeting I had with Daniel Finamore, curator of Maritime Art & History, Peabody Essex Museum, he said, “It’s thrilling. Contemplative but engaging. As unique, in its own way, as the Vietnam War Memorial. It would be a tremendous draw.” My surprising reaction to that was to officially withdraw my site request from Park & Rec — for fear of traffic congestion on the Neck.
Bob Baker was”dubbed” an official Marbleheader by Marblehead native Jackson Tremblay in an unusual ceremony at the Barnacle bar on Nov. 18, 1986.
you also don’t want to write a 3,000word novel if you just want to grab lunch!
» Not closing with a “thank you.” A short expression of gratitude shows people you appreciate their attention in the matter at hand. It’s been shown that even as little as adding a “thanks” or “thanks in advance” can get you more and higher quality responses.
» Expecting an immediate response. An email is not a text message. When emailing cohorts about anything nonurgent, be sure to give them the right amount of leeway before expecting their answer.
That does it for this week.
Follow our cautionary guide, and you’ll quickly up your email game.
Stephen Bach is the owner and chief of surgery at The Digital Docs in Marblehead.
relation. My mother taught us that is not necessary when making a family. My father lives by his motherinlaw’s words as well. He was a youth basketball coach, held a tournament to raise scholarship funds for years, and at 84 is still broadcasting every sport he can on the Lynn cable channel as he has for four decades. He is known still as “Coach Hoffman,” “Mr. Hoffman” and the “Voice of Lynn Sports.” He loves to shine a spotlight on kids.
I make sure to thank my mom and dad regularly for showing me how wonderful it can be to love the children we meet — really see them and make them part of your life. Not everyone gets it. Not everyone wants to get it, I know. But for my mother, father, sister, myself and my daughters, my Nana’s words ring true. Children absolutely decorate our lives.
When my pool was destroyed in 2020, I was devastated. My husband Rick was relieved. He was done with pool care after 20
plus years. My girls weren’t too upset; they didn’t use it as much anymore, but I was heartbroken. The pool brought me so much happiness, so much of the company I love. The pool was a magnet for happy kids.
So, I bought another pool. I told Zoey it was for her — and it truly is — but it is also for all the little ones we bring into our lives.
I bought this pool for other people’s children, I told my husband when he shook his head at me.
“Are other people’s parents going to pay for it and clean it?” Rick asked.
No, no they are not. But the children who come to swim in it will bring me joy. He couldn’t argue with that because he knows it’s true and, like most husbands, loves when I’m joyful. He also loves having kids around. We made a deal that I’d learn more about how to clean the pool, and it was installed last April. He has enjoyed swimming
in it and watching the kids jump, yell and splash in it, too, even if he doesn’t admit it like I do.
Shanna called me this week to say she was going to the Peabody Essex Museum with some kiddos and friends. She didn’t call just to tell me what she was doing; she called to invite me knowing I would want to come.
As I was walking toward the museum, 10yearold Delaney saw me and came running for a hug. Shanna babysat Delaney and her siblings years ago and, as the oldest, Delaney spent a lot of time at our house.
When Shanna got a fulltime job, I started weekly visits with Delaney because I missed her. I meet up with her new nanny sometimes so I can stay connected with her and her three siblings. The running hug I got from her and the “I love you” from her sister Millie when I left the museum filled my heart and made me smile.
Zoey recently made me a
One way or the other, residents who think their neighborhood could use a stop sign or a reduced speed limit should have a more streamlined way to get their concerns addressed.
Whether Article 49 provides the vehicle — pardon the pun — will be up to Town Meeting.
The article’s sponsor, Dan Albert, did doctoral work at the University of Michigan that included work on transportation land use planning. As he told the audience at a recent forum organized by the League of Women Voters, he has been researching and studying traffic, and writing about transportation safety issues for decades.
Recognizing his passion and expertise on the subject, the Select Board recently appointed Albert to represent Marblehead on the MBTA Advisory Board.
In his article, Albert proposes creating a Traffic Safety Advisory Committee.
“The purpose of the TSAC will be to implement the Marblehead Complete Streets Policy and evaluate public safety issues involving traffic, roads and other transportation infrastructure in the town,” the article reads.
You are not crazy if you are thinking, “Don’t we already have such a committee?” Part of what Albert is trying to accomplish with his article is resuscitate and consolidate the functions of at least two committees that
have seemingly gone defunct: a Traffic Advisory Committee that reports to the Select Board and a Complete Streets Committee that was constituted as a means to access state funding but that “doesn’t meet and hasn’t kept minutes,” Albert explained at the League forum.
In Albert’s vision, the new Traffic Safety Advisory Committee would meet monthly, providing a forum to which residents could bring their concerns, and then report to the Select Board quarterly.
Acknowledging that the Traffic Advisory Committee had not met for a while prior to his arrival, Police Chief Dennis King said he had been working with the town administrator and other town officials who had been involved in the committee’s work to regroup and get meetings going again.
“In the meantime, I’ve created a traffic change form for people to submit that should be available soon,” King said.
Implied in King’s comments is a certain level of support for his concept, Albert believes.
“The police chief believes we should have a traffic committee — now, we’re just negotiating the details,” he said.
Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer noted that, with traffic issues, it is often important to build into the process an opportunity to consult with town officials who have expertise and technical knowledge about
requirements related to a request for a stop sign or other traffic calming measure.
Albert believes he has accounted for that, specifying that while the committee he envisions would include three members of the public, it would also include relevant town officials like King and Highway Department Superintendent Amy McHugh or their designees.
At least in Albert’s mind, the committee he is proposing would serve three purposes.
First and foremost, it would make the town’s streets safer. Second, it should help the town access state and federal funds predicated on the existence of such a committee.
Third, it should make the job of the police chief and other town officials easier, as the committee would funnel residents’ concerns into a body with the capacity to vet and refine them.
“Right now, what happens is I call the chief of police, I say, ‘There’s people driving down the street and I want a stop sign,’ and months and months of emails go back and forth,” Albert said at the League forum. “And there’s no real very good resolution.”
If Town Meeting voted to create it, residents would fill out request forms that would go to the committee.
“That traffic calming request would be heard by the committee, and all of the stakeholders would have an input,” Albert said.
Other article may be postponed
Albert is also the sponsor of Article 50, which seeks to insert into the town bylaws related to new proposed subdivisions a reference to a “Guide for the Planning, Design and Operation of Pedestrian Facilities” published by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
AASHTO is an organization that publishes specifications, test protocols and guidelines that are used in highway design and construction throughout the United States.
Albert figured that the proposal would be an easy sell, given that the bylaws already incorporate one older AASHTO guide, “A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets,” and as the name implies, adopting the “guides” generally does not bind the town to anything beyond what the law already requires.
Rather, the guides compile in one place both requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act and other laws alongside suggestions about best practices and design specifications to achieve different goals — in this case pedestrian safety.
But when Albert took his proposal to the Planning Board to seek its endorsement, members said they wished he had come to them sooner, as they did not feel they had been given adequate time to review
the guide and delve more deeply into its implications.
“You say it’s simple, but I haven’t had the opportunity to consider this,” Chair Robert J. Schaeffner said.
Member Edward O. Nilsson added, “I applaud the idea of refocusing planning from the automobile base to pedestrian base, which I think more and more cities and towns are doing. But if it’s a standard that will be implemented by the town, it should be fleshed out and a presentation made before the board, rather than on the floor of Town Meeting.”
Member Andrew Christensen said that it was unclear to him whether there would actually be no additional cost to the town, as Albert had represented.
Albert told the Current that he is not planning to alter his presentation to Town Meeting. He will just make it and let the chips fall where they may, believing there to be some educational value to bringing it to the floor, even if the vote is for indefinite postponement.
Albert acknowledged that there is no great urgency to his proposal — no large subdivision that would be subject to the guide is pending before town boards. But he noted that the state is gearing up to encourage towns to do bigger, denser developments to address a shortage of affordable housing.
“We want to get ahead of that,” Albert said.
Even though he may be uniquely equipped to plumb the depths of the annual audit of the town’s financial affairs, resident Ronald Grenier believes there is no reason why you should not get to see more of the work product of the town’s independent auditor, too.
That is the theory behind Article 45, sponsored by Grenier, which has four components to it.
The first prong would direct the town’s independent auditor to include in the final audit report his or her management letter or letters, report on internal control over financial reporting, report on compliance by each major federal program and report on the schedule of expenditures of federal awards.
Grenier calls these documents the “sweet sauce” in audits.
“If you are looking for how well government funds are being
From P. A1
agenda) contains 54 articles (agenda items). Many anticipate the following to garner lively debate.
Article 24: Proposes the creation of a human resources department. It complements a requested appropriation to hire a human resource director.
Article 29, Article 30 and Article 31: Collectively, this trio of articles represents the main budget articles, which include proposed appropriations for $8 million in free cash, a $112.5 million
From P. A9
birthday card that said — in her best kindergarten writing — “I like spending time with you.”
Right back at you, Zo. Wanting to spend more time with her, I surprised her last week and picked her up at school. When
managed or if there are systemic issues, they will be located there,” Grenier said.
He has reason to know. Grenier once served as the director of administration for the central artery/tunnel project, which most people know as The Big Dig.
He retired from Massachusetts state government service in 2005 after a stint as the director of audit operations for the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, though he would later serve as town administrator in Newcastle, Maine.
As with at least one other citizensponsored Town Meeting article, Grenier has been advised through town counsel that his proposal may raise a separationofpowerstype issue: the town’s legislative body, Town Meeting, is not permitted to direct — or “interfere” with — its executive branch, the Select Board.
But in his case, Grenier said he has faith that if the Town
budget and a $2.5 million general override.
» Article 39 endeavors to create bylaws governing accessorydwelling units in neighborhoods zoned for singlefamily homes.
Article 42’s passage would allow the town to plant trees on private property within 20 feet of the public right away and with the property owner’s permission.
Article 44 proposes changing Select Board terms from one year to three years.
» Article 45 proposes transparency enhancements and best practices for the public sector reporting of
she heard me call her name, she turned with childlike excitement and leapt into my arms. These fun, kind and loving kids keep me coming back to them.
This year, at the neighborhood Easter egg hunt we host annually, my friend Christen’s husband expressed surprise at how many kids were there. Because we changed it from
Meeting speaks, the relevant town officials will listen.
Select Board Chair Moses Grader confirmed as much to the Current.
“In general, I really welcome best practices, particularly those articulated in Article 45 to enhance the Comprehensive Annual Financial Review,” Grader said.
Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer added, “I definitely don’t disagree with the intent of putting more information out. If it’s addressing the lack of information being posted in the past, that’s an easy fix.” Grenier’s article would “direct” (which may be amended to “urge,” or words to that effect) the town’s finance director to post the independent auditors’ management letters and reports to the town website and “require” (or “highly recommend”) that the auditor come to a public Select Board meeting to discuss
Marblehead’s annual audit.
Article 47 and Article 48 are dueling leaf blower proposals targeting regulations governing leaf blowers in town. The first seeks to do away with the regulations, while the second proposes enforcement provisions to an existing seasonal ban.
» Article 51 and Article 52 recommend that certain governmental bodies with regulatory powers adopt hybrid publicmeeting practices and file recordings of them.
» Article 54 asks Town Meeting to recommend that the Select Board, Board of
Easter Sunday to the week before, we were able to invite more families. We didn’t have to serve dinner immediately after as usual, so we went all out this year.
