06.21.23 - Volume 1, Issue 30

Protest follows pride flag controversy

BY LEIGH BLANDER

More than 150 people stood in the rain for a peaceful protest across from Grace Community Church on Sunday morning, waving pride flags and handmade signs, singing gospel songs and calling for more tolerance in Marblehead.

“As a gay woman, when discrimination raises its head in

a small town, people aren’t going to put up with it,” said Judy Geneen of Marblehead. “I live in Florida part of the year, and I thought I was coming home to a safe space here in Marblehead. For a church that preaches the bible, they need to go back and read it.”

The protest was in response to two members of Grace Community Church removing

WORLD WITH J uSTICe

pride flags placed in flower boxes outside the building by Mike Richmond, who is gay and rents space in the church to run the Pleasant Street Preschool with his partner. Richmond approached the two church members asking why they were removing the flags. He recorded the interaction on his phone.

“Why are you taking down the pride flags?” Richmond asked the

Music, poetry, passion at Juneteenth celebration

couple.

“Because it’s a church that doesn’t celebrate… you can have your time… but we don’t want to celebrate if we don’t have to,” answered the woman. “We are a church that believes in the bible.” Richmond then asked, “What’s the message that you’re sending to the children?”

The woman responded, “You

can celebrate who you are, but we don’t have to.” Richmond said he never discussed gay pride with his young students.

“I see the pride flag as a symbol for peace, love and acceptance for all,” he said.

When contacted for comment, Grace Community Church

Gilliland blazes new trail

Fire chief becomes first in town to receive bachelor’s of fire science degree

BY CHRIS STEVENS

When Salem State University seniors crossed the stage to collect their diplomas on May 20, there was a very familiar face in the crowd. Fire Chief Jason Gilliland accomplished something no other Marblehead fire chief has done when he earned a bachelor’s of fire science and administration that day. And it only took him 30-plus years to do it.

“It was good to finally accomplish this,” Gilliland said. “I hate leaving things undone.” Gilliland started on the path to a bachelor’s degree in the late 1980s, taking night and summer classes while working as a firefighter. Then, as typically happens, life got in the way.

BY LEIGH BLANDER

Marblehead High School students of color shared their visions of a “world with justice” at the town’s third annual Juneteenth celebration and flag raising on June 14. More than 100 people gathered on the Abbot Hall lawn for the event.

“A world with justice looks like being able to check social media

BY ED BELL

without seeing another article about a victim of police brutality,” said Kendal-Arielle Verdine-Ngole. “A world with justice sounds like no more mothers mourning for their Black sons. A world with justice is being able to walk down the street without being approached by a police officer who assumes you are up to no good.”

Student Bernardo Bannis added,

“A world with justice is when we get pulled over by the police and we do not have to record for our own safety, from the people who are meant to protect us.”

Shakayla Baxter said, “A world with justice gives everyone access to the services they deserve no matter what they look like or what their bank

A birthday to remember

It is not often that I get the chance to wish a one-yearold “Happy Birthday.” As an octogenarian, our little ones are graduates now, either from high school or college. So here goes:

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY MARBLEHEAD CURRENT

It was on June 16, 2022, that we launched our online news site that is the predecessor to the Marblehead Current.

Six founders spent the bitter pandemic winter of 2022

meeting every Wednesday on Zoom and planning the steps that took us from concept to online and later a printed newspaper.

Our local news site was rushed onto the internet just before the town elections

EDITOR’S NOTE

The Marblehead Current’s June 21 edition went to print before the June 20 Marblehead municipal election results were available. For comprehensive coverage and updates on the election, visit the newspaper’s website, marbleheadcurrent.org.

because we knew there was a thirst for information about the candidates. The Marblehead Reporter, owned by the Virginiabased Gannett newspaper conglomerate, had abandoned local coverage and pulled its talented reporters out of the

community.

Founder and consulting editor Kris Olson burned the midnight oil to get the news site up and running while our founding writers Will Dowd and Leigh

School celebrates mosaic

mentored students during the project, which is on display at Devereux’s Marblehead campus.

PROFIT SPOTLIGHT

BY MELISSA STACEY

The following is an interview with Marblehead Little Theatre at 12 School St., conducted by Discover Marblehead. To learn more about MLT’s upcoming shows and workshops, go to mltlive.com

Tell us about Marblehead Little Theatre and how it got started. In the fall of 1954, Terry Hale became the chair of the Marblehead Women’s Club drama committee. Eight women of the drama committee performed the one act play “The Charm Racquet” for the Woman’s Club on the occasion of their annual meeting in May of 1955 at the Old North Church parish hall. It soon became evident that a much larger group was needed and so husbands, sons, daughters and friends were invited to an organizational meeting in September

1955. Hale continued to lead the new group as its first president through its formative first three years. The newly formed Little Theatre group presented its first production, the threeact play, Moss Hart’s “Light Up the Sky” at the Women’s Club Guest Night. The show opened on January 18, 1956, at the Marblehead Junior High School auditorium. And so, Marblehead Little Theatre was born and now over six decades later has proven to be one of the oldest community theatre groups in New England, as well as one of the few to have continually-produced shows each year.

Who are the people involved with MLT behind the scenes?

Andrew Barnett is MLT’s technical director and the doer of all things related to keeping the building running and in good shape. Andy has been involved with MLT for over 20 years as a producer, designer, builder and board member. He designed and built his first set at the Marblehead Middle (Village) School in 1992 for “Fiddler on the Roof.”

Andy has built scenery

for Marblehead Middle and High Schools, Salem High School, Rebel Shakespeare Company, Stage 284, Endicott College, Gordon College, Opera Boston, Gloucester Stage, Roxbury Center for the Arts, MassJam, Perkins School for the Blind, Boston Center for the Arts, Mssng Lnks, The Summer Revels, Riversing and The Christmas Revels. His work is a tribute to the many dedicated artists who believe in making live theater great.

At present, we have a 14-member board of directors. This includes President Julie Menard, Vice President Trudi Olivetti, Treasurer

Children’s Workshop Montessori

Discover how to set your child on the path to a lifelong love of learning. Our kindergar ten children learn to read chapter boo ks, Write independently in journals, play chess, And so much more!

2 seats available info@marbleheadm ontessori to schedule a visit.

Danuta Shasha, Secretary & Education Dir. Alma Mahon, Volunteer Coordinator Bruce Whear, Marketing Coordinator Stanis Ames, Season Planning Dir. Steve Black, Box Office Coordinator Ted Merit, Membership Coordinator Betty Lautner, Dayle Persons, Anne Lucas, David Foye, Christina Easthope and Erin Pelikhov.

Executive Producer Emily Black has helped steer productions for the past several years.

In addition to the board and staff, we have a community of friends of MLT who fill vital roles in the realms of production, lighting, sound design, music direction, choreography, set design/construction/ painting, stage management, house management and more.

What are some of the programs you provide for children, teens and young adults? MLT

offers a variety of youth theater programming throughout the year. We run school vacation workshops in February and April and run four sessions of musical theater workshops in the summer. We also run improv workshops for children and teens, as well as Shakespearean acting workshops. Finally, each fall and spring we run full children’s musical theater productions, which include a full rehearsal schedule and a weekend of performances. Info can be found at mltlive.com/ childrens-theatre/.

What show is coming up on the schedule with Marblehead Little Theatre? “The Great Gatsby, An American Musical” is coming up at MLT this month and runs from June 23 through July 2. Based on the beloved American novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, this new musical by Fred Anthony Marco and Frank Schiro is sure to delight audiences as they’re transported to the “Eggs” on Long Island during the Jazz age. More info at www.mltlive.org.

The spotlight is a weekly feature published in partnership with Discover Marblehead. Discover Marblehead is dedicated to the promotion of the seaside town of Marblehead.

Its 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.

OPERATIONS

Kathryn Whorf

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS

Marion Warner Greely

FOUNDERS

Jessica Barnett

Ed Bell

Leigh Blander

Will Dowd

David Moran

Kris Olson

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.

nOn

Marblehead Little Theatre is one of oldest community theatre groups in New England

Juneteenth

account looks like.”

And from Emiyah Setalsingh, “A world with justice provides health care for all and hospitals provide high-quality service no matter the zip code. A world with justice makes my family and me feel protected by the government.”

Juneteenth celebrates the day that word of the Emancipation Proclamation freeing enslaved Black Americans finally reached Galveston, Texas, two years after it

was made.

The 90-minute Juneteenth program also featured Greg Coles who played an African drum and spoke about the importance of music, storytelling and resilience in the African tradition. Nicole McClain, president of the North Shore Juneteenth Association, also talked about the resilience of people of color.

“Four-hundred years of slavery, 101 years of segregation and unceasing years of oppression and so-called freedom, and here we are still becoming. Becoming students.

Becoming scientists, lawyers, doctors and so much more while navigating systemic racism the best way we can.”