It rained heavily, but thanks to Star of the Sea Church, we had an indoor space. We had 21 kids and 30 adults, lots of fun and so many eggs (325)!
his or her findings.
The article also asks the Select Board to establish a Town Audit Committee, starting in FY 2024.
Grader noted that the Government Finance Officers Association has bestowed awards on the town’s CAFR audits for a dozen years or more. Nonetheless, he called it a “nobrainer” to have an Audit Committee provide additional oversight of the annual process.
“However, I think the best implementation is to have the Audit Committee directly mandated by Town Meeting — much the same way FinCom is mandated — to independently oversee the audit process in town,” he added.
As he has spoken at various forums to explain his article, Grenier said the response he has gotten has been overwhelmingly positive, especially when he points out there will be no cost impact.
Health, Harbors and Waters and Recreation and Parks Commission document processes and decisionmaking fundamentals into manuals.
Town Moderator Jack Attridge will preside over and regulate proceedings, decide all questions of order and determine all votes.
When he gavels the Town Meeting to order, it will mark a rare changing of the guard. In the last 60 years, Marblehead has only had two moderators before him: Steve Howe, who served from 1963 to 2005, and Gary Spiess, who served from 2006 to 2022. Spiess died in November, just months after he stepped down.
George saw all the kids and commented to Christen that he didn’t realize I had so many kids in my family.
“Nope,” said my friend. “Only one of them is her family, Zoey.”
Everyone who knows us knows that despite the lack of a blood relation, Zoey is family. The others are kids we have met along the way and have come
He added that, after speaking with Kezer, he has no reason to believe that he and the Select Board will do anything other than “read the tea leaves,” if Town Meeting approves Article 45.
“I think the town needs to understand that these are not ‘gotcha’ things,” Grenier told the audience at a recent forum hosted by the League of Women Voters. “These are things that are going to make the government stronger, and provide the confidence and the trust on the citizenry’s part.”
Grader did not disagree.
“I think the Select Board is completely committed to best practices and enabling transparency, and has worked hard and continues to work hard to put in place the leadership, teams, processes, procedures and tech systems to execute against these high standards for the taxpayers and citizens of the town,” he said.
He believed a successful moderator conducted the Town Meeting business fairly, efficiently and respectfully.
He saw conduct on the Town Meeting floor as a twoway street.
“A very important ingredient for anyone attending Town Meeting is that you will hear positions expressed that you don’t necessarily agree with,” Spiess wrote in his Town Meeting guide, “but my expectation is that Town Meeting attendees treat others with respect, hear them out and wait their turn to express themselves.” Learn more and research the 2023 Town Meeting issues at marbleheadcurrent.org/ townmeeting2023.
to love: our neighbors, our neighbors’ friends, work friends, kids my girls babysit or have babysat.
In this family, we see kids for the life decorations they are and make sure we celebrate them whenever we can. Thanks, Nana. Thanks, Mom and Dad.
Christine McCarriston is a Marblehead resident.
Come next year, Town Meeting voters may feel a bit like “Jeopardy!” contestants, if Article 36 is approved.
The article would add a subsection to Section 17410 of the town bylaws to allow electronic counting devices to be provided to Town Meeting voters as they arrived at the Veterans Middle School auditorium.
It would then be up to the moderator to decide whether the devices would be used to tabulate the vote on any or all of the articles on the warrant.
While the ultimate cost of the devices would depend on the vendor chosen and the estimate of the number of participants at Town Meeting, the cost of the devices should not be prohibitive, according to Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer.
“We saw a quote from Westwood, a slightly smaller town, for $9,000,” he explained. If Article 36 is approved, the next step would be for Kezer, together with the town clerk and moderator, to research the best option as part of the preparations for the 2024 Town Meeting.
“A final determination would best be made at that time as the technology will likely change over time,” Kezer said.
One leading provider of such
COURTESY PHOTO/MERIDIA INTERACTIVE SOLUTIONS
While Marblehead’s models may look different from the one shown here from the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Natural Resources, Town Meeting may benefit from the use of similar electronic counting devices in 2024, if Article 36 is approved.
devices, Meridia Interactive Solutions, boasts contracts with the U.S. House of Representatives and New Hampshire’s House of Representatives.
Its website features testimonials from two Massachusetts town clerks.
“At my last town meeting, the clickers saved me,” wrote Lynne Girouard of Sturbridge.
The company’s TownVOTE system was able to calculate many motions requiring a twothirds majority vote from over 1,000 people instantly, she said.
“In the past, these kinds of meetings would spill into many hours,” she wrote.
Warren Town Clerk Laurie Stockley noted that her town
had been able to plow through 32 warrant articles in an hour.
“I never dreamed I’d be home for Monday night football, but I’m not complaining!” she wrote.
In addition to promoting efficiency, proponents say the devices can help minimize the impact of peer pressure on voting, particularly on controversial proposals. (Unlike in Congress, voters’ names would not be attached to their votes.)
Kezer reiterated this year’s article is simply to authorize the use of electronic counting devices at future town meetings.
“It would be up to the town moderator to determine the use of the devices,” he said.
One of the silver linings of the COVID19 pandemic is that it has demonstrated — out of necessity — that public meetings do not need to be held exclusively in one physical location.
And if we have decided that making meetings themselves more accessible is a good thing, why not also make the records of those meetings more accessible, too?
That is the thinking behind Town Meeting Articles 51 and 52, sponsored by resident Lynn Nadeau.
As it had been written initially, Article 51 would have required 10 town boards, including the Select Board and School Committee, to record their meetings and make either those recordings and/or the transcripts of them, along with the official minutes, “easily accessible” on the town website.
Meanwhile, Article 52 seeks to ensure the use of hybrid meeting platforms or remote platforms for all members of those same 10 boards, along with members of the public. Technically, the boards would have been committed to “fully implement best practices related to 940 CMR 29.10 of the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law governing remote participation.” But as at least one other article
sponsor has been informed by town counsel, Nadeau has been told that Town Meeting, as the town’s legislative arm, cannot officially bind these boards to comply.
Instead, Nadeau’s proposal under Article 51 has been amended to “urge” all board and committees subject to the Open Meeting Law to use their best efforts to comply with the spirit of the proposal, which is the creation of an avenue for any interested resident to review an official record of what happened at a particular meeting when it is convenient for them.
With Article 52, there was an additional obstacle: Not all of the spaces where Marblehead public meetings are held are conducive to hosting remote or hybrid meetings from a technological perspective.
“We have to build up some infrastructure, we have to buy equipment, we have to do some configurations of buildings to make the meeting spaces more user friendly,” Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer told the Current.
For now, a proposal to fund the upgrades to town buildings to make the hybrid meeting option more widely available is not on the table.
At the May 1 Town Meeting, voters will merely be sending a message, which Nadeau is fine with.
“Whether it was binding and required seemed, in a way, less
From P. A1
important than for the town to vote unanimously that this is what we want,” Nadeau told the audience at a recent League of Women Voters forum. “Then our town government would have to listen to that.”
The subject of remote and hybrid local meetings also continues to be the subject of discussion on Beacon Hill. Back on March 29, Gov. Maura Healey signed into law a supplemental budget bill which, among other things, extended through March 31, 2025, the temporary Open Meeting Law provisions that have been allowing public bodies to hold meetings remotely without a quorum physically present at a meeting location.
Under those provisions, boards and commissions must provide “adequate, alternative” access to those meetings when meeting remotely.
The Legislature’s Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight also has before it various iterations of bills that would make hybrid meetings a more permanent part of the local governance landscape.
Bills include H.3040, sponsored by Needham Rep. Denise C. Garlick; H.2998, sponsored by New Bedford Rep. Antonio F. D. Cabral; and S.2024, sponsored by Winchester state Sen. Jason M. Lewis.
comes off the rolls once a building or project is paid for, a general override becomes a permanent part of the tax base. This means the town will be allowed to increase the tax levy by 2.5 percent above a new, larger number in subsequent years.
Over the years, the town has relied on free cash (unspent money from previous fiscal years) to balance budgets, avoiding the need for a general override. This revenue source is declining. For instance, the current fiscal year budget of approximately $100 million is balanced with $10.6 million in free cash. However, in fiscal year 2024, Marblehead’s free cash is projected to be $8.5 million, a $2.1 million decrease from fiscal year 2023.
This decline in free cash, employee health insurance, and contractual obligations are the main drivers behind the $2.5 million deficit.
“The earlier you address these issues — the less costly it will be in the long run,” said Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer. “If you wait another year, the gap gets bigger.”
He said the objective with the override is to stabilize the municipal budget and maintain services in the next fiscal year. This would provide the finance director, town treasurer and Kezer time to develop a more detailed strategy, he said.
Over the years, the town has relied on free cash. This revenue source is declining.
Overall, Kezer emphasized the need for a proactive approach to managing the town’s finances, stating that “the information systems being put in place and implemented” would allow for a more detailed and effective financial strategy going forward. The town has invested money in ClearGov, a cloudbased financial software platform.
“We need to come up with a coherent strategy where we have a systematic way of keeping up with the cost of goods and services,” Kezer said. “New growth is just one of the revenue sources that I think we need to put some focus on and grow.”
Kezer continued, “Healthy municipalities usually have a good amount of ‘new growth’ revenue. The goal is to ask for general overrides only periodically, like every five years, to keep up with inflation.”
Moses Grader, in reading a statement of intent, said the general override would allow the newly installed finance team time to develop a longerterm strategy to address Marblehead’s financial challenges, utilizing new information systems.
Elle Woods arrives in town this weekend, as Marblehead High School presents its spring musical “Legally Blonde.” Shows are Friday, April 28, at 7 p.m., Saturday, April 29, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, April 30, at 2 p.m. Performances are at the MHS auditorium. Tickets are available at ticketstage.com/T/ MHSSCHOOLS.
The Marblehead Current asked Kezer if the town would return for another general override in 2024, and he replied, “Don’t know yet.”
“[It would be] better to pass one this year and see if we can make it through next year without one,” he said. “But I can’t say ‘yea’ or ‘nay’ at this point.”
“By taking this slower and more prudent approach, we believe we can take the time to address our challenges and streamline the override process this year,” Grader concluded.
The Marblehead Current has published a comprehensive 2023 Town Meeting guide. Visit marbleheadcurrent.org/ townmeeting2023
MHS MUSICA l High school performs ‘Legally Blonde’ this weekend
positions including:
CLASSROOM TEACHERS (hiring now!)
CLASSROOM AIDS (hiring now!)
positions including:
ASSISTANT CAMP SIMCHAH DIRECTOR (age 20+)
CAMP COUNSELORS (ages 16+)
positions including:
SWIM LESSON INSTRUCTORS
Still looking for their first win, the youthful Marblehead High girls lacrosse team (04 in the Northeastern Conference, 07 overall) dropped a close 1211 decision to host Danvers on April 15.
It was no different at halftime, with the Falcons also holding a slim 75 advantage. They are getting ever closer to getting into that elusive win column.
Sydney Langton (3 goals, 1 assist, 2 interceptions, 3 groundballs), Lucy Wales (2 goals, 1 assist), Isabelle Ferrante (3 goals, 1 assist, 1 groundball), Ramona Gillett (2 goals, 2 caused turnovers, 3 draw controls), Maddie Forbes (2 assists, 4 draw controls, 1 groundball), Kate Burns (2 groundballs, 1 caused turnover) and Gretchen Smith (1 goal, 1 assist) were the team’s leading contributors against the Falcons.