Rev. Dr. Andre Bennett — who has spoken at many Marblehead social justice events — delivered an impassioned speech about the need for action. He quoted Martin Luther King, Jr., saying, “Power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic.”

“Marblehead, you know I like you. I come here a lot,” he said with a big smile.

“But I don’t want the sentimental and anemic love. I want you to do something. Until it’s safe for me to drive through Marblehead without my heart on my tongue because I might get pulled over because I don’t look like most people in Marblehead, we who believe in freedom can not rest.

“I want to see some diversity in your local government,” he continued. “Give us power with the love you give us. “

Bennett also addressed attempts nationwide to limit the teaching of African-American history.

“You will not erase our history. You will not erase our history of building this nation.”

At the end of the program, Tanya Crowell

sang the Black national anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” while the Juneteenth flag was raised. It flies along with the U.S. flag and the pride flag.

The Juneteenth flag flies over Marblehead with the pride flag and American flag.

CURRENT PHOTOS / NICOLE GOODUE-BOYD

Marblehead resident Maeve Hargrove listens with her five-year-old twins Luna and A.J. at the town’s Juneteenth celebration.

Local singer and music memorabilia collector to perform with his big band

BY LEIGH BLANDER

When you step into Matt Arnold’s office at the Star of the Sea Parish Center you might think you’ve entered a music museum. Arnold, the church’s music director, is an avid collector of vintage 78 rpm records and Jazz Age memorabilia, including a century-old Victrola.

“When I was growing up, my dad loved big-band music and my earliest musical memories are of Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey and big-band singers like Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby,” Arnold told the Current. He remembers listening obsessively to a Benny Goodman cassette in his dad’s car when he was 9 or 10 years old.

“From there, I went down the rabbit hole of even earlier music in the 20s and 30s.”

Arnold will perform with his own 11-piece big band, Matt Arnold and His New England Yankees, at the Warwick Cinema on Thursday, June 22, at 7 p.m. A tenor, Arnold will sing hits by Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Rudy Vallee, Sinatra and more. His wife, Holly, also a professional singer, will appear as a featured soloist.

The band will play in one of the Warwick’s theaters. “It’s an intimate space,” Arnold said.

“There will be a little bit of storytelling, a little bit of music, a little bit of everything.” He hopes to chat with the audience after the show.

Back in his office, Arnold

Blander churned out copy and candidate profiles to go up online. Olson described it as building the plane while we were flying it.

Meanwhile, three other founders, Salem State University Instructor Jessica Barnett, retired Associated Press Bureau Chief Ed Bell (that’s me) and Attorney David Moran structured the business side, gaining 501(c)3 tax exempt status from the IRS

shows off some of his 4,000 records, the oldest being a 1900 recording of opera star Enrico Caruso. Asked about his favorite, he hesitates.

“That’s like picking a favorite child,” he laughed. “I suppose it’s the record that started it all. ‘Sing, Sing, Sing’ by Benny Goodman.”

Also in his office: an antique Victor 10-50 Automatic Orthophonic Victrola. “It was the first successful in-home record changer and was introduced to the market in the fall of 1927,” he explained.

“Owners could load up to 12

and nonprofit incorporation papers from the Massachusetts Secretary of State. We also went about recruiting a talented and highly regarded board of directors. All are Marblehead residents who shared the concern about a news desert in town and volunteered countless hours to the cause.

We made our plans with equal portions of hope, optimism and a deep and abiding love for the town of Marblehead.

Of course, there were others who stepped into the breach, too. One was a blog started by

the class to talk about his lack of math skills and was told “this is not self-pacing; you’re going to have to keep up with the work.”

records at a time and listen to almost an hour of music without having to get up and change the record or wind the motor. Not a big deal now, but at the time it was revolutionary.”

Arnold has owned more than 30 Victrolas and phonographs since he started collecting when he was 12.

He also has two large megaphones that were owned by crooner Rudy Vallee, Arnold’s idol. The singer used the megaphones before microphones appeared on the scene. Speaking of mics, Arnold has a 1930 RCA microphone that he’ll use in his

former political office holders and the other a weekly print edition from a daily newspaper company based in neighboring Lynn. We welcome the competition, and we wish them well.

We have been blown away by the warm reception the people of this town have given us. When you tell us that you love our paper, we are thrilled. And we thank you for your support.

We adopted the non-profit model because as hundreds of newspapers shut down across the country, it has become

upcoming show.

“I have some unpublished recordings by Bing Crosby and I discovered the only known piano recordings made by Hollywood star Ramon Novarro. They were donated to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences a few years ago. I found them in a dusty record shop in North Carolina,” he said.

His interest in vintage items doesn’t end with music. Locals may have seen him driving around town in his 1956 pink Cadillac Seville.

“It popped up on Facebook two years ago and I convinced

apparent that the for-profit model is not sustainable. We do not want to see what happened to the Marblehead Reporter happen again. Hence, we are out and about town raising money to augment our advertising sales. We are holding “listening parties” to hear your thoughts and seek your financial support. We have become members of the Institute for Non-profit News (INN), which gives support to us and similar enterprises across the country. Under our non-profit model, all the money we receive stays

my wife we had to have it,” he said. Still, he’s happy to be living in modern times.

“I love the time we live in because I can enjoy all these different eras. I think it would be fun to go back and visit these different time periods. But I never feel like I was born at the wrong time. I like air conditioning too much.”

To learn more about Arnold’s concert, visit thebeaconmarblehead.com/ special-events.

in Marblehead and goes back into the product. As we gain our financial footing, we hope to beef up our sports coverage, have regular contributors from the high school and increase our coverage of culture, arts and social events. We may even add a political cartoon and a crossword puzzle.

At a recent listening party, someone asked, “What is the secret sauce that makes your newspaper so good?” In a word, our answer was love. We love our town, we love to write and we love our newspaper.

Gilliland said shortly after starting at what was then Salem State College, he and his wife Amy had children, then came promotions on the job and suddenly the decades flew by. Then COVID19 hit, and Gilliland happened to run into an old friend, Frank Twiss, the coordinator of the fire science programs for both North Shore Community College and SSU. Gilliland said he asked Twiss if the credits from those earlier classes were still good or if all was lost.

“He said ‘Absolutely not,’” Gilliland said, adding that within days Twiss had set him up with a counselor who put together a flow chart of what he needed to do to graduate. “At age 58-59, I started online and plugged away at it for two years, and in May, I finally graduated.”

But if it weren’t for the support of his family, some great professors and two amazing math tutors, Gilliland said he might have quit.

“I joke that I majored in fire science and administration and minored in quantitative math,” he said. “It was my very last class and had it been my first … I would have never made it.”

Gilliland said he visited his math professor prior to starting

Amy Gilliland pushed her husband to take advantage of SSU’s math lab, and Gilliland said he was glad he did. Not only did he meet Alex and Penelope, the two young math tutors he credits with getting him through the class, but he also met other classmates, who up until then had lived largely online.

“And I realized 60% of the class was failing,” he said.

Gilliland said he was told not to worry; they would be graded on a curve. He was shocked and delighted when he received a C for the class, he said.

“I had never been humbled like that in my life,” he admitted.

“I thought ‘I deal with $4 million budgets, and I can’t do quantitative math.’ I never sweated out anything like that.”

It gets better.

When he arrived at SSU’s O’Keefe Center for graduation, they handed him his number, telling him where he would stand in line, and a gold cord. “I said, ‘What’s this for,’” Gilliland recalled. “‘Cum Laude’ they said.” He had no idea he would be graduating with distinction, he said. Is it important?

With a degree in hand, Gilliland said he will be able to teach fire sciences once he retires as chief,

which he thinks will be fun. And getting the degree was important to him, but whether it’s important to the job is perhaps more a matter of opinion.

“There is a saying, a medical student that got a D in class is still a doctor,” Gilliland quipped. “Obviously, people look at the degree.”

However, Gilliland noted that neither former chiefs, Edward Creighton nor Barry Dixey, went to college. He called Creighton, who was at Pearl Harbor during World War II, a great chief and said he’s yet to meet anyone better with budgets and numbers than Dixey. That said, Gilliland said he would urge today’s firefighters, including his son Liam, who has been on the job for seven years and has a degree in criminal justice, to get a degree in fire science. And if they can, do it in person. Gilliland said while he thoroughly enjoyed his college experience, quantitative math aside, he thinks he would have liked it more had he been able to take the classes in person versus online. He would have liked the in-person exchanges and discussions, he said. But a degree is a degree, and he called walking across the stage to accept his simply awesome. “I don’t regret it,” he said. “It was a great experience and I’m glad I did it.”

Fire Chief Jason Gilliland wearing his cap and gown after receiving his bachelor’s degree from Salem State University.

Matthew Arnold will use his vintage microphone at his upcoming concert.