Goalie Addie Lydon came up with nine saves to keep the game close on the scoreboard.
Two days later, at the start of spring vacation week, the Marblehead girls took on Division 1 Peabody, only to lose, 148, despite outscoring the Tanners in the second half, 86.
Langton (2 goals, 1 groundball, 1 interception, 4 draw controls), Wales (3 goals, 1 assist), Ferrante (1 assist), Gillett (1 goal, 1 caused turnover, 5 draw controls), Maddie Forbes (2 goals, 1 caused turnover, 1interception, 3 draw controls) and Burns (1 groundball, 1 caused turnover, 1 interception) helped pick up the pace to narrow the deficit after halftime. Lydon made seven stops in net.
Baseball succumbs to midseason blahs
School vacation week was not too kind to the Marblehead High baseball team (24 in the Northeastern Conference, 34 overall). They lost three straight games, starting with a 95 decision to host Masco on April 14, despite outhitting the Chieftains, 109.
Shane Keough and Riley Schmitt powered the attack with home runs on solo shots. But some timely hitting by the Chieftains kept them in it.
The Marblehead boys had a 20 lead before the home team tied it up in the home half of the first inning. The visitors regained the tworun advantage in the third, only to see Masco score four times when they came to the plate to retake the lead, 64. They then scored two more in the fourth and one in the fifth after the Magicians notched their final tally in the top half of that frame.
Schmitt also singled twice in this game to lead the offensive attack. Bodie Bartram and Charlie Sachs each collected a single and a double to account for four more hits for the local nine.
SINGU
After routinely dropping the first game in his best-of-three matches, Ron Plotka had to bear down to mount comebacks. But he managed to do just that.
The night before play began in the Minto U.S. Open Pickleball Championships in Naples, Florida earlier this month, Ron Plotka dreamt that he had won the gold medal in his age group.
When he woke up, he chuckled to himself how ridiculous the dream had been. After all, this would not only be his first time competing in the singles competition at the international event. It would be the first singles tournament, period, for Plotka, who had previously played doubles exclusively, albeit at a high level, once winning a silver medal with fellow Marblehead resident Bryce Suydam.
But now Plotka, who turns 80 in July,
is a testament to the adage, “If you can dream it, you can do it.”
On April 16, Plotka completed a magical run through the field to claim the championship in the combined 80and85plus age bracket.
For Plotka, a retired dentist who maintained his Swampscott office for 50 years, the journey to pickleball glory began about three years ago, when the longtime tennis player converted to his new racquet sport with a court a quarter the size.
But Plotka did not just become a pickleball player. Realizing that millions were taking up the sport with no one to offer them guidance, Plotka decided to become a certified pickleball coach,
The Marblehead High spring track teams fell for the first time this year after beating Gloucester and Swampscott to open up the season earlier this month.
The formidable Peabody Tanners were the ones that spoiled their undefeated aspirations on April 18. The Tanners defeated the Marblehead boys, 10135, while the girls were also upended, 9046.
Girls long jump
Claire Davis took first with a leap of 164.5, while also topping the best long jumper in the Northeastern Conference, Savanna Vargas.
“Claire had room on the board, too, which means we could see a long jump of 17 feet from her this season,” said coach Nolan Raimo.
Sadie Halpern had a personalbest jump of 152 to finish fourth. Elise Burchfield (1411.75) ended up fifth.
Campbell Crane (1410.5) also enjoyed a personalbest performance, coming in seventh.
Boys long jump
Errol Apostolopoulos (191.25) opened up his long jump season with a fourthplace finish, and he was followed by Thomas Carlson (sixth, 186.5) and Sebastian Pantzer (175.25).
Isaiah Makor (1610) did a good job competing for the first time in this
event, according to Raimo. His track future in the long jump looks bright, the coach said. Girls triple jump Ava Machado captured second with a jump of 326. Keira Sweetnam (324) was right behind her in third place, followed by Morgan Zion (305) in fourth with a personal best mark this season.
“Peabody’s track design, which places the high jump across the field, made it difficult for Ava and Keira to compete
in both events, but they competed well regardless,” Raimo said.
Boys triple jump
Alex Hersey (398.5, personal best) made his debut in this event and has already established himself as the best multievent athlete in the conference across the hurdles, jumps and throws, according to Raimo.
His season bests so far are looking fantastic, and he will likely participate in the decathlon at the end of the season, according to Raimo.
Girls high jump
Sweetnam (50) finished second, and Campbell Crane (42) was fourth.
“It’s rare that you have two of the best high jumpers in New England at the same dual meet, but Keira and Peabody’s Brianna Ewansiha have had stellar seasons that also includes indoors this past winter,” the Marblehead coach said.
Boys high jump
Apostolopoulos cleared 54 on his way to finishing third.
“Errol, who competes in three events, put together another solid performance with the potential to clear 58 and beyond in the upcoming meets,” said Raimo.
Boys shot put Hersey (352), who was the lone Marblehead athlete in this event,
Wednesday, April 26 4 p.m. baseball vs. Bishop Fenwick at Seaside Park
4 p.m. softball vs. Swampscott at Swampscott Middle School
4:30 p.m. boys and girls track vs. Danvers at Gloucester High
Thursday, April 27
4 p.m. baseball vs. Danvers at Twi Field, Danvers
4 p.m. girls lacrosse vs. Salem at Bertram Field, Salem
4 p.m. boys lacrosse vs. Salem at Marblehead High Piper Field
4 p.m. girls tennis vs. Newburyport at Marblehead High
4 p.m. unified track vs. multiple schools at Swampscott High
4:30 p.m. softball vs. Whittier Regional Vocational Tech at Whittier, Haverhill
Friday, April 28
4 p.m. girls lacrosse vs. Saugus at Saugus High
4 p.m. girls tennis vs. Masconomet at Marblehead High
4 p.m. boys tennis vs. Masconomet at Masconomet Regional High, Boxford
Sunday, April 30
9:30 a.m. boys and girls track
Monday, May 1
MSTCA Relays Oliver Ames High School, North Easton
4 p.m. girls lacrosse vs. Beverly at Beverly High
4 p.m. boys lacrosse vs. Beverly at Marblehead High Piper Field
4 p.m. sailing vs. St. John’s Prep at Pleon Yacht Club
4 p.m. girls tennis vs. Winthrop at Winthrop High
4 p.m. boys tennis vs. Winthrop at Marblehead High
4 p.m. unified track vs. multiple schools at Village School Track
Tuesday, May 2
4 p.m. girls tennis vs. Manchester-Essex at Marblehead High
Wednesday, May 3 4 p.m. girls tennis vs. Gloucester at Gloucester High
4 p.m. boys tennis vs. Gloucester at Marblehead High
4:30 p.m. baseball vs. Saugus at Seaside Park
Rex Radloff, 35, was Marblehead’s fastest runner in the 127th running of the Boston Marathon April 17, finishing the race in a time of 2:34:23.
Radloff was more than 18 minutes faster than his Notch Brewing Runners teammate Scott Snyder, 41, who finished in 2:53:09.
On the women’s side, 35yearold Kristin Gendron set the pace, finishing about 15 minutes faster than 63yearold Sally Reiley.
Net finishing times of all official Marblehead participants are as follows (age in parenthesis):
Men
» Rex Radloff (35), 2:34:23
» Scott Snyder (41),
2:53:09
» Patrick Hogan (44),
2:55:43
Ross Patterson (43),
2:59:47
» Christopher Swain (55), 3:33:56
» Jacob
Abdolmohammadi (36), 3:53:07
Tim Sullivan (54),
3:54:35
» Matthew Duca (37),
3:57:44
» James Manning (48),
4:02:47
Steve Poss (43), 4:06:21
Justin Fisher (35),
5:07:33
» Jimmy Guy (48), 6:22:50
Patrick Slaney (31),
4:46:47
Thomas Smith (33),
7:50:24
Women
» Kristin Gendron (35),
3:23:04
Sally Reiley (63),
3:37:57
Nicki Fleming (40),
4:02:40
» Hillary Prager (34),
4:45:44
» Erin Leonard (41),
4:46:25
Emily Promise (25),
4:58:06
» Diana BuckleyUhrich (60), 6:17:48
» Sherley Belizaire (43),
6:37:38
In his preseason thoughts, Marblehead High softball coach
Johnny Gold touted his squad’s young talent, but he also knew there might be some growing pains before they would reach their full potential.
However, with the season only two weeks old, the team’s fans might be seeing that the future is now.
After losing their first three games, these young Magicians (23) showed the likes of Winthrop and Beverly that there’s one more team to be wary of in the Northeastern Conference.
They first shutdown the Vikings in a fiveinning mercy rule game on April 19, 120,
having enjoyed coaching other sports, including football. When not wintering in Cape Coral, Florida, he offers lessons out of Lifetime Fitness at the Northshore Mall in Peabody.
Low expectations
Once Plotka realized that his player rating would qualify him to enter the U.S. Open as a singles player, he decided to give it his best shot, beginning a sixmonth training regimen
before the Panthers found out no lead was too safe against them two days later. It took eight innings, but the Marblehead girls completed the comeback with a 98 victory that featured, of all things, a triple play by them in the seventh, which helped send the game into an extra frame.
Marblehead trailed, 62 after four innings, but that was when Gold took his players aside for a wakeup call. They took their coach’s talk to heart.
“This game showed me they know how to listen before taking what I said and going back out on the field and performing quite well,” the veteran coach said.
The comeback was on right away in the fifth, when the Magicians scored five times to
that included weight lifting and time on the bike.
Still, Plotka said, “I thought I would get knocked out in the first round.”
Tournament organizers, too, seemingly thought little of his chances, seeding Plotka 10th.
Almost without fail, when Plotka looked across the net, he saw a player with a far more impressive resume.
For example, in his first match, Plotka squared off against a Florida state champion in his age group,
take a 76 lead. But the visiting Panthers regained the advantage with a couple of runs, only to see the home team tie it in the bottom of the seventh when Ila Bumagin singled home Luka Fornhorst, who led off the rally with a double to deep center. But that might not have been possible if it wasn’t for that triple play started by junior second baseman Ruby Calienes. After the first two Beverly batters reached base, Calienes stabbed a leaping line drive for the first out. She subsequently threw the ball to sophomore first baseman Lyla McGovern catching that runner leaning the wrong way. McGovern then fired it to freshman shortstop Hailey Schmitt to nab the lead runner. It was an example of how some
a man who was on his way to the Senior Olympics.
Sure enough, in the first game, “he wiped me off the court,” Plotka said.
But that is when Plotka would stumble into a strategy that would serve him well throughout the rest of the tournament, one he recalled from YouTube instructional videos: Look for your opponent’s weakness.
In this case, Plotka’s opponent seemed to be unable to move well to his left. So, Plotka started to return the ball to that side — and began winning points.
Thus began a highwire pattern he would repeat a couple more times during a grueling day of competition — 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. — in the 90plus Florida heat. Plotka would put himself on the brink of elimination by dropping
of that young talent came together and calmly executed a rare play with precision.
“In all my 22 years of coaching softball (the last 18 in Marblehead), I never saw a triple play in a varsity game until now,” Gold said.
Freshman Tessa Andriano was on second to begin the eighth as the Marblehead ghost runner. She then stole third before Schmitt drove her home with the winning run on a single to right.
Tessa Francis, another one of Gold’s talented freshmen, pitched all eight innings in the circle to get the win. She allowed two walks, 13 hits and just two earned runs. She fanned six batters.
Isabell Mortensen helped pace the offensive attack with two
the first of the bestofthree series of games. But all the while, he would be gathering intel and lulling his opponent into a false sense of security, if unintentionally.
After a road that included also beating the state champion of Alaska, Plotka took his strategy to the extreme, losing the first game in the finals to multitime pickleball age group singles champion Pierre Lesperance 111.
But even as he was taking it on the chin, Plotka noticed that Lesperance’s backhand was a bit shaky. In the second game, he began forcing Lesperance to use his backhand and won, 115.
“Now, I’ve got the guy thinking,” Plotka said. Plotka said the third
singles. Calienes, the defensive star of the game, knocked in two runs on a couple of fielder’s choices. Bumagin was credited with two singles and a double to account for three RBI. Fornhorst had a double, as did McGovern and Francis.
Against Winthrop, Calienes scored three runs after singling three times, and Bumagin came through with two singles, one double and one RBI to help lead the attack at the plate.
The Magicians are very busy this week. After taking on Division 1 powerhouse Peabody on Monday, they will be at Swampscott April 26 before facing nonleague host Whittier Tech the next day and Salem at home Friday. All three games will start at 4 p.m.
game was a bit like the later rounds of a “Rocky” fight, the exhausted combatants still mustering the will to trade blows, or in this case forehand and backhand volleys.
Plotka built an early lead before he and Lesperance traded sides the court, but Lesperance started clawing his way back. Still, Plotka managed to get the score to 106, one point away from victory.
Plotka focused his remaining energy on serving as hard as he could. Lesperance’s return volley sailed wide. Plotka was the champion. His cheering section, which included some of his Cape Coral practice partners, erupted.
“I felt like I was 18 again,” Plotka said.
Also offering him congratulations, albeit virtually, was the SKYblue Pickleball company, which makes the Starstruck paddle Plotka has come to favor due to the nanotechnology used in its manufacturing.
Plotka explained that he has always been a “science nut,” wanting to be the first to try out new gadgets when they were introduced in dentistry, and he has taken the same approach in picking his pickleball paddle.
You can do it, too Plotka said he would
love it if others drew a bit of inspiration from his triumph.
“It goes to show you if you really concentrate, get in shape and have a decent stroke, you can do anything you want to do,” he said.
Plotka is a big believer in not just staying fit physically but mentally in retirement. Pickleball has become one way he nourishes both mind and body. Another is his toothbrush company, Mouthwatchers, the products of which can be found at Whole Foods and on Amazon.
Retirement need not be “the end,” he said.
“It could be just the beginning, if you really take charge of your health, mentally and physically,” he said.
To that end, he cannot say enough about the merits of pickleball. In addition to allowing him to get some exercise, the sport has opened the door to friendships with people of all ages.
He does, however, recommend people take a lesson when they take up the sport so that they can minimize the risk of injury.
Fortunately, he knows where you can find an enthusiastic certified instructor. If you ask nicely, he will even show you his shiny new gold medal.
The Marblehead High boys lacrosse team (60) is racking up wins while scoring goals at a proficient rate, showing signs of a club on a mission to not just repeat as Northeastern Conference champions but to be among the top squads when the Division 2 state tournament rolls around late next month.
The Magicians dominated visiting Peabody on April 17, 177, and then rival Danvers came to town two days later with pretty
From P. A13
finished third.
“This was quite the accomplishment for him to participate in the hurdles, triple jump and shot put in the same meet,” said Raimo. “Alex is only a junior, but his potential over this season and the next couple is incredible.”
Girls discus
Rachael Albert (1002) led the way for Marblehead with a secondplace finish. Hannah O’Brien (757) turned in a season best throw.
Samantha Clocki (500) came in sixth. Siena Day (487.5) was seventh.
“To contextualize Rachael’s discus distance, the secondplace finisher at the Division 3 state championship meet last year was 92 feet,” Raimo said.
Boys discus
Angelo Knight (790) continued to add distance to his discus throw to finish fifth against Peabody. Tucker Crane (710) also threw a personal best to come in sixth. Alexander Humphreys (668) was seventh.
“The discus is truly an event of balance and power, and Angelo, Tucker and Alexander are all relatively new throwers who are making solid progress,” Raimo said.
Girls javelin
Devin Whalen (680) finished fourth. Rachael Albert (669) ventured away from the shot put to throw the javelin to a fifthplace finish. Sienna Day (503) was seventh and Samantha Clocki (400) eighth.
Boys javelin Knight (1030) broke the
From P. A13
The Magicians then lost to host Beverly, 82, on April 19. Once again, they scored two in the first, but the Panthers got one back in the third. The home team broke it open with seven runs in the fifth to seal the deal.
Marblehead made Beverly starter Noah Guanci throw 70 pitches over three innings, forcing him out of the game. But his replacements, Conor Connolly and Micah McManus, shut the Magicians down, pitching two shutout innings apiece.
The Magicians only had three hits in the game, all in the first three frames. Drew Whitman, Chris Dewitt and Sachs each singled once to account for the offense.
Two days later, visiting Salem scored twice in the first, once in the second, three times in the fourth and one more in the fifth to take a commanding 71 lead at Seaside Park. The Magicians tried to stage a comeback with three runs in the home half of the fifth, only to come up short, 74.
Salem pitcher Ryan Fenerty shut them down after giving up
much the same results. The home team was in control of the action from beginning to end to cruise to another rather satisfying triumph, 163.
“It was vacation week, but everybody played well once again in both games,” coach John Wilkens said.
Senior Connor Cronin paced the offensive attack against the Tanners with six goals and three assists. Baxter Jennings accounted for three goals and one assist. Carter Laramie notched two goals and one assist.
100foot barrier again to finish third. Humphreys (9311, personal best) was fourth, followed by Colin Hart (886, personal best) fifth and Tucker Crane (685) eighth.
Girls 400-meter hurdles
Whalen (69.8) won the event in convincing fashion, with a time a mere second away from the AllState automatic qualifier.
Boys 400meter hurdles
Magnus McCarthy (1:04.4) unofficially finished third in the long hurdles. Marc Grazado (71.0) crept toward last year’s personal best to finish fifth.
Quinn Scheib (80.5) improved his time by two seconds to finish sixth.
Girls two-mile
Marrietta O’Connell (12:09, a fivesecond personal best) won going away, once again.
“Marri is a force who remains unbeaten in the NEC at this distance,” coach William Herlihy said. “It will be exciting to see her race against stronger competition later this season.”
Boys two-mile
Will Cerrutti arrived in Peabody at 12:49 p.m. after not being sure he was going to make it to the meet, leaving him just 10 minutes to prepare before the race, according to Herlihy. But he did not hesitate when asked to step up.
“(Cerrutti) ran an excellent race, finishing first in 10:18, which is a very impressive time, but the race itself was even more impressive,” Herlihy said.
“Will has the racing acumen of a seasoned veteran. His ability to control a race from the front makes him a nightmare to go up against. He was constantly surging and keeping the Peabody runner in positional limbo,
those three runs in the fifth to finish off the completegame effort.
“(Salem) got some extended innings, and they took full advantage of them by taking an 71 lead midway through the fifth,” said coach Mike Giardi.
“We made a late surge and had the bases loaded in the seventh, but Ryan Fenerty completed what he started by getting a big groundout to end the game.”
Marblehead was credited with five hits against the Witches. Keough belted a tworun homer and also had a single in this game. Bartram collected two singles, and Wyman doubled once. Brooks Keefe and Sachs each knocked in a run.
The Marblehead High girls tennis team remained undefeated after four matches following its shutout win over Gloucester, 50, during school vacation week on April 21.
“I had to shuffle the lineup around because two of our starters were missing,” said coach Tracy Ackerman.
“But the girls all responded great, winning their matches,
Sophomore James Bickell tallied twice. His classmate Reece Moore chipped in with one goal and one assist, along with junior Gio Garibotto. Eddie Johns and Drew Nelson netted one marker apiece.
Goalie Finn Maniaci came up with 10 saves to do his part to preserve the unbeaten streak.
It was more of the same against the Falcons. Laramie was the scoring leader in this game with three goals and six assists. Moore was next in line with five goals and one assist.
and then he turned on the afterburners in the final lap to put away any doubt.”
Girls 100/110-meter hurdles
Whalen (16.5) finished second, and Davis (17.2) finished third.
“Their times are impressive considering the cold temps and headwind that makes the rhythm of the hurdles that much harder,” Herlihy said.
Boys 100/110-meter hurdles
Hersey (16.5) remains undefeated on the season in this event. Apostolopoulos (18.3), who has been battling a heel injury, finished fourth. Grazado (20.4) was sixth.
Girls 100 meters
Machado (13.0) ended up second.
“Ava has floated around the 13second barrier all season, which is impressive considering the conditions,” Raimo said. “But most impressive of all, she was able to stick with Savanna Vargas the whole race. Savanna is a top nationwide sprinter in the 55 meters.”
Liv Carlson (14.4) finished fourth and Ariella Kahn (15.0) fifth while making their varsity debuts.
Boys 100-meters
Thomas Carlson (11.4) finished second. Jacob Bobowski (12.0) sprinted to a fourthplace finish. Slater Johnson (12.3) came in fifth.
“This group of sophomores and freshmen ran well against one of the best sprint squads in the conference,” Raimo said.
Girls mile
Martha Heffernan (7:07.6, a 10second personal best) finished third, and Summer Genovese (7:16.2, a ninesecond personal best) beat out a Peabody runner on the line to
while being flexible in their positions. It was nice to see Lani (Gilmore), Reese (Friedman) and Samara (Dosch) play and win their first varsity matches.”
First singles Andrea Potvin defeated Gloucester’s Sophia Picario, 64, 60. Courtney Yoder beat Grace Tierney in second singles, 63, 64. Aviva Bornstein experienced similar results in third singles against Marissa Vincent, 60, 62.
The aforementioned Lani Gilmore and Reese Friedman teamed up to beat Maggie Sperry and Thea Cunningham in first doubles, 61, 61. Aoife Bresnahan and freshman Samara Dosch shutdown their Gloucester counterparts in second doubles, 60, 60.
The Marblehead High boys tennis team (30 in the Northeastern Conference, 32 overall) lost a nonleague match to Division 1 St. John’s Prep, 50, on April 20.
With Marblehead’s first singles player (junior Mika Garber) sidelined with an injury, the rest of the singles players all moved up, with sophomore Anthony
Bickell came through with one goal and two assists. Cronin had three goals and two assists. Jennings contributed two goals and one assist to the winning cause. Nick Whitaker and Nelson each had one goal. Cam Waldman and Conor Murnane each picked up an assist.
The Marblehead boys led 131 at halftime.
Maniaci played just the first half in goal, and it was pretty much a day off for him with no shots on net. His understudy, freshman Finn Gallup, took
come in fourth.
Boys mile
Nate Assa (5:05.3) took second behind Peabody runner Logan Tracia, who has been one of the best milers in the NEC over the years.
Henrik Adams (5:05.5, a 10second personal best) was right on Assa’s heels the whole race to come in third. Harrison Kee (5:49.8) was fourth.
Girls 4x100
Machado, Cate Trautman, Sadie Halpern and Elise Burchfield (51.8) cruised to a firstplace finish, which is a mere twotenths of a second behind the school record of 51.60 from 10 years ago.
Boys 4x100
Harrison Curtis and Sebastian Pantzer shifted down from the 4x400 to join Carlson and Apostolopoulos, and together they ran a 45.0, which is onetenth of a second behind the school record set seven years ago.