Singer Matthew Arnold stands with his 1927 Victrola

This vintage Victrola was a gamechange in its day.

Select Board OKs ‘pride sidewalk’

Project will put town in company of communities with LGBTQ+ public art

BY WILLIAM J. DOWD

Marblehead is set to join a growing list of Bay State communities that celebrate LGBTQ+ pride with public art.

The Select Board unanimously gave the green light for the Marblehead Cultural Council to paint the progressive pride flag with an assortment of wellknown symbols denoting love, peace and good fortune in the heart of Marblehead. The project should be completed this month and remain year-round.

“It will send a message of acceptance, tolerance and inclusion,” Marblehead-based artist TJ de Blij, commissioned by the MCC for this public art piece, shared with Select Board members. “It’s quite straightforward, sticking to symbols that are commonly used.”

Named “Four Love & Peace Leaf Clover — Intersex Progress Pride,” the public art will be painted on four concrete slabs outside the Marblehead information booth, facing Memorial Park. The slabs are centrally positioned on a newly constructed triangular island situated between Pleasant and

Essex Streets. De Blij’s design features four hearts assembled in a clover-like pattern, signifying love, peace

and hope. The background, filled with the emblematic colors of the progressive pride flag, includes the six vibrant rainbow

hues symbolizing hope: red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, blue for peace or serenity and purple for spirit.

The design weaves in light blue, pink and white stripes symbolizing the trans community, and black and brown stripes recognizing people of color. Additionally, the intersexinclusive progress pride flag is represented through a yellow triangle enclosing a purple circle, illustrating unity and completeness for the intersex community.

“It’s really been a fantastic experience for the Marblehead Cultural Council to take on this project. From the very beginning, we knew that we wanted to do something that reflected our mandate from the state, which is to promote

diversity and acceptance,” said Anthony Silva, former chairman of the MCC. “So we came up with the idea of creating a pride sidewalk, which we thought would be a strong visual statement of our community’s commitment to those values.”

The approval of this public art aligns with June’s Gay Pride Month and comes a fortnight after the town’s pride flag ceremony.

“We aimed to create a lasting symbol of pride in Marblehead,” Silva added, “This will mark the first permanent installation celebrating pride in our town.”

The pride sidewalk’s approval arrived as news broke that the Marblehead Pride Committee and community members rallied in support of the Pleasant Street Preschool. Members of the Grace Community Church removed gay pride flags installed by the preschool’s owner, Michael Richmond, who rents classroom space within the church.

“We need to make more assertive statements of acceptance and love,” Silva stressed. “We must ensure that love triumphs over hate.”

replied via email, “We are a politically and culturally diverse congregation. For this reason, we do not put signage for many things, even good things, on the church front. We generally steer clear of any displays that may be interpreted as political. As a church, and as a landlord, that is our right. Civil liberties also apply to churches, and means we must extend respect in all directions.”

The email was signed by “The Elders.” Richmond also accuses the church of trying for months to kick out his preschool. Grace Community Church notified Richmond in March that it would be ending his lease in August. It later said that it needed the space for its growing congregation. When Richmond explained that several families had already enrolled for the 2023-24 school year and it would be a hardship for them to find other childcare, the church extended the lease until August 2024.

However, Richmond said the church ignored multiple requests over 10 months for repairs that are required for the one-room preschool to pass a building inspection and keep its license. In fact, state authorities issued a citation against Pleasant Street Preschool on June 14 because its building and fire inspections had expired. Richmond has decided to close the preschool effective immediately.

“The parents and I do not feel safe continuing to run the school there,” he said.

The church denied that it is trying to kick out the preschool.

“That is a false narrative. We as a church do not ever want anyone to feel disrespected. The church board was aware that the business owners were gay when we recently extended their lease.”

Vandalism

When he arrived to teach Friday morning, June 16, Richmond discovered graffiti on the church. Someone spraypainted a rainbow and remarks, including “Love is 4 Everyone.” He notified the police right away. “I absolutely don’t condone

this type of action,” Richmond said. “I never would do this and never asked anyone to. I don’t know who did it, but regardless we need to rise above and take a better approach than letting rage lead to retaliation.”

The Marblehead Pride Committee offered to paint over the graffiti. Police are investigating the vandalism. Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Detective Sgt. Sean Brady at sbrady@marblehead.org or 781631-1212, Ext. 25.

Show of support

“I’m here to wake up the town of Marblehead to the underlying bigotry and intolerance that is in the heart of their community,” Richmond said to the crowd on Sunday. “We’re here to show we don’t stand for it. The pride flag is about accepting everyone no matter who they are, who they love or who they want to be… so the act of removing it is a clear sign of not celebrating that idea.”

Alexandra Middleton of Marblehead came out in the rain to join the protest.“I have a wife and a son and we’re Christians,” she said. “I want our son to grow up in a town where we’re accepted. I happened to be walking by when Mike approached the couple taking down the flags. They were super, super ugly and condescending. Not Christian. It’s really sad.”

Robert Corcoran came from Wenham to show his support for Michael and the LGBTQ+ community.

“I’ve been married to a man for 30 years, and we go to church every Sunday, except this Sunday,” he said. “When I heard about what happened I felt outrage and sadness. It was so unnecessary.”

Gail New, president at Temple Emanu-El in Marblehead, came out with her husband.

“Our town is rampant with antisemitism and I see this as very similar,” she said. “We’re here to support the community.”

Peyton Pugmire, a Marblehead

business owner and member of the Marblehead Pride Committee, says he is — and isn’t — surprised by the recent events.

“For a church or any organization in our small town to act in that way … in a town where kindness rules the day, is surprising,” he said. “For this church to choose to discriminate and behave so hatefully is shocking.”

Jami Reyes, who owns Hip Baby Gear a few doors down from Grace Church, hopes local businesses will be able to find the preschool a new location in the neighborhood.

“I absolutely want to help any way I can,” she said. “I have a huge issue with what’s happened. I know other businesses down here absolutely support them, and we want to help. We need to find them a better space that is supportive.”

State of emergency

The flag incident happened the same week that students at Burlington Middle School tore down gay pride decorations and

shouted that their pronouns are “U.S.A.”

The Human Rights Campaign has declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ people in the U.S. “following an unprecedented and dangerous spike in anti-LGBTQ+ legislative assaults sweeping state houses this year. More than 75 antiLGBTQ+ bills have been signed into law this year alone, more than doubling last year’s number, which was previously the worst year on record.”

Mimi Lemay is a member of the Marblehead Pride Committee and the HRC Parent Equality Council.

“Sadly, Massachusetts is not immune to hate, and neither is Marblehead,” she said. “You only need to look at particular popular social media accounts to see fellow ‘Headers engaging in ignorant and harmful attacks against their neighbors. The encouraging thing is how the hate is far outmatched by love.”

Lemay continued, “We are at an inflection point. Most people who might never have thought about these topics are learning about them — sometimes because of an incident like this one — and overwhelmingly, they are choosing to support and uplift our LGBTQ+ community members.”

COURTESY PHOTOS / MARBLEHEAD CULTURAL COUNCIL

The Marblehead Cultural Council will paint a rainbow sidewalk on four concrete slabs outside the town’s information booth in recognition of June as Gay Pride Month.

An example of the proposed pride sidewalk painting that the Select Board approved on June 14.

Mike Richmond addresses the crowd at a protest across from Grace Community Church

PHOTOS / LEIGH BLANDER

Pleasant Street Preschool owner Mike Richmond, left, leads a peaceful protest across from Grace Community Church on Sunday.

Supporters of Mike Richmond and the LGBTQ community drew rainbows and hearts on the sidewalk outside Grace Community Church.

COURTESY PHOTO Police are investigating graffiti spray-painted on Grace Community Church.

The future of local news is non-profit

Two weeks ago, some of the Marblehead Current team traveled to Washington D.C. to meet with representatives of hundreds of local news outlets, financially configured like we are, as 501c3 “public good” or charitable organizations. The two-day gathering, convened by the Institute for NonProfit News (INN), was an opportunity to learn from one another. It also was a moment to celebrate how far such efforts have come.

The sold-out event, known as INN Days, was first held in 2016. Then, there were 55 people in the room. This year, organizers had to book overflow space to handle the crowd. There are now more than 425 INN-member news organizations, including the Current, which count more than 2500 journalists working in their ranks. We met folks from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, East Lansing, Michigan, Vallejo, California, El Paso, Texas, Reinbeck, New York and so many others from all corners of the country.

Most told strikingly familiar origin stories. Their newspapers had been bought by hedge funds or media giants. Journalists and editors were laid off, coverage was regionalized, their beloved daily papers were closed or shrunk to half their size and literally not worth, in terms of local community value, the paper they were printed on.

Their stories were depressingly familiar. Each had lived the trajectory told by statistics — that 7% of the nation’s counties, or 211, now have no local newspaper. That between the pre-pandemic months of late 2019 and the end of May 2022, more than 360 newspapers closed. That since 2005, the country has lost more than onefourth of its newspapers and is on track to lose a third by 2025. Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University catalogues these losses in an annual report.

Yet we left Washington D.C. more optimistic than ever that our operating model will ensure that a quality local news source will exist in Marblehead long into the future.

Here’s a partial list of the benefits of being a nonprofit we, and we hope you, see:

We are locally run and decisions for the Current are made locally. Members of our board of directors are all Marbleheaders, united by the idea that quality local news is central to creating community and accountability.

Among our co-founders are three experienced journalists and editors with deep experience covering Marblehead who are committed to practicing ethical, non-partisan, fair and objective journalism.

» We emphasize ensuring citizens are fully informed on community issues by developing resources like a comprehensive Town Meeting guide and an Election Guide, available in print and online.

We deliver our content free, with no barrier to access, to every home and business.

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V eRYTHInG WILL Be OKAY

My rabbi

BY VIRGINIA BUCKINGHAM

I never met a Jewish person until I attended Boston College in the mid-1980s. Rural Connecticut where I grew up was pretty homogenized, various protestant churches outnumbering our Catholic parish four to one. And all I knew of interfaith differences was that my mom’s family wouldn’t attend her wedding to an Episcopalian.

I know it’s ironic that this thenyoung Catholic met her first Jewish friend in a dormitory at a Jesuit university. Certainly, I didn’t foresee, when I was daydreaming about my big wedding at St. Ignatius Church, that I would marry a Jew and raise two Jewish children. Nor that I would be the one to insist everyone touch the Mezuzah before leaving on a trip, that charoset on matzo would be a highlight of my Passover holiday, that my parents would attend their first seder at my table, and lighting the Sabbath candles on Friday night would become a peaceful ritual.

And, for certain, I never thought I’d utter the phrase “my rabbi.”

But I have one. A rabbi. Rabbi David Meyer. Our temple community, Temple Emanu-El, has been engaged in the “Big Goodbye” for months now as Meyer retires. He will lead his last Shabbat service at the temple at the end of this month.

Consider this my “small goodbye.” Not to my friend, as I know we will continue our personal friendship. But a goodbye to a part of my own life’s journey, wrestling with what I thought was the fundamental question: How could I raise two children in a faith I knew nothing of?

That question transformed to an even more fundamental one as painful challenges unfolded. Could I find spiritual solace, even hope, in a faith tradition that was not my own? Rabbi Meyer, my rabbi, helped answer that question, even though I never could articulate it. The question came from my soul, not my mind.

The first meeting we had in the rabbi’s study was to talk about our soon-to-be-born son’s baby naming. I was nervous, perhaps a little defensive. My husband and I had made the decision to raise our children in the Jewish faith after many talks and self-reflection.

The reality, though, that my extended family would be gathering at my house to witness and celebrate a rite they were wholly unfamiliar with — as was I — filled me with anxiety. I thought naively, like the wedding ceremony I crafted under a chuppah in front of a judge, with the Christian tradition of lighting a unity candle, that this moment of blessing could blend our traditions.

Directly and with kindness, Rabbi Meyer said there couldn’t be “any christological” references. The ceremony, days later, in our small dining room, featured Rabbi Meyer’s trademark welcoming demeanor, and as he invoked the baby’s Hebrew name and explained the significance of the tradition,

MY MARBLeHe AD FIRST TIMe

which itself was a remove from a bris, or circumcision ceremony. I felt my shoulders relax. What was strange seemed suddenly familiar. And deeply spiritual.

I’ve had that same sensation in the many years since that we’ve belonged to Temple Emanu-El, though I never converted, and never felt any pressure to. Not only were many interfaith families part of the congregation, there was a feel — no, that’s not strong enough — there was an explicit recognition from the rabbi that we not only belonged but should be celebrated.

I’m paraphrasing, but I remember one sermon where Rabbi Meyer said that the survival of the Jewish people also relied on people of other faiths choosing to raise their children in his. I felt proud. And cherished.

My celebration of faith revolved around music — my mother was the soloist in our church. The songs of, in particular, the monks of the Weston Priory in Vermont, popular in the ’70s and ’80s, were a prayerful language that for me felt like speaking directly to God.

As the rabbi filled the sanctuary with music, he filled me with a sense of being home not much different than I felt sitting in the small, pretty chapel on BC’s Newton campus.

Our kids became a bar and bat mitzvah. And every Christmas, we decorated our tree and shared the traditions of my family. There was no conflict, a fact underscored when the rabbi shared a story about his own parents putting up a Christmas tree to help children they were caring for feel more comfortable in their home.

There’s a moment in the seder where those gathered sing a song called “Dayenu,” which roughly translates to “it would have been enough.” And, indeed, the rabbi’s welcoming of me into the temple family and gratitude for our choices would have been enough.

Then, 12 years apart, the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and the Boston Marathon brought our community and the world to its knees, some in prayer, most in fear.

My faith was deeply shaken. Yet, in services, the rabbi led us in tears and song and prayer, including one that I hold on to to this day. It is a version of a Jewish prayer for healing written by Debbie Friedman. It reads in part, “May the source of strength that blessed the ones before us help us find the courage to make our lives a blessing.”

Rabbi Meyer has sung that prayer many times over the years. Each time I hear it, my eyes fill with tears. The words stir an unmistakable feeling of hope that such healing is possible — that I, too, am capable of finding the courage to make my life a blessing.

Would I have heard or understood the prayer were I not welcomed to his congregation? If I remained defensive or felt judged or not enough? Those words could only enter my heart because Rabbi Meyer led Temple Emanu-El with an open heart. What a gift.

Thank you, my rabbi.

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

Amore hospitable garden spot

BY COURT MERRIGAN

Growing up on a farm back home, in addition to the commercial operation, we raised a garden. Not your typical garden, either, with a few tomato plants, a carrot patch, maybe some cucumbers. This garden was an operation, laid out with precision by my mom to encompass a good half-acre of food production. There were rows of sweet corn. Fields of tomatoes. Spreads of potatoes, sweet peas, green beans, bell peppers. There was even a pumpkin patch, which yielded so many that it became an annual tradition for a truckload of pumpkins to arrive in time for the school Halloween party. Jack-olanterns for all!

My mom rode herd on this effort, because my mom adhered to the

creed — familiar to the Yankee ingenuity found in these parts — that homegrown and homemade is superior to store-bought in every instance save black licorice. (My mom has a thing for black licorice.)

That’s why I grew up eating nothing but homemade bread, sporting homemade shirts and trousers, gathering eggs from the henhouse, dining on steaks that came from cattle I’d fed myself and supping on produce straight from our own garden. That halfacre produced vastly more than we could eat in season, so my mom spent a couple weeks at the end of the summer in a hot kitchen, canning. All winter long, one of us kids would be sent scampering down to the cellar to fetch a can of tomatoes, or sweet corn, or sweet peas, to say nothing of raspberry jam, rhubarb jelly and chokecherry cordial. We ate well all year round

thanks to her ceaseless efforts. We all should be so lucky!

It’s not particularly friendly dirt out there on the high plains. The tawny soil forms a rock-hard crust you must shatter with a shovel, after which the powder beneath up and blows away at the first hint of wind, which arrives daily. As summer progresses, the soil gives warm welcome to puncture vines (called stickers and goat heads) big enough to pop bike tires and tenacious sandburs, while only grudgingly supporting the vegetables you attempt to coax forth.

And, of course, nothing will grow at all without copious amounts of water. We kept a garden hose running constantly and even used to divert irrigation water from the surrounding fields to give the

Electric vehicles are becoming a smarter and easier choice

BY KEITH WEBSTER, member of Sustainable Marblehead’s Clean Energy & Public Policy working group

It may surprise you to learn that vehicles powered by electricity have been around for 180 years. The first electric vehicle was invented approximately 50 years before Karl Benz invented the gasoline vehicle and around 70 years before Henry Ford’s Model T was introduced. One might ask, what happened? According to the Smithsonian, gas- powered vehicles won because they were less costly, faster, could drive longer distances and could travel outside of cities since they did not depend on electrical infrastructure for charging. Ironically, we hear very similar objections about EV adoption today but there has been a real push to address these concerns recently since state and federal governments are actively trying to combat greenhouse gas emissions, 29% of which come from the transportation sector. Cost and availability are cited as two of the main barriers to EV adoption. EVs have historically been more expensive than their similarly appointed/sized gas counterparts but the cost is coming down and rebates are frequently available. A recent New York Times article indicated that the average price

Town wrapped arms around refugees

To the editor:

Last April, we were asked if we would host a Ukrainian refugee family who had recently arrived in Lynn after fleeing Kyiv https:// bit.ly/3qNIB3M.