Girls 400
Juliet Burchfield stepped down from the distance squad to run an impressive 64.7. Ariella Kahn and Liv Carlson (fourth, 70.8, and fifth, 72.1, respectively) completed the 100 and 400 double with quality results.
Boys 400
Xavier Grazado (58.0), like Burchfield, ran the 400 instead of his typical 800, and he ended up finishing fourth overall. Hart remained under the 60second mark to come in fifth.
Girls 800
Doubling up in the twomile and 800, O’Connell (2:41.7) finished third, taking a second off her time from the previous meet.
“This is a grueling double, but
Vizy making his varsity debut in third singles.
Garber’s classmate Jost Eggebrecht lost to senior Paul Neal, 62, 60.
“Jost played an excellent, thoughtful match, and this experience will be good for him throughout the rest of the season,” said coach Elisabeth Foukal.
Sophomore Matthew Sherf lost to a muchimproved Jack Prokopis, 61, 61, in second singles. Vizy lost to promising freshman John De Angelis, 60, 60.
“Despite the score, Anthony played some excellent points with good depth and pace,” said Foukal.
Sophomores Etan Farfel and Jayden Janock lost to senior Ben Lipton and sophomore Luke Prokopis in first doubles, 62, 60. Senior cocaptain Jimmy King and sophomore Luke Miller fell to Alex Melville and Boris Kouzininov in second doubles, 61, 60.
Sophomores Austin Bacon and Vizy lost 61 to Luke Free and Mark McDuffee in a JV match, 61.
The Magicians bounced back the next day to beat host
over the goaltending chores in the second half and made seven saves.
Wilkens singled out the contributions of J.J. Pollander, Eliot Pluss, Sam Annese and Johns on defense. Their steady play in the first six games of the season provided solid reassurance for the two Finns in net.
After taking on host Masco in an always critical conference game on April 25, the Magicians return home on Thursday, April 27 to face the Salem Witches, starting at 4 p.m.
Marri has never shied away from the challenge, and she is getting valuable experience in every race that will help maximize her racing by the end of the season,” Herlihy said.
Ada Merrigan (2:45.7) was close behind, coming in fourth, while making her debut in this event.
Boys 800
Isaac Gross set the tone in lap one, but ultimately the Peabody runner was able to close in the final 200.
Gabe Bayramian (2:08) and Gross (2:08.4) ran very well and were able to hold off the other Peabody runner in the closing stretch to finish among the top three. Peter Sullivan (2:21.8) ended up fifth.
Girls 200 Trautman (26.3) finished second. Sadie Halpern opened up her season in the 200 with a thirdplace time of 27.4. Morgan Zion (29.7) finished fifth.
Boys 200 Harrison Curtis (22.85, personal best) finished second. Sebastian Pantzer narrowly missed a personalbest time of 23.39 to come in third. Logan Doody (27.49) was fifth.
Boys 4x400 Bayramian, Assa, Adams and Cerrutti (4:08.5) ran together to close out the meet.
“Bayramian, in particular, deserves a ton of credit for first running a great 2:08 in the 800 before turning it around to run a 61.0 in this relay about 10 minutes later, which is a remarkable achievement,” Raimo said. “Even after recovering for an hour, the 800to400 double is excruciating, and I genuinely don’t know how Gabe endured it.”
Gloucester, 50.
“Although all the matches were won in two sets, there was excellent tennis played on all five courts, and the doubles in particular were close,” Foukal said. “Congratulations to Austin Bacon on his first varsity win in second doubles, when he teamed up with fellow sophomore, Luke Miller.
Foukal added, “Coming off an injury, Mika Garber had a good win in first singles against a strong player, and first doubles played a fine match, with both Etan (Farfel) and Jayden (Janock) continuing to show signs of improvement.”
Garber beat Gloucester junior Andre Peano Sosa in first singles, 63, 61. Eggebrecht took care of junior Anders Pittman in second singles, 62, 61. Sophomore Matthew Sherf did the same to junior Luke McElhenny in third singles, 61, 61.
Sophomores Etan Farfel and Jayden Janock teamed up to beat senior Drew White and junior Dominic Paine in first doubles, 64, 64. Sophomores Miller and Bacon completed the Gloucester sweep in second doubles against juniors Cam Widtfeldt and Cole Colin, 64, 61.
In Current Recommendations, Frances Roberts Hill asks people around town about their media recommendations.
Marblehead is a leader in organic lawn care for public spaces. As early as 2001, the town mandated that its public spaces be treated organically and managed without the use of toxic chemicals. Marblehead is often cited nationally as being one of the first towns to advocate for the elimination of pesticides by teaching organic lawncare classes to hundreds of Marblehead residents.
Shubie’s
INTERVIEWED: Sandy Orne
LISTENING: I mainly listen to oldies, rock ‘n roll.
WATCHING: I watch a lot of Netflix. My favorites are “Bridgerton” and the second series of “Dynasty.”
READING: I just read news, local newspapers: Marblehead Current and Boston Globe.
SOMETHING PEOPLE MAY NOT
KNOW ABOUT YOU OR YOUR CAREER: Everyone knows everything about me! I did work at Mayflower Cleansers for 28 years.
Among the team bringing this innovation to our community was Chip Osborne, former chairman of the Marblehead Recreation & Parks Commission and owner of Osborne Organics, a company he founded to support and educate the landcare industry and public sector in alternative approaches to turf management. He blends science with handson experience to create safe, sustainable and healthy athletic fields and landscapes that do not involve the use of synthetic pesticides and chemical based fertilizers.
Osborne recently led a webinar for Sustainable Marblehead entitled “Pesticides 101,” with a second webinar, “Green Lawn Care,” following on April 25 at 4:30 p.m. Go to sustainablemarblehead.org for videos of these two presentations.
For 25 years, Osborne has followed an organic approach and has been designing strategies for public and private spaces for managing safe playing fields and more environmentally friendly residential properties.
In the webinars, he pointed out that pesticides are a quick fix for the instant gratification of a perfectlooking lawn and have taken the place of manual labor. They’ve been marketed as the only way to meet an expectation.
But he says, “Pesticides treat symptoms; they do not solve underlying problems.”
The current expectations we have for our lawns and landscapes were largely formed by the chemical industry in the 1950s and 1960s to sell products. The monoculture of coolseason grasses didn’t exist before these new
Fringe Flora
INTERVIEWED: Addie Flynn
LISTENING: Amy Winehouse, The Weekend, Steve Lacy
WATCHING:”Vanderpump Rules” and “Below Deck,” both on Bravo
READING: “The First Day of Spring” by Nancy Tucker and “The Girls” by Emma Cline
SOMETHING PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU OR YOUR CAREER: I have an invention patent for a watering device.
expectations were created.
We need to change our expectations and learn to embrace biodiversity, according to Osborne. Green spaces don’t have to consist exclusively of lawns of nonnative turf grass. As a society, we put grass where it doesn’t belong, and we should think of replacing it with more appropriate landscaping. Often, we put in grass when we don’t know what else to install.
“Just because something looks nice on an architect’s rendering doesn’t mean it’s the best choice for the space,” says Osborne.
What is now known as the typical American lawn started in postWorld War II Levittown, New York. The deeds for every house in that town included a clause stipulating that property owners had to use pesticides and put in monocultures of coolseason turf grass so that all of the lawns looked alike — permanently pristine.
As a result of the increase of those types of postwar housing development landscaping rules, American homeowners now account for more pesticide use than the agriculture industry, all in the quest of a perfect lawn.
Chemical manufacturers are in charge of testing their own products, and they are only required to test the active ingredients in pesticides, which make up just a small percentage of the total product. The Environmental Protection Agency and independent thirdparty labs are not involved with testing initially.
Pesticides consist mainly of inert ingredients, however, which are not
tested, and by law they don’t even need to be disclosed on the container. Therefore, when we purchase pesticides, we have no information on the potential harm from the inert ingredients. Many of these are more toxic than the active ingredient, according to Osborne, because their role is to enhance the “killing effect” of the product.
Regulatory agencies examine pesticides by evaluating the risks versus the benefits. If they determine that benefit (often economic) outweighs risk, the product can go to market. However, agencies evaluate products based on exposure for a 150pound man. Testing does not take into account the effects of exposure on women, infants, toddlers or children.
The halflife (the amount of time it takes for one half of the pesticide’s active ingredient to be completely broken down) of the most common products used in Marblehead is between 10 and 70 days, according to Osborne. Landscapers alert us to the dangers of chemically treated lawns by sticking a small, yellow caution sign in the grass. But we are told that it is safe for our families, children and dogs to use our lawns again after only 48 hours — too short a waiting time, says Osborne.
Current medical research strongly indicates that many of the products could be high risk at low doses for children and sensitive members of the population. Just some of health risks of chronic lowdose pesticide exposure are:
» Impaired cognition and behavior.
Respiratory problems.
Hormone disruption.
Heart disease.
» Stroke.
» Cancer.
Osborne recommended that homeowners search for organic lawn care professionals and talk to their landscapers about reducing or eliminating toxic pesticides and synthetic fertilizers in support of human health and native pollinators.
Elaine Leahy and Jenny Morton are co-chairs of Sustainable Marblehead Conservation Group.
Twin Lion INTERVIEWED: Melanie Blake
LISTENING: KYGO Radio. You will always hear it playing on Spotify.
WATCHING: Oh, just “Sex Life,” “Outer Banks” and “Ginny and Georgia.” I’m a Netflix kind of girl. You got to keep up with the Kardashians.
READING: I have been reading the Colleen Hoover books.
SOMETHING PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU OR YOUR CAREER: I work full-time as a hairdresser and own Twin Lion, and am a boy mom of two!
If you’ve ever wanted to try the tango but felt intimidated, here’s your chance. Instructor Stathi Stratis is teaching a free, fiveweek tango dance workshop at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Marblehead, 28 Mugford St. The first class is Wednesday, April 26, at 2 p.m. Stratis has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from MassArt and a masters degree in creative artsdance from San Francisco State University. He has been teaching ballroom and Latin dance since the early 1990s.
The class will be limited to the first six people who register with Teresa Coelho at teresa@uumarblehead.org.
Lesley Tracey (center), CEO of Changing Behaviors Consulting, spoke to the Rotary Club of Marblehead Harbor on what to expect from Gen Z and millennials in the workplace. She is shown here with Jessica Barnett (right), the club’s president, and member Francie King. Interested in community and international service? Contact info.rcomh@gmail. com to attend a meeting or see rotaryclubofmheadharbor.org.
Melanie Blake
Sandy Orne
Addie Flynn
Wednesday, April 12
2:01 p.m. A Weston Road resident reported having received a scam call.
2:44 p.m. An officer was dispatched to the Richdale convenience store on Smith Street to investigate a report of a person bothering the store owner. Upon his arrival, the officer met with the owner, who stated that he had been having an ongoing issue with an individual, who was later identified, who today had been standing in the doorway of the business, holding the door open and blocking the entrance, which the owner had documented on video. The owner stated that he had asked the man to close the door and not block the entrance but was ignored, which is when he called the police. The officer looked at the picture of the individual involved and walked the area to see if he could locate him. The officer saw the person in front of the post office next door with a group of kids and began to walk over. When he noticed the officer walking toward him, he began to walk away. When the officer got close, he motioned for the young man to stop, which he did. The officer asked what had transpired at Richdale with the owner, and the young man said that he was just holding the door open for people. The officer asked if the owner had asked him to close the door and not block the door, and the young man said that the owner had not. The officer informed him that he had watched the video, which showed that he was not merely holding the door open for people. The owner stated that he did not want the young man in his store again, even if it is in the doorway. The officer informed the young man that he was not allowed in the store again and informed him that standing in the middle of the doorway holding the door open and blocking the entrance would be considered trespassing, and he would be subject to charges if he were to do so. The young man had been served a notrespass letter for the store by another officer the previous June. The owner stated that he did not wish to pursue charges this time but would if the young man caused problems again.