Like many others, we were horrified by the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, and the opportunity to share our home with Oxana and her 5-year-old son, Artem, was something we were happy and eager to do.

As they are now preparing to move into their own home in Wakefield, closer to Oxana’s job, we want to take the opportunity to thank the community of friends, neighbors and businesses who generously supported them during this past year.

As soon as they arrived at our home, Oxana and Artem were welcomed with gifts of clothes, toys, gift cards and special treats. Friends offered them transportation until Oxana received her driver’s license. One friend even drove Oxana to and from New York so that she could renew her passport!

The Lynch-van Otterloo YMCA generously offered them full access to their facilities and

of an EV at the end of 2022 was over $60,000. In 2023, trends point toward leveling the gas vs. electric vehicle playing field.

Companies like Tesla, Lucid, Ford, Hyundai and Chevy have reduced their prices on several models by as much as 18% this year. These reductions are due to increased competition, improved supply chain and the desire to qualify for incentives.

Finding an EV available to purchase is becoming easier and production is ramping up. Each of the world’s top automakers is planning to invest tens of billions in electric vehicles and batteries by 2030 for an estimated $1.2 trillion in total. The big three U.S. automakers have announced goals of having 40-50% of their sales be electric in the next decade.

GM alone is planning to have 20 different EV models by 2025 and VW is aiming for 70 models by the end of the decade. One would assume that a portion of those models will have to be comparable to or less expensive than gas vehicles to meet those targets, otherwise they will drastically limit their market appeal.

Incentives exist that help drive down the cost. The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act contains an EV component, which stipulates that qualified buyers who purchase an eligible vehicle may receive a tax credit of up to $7,500 for new and $4,000 for used EVs. New vehicles must have a sticker price of less than $55,000 and used vehicles must be under $25,000. In Massachusetts, the MOR-EV program (Massachusetts Offers Rebates for Electric Vehicles) offers a rebate of up to $3,500 for the purchase of a new EV to residents. Frequent changes occur, so it’s best to check the U.S. Department of Energy, Mass.gov, or Marblehead Electric websites for the most updated information. Locally, the Marblehead Municipal Light Department has a rebate program for free or discounted home charging stations.

Range anxiety is a term that you may have heard regarding EVs. A U.S. Department of Energy study estimates that 80% of EV owners charge at home. Since the average commute is substantially less than the average EV range, most people can drive to work and back without worry. Trips to rural areas or long distances take more thought, but EVs are equipped with route planning software to locate chargers while on the road. Wait times for charging are decreasing since fast charging stations can add approximately 80% of the total battery capacity in 20-30 minutes. Battery technology is improving and becoming more cost effective. As recently as 10 years ago, the average EV range was 100 miles but today most EVs achieve at least twice that. Additionally, the current administration set aside $7.5 billion to build out the U.S. EV charging network which will take us from 130,000 public charging stations to over 500,000. EV adoption nationwide has grown from 4% in 2020 to 14% in 2022 and pointing towards 18% in 2023. In Marblehead, our aging electrical infrastructure has made widespread EV

adoption challenging. Our distribution system was not built to accommodate a fast charger for every household. The short-term solution is demand management. Customers who take advantage of MMLD’s free charger program are automatically signed up for scheduled (off-peak) charging. This is a great way to avoid overloading Marblehead’s electric system by spreading out the timing of electricity demand. Off-peak charging is also good for your wallet — charging at night uses less expensive electricity and avoiding unnecessary demand when the system is peaking between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. reduces your electric bill. Despite the progress, there may be reasons why some feel an electric vehicle may not be right for them today, but that doesn’t mean it never will. With the rapidly changing technology, increased competition and incentives for manufacturers and consumers, the skepticisms about EV adoption are being addressed head on. These vehicles are not only fun to drive but they are coming down in price and improving in functionality.

classes, and National Grand Bank opened an account for Oxana and helped her to begin establishing credit in the United States.

We would like to extend a special thank you to the Marblehead Children’s Center for their love and generosity in welcoming Artem into their community.

When he started going to the Center, giving Oxana time to acquire the documentation she needed to be able to work in the U.S., he was a frail and traumatized child who was frightened to leave his mother’s side. He spoke no English, so he was unable to communicate with anyone but her.

Despite these challenges, he was welcomed and embraced by the teachers, staff and other children with kindness and patience. And, slowly but surely, Artem blossomed into the confident and exuberant child he is today. We recently dropped Artem off at the Children’s Center for the day, and we were amazed at how confidently and proudly he showed us around! He has made many friends, and he is increasingly able to talk with them — and us — in English.

On behalf of Oxana and Artem, we would like to thank Gail

Arsenault, Karen Bird, Maura Phelan, Lyn Doran and the entire Marblehead Children’s Center community of teachers, parents and children for giving Artem such a wonderful start to his life in the U.S.

You are living your mission of supporting families while promoting a lifelong love of learning, and we are truly grateful for your support of this special child.

Jim and Lynn Bryant Gregory Street

Standing on side of love

To the editor:

An open letter to the Grace Community Church and Marblehead townspeople: I am writing today as a disheartened individual and community member. We are all aware of anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment, violence and legislation rising across the country; however, I’m deeply dismayed to see this happening in our own community.

I’m writing today as an ally, who holds an incredible amount of privilege. I do not fear judgment or for my safety when expressing proudly who I am, walking down the street or introducing myself to new

people.

However, many members of the LGBTQ+ community — our community — do. And the actions made by Grace Community Church, removing pride flags, is an example as to why.

The pride flag is a symbol of love, belonging, acceptance and celebration of difference. At the end of the day, I hope that is something as a community we can unite on. Love. Acceptance. Celebration of difference. Belonging.

Those not only should be the values of our community, but also the Christian faith. There is nothing shameful about the pride flag. There is nothing shameful about celebrating love. There is nothing shameful about proudly being who you are.

There is, however, shame in diminishing someone’s life experience. I wonder where in your Christian faith exclusionary practices fall? Above loving thy neighbor or below? Who are we to throw stones?

Faith comes in all walks of life, action or inaction, acceptance or discrimination. Hate comes in all walks of life, under the surface or out in the daylight, mostly I believe rooted in fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of difference.

I don’t know your thought

process behind the action taken to remove the pride flags. I don’t know if your intention was to signal that you do not accept the LGBTQ+ community. However, to many, including myself, that’s exactly how those actions are received.

I’d like you, and all of us as a Marblehead community, to ask ourselves: Why is flying the pride flag — why is signaling your support for this community — such a controversial action? Why is celebrating someone’s love who may look a little different than yours so scary? Why is supporting love not something we can all unite for?

It is your right as a church to do as you wish. This is a community and country that values difference, opposing opinions and healthy debate. However, as a town — and as a faith community especially — I would hope that love is not something that divides but unites us.

It is my right as a member of this community to stand on the side of love when hate is rising around every corner. I do not believe I stand alone in this sentiment. And I do have faith that love will win.

Aliza Bogosian Washington Street

garden a drink. It was never enough. As in the farm fields, the water vanished into the soil and the dust would return the very next day. By midsummer, it was daily hand-to-hand combat with the weeds, my mom sending us kids down there armed with hoes and leather gloves. Out on the plains working the earth is, as they say, a tough row to hoe.

I thought of all this when my partner and I at our house here in Marblehead, decided it was time to wake the garden up from the long winter. “Gardening,” as I said, is a relative term. This was a far cry from the industrial-scale production of my raising. We cleared out last year’s dead growth and planted roses, mandevilla, begonia and impatiens. Making a lovely

ornamental garden. Practical stock that we are, the produce of this garden will have its use for flower arrangements and centerpieces that my partner, among her many talents, will expertly craft.

According to the U.S.

Drought Monitor, our area of Massachusetts is currently considered to be “Abnormally Dry.” Digging my fingers into the moist soil of our garden, I found this more than a little hard to believe. In the rainiest year I can ever remember, the soil

back home was never as damp as the soil we planted roses into. In addition, this black soil is super rich and doesn’t require amendments like the tough soil out on the plains. My goodness, back home we could’ve fed an army out of this rich soil! Even the weeds are tamer here, timid green shoots with nary a prick nor a thorn to deter the avid plucker.

There were also ferns in the garden, a species of plant that looks positively primordial to my eye. It hasn’t rained enough on the plains to produce ferns since the brontosaurus roamed. I think I learned the reason ferns have survived these few hundred million years: they produce an impressive root system. Digging up the root ball was like uprooting a tree. And even if the fern has no stickers or prickers to deter attackers, they are tenacious. Just a few days after

I pulled every fern root from the soil I could find, new fronds unfurled from the soil. I plucked those, too, but I suspect I have not seen the last of them. In the days since we finished planting, I’ve dragged the garden hose out. My partner gently told me to cease and desist; the plants were fine. And then, it rained, and they got even more to drink. It all feels a bit like cheating, honestly, here in this small garden where Mother Nature doesn’t seem quite so bound and determined to keep you at bay. No, here in Marblehead, she saves her hard licks for the sea and the snow, as I’ve learned. So now I sit in the garden and simply enjoy it. A lovely sort of Marblehead homemade. As always, if you’ve got an idea upon which I can embark for a Marblehead First Time, drop me a line at court.merrigan@gmail.com.