3:54 p.m. Officers were dispatched to Starbucks on Pleasant Street to investigate a report of a group of 12 to 15 children causing a disturbance, who had already left the area by the time they arrived. The manager reported that the same group of children had been causing problems in Starbucks for several weeks, yelling at one another and participating in horseplay. The manager believed that the children go to the Marblehead Charter School, as they arrive at Starbucks shortly after the Charter School day ends, but the manager did not know any of their names. The officer informed the manager of the process of obtaining a notrespass order against the children, and he stated he would keep it in mind. He also said that he would call the police if he had issues with the group of children in the future.
While two officers were speaking with the manager, another officer searched for the children but was unable to locate them.
8:52 p.m. A 43yearold Everett man was arrested and charged with driving with a revoked license and speeding in violation of a special regulation after a traffic stop on Seaview and Atlantic avenues.
Thursday, April 13
10:26 a.m. An officer investigated a report of vandalism on Brook Road and filed a report.
3:20 p.m. An officer investigated a report of a person receiving unwanted attention on Farrell Court.
5:47 p.m. Officers investigated the report of a driver with road rage on Washington and Pleasant streets but could not locate the vehicle.
Friday, April 14
8:06 a.m. An officer spoke with a crossing guard who had been working at the intersection of West Shore Drive and Jersey Street when what he believed to be a gray Tesla sedan did not stop while he was crossing the street with two children. The officer asked if the crossing guard knew the plate of the vehicle that failed to stop, and he stated that he did not. The crossing guard further noted that there is not enough signage to alert drivers heading outbound on West Shore Drive to the crosswalk. The crossing guard suggested that more signage would help improve safety for those in the area. (See letter to the editor from the crossing guard elsewhere in this week’s edition of the Current.)
8:33 a.m. An officer responded to the Devereux Beach to retrieve a wallet and a suitcase that a man had found near a play structure in the playground. The officer retrieved the items and brought them back to the station, where he turned them over to a detective for his review.
12:12 p.m. A “doggie” was found on Ocean Avenue.
12:32 p.m. Officers went to Pitman Road to take a report from a woman who said she was being harassed by a neighbor who was constantly falsely reporting to police that the woman was obstructing the road by intentionally pushing rocks on the edge of her property into the road. The woman was advised that if she feels she is being harassed, she should proceed to Lynn District Court to file for a harassment prevention order.
1:23 p.m. Officers investigated the report of a hitandrun on Essex Street.
2:41 p.m. An officer investigated a report concerning phone calls on Overlook Road.
2:57 p.m. An officer investigated a report of a hot dog on Ocean Avenue.
9:09 p.m. Officers restored the peace after a disturbance was reported on Ocean Avenue.
9:33 p.m. Officers investigated a report of suspicious activity on Pleasant Street and Ocean Avenue but could not locate it.
10 p.m. Officers investigated a disturbance on Phillips Street.
10:19 p.m. Officers took a 42yearold man into protective custody after they were called to investigate a disturbance on Green Street.
11:02 p.m. Officers investigated a disturbance on Pickwick Road and restored the peace.
11:14 p.m. Officers investigated a disturbance on Trager Road.
Saturday, April 15
5:48 a.m. An officer met at the station with a man who reported that over the last month or so as he has attempted to enter his pickup truck in the morning, he has observed human spit or saliva on the driver’s side door and handle of his vehicle each and every day. The man said he parks his vehicle in front of his residence on West Shore Drive in a lawful parking spot every day. Over the last few days, the man had been able to narrow down the time of expectoration to between 5:18 and 5:30 a.m. Approximately three days earlier, the man decided to set up a spit sting by sitting in his vehicle at the appointed time. He observed an older gentleman walk towards his vehicle, but the older man did not spit because the vehicle owner startled him, he believed. The man in the station had also observed the same gentleman two days earlier while he was taking out the trash. Although the man in the station did not observe the older gentleman spit on his vehicle, he recognized the gentleman as the same man from the previous day. After the gentleman walked past the younger man’s vehicle, he observed that his vehicle had been spat on. So, the younger man reprised the sting, this time reclining the seat all the way back so that he could lie flat. At approximately 5:30 a.m., the man observed the same older gentleman approach his vehicle and spit on the driver’s side door. The man exited his vehicle and began recording the older gentleman with his phone, following him for a few seconds inbound on West Shore Drive while asking him why he was spitting on his vehicle. The older gentleman did not respond. The man went back to his home and discussed the incident with his spouse, and they decided that it was best to report these incidents to the police. Before he came to the station, the man had driven inbound on West Shore Drive, verbally confronted the older gentleman near Waterside Cemetery and demanded that he not spit on his car again. The man said that the older gentleman did not respond. The officer discussed this interview with a detective who followed up, locating the older man in the area of West Shore Drive and Lorraine Terrace at about 5:15 a.m.
The detective then parked on Village Street and approached the man, asking to speak with him, but the man ignored his request and kept walking. The detective then drove to where he believed the man lived, and after about 10 minutes, the older man approached. The detective got out of his car and again identified himself as a police officer. This time, the
man stopped and spoke to him. The man claimed that he had only spat on the truck once and that it had been an accident. The officer told the man that the police were aware that it had happened several times. The detective again asked why the man was spitting, and he did not reply. The detective told him that he assumed the man was upset that the vehicle was parked on the street, and he may have felt it impeded his walk. The detective asked that he not spit on the truck again, lest criminal charges be taken out against him. The man vowed that it would not happen again. The detective planned to contact the victim and update him on the exchange.
11:25 a.m. Officers investigated a report of suspicious activity on Stramski Way.
1:12 p.m. An officer was dispatched to Rockaway Avenue to investigate a report of damage to a vehicle. The vehicle’s owner told the officer that at some point over the past few hours, the rear windshield of her vehicle had been damaged. The officer inspected the rear windshield, which had virtually no glass left in it and glass all over the street. The officer believed that the damage had been caused by some sort of projectile, which he could not locate. He radioed dispatch to ask the Highway Department to come clean up the glass, as it was all over the sidewalk and street, creating unsafe conditions.
6:52 p.m. An officer responded to the scene of a vehicle crash on Atlantic Avenue.
9:26 p.m. An officer was dispatched to the area of Beacon Street by the Gerry 5 to investigate the report of an intoxicated woman who was walking down Beacon Street towards Grace Oliver Beach. About halfway down Beacon Street, he located the woman stumbling inbound on the side of the roadway. He exited his cruiser and Identified himself, and the woman identified herself. The officer had the woman sit on a rock wall on the side of the roadway as he was worried that she would fall and hurt herself. The woman told the officer that she was coming from the Gerry 5 and had lost her cell phone during a recent fall and did not want to go anywhere until it was found. After another officer arrived on scene, the first officer had the dispatcher call the woman’s cellphone, and it began to ring about 30 feet away. The woman then told the officer that her roommate was home. The woman called her roommate, and the officer brought him up to speed. The officer got permission from the officerincharge to drive the woman home, where she was left in the custody of her roommate.
Sunday, April 16
1:32 p.m. An officer searched for a vehicle with Maine license plates being driven erratically on Ocean Avenue but could not locate it.
2:02 p.m. Officers were told to be on the lookout for a vehicle coming into town from Salem
that was believed to have been involved in a hitandrun. The vehicle came back to a resident of Rockaway Avenue, so one officer made his way there and found the vehicle parked on the road near the home. The officer spoke with a man and asked him if he had just been in Salem, and the man said that he had. Unprompted, the man offered that while in Salem he had observed a man next to a wheelchair in the road, but he did not believe that he had struck the man in the wheelchair. He said that he had stopped his vehicle next to the man and helped him up. He said that he asked the man if he needed any help, and the man said “no” and rode away. At that point, the man, who had a small child in the car, got back in and drove home. Officers observed some minor damage to the front passenger tire rim, but the man said that was preexisting damage caused by his wife striking a curb in the past. The officers also saw what looked like old damage to the center front area of the bumper. Salem Police then reported that it had not located the man in the wheelchair. The officer instructed the man to contact Salem Police, and the man said he would.
2:19 p.m. An officer spoke at the station with a woman who had received a “robocall,” purportedly from National Grand Bank. The woman called back the number and provided her zip code to an automated answering service. The officer called the number and was unable to speak with anyone or identify what company it was. The officer advised the woman to call National Grand Bank when they reopened and inform them of the call and to check her account for any fraudulent activity.
8:42 p.m. An officer investigated a report of suspicious activity on Pleasant Street.
11:12 p.m. An officer investigated a report of threats on Washington Street and filed a report.
Monday, April 17
12:01 a.m. An officer investigated a general complaint on Washington Street and filed a report.
9:15 a.m. An officer assisted a citizen on Bubier Road and filed a report.
11:29 a.m. An officer met at the station with a man who had experienced two different incidents over the weekend where youths rang his doorbell and ran off. The man showed the officer a video of the incidents, from which the officer captured screen shots and included them in his report.
1:49 p.m. Officers assisted at the scene of a vehicle crash on Barnard Street and Atlantic Avenue. The log indicates that at least one vehicle had to be towed and at least one person was transported to the hospital with unspecified injuries.
10:24 p.m. An officer investigated a report of suspicious activity on Atlantic Avenue.
public transportation, affordable housing and social services. It will deprive us of an opportunity to fundamentally address the issue of economic inequality.
This issue is a direct contributor to the outmigration from Massachusetts of working
people, unable to afford our ever increasing cost of housing. The Fair Share Ballot Question, which was approved by a majority of voters, was a crucial step towards addressing the inequality and lack of investment in public services that have contributed to the outmigration of working families from the state. The ballot question sought to increase taxes on the wealthiest individuals
and corporations in the state to fund critical investments in education, transportation and other essential services. However, the proposed tax cuts for the wealthy directly contradict the will of the people through this ballot question.
I have been fortunate to live in Marblehead for 39 years and raise my daughters here. Currently, Marblehead, one
of the wealthier towns in the Commonwealth, is struggling with a $2.5 million override in order to fund its schools and other town services. I can only imagine the loss of fundamental services that will occur in towns where real scarcity is a daily fact of life. We need to acknowledge a greater good for all.
In conclusion, as the budget
moves to the State Senate, I call upon our state senators to reject Governor Healey’s proposed tax cuts for the wealthy and instead to prioritize investment in critical services that benefit all of our residents. Let us work together to build a more equitable and thriving Massachusetts for all.
Cathy Marie Michael Nicholson HillMarblehead is a wonderful place to call home. There is a strong sense of community where people look out for one another.
One strength of the town is the sense that the Golden Rule is lived here. Signs that residents seek to treat one another as they’d like to be treated abound. Organizations like SPUR, Marblehead Female Humane Society, Making Ends Meet and Seaglass Village provides opportunities for town folks to make personal connections and offer support to each other.