COURTESY PHOTO / COURT MERRIGAN

Somehow no one ever took a picture of the garden, but it was out behind this barn.

Magician players receive top honors

BY JOE MCCONNELL

As the high school sports seasons wrapped up this past weekend with championship games from Worcester to Amherst, the Northeastern Conference announced its allstar awards in specific sports, and it is no surprise that the 18-0 Marblehead boys lacrosse team dominated the postseason conference honors.

Cronin, Wilkens earn top NEC lacrosse awards

All-American Connor Cronin, the school’s all-time singleseason scoring leader with 81 goals and 50 assists, was the consensus NEC Player of the Year, while his coach John Wilkens was chosen the conference’s best coach.

The Magicians, who went on to win three state tournament games against Boston Latin (115), Milton (16-8) and Nauset (13-9) to make it to the Division 2 Final Four, were also honored with a number of all-stars.

Cronin, who also made the all-conference team, was joined there by teammates Baxter Jennings, Sam Annese and Finn Maniaci. Altogether, they made up 25% of that elite club that featured 12 players.

And three more Magicians — Eddie Johns, Carter Laramie (51 goals this year, and an even 100 the last three years) and Elliot Pluss — were selected to

BOYS LACROSSe

the NEC Dunn Division all-star squad.

Keough, Maude chosen to all-conference team

In baseball, Marblehead’s Shane Keough and Ian Maude were selected to the AllNEC team that also included Winthrop’s Colin Kinsella, Salem’s Jack Doyle and Rocco Ryan, Masco’s Braeden O’Connell and Jacob Shirley, Gloucester’s Zach Morris, Beverly’s Logan Petrosino, Danvers’ Steve Reardon and

Rain, Dragons’ firepower derail Magicians

Memorable season ends one game

short of state final

BY JOE MCCONNELL

The Marblehead High boys lacrosse team (21-1, seventh seed) has seen enough of the South Shore after two long bus rides in a space of just three days to play in a couple of Division 2 state tournament games. They know pretty much every mile marker on Route 3, 6 and 18, while spending the rest of the time on I-95 South and I-93 North.

For the record, these Magicians logged over 360 round-trip miles, first coming back home victorious from the Cape after taking down host Nauset Regional (17-4, second seed), 13-9, to secure the Division 2 Final Four trophy and banner on June 12.

After a very brief celebration, it was time to get back to work in order to get ready for the third-seeded Duxbury Dragons (20-3) in a state semifinal game at Weymouth just two nights later.

Throughout the past three months, these Magicians have experienced a lot, but nothing could compare to what had happened in that state semifinal game at Weymouth. The game started fast and furious, with the Dragons jumping out to a quick 2-0 lead.

Carter Laramie then trimmed the deficit in half, assisted by Connor Cronin.

But then, tournament officials ordered everybody to seek shelter because lightning was in the area. The game was stopped with 5:43 left in the first quarter.

Heavy rains soon followed, and for the next two hours fans sat in their cars while the players hung out in Weymouth High School.

“We were sent to the wrestling room, and every 30 minutes we’d get up to check out the conditions, only to sit back down again,” said coach John Wilkens afterwards. “We didn’t want to come out flat once the game resumed, and true to form we came out flying.”

It was still very much a game after one quarter with Duxbury ahead by just two, 3-1. The Magicians then controlled play for the first four minutes of the second quarter before Laramie shot it home again from the slot.

Peabody’s Cam Connolly. Marblehead’s Bodie Bartram and Riley Schmitt made the NEC Dunn Division all-star team. Their Dunn teammates were Noah Staffier — also the NEC’s Player of the Year — and his Beverly teammates Devin Koloski and Ian Visnick; Masco’s Logan Keune, Gabe Fales and Paul Donnelly; Tyler O’Neill and Mike Moroney of Danvers; and Giacomo Martell of Gloucester. Salem’s Julian Ortiz, Riley Fenerty and Jon Wasserman; Swampscott’s Nick Berube and

Jason Bouffard; Winthrop’s Peter Silverman and Zach Bogusz; Peabody’s Noah Crocker and Jariel Tolentino; and Saugus’ Cam Soroko were the NEC’s Lynch Division all-stars.

The Magicians quartet of Keough, Maude, Schmitt and Bodie Bartram went on to lead their Marblehead teammates to the Round of 16 after beating Somerville in the preliminary round, 13-11, before upsetting host Hopkinton, 8-4, in the Round of 32. They then lost a close contest to Westfield in the

Sweet 16, 4-1, who followed up that win by getting shut out by Whitman-Hanson, 5-0, in the Elite 8.

Relay foursome wraps up spring setting new school record

BY JOE MCCONNELL

The Marblehead High girls 4x100 relay team was absolutely a force to be reckoned with this spring, according to coach Nolan Raimo, capping their sterling season by winning the State Division 3 Meet with a schoolrecord-breaking time of 49.85. The previous best of 51.60 was established in 2013.

The quartet then came in fourth in the All-States before going to Bangor, Maine, where they finished 10th in the All-New England Meet with a time of 49.88.

“In 2022, we ran a 52.35, which was close but still quite far away from the 51.60 mark,” said Raimo.

“This year’s girls 4x200 indoor relay team, which consisted of Cate Trautman, Devin Whalen, Claire Davis, Le’Daisha Williams and Ava Machado — we rotated them around in different meets — won the Division 3 State Championship Meet and then finished ninth in the entire state and 10th in New England.

The 4x200 team continued on to New Balance Nationals, where they ended up breaking the school record with a 1:46.69, which eclipsed the previous best

school record of 1:48.50 by nearly two seconds that was established in 2014.

“So, going outdoors, we knew a fast relay time was inevitable in either the 4x100 or 4x400,” Raimo said.

The team decided to focus on the 4x100 with a team that consisted of sophomore Machado, senior captain Trautman, freshman Sadie Halpern and junior Williams.

“All four runners are exceptional 100 and 200 runners, with all of them qualifying for the

PACe SeTTeRS

COURTESY PHOTO/SHARMAN POLLENDER

All-American Connor Cronin, Marblehead High School’s all-time single-season scoring leader, was the consensus Northeastern Conference Player of the Year.

CURRENT PHOTOS/ NICOLE GOODHUE-BOYD Marblehead pitcher Ian Maude and outfielder Shane Keough were named to the NEC baseball all-conference team.

COURTESY PHOTO

The Marblehead High girls 4x100 relay team of, from left, sophomore Ava Machado, freshman Sadie Halpern, senior captain Cate Trautman and junior Le’Daisha Williams, flank their coach, Nolan Raimo, after finishing 10th at the All-New England Meet in Maine on June 10. The Marblehead quartet had already established a new school record of 49.85 during the State Division 3 Meet late last month.

Teacher faces ‘personal attack’ on social media over gender/sexuality vocabulary lesson

BY LEIGH BLANDER

Veterans School Principal Matt Fox sent an email to parents on June 13 alerting them to what he called a “personal attack” on a teacher who was named and tagged in an anonymous post on a local social media page over a lesson on gender and sexuality identity.

“This post and many very hurtful comments were linked directly to the teacher’s social media accounts and included her name within many of the comments, too,” Fox wrote. “This, in my opinion, crossed a serious line from a public debate on state and national standards,

to a personal attack.”

The social media post read, “Are there any other MVMS parents that are concerned about this quiz given to the kids in [teacher’s name] ‘wellness’ class? Do parents have a right or our schools an obligation to let families opt out by letting them know in advance? The terminology for male and female in our classrooms has been entirely switched to ‘male assigned at birth’ and ‘female assigned at birth.’”

The post continued: “Has all of society reached an absolute consensus that there is no such thing as biological male and female any longer, such that

» Learn more about this story at marbleheadcurrent.org

we are having to explain all of this to our middle school and younger students?”

The post has since been edited to remove the teacher’s name.

The anonymous person included a photo of a “sexuality vocabulary” worksheet identifying terms including transgender, cisgender, queer and LGBTQ+.

“As part of our health curriculum, we notify parents of sensitive topics and provide them with the opportunity to

Pengsoo a ‘gentle giant’

» BREED: Tuxedo

» SIZE: Large

» AGE: Adult

» SEX: Male

Pengsoo is named after a popular penguin character in South Korea. He came to the Marblehead Animal Shelter via a veterinary hospital that took him in as a stray. If you love big cats, then he is the cat for you, according to a shelter volunteer, who says that Pengsoo seems sad and is trying to figure things out.

“Life must have been hard on the streets, and he must have encountered some tough dudes on the street as he is FIV+,” a shelter volunteer explained.

The volunteer continued, “Pengsoo is healthy and would love to find a warm, loving home with a comfy spot to sleep in. He is a sweet, gentle giant and loves to play and bat around his toys. He is a gem and is eagerly looking for his forever home.”

Pengsoo is up to date with routine shots, house trained and

discuss those topics with me and/or the health teacher or opt their student out of these lessons,” Fox wrote in his email.

“The instruction of vocabulary that students may encounter has been misrepresented and tied to false thoughts of ‘indoctrination’ instead of just education.”

Helaine Hazlett, chair of the Marblehead Task Force Against Discrimination, spoke out against the social media post.

“It’s just tremendously upsetting to hear. It’s way out

there. It’s certainly overt and troubling to me and our task force. And it’s just on the heels of a program celebrating pride,” Hazlett told the Marblehead Current, referring to the recent town pride flag ceremony.

Superintendent John Buckey also commented, saying “I share Principal Fox’s disappointment. Our community is better than this.” Fox encouraged parents to partner with the school community as it teaches state and national standards.

“I would assume that as adults we would support not only the dignity and worth of all our students, but also of our teachers, too,” he added.

Students Molly Bullard, Shannon Koelewyn and Eliza Ronan help stock shelves at the Community Food Pantry at the Charter School.

neutered.

If you are interested in Pengsoo, fill out an adoption application at marbleheadanimal-shelter.org/adoptionapplication2015, and you will be contacted.

The Marblehead Animal Shelter, 44 Village St., is open for adoptions on Tuesdays from 5 to 7 p.m., Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m., Sundays from noon to 3 p.m., and for viewing only on Fridays from 5 to 7 p.m.

H unGeR

FIGHTInG

Food Pantry at Charter School gets $10K donation

The Community Food Pantry at Marblehead Charter Community Public School has received a $10,000 donation from Stop & Shop.

It’s the second annual $10,000 donation from Stop & Shop to the food pantry which serves 75 students ages 8-14 and their families in Marblehead, Nahant, Salem, Swampscott, Beverly and Peabody.

According to the Greater Boston Food Bank, nearly two million people experience food insecurity across the state, with 20% of households experiencing very low food security.

Division 3 State Championship Meet, and Cate and Ava also making the All-States,” Raimo explained. “That being said, although the individual times were there, the 4x100 with highspeed handoffs in defined zones adds a load of variables that don’t exist in an individual race.”

Raimo continued, “From a strategic point of view, Ava was our best 100-meter runner this spring, and so having her open up the relay provided us a head start over many other teams.

Cate Trautman, our best 200meter runner (26.24), ran the

From P. A9 Lacrosse

From P. A9

The Magicians once again trailed by just one goal, 3-2. But the Dragons netted the next two to take a 5-2 halftime lead.

They then went on to outscore the Marblehead boys 4-2 in the third stanza to widen the gap to five. They netted three more in the final period while holding their North Shore counterparts scoreless to win the game 12-4.

Cronin scored both secondhalf Marblehead goals after

second leg, which is theoretically the longest leg and where you slot your fastest runner. Sadie Halpern is the shortest of the bunch and the fastest curve runner, which is ideal for the third leg. Le’Daisha Williams, who is always calm, cool and collected, would bring the team through the final stretch.”

From the first invitational of the spring season — the Division 3 State Relay Meet — this Marblehead quartet was dominant. They won both the 4x100 and 4x200 on the same day, breaking the school record in both events. Their 4x100 time was 50.63, which lowered the previous school record by a full second.

assisting on the first two in the first half to end his sensational MVP 2023 season with 81 goals and 50 assists.

“(Duxbury) was not going to let Connor (Cronin) beat them because they know he’s just as good distributing the ball as he is scoring goals,” said Wilkens.

Wilkens added, “But give Duxbury credit, they are a wellbalanced team who has been around the block quite a few times. They have been a state power for years.”

Wilkens said that this year has

At that point, they continued on to the Coaches Invitational, which hosts many of the top schools in the state, and they ended up fourth with a time of 50.77.

“It was a horribly hot day, and all the girls ran multiple events,” said Raimo after that meet. “But they still managed a fourth-place finish in the relay.”

Halpern, the star freshman, was dealing with blisters all week long but still battled through to run a quality leg, added Raimo.

The 4x100 team stumbled a bit in the NEC Championship Meet, when running multiple races in every meet inevitably caught up to them. They finished second with a time of 51.43.

been a “pleasant surprise” for him.

“It’s a difficult thing to do to go undefeated with 18 straight regular-season wins and two more in the state tournament,” he said. “They were a cast of characters, starting with the seniors who set an excellent example since the first day of practice for the underclassmen who really improved this year. The future definitely looks bright for this program, with many other players ready to come up to the varsity to make

The coaches were worried that they overworked their sprinters in the regular season.

“We are supposed to get faster entering the postseason, and that slower time at the conference meet was evidence that we peaked too early,” said Raimo.

But a week after the NEC Meet, they got their fresher legs back at the divisional meet, when the MIAA divides up the events over two days. The team blitzed to the finish line with a 49.85 to win the state championship, beating out the second-place team by 0.01.

“Next up for our foursome was the All-States, where they finished fourth with a time of

their mark.”

But for the 12 seniors on this team, their run will long be remembered for so many successes with very few losses. Their high school lacrosse careers did not really get underway until sophomore year after COVID wiped out the 2020 spring sports season.

As sophomores, nine of this year’s 12 seniors helped their varsity teammates to a 13-1 record. In 2022, they were 16-4, followed by this spring’s all-time record of 21-1. That’s 50 wins

49.93, which considering the cold, rainy weather was a huge success,” said Raimo.

The fourth-place finish qualified them for the aforementioned New England Championships in Maine over two days on June 9-10. Again, they were 10th overall in the region with a time of 49.88.

“With three of these runners returning next year — Le’Daisha, Ava and Sadie — we hope to raise the bar again,” said Raimo. “Cate (Trautman) was without a doubt the leader of this year’s relay team, and we wish her the best next year at the University of Colorado-Boulder campus, where she will participate in the honors engineering program.”

in three years, while they only experienced the agony of defeat six times.

Led by All-American and NEC MVP Connor Cronin, Baxter Jennings, Sam Annese, Jack Aneshansley, Connor Sheridan, Eddie Johns, Aiden Tardie, Carter Laramie and Finn Maniaci played on the varsity all three years.

Zander Danforth and Connor Murnane suited up to play varsity for the last two, with Nick Whitaker joining the group for the first time this season.

PAWS & CLAWS

Swampscott Stop & Shop Manager Andrew Ziner delivers a check to MCCPS Director of Food Services Danette Russo, along with students (left to right) Molly Bullard, Shannon Koelewyn and Eliza Ronan.

BROADWAY STAR

Little Theatre alum wins Tony award, makes history

BY LEIGH BLANDER

Members of Marblehead Little Theatre got a special treat watching the Tony Awards the other night when one of their former performers, Alex Newall, won the Best Featured Actor award for their role in the musical “Shucked.”

“We’re so happy and so thrilled to be a tiny part of their story,” MLT Board President Julie Menard told the Current.

Newall starred in four MLT predictions from 2009 to 2011. Steve Black directed Newall in every show. He was watching the Tonys with fingers crossed.

“I was so excited for a lot of reasons,” Black said. “To know someone who is a superstar in your backyard and then see them be a superstar on Broadway is amazing. And then there’s the inspiration for younger people to be who they are.”

Newall, who is 30 and grew up in Lynn, identifies as nonbinary and uses all pronouns. They are the first out nonbinary performer to win a Tony. Newall gave a shout-out to their home state in their Tony acceptance speech.

“Thank you for seeing me, Broadway. I should not be up here as a queer, nonbinary, fat, Black little baby from Massachusetts. And to anyone that thinks that they can’t do it, I’m going to look you dead in your face. That you can do anything you put your mind to.”

Newell is best known for playing the transgender teenager Unique Adams on the TV show “Glee.” They also previously starred in a Broadway revival of “Once on This Island.” Newall performed in “Once on This Island” at MLT, too, back in 2009.

Menard was cast in that local show, too, and remembers meeting Newall for the first time at auditions.

“I remember them being a little quiet and a little reserved. Then they opened their mouth to sing and it was like… I was gobsmacked. I remember thinking, ‘I won’t win a role against this kid.’ Such an absolute powerhouse. Working alongside them was always awe-inspiring.”

Newall went on to perform at MLT in the shows “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” “Songs for a New World” and “Hairspray.”

“Alex played Motormouth Maybelle in Hairspray. It was a sell-out show for us. We added a 10th performance and that

Cu RRen T e V en TS

Marblehead’s best bets June 21-28

Welcome to our new feature, Current Events, spotlighting exciting happenings in the coming week. If you’d like to contribute a listing, please email Current associate editor/ senior reporter Leigh Blander at lblander@marbleheadnews.org.