In this spirit of community, Marblehead Cares, under the umbrella banner of the Marblehead Mental Health Task Force, seeks to engage care, reduce stigma and connect residents to resources that support positive brain health in Marblehead.
Helaine Hazlett, a member of the Board of Health, explained, “The Board of Health met weekly for close to two years
during the peak of the pandemic, when it became very clear that the mental health of our community, young and old, was at crisis level. With therapists unable to see more clients and with no end in sight, it was obvious that the board needed to step up and try to ease the mounting concern.” She continued, “In March 2021, the board voted to appoint the Mental Health Task Force to assist the citizens of Marblehead with guidance and direction for care and support to address this issue and provide the appropriate intervention strategies to guide our citizens toward improved mental health.”
The MarbleheadCares.org website offers a compilation of resources that community members can access as needed. The website also houses a number of video broadcasts presented by local experts who provide guidance on where to turn for help. The programming offered includes a conversation about strategies to support mental health through COVID, understanding grief, transitions through aging, and suicide awareness.
On Saturday, April 29 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Marblehead Cares will be participating in the Lynchvan Otterloo YMCA Healthy Kids Day, offering engaging and interactive
activities for children and families to enhance mental wellness. Included in the offerings will be assessments, opportunities to connect with our Marblehead Counseling Center and other local organizations, and a broad collection of resources and tools to support mental health wellness for our youth.
The task force is composed of community leaders, including Police Chief Dennis King, Select Board member Moses Grader, Marblehead High Principal Dan Bauer, Lisa Hooper from Council on Aging, Marblehead High counselor Ali Carey, Terri McDonough from the Marblehead Counseling Center, Kimberly Howard, Melissa Kaplowitch, Mark Libon, Susan Stelk and Kim Leventhall. It is chaired by Board of Health member Joanne Miller.
There are many voices and perspectives that collaborate with the task force, sharing insights that enhance an inclusive spirit. Wendy Kent,
Sharon Doliber, Gina Rabbitt and Jack Attridge continually bring ideas and help create pathways for the group to reach new goals and strategies.
Most recently, the group has explored ways to encourage residents to look out for one another by reaching out to check in on their neighbors. If we can build connections and support each other through rough patches, we can potentially create broader wellness and avert poor outcomes.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, “Mental health heavily influences our quality of life. So it makes sense that mental health, just like physical health, needs to be taken care of and maintained. And one way that it can be maintained is finding a sense of community.”
Marblehead Cares initiatives continue to evolve and seek to meet the needs of our community as they arise.
Marblehead Cares is a monthly column written by the Marblehead Mental Health Task Force.
781-631-4951
CATHOLIC
OUR LADY STAR OF THE SEA
» 85 Atlantic Ave.
» 781-631-0086
sosmarblehead.org
Regular Mass Schedule
Saturday Vigil: 4 p.m.
» Sunday: 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m., 11 a.m.
» Every weekday (Monday-Saturday): 9 a.m.
Confessions: 2:30-3:30 p.m.
Saturday Rosary Group: Thursdays, following the 9 a.m. Mass (approximately 10 a.m.).
» Adult choir rehearsals: Thursdays, 7 p.m., organ loft
Children’s choir rehearsals: Sunday, 8:15 a.m., organ loft
Centering Prayer group: Mondays, after 9 a.m. Mass until 11 a.m.
» Monday, May 1: 3 p.m., altar
server training
Parishioners are invited to participate in “56 Hours of Perpetual Adoration,” organized by the Lazarus Center for Healing Shrine in Wakefield in response to “SatanCon,” “the biggest Satanic gathering in history,” in Boston. More information at healingshrine.org.
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE
FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST, SCIENTIST
» 134 Elm St. 781-631-3868 fccsmarbleheadma.wordpress. com
» Sunday Church Service: 10-11 a.m.
» Sunday School (open to children and young people under the age of 20): 10-11 a.m.
Wednesday Testimony Meeting: 7:30-8:30 p.m.
» Reading Room (in church building): Open just after Sunday service and before Wednesday
testimony meetings
A link to watch a replay of the recent free online lecture on Christian Science, “How to Make Change for the Better,” is available on the church website.
COMMUNITY CHURCH
GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH
17 Pleasant St. » 781-631-9343 » gracemarblehead.org
» Discipleship Class: 9:15 a.m.
Sunday Worship Gatherings: 10:30 a.m.
Sunday
» Grace Kids (Grades K-5): 4:30 p.m. Wednesday » Youth Group: 7 p.m. Wednesday
» Women’s Bible Study: 10 a.m.
Thursday Prayer Gatherings: 1 p.m.
Thursday » Men’s Bible Study: 6 a.m. Friday
» Saturday, May 6: 6:30 p.m., Family Movie Night, “Jonah, The Musical.” Popcorn and drinks will be served.
CONGREGATIONAL
OLD NORTH CHURCH, THE FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST IN MARBLEHEAD » 35 Washington St. 781-631-1244 onchurch.org
Wednesday, April 26: 2 p.m., Scrabble group; 7:30 p.m., choir rehearsal
» Thursday, April 27: 7 p.m., Old North Church Reading Group
Friday, April 28: 7:30 a.m., men’s
breakfast
»
» standrewsmhd.org
» Regular Sunday services (Rite II of the Episcopal liturgy): 8 a.m., spoken service; 10 a.m., musical service Tuesdays, 9:30-10:30 a.m.: Gospel
Reflections on Zoom
» Alternate Tuesdays, 11 a.m.: “This Magic Moment” Memory Café on Zoom, a judgment-free zone for those with memory loss and their caregivers
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:153:30 p.m., Parish Hall open for exercise
» Wednesday, noon: Eucharist
» Second Saturday, 8:30-9:30 a.m.: Coffee Cups informal conversation and fellowship
ST. MICHAEL’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
» 26 Pleasant St.
781-631-0657 stmichaels1714.org
Sundays: 10 a.m., Holy Eucharist, Rite II (with music), in-person and online on church’s YouTube Channel
» Mondays: 11 a.m., Prayer Shawl Ministry
Wednesdays: 9:30 a.m., Holy Eucharist, Rite II; 10:15 a.m., Bible study
»
Saturday, April 29: 10 a.m., memorial service
Sunday, April 30: Confirmation
Sunday; 8 a.m., worship service; 9 a.m., choir rehearsal; 10 a.m., baptism, worship service; 11:15 a.m., Death and Dying workshop
Monday, May 1: 6:30 p.m., women’s AA
» Tuesday, May 2: 9 a.m., Lectio Divina; 7 p.m., Community Life Board meeting; 7:30 p.m., bell choir
Wednesday, May 3: 10 a.m., staff meeting; 11 a.m., Prayer Shawl Ministry; 2 p.m., Scrabble group; 7:30 p.m., choir rehearsal
Thursday, May 4: 1 p.m., Ministerial Association meeting; 7 p.m., deacons’ meeting
EPISCOPAL
CHURCH OF ST. ANDREW, EPISCOPAL
» 135 Lafayette St.
» Thursdays: 7:30 p.m., choir rehearsal
First Sundays: 5 p.m., Choral Evensong (September through May), in-person only
» Friday, April 28: 10:30 a.m., Wisdom & Friendship
» Sunday, April 30: 5 p.m., Taizé Prayer (Easter chants) Thursday, May 4: 6:30 p.m., St. Catherine’s Service and Fellowship Group
JEWISH TEMPLE EMANU-EL, REFORM CONGREGATION
» 393 Atlantic Ave.
» 781-631-9300
» emanu-el.org
Shabbat: Friday, 6 p.m., in person and on Facebook Live
Torah Study: First and second Saturdays of month, 10 a.m. on Zoom
Religious School: 9 a.m. Sundays
» Senior Connection: 11 a.m.
Tuesdays
» Mah Jongg: 7 p.m. Tuesdays
Chai Baby: 9:30 a.m. Fridays
Sunday, April 30: 1 p.m., PJ
Library Israel Birthday Party, B’nai
Abraham, Beverly
» Tuesday, May 2: 7:30 p.m., Mom’s Night Out at The Beacon
» Wednesday, May 3: 7 p.m., Monthly Movie Night
TEMPLE SINAI, CONTEMPORARY CONSERVATIVE SYNAGOGUE
» 1 Community Road
» 781-631-2762
templesinaiweb.org
Kabbalat Shabbat: Fridays, 6 p.m. Shabbat Service: Saturdays, 9:30 a.m.
North Shore Minyan: Congregation Shirat Hayam in Swampscott and Temple Sinai unite to provide a joint daily morning and evening North Shore Minyan. The schedule is as follows:
» Sunday, 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. (Temple Sinai, Zoom only).
Monday, 7:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. (Temple Sinai, in person and Zoom)
» Tuesday and Wednesday, 7:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. (Congregation Shirat Hayam, online only).
Thursday, 7:30 a.m. (Congregation Shirat Hayam, Swampscott, in person and online).
» Thursday, 7 p.m. (Congregation Shirat Hayam, online only).
» Friday, 7:30 a.m. (Congregation Shirat Hayam, online only).
Thursday, April 27: 7:30 p.m., Tuesday Book Club: “Wyrd Sisters” (on Zoom)
» Sunday, April 30: 5 p.m., Brotherhood Paid-Up Dinner and a Movie
» Friday, May 5: 6 p.m., Chavurah
Shabbat
LUTHERAN
CLIFTON LUTHERAN CHURCH 150 Humphrey St. 781-631-4379 cliftonlutheran.org
» Weekly worship service: Sunday, 10 a.m., live stream on Zoom
Sunday School: Sundays, 9 a.m.
» Coffee Hour: Sunday, 11 a.m.
» Choir Chat: Tuesday, 4:45 p.m. over Zoom
Midweek Fellowship: Wednesday, 7 p.m.
Bible Study: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.
METHODIST
ST. STEPHEN’S UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
» 67 Cornell Road » 781-631-2756 » www.marblehead.church
» St. Stephen’s is open for Sunday morning worship. Every Sunday, they have traditional worship at 10:30 a.m. with a time of refreshments and fellowship afterward. Worship may also be attended via Zoom.
Tuesday mornings: Conversation and prayer on Facebook Live with Pastor Isaac (see facebook.com/ marblehead.church)
» Wednesday, May 3: 7 p.m., Wednesday Evening Vespers
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH OF MARBLEHEAD 28 Mugford St. 781-631-1215 uumarblehead.org
» Sunday service is at 10:30 a.m. and on Zoom: bit.ly/3EIRKiF All persons attending a regular Sunday Service in person are asked to wear masks in the sanctuary.
Thursday, April 27: 7 p.m., choir rehearsal » Sunday, April 30: 9 a.m., Sunday Seminar; 10:30 a.m., Sunday Services; 11:30 a.m., After Service Social Hour; 11:45 a.m., Tech Team rehearsal for Meeting House Series May 6 presentation
» Monday, May 1: 2 p.m., Dying & Divinity group; 7:30 p.m., choir practice
» Wednesday, May 3: 9 a.m., Small Group Ministry; 7 p.m., Committee on Ministry
Thursday, May 4: 7 p.m., choir rehearsal
» Saturday, May 6: 9:30 a.m., Caring for the Caregivers
In sorrow and love, we announce that Sylvia Swain passed away at home on April 3, 2023, at the age of 88.
Sylvia Christine Lloyd was born Jan. 2, 1935 in Reading, Massachusetts. Her family moved to Marblehead, and Sylvia fell in love with her new hometown.
Sylvia Swain
She attended Marblehead Public Schools and was known for her vivacious personality. She became drum majorette for the high school band and caught the
Selfproclaimed gearhead, “Cap’n” and “luckiest guy on Earth,” Alexander James Finigan, 76, passed away suddenly from complications from pneumonia on Sunday, April 9, 2023, with his wife Krista, son Alex and daughter Samantha at his side.
Alex was born on Feb. 10, 1947, in Newark, New Jersey, to Lorraine Warren and Alexander Finigan. Alex grew up in North Arlington, New Jersey, and spent summers with his extended family on the Jersey Shore.
After a short stint at a desk job that he quit by “leaving for lunch and never coming back,” Alex moved to Marblehead, where he met Krista, and together, they created a home.
tight regulations for the abysmal state of the lobster industry.
“This is the worst season in 38 years economically for me and everybody else,” he told the Marblehead Current. “We’re not just lobstermen. We’re fathers. We’re husbands. We’re daughters. We’re people who are trying to make a living and support our families.”
The right whale may be familiar because their endangered status makes them newsworthy, and they are annually sighted in North Shore and Cape Cod waters. Late 19thcentury whalers brought the right whale to the cusp of extinction, and they’ve never been able to fully recover.
The lobster industry is a significant source of employment in Massachusetts, but like the right whale, lobstermen numbers are in peril. The number of licensed lobstermen in Massachusetts went from approximately 1,100 to 800 in 2022. That doesn’t include other jobs such as lobster processing, distribution and sales built around the industry.
In 2019, Massachusetts lobstermen landed around 17.7 million pounds of lobster. That accounts for about 8% of the total U.S. lobster caught and sold and has a value of $82 million.
The laws governing right whales and lobstermen off the coast of Massachusetts primarily fall under the jurisdiction of the NOAA and the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF).
Lobstermen follow regulations aimed at protecting the right whales, as challenging as they may be.
These regulations focus on protecting the rightwhale population while managing the lobster fishery sustainably.
Key state and federal regulations include seasonal closures of certain areas,
eye of Fran Swain. After graduating, she attended Beverly Nursing School and, while still a student nurse, she married Fran and they started their family.
Sylvia worked as a nurse for Drs. Fallon and Tippetts in
Marblehead for many years, and they encouraged her to continue her education. She became one of the first certified nurse practitioners in the country. Sylvia served many roles. She was a mother, a den mother and a surrogate mother to many in town due to her care and nursing skills. She became the chairman of the board of trustees of the Mary Alley Hospital. Later, she became director of health services at the Lafayette Convalescent Home.
In addition, she and Fran owned the Wool and Workshop, a yarn and fabric shop. She was also active on many boards and committees, and she became Marblehead Rotary’s first female president and a Paul Harris Fellow.
text or email with words of love for whomever he was speaking to, whether it was his family or many friends. He was deeply grateful for the many good things in his life and spoke often of how lucky he felt, how much he enjoyed his life and how happy he was.
When Sylvia retired, the state of Massachusetts issued an official proclamation of honor and Rep. Doug Peterson summed her up by declaring, “She is full of grace.”
Sylvia is predeceased by her sister, Nancy Antonich of Crystal River, Florida; her husband, Francis W. Swain, Jr. of Marblehead; and, then later, her partner Gordon L. Brown of North Conway, New Hampshire. She leaves behind many friends and admirers. She also leaves her proud children, Amanda Sylvester and her husband, Martin Sylvester, of Salem; and Gary Swain and his wife, Sheelagh Nelis Swain, of Marblehead; and her grandson Nicolas Peabody and his wife, Brandy Bruyere,
valuable cars in the world. More importantly, he was known for his extensive knowledge, his integrity and an uncommon commitment to his many friendships within the car world.
and their son, Nolan, of Silver Spring, Maryland; and her granddaughter Halsey Swain of Portland, Oregon. She also leaves behind her three nephews, Nat, Peter and Jeff Berry, and their families.
A service will be held at Old North Church on Saturday, April 29, 2023, at 10 a.m. with a reception to follow in the parish hall.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Marblehead Dollars for Scholars for the Sylvia and Francis Swain Jr. Memorial Scholarship at P.O. Box 4, Marblehead, MA 01945. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy for the Swain family may be shared at eustisandcornellfuneralhome. com.
He will be remembered and deeply missed as a most generous, kind and hilarious man.
Alex’s true love was his family and many dear friends. His devotion to his wife and children was complete, as was his joy in his new role as grandfather (or “Poppa,” as he was known to his five grandkids).
Alex was openhearted and unafraid of voicing his feelings, ending almost every phone call,
Alex’s other true love was cars. His long career working with classic cars began in 1975 when he wandered up to a garage on Pond Street in Marblehead and asked for a job without any real qualification except his passion and selftaught knowledge.
There he met Paul Russell, with whom he would work for almost 50 years at Gullwing Service Company and Paul Russell & Company.
Alex became one of the most respected experts in the field of classic cars and facilitated transactions of many of the most
In addition to his passion for the elite classic cars of his professional life, Alex was a true “gearhead” and spent hours in his personal garage restoring a varied stable of cars, from his cherished hot rods to his prized Porsche 356 Speedster that he reconstructed almost entirely by himself.
During the summer when he wasn’t driving one of his cars, Alex could almost always be found on the boat — most recently a CW Hood Wasque named “Gullwing” — where he spent his time relaxing with his friends and family (and a stack of car magazines) and enjoying his wonderful life.
He is survived by his beloved wife of almost 45 years, Krista Koenig; his daughter Samantha and soninlaw Peter Gorman; his son Alex and daughterinlaw Julia Calzonetti; his five treasured grandchildren, Finley, James, Anna, Jack and Maeve; and his sister, Jane Finigan Stinson. A celebration of life will be held in the coming weeks. In place of flowers or gifts, please consider a donation to one of the many charities that Alex regularly gave to so generously such as St. Jude Children’s Hospital. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy for the Finigan family may be shared at eustisandcornellfuneralhome. com.
mandatory gear modifications to reduce entanglement risks, speed restrictions, reporting and monitoring requirements and established response teams to address whale entanglements.
A centerpiece regulation is a moratorium on lobstermen fishing in waters that right whales use during migration in the winter months. This puts a strain on lobstermen financially, and Bates believes that they should be compensated appropriately for the time that they are sidelined.
“We’ve been down for five months for the third year in a row for right whale closures. We have not been compensated for this, either by the state or federal government. This is five months of small business out of business because of government regulations here with no compensation,” he added.
Outside NOAA and DMF regulations, Sharp said lobstermen struggle with volatile costs.
“The landed price of lobster in Maine and Massachusetts in 2022, which collapsed from about $8 per pound in 2021 to roughly half that in 2022 while diesel prices went the other way,” said Sharp. “That price was heavily impacted when the Monterey Bay Aquarium placed Maine Lobster on its ‘red lists’ of unsustainably caught shellfish and Whole Foods withdrew Maine lobster from sales.”
State Rep. Jenny Armini, Democrat of Marblehead, believes in finding a solution and striking the right balance, but the solution doesn’t come without difficulty. She wants to help sustain the 25 or so lobstermen who remain in Marblehead.
“Lobstermen are very important to the identity of our community,” said Armini. “They provide us with food, but they are very much part of the traditions and the rich history of our community.”
Armini is a cosponsor of a bill that would provide compensation to lobstermen for the time they are forced out of the water to protect the right whales. She noted the Atlantic State Marine Fisheries Commission sent checks of up to $3,500 to lobstermen to offset the expense of the gear modifications required by the 2021 North Atlantic Right Whale protections.
Bates notes that he cannot go out and find a new job.
“Somebody’s got to be able to do something because they can’t even put us on unemployment. There are 800 of us in
Massachusetts,” said Bates. “I’m 70 years old. It’s tough for me to go out and find a job now.”
Armini pointed out one idea that is taking a foothold. “We need to continue to investigate the idea of ropeless lobster traps,” she said. “I’m thrilled Congress has been willing to put some money into that.”
While it is a promising technology, Sharp notes the costs are prohibitive.
“Whalesafe and ropeless traps use a remote release, triggered by a smartphone or tablet operating a transponder that is carried on the boat and another on the seabed,” he said. “Trouble is, the price of one remote release unit to hook up to a conventional trawl of 10 or 12 traps stays stubbornly stuck at somewhere approaching $4,000 with little prospect of economies of scale kicking in.”
The JCC of the North Shore’s International Jewish Film Festival will be celebrating its diamond anniversary in style, according to Sara Ewing, the JCC’s adult program director.
“This truly is our best festival yet,” said Ewing, who also oversees the festival’s selection committee. “We have an incredible lineup of excellent films from Israel, the U.S. and France.”
Spanning three weeks, the International Jewish Film Festival features 10 thoughtfully chosen films from around the world, all inspired by and exploring Jewish history, culture and values.
From moving and intimate documentaries to sweeping historical dramas and giddy,
slapstick romantic comedies, there’s something for everyone, Ewing promised.
The Jewish Film Festival opens Tuesday, May 2 with the apt and winning documentary, “Only in Theaters,” which explores a fourthgeneration, familyrun movie theater in Los Angeles that screens highquality foreign films.
The festival closes May 24 with the stirring “Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song.”
This year, the Jewish Film Festival will be situated exclusively at Cinema Salem.
“We are hoping that being in a larger city like Salem will bring in a bigger audience,” Ewing said. “Cinema Salem is a much larger and newly renovated space boasting brand new, comfortable seats.”
In addition, some films will
have speakers present for postscreening Q&A sessions, and seven of the films will be available for streaming.
The closing night film also offers an ice cream sundae reception and a discussion led by Rabbi Michael J. Schwartz of Temple Sinai in Marblehead.
“One of the missions of the JCC is to create community and bring Jewishthemed cultural events to the North Shore,” said Karen Robinson, director of public relations and marketing for the JCC of the North Shore.
“This is a popular, signature event, and we get great crowds which bring together all people — Jewish and nonJewish.”
Ewing nodded in agreement.
“Our numbers for the film festival attendance are always very high. Film is a very accessible art form. It’s a low
barrier: All you need to do is show up,” Ewing said. “You don’t have to read a book. It’s a great way to start important conversations. Some films are provocative, but that’s OK because it provides a platform for discussion and that’s what our festival is all about.”
Robinson added, “If you bring people together and create a community around the film, it’s a community that wouldn’t have normally come together otherwise. We have found that some of our movie participants will go out for coffee afterward and talk about what the film meant to them. And we love that about the festival.”
In an effort to attract a younger demographic, the screening committee selected a film geared toward “the 50andunder crowd,” said Ewing.
“Typically, we have films that appeal to older crowds,” she said. “This romantic comedy, ‘Israel, Our Story,’ screening Saturday, May 13, will hopefully bring in a younger crowd. We want to groom the next generation of moviegoers and supporters of the film festival to keep it going.”
Putting together an annual film festival is no small feat, Ewing and Robinson agree. During the COVID years, they moved the entire festival online. As life slowly returns to normal after the devastation of a twoyear global pandemic, Robinson and Ewing are hopeful that people will return to the festival.
“We want to bring everyone back in person this year,” Ewing said. “PostCOVID, it’s harder to bring people out to sit in movie theaters together once again.”
Combined, Team Current has covered 47 of Marblehead's Town Meetings. Now, our veteran newsroom has compileda guide to help you learn about the issues andnavigate this year's decision-making
The2023 Current Guide to Town Meetingisbrought to youby:
marbleheadcurrent.org/townmeeting2023