Leigh Blander

An evening of big band hits

Thursday, June 22, 7 p.m.

Marblehead tenor Matt Arnold and his 11-piece band will perform live at the Warwick Cinema. Come hear classics by Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Rudy Vallee, Frank Sinatra and more. thebeaconmarblehead.com/special-events.

Champagne reception

Sunday, June 25, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

This annual event at Fort Sewall is a summer tradition. Come kick-off the Marblehead Festival of Arts at the champagne reception. Details at marbleheadfestival.org/champagnereception.

Great Gatsby: An American Musical

Begins Friday, June 23

Marbleheader

Fred Anthony Marco wrote the book and lyrics for “The Great Gatsby: An American Musical” which is debuting at Marblehead Little Theatre on June 23 and playing into July. Details at mltlive.org.

Cold Chocolate

Sunday, June 25, 7 p.m.

Cold Chocolate, a genrebending Americana band that fuses folk, funk and bluegrass will be playing a Homegrown House Concert here in Marblehead. This Boston-based duo has been touring New England and beyond. More info at loom.ly/zF2ki0s.

Pop Art

Friday, June 23 to Sunday, July 9

At the new ARTI Gallery, 70 Wasington St., former WFNX DJ Julie Kramer will exhibit photographs from her basement archives of pop and rock stars, all photographed here in New England. TJ de Blij will show some of his work inspired by the Pop Art movement. More info at arti-gallery.com/exhibitions.

sold out, too,” Black said. Black is heading to New York City next month for a theater workshop and he hopes to see “Shucked” and reconnect with Newall.

He says Newall’s story is a great reminder that local performers can and do make it big. In fact, four teens who performed in “Hairspray” went on to have careers in theater and TV. They are Jack Corcoran, Ari Conte, Katy Geragnty and DJ Plunkett.

“You never know,” Black said. “Everyone is used to working with their neighbors in these community productions. You never know who is going to be a big star some day.”

MAA summer member show

June 24 to August 6

The Marblehead Arts Association will display works byt its artist members in multiple galleries. The opening reception is Sunday, June 25, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Info at marbleheadarts.org/upcoming/.

Broadway star Alex Newall wowed Marblehead LIttle Theatre audiences in ‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.’

Alex Newall early in their career at MLT, before heading to Broadway.

Tony Award winner Alex Newall performed in ‘Hairspray’ at Marblehead Little Theatre

Superintendent: Now is not the time for a raise or contract extension

BY LEIGH BLANDER

Superintendent John Buckey started the June 15 School Committee saying he would not accept a contract extension or raise, if offered, because his focus is on the $2.5 million override vote that will help fund the schools and other town departments.

“I want to state unequivocally that all of us — the School Committee, the superintendent and the people of Marblehead — have a far more pressing matter before us. That is the override vote that will be held next Tuesday, June 20,” Buckey said. “This critical vote on the budget for the schools and other town departments has profound implications. I, for one, am focused solely on that vote.”

Buckey continued, “To that end, while I appreciate any efforts on my behalf to advocate

for a contract extension and/ or a pay increase, I say that now is not the time. With our town finances as stretched as they are, I believe a salary freeze for the superintendent is appropriate, and I will not accept a pay increase in the upcoming fiscal year. The very last thing that I want is for speculation about my contract to have any bearing whatsoever on the critical town-wide vote on Tuesday. My goal here tonight is to render the question of my contract completely moot and to keep the focus on the urgent needs of our students and staff.”

Previously, School Committee Chair Sarah Fox had said she planned to add a discussion about Buckey’s contract to the meeting’s agenda after a request from member Sarah Gold. Gold later rescinded her request.

The School Committee voted at the meeting to approve a

“proficient” performance review for Buckey.

During a public comment section of the meeting, Finance Committee member Cam Staples tried to speak on Zoom but after connectivity issues came down to the meeting at the

high school in person to support Buckey.

“I’ve spent a couple years as a liaison between the Finance Committee and School Committee,” Staples said.

“Prior to a few years ago, there was a lot of mistrust. During the last two years, there’s been a real change in that relationship. As a member of the Finance Committee and a parent, I want to say that I thought a proficient rating was a bit shocking.”

Later, member Sarah Gold — who gave Buckey significantly higher marks on her evaluation — said according to the Department of Early and Secondary Education, a proficient rating is quite good.

“Proficient is by DESE standards an incredibly high standard of achievement. Proficient is indicative of a really good performance,” she said.

An introduction to AI — by AI

BY STEPHEN BACH

Note: This article (with a few quick edits) AND the picture were BOTH generated by artificial intelligence!

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a buzzword in the tech industry and beyond. From self-driving cars to personal assistants, AI is making our lives easier and more enjoyable. It has also revolutionized the world of writing and imaging. Let’s explore the emerging technology of AI and its significance in writing and imaging.

AI, in the context of writing and imaging, refers to the use of machine learning to generate or enhance writing and image creation. It has the ability to analyze data, recognize patterns and make informed decisions without human intervention.

In writing, AI is being used for a wide range of purposes, such as content creation, proofreading and translation. There are several AI writing tools available in the market. These tools use

natural language processing to generate content that is coherent and grammatically correct. However, they are not always perfect! Similarly, AI is also being used

in imaging, particularly in areas such as image recognition and processing. AI imaging tools, such as Google Photos, can automatically categorize images based on their content and allow for easier search and navigation. However, there is a risk of bias in the algorithms used in AI imaging, so users must be aware of this. Despite its advantages, there are also potential drawbacks to the increased use of AI in writing and imaging. For instance, over-reliance on AI can lead to a decline in human creativity and the quality of content. Additionally, the use of AI in

Also during public comment, parent Catherine Martin pointed out, “The thing with the contract negotiations or review, if you’re doing a good job it doesn’t matter who is on the committee. The politics shouldn’t play into this. You should do exactly what Dr. Buckey did tonight and put the students first. Let’s focus on Question 1. It really is going to be detrimental to our kids if it doesn’t pass.”

Outgoing member Tom Mathers wished his colleagues well, noting that June 15 was his last meeting. He said he hoped Gold “returns to the committee” and offered high praise to Buckey.

“I’m really impressed how you stepped up,” he said. “You’ve taken coaching, and you don’t always agree. I’m proud of the job you’ve done. I look forward to seeing you soar in this district.”

imaging raises concerns about privacy and security.

AI is undoubtedly changing the landscape of writing and imaging. With its ability to process and analyze large amounts of data, it has opened up new possibilities for content creation and image processing. However, it is important to consider the potential benefits and drawbacks of increased use of AI in these fields.

AI is a transformative technology that is already making an impact on the way we create and process content. As the technology continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how it shapes the future of writing and imaging. While there are potential benefits and drawbacks to increased use of AI, it is clear that it has the potential to revolutionize these fields in ways that were previously unimaginable.

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

Lee Mansion dig unveils past lives

BY WILLIAM J. DOWD

The archaeological dig underway at the Jeremiah Lee Mansion aims to uncover artifacts that provide deeper insights into the people who have lived on the historic property over time.

“The Marblehead Museum has owned the Lee Mansion since 1909,” said the museum’s executive director, Lauren McCormack. “But we’ve never had an archaeological dig or excavation conducted here, so we’re thrilled.”

The mansion, a premier example of Georgian architecture, has drawn researchers’ attention due to its rich history and well-preserved condition.

Col. Jeremiah Lee, the original owner of the mansion, had been a loyalist but then took up the colonial cause. He played a significant role in preparing Massachusetts for the Revolutionary War.

The five-week dig is a collaboration with the Fiske Center for Archaeological Research at the University

of Massachusetts, Boston. It comes after what McCormack said was a successful two-week preliminary dig in 2022.

“It’s a learning opportunity for the students, and it’s a wonderful opportunity for us because we’re trying to figure out how the site changed over time,” McCormack said.

On a recent Thursday morning, undergraduates, graduate students and teaching assistants worked on site with shovels, trowels, ice cream scoops and chopsticks. Others sifted through dirt, while some scraped the layers of deep trenches.

Artifacts found included a large piece of red-glazed earthenware, bottle glass, pipe stems and various animal bones.

“We have many remains of things that people ate, and that’s one of the things we’re studying here in particular,” said research scientist Christa Beranek, who is leading the dig on the 17th-century property.

“Last year, we found a couple of deposits with really good animal bone preservation. So, we’ve got ducks, geese, pigeons, sheep,

cows and pigs.”

These finds allow the team to reconstruct the diets of past inhabitants.

Among the significant finds was a large piece of red-glazed earthenware believed to be part of a storage jar, according to Beranek. The team’s discoveries have ranged widely in time, with items from as recently as the 1970s back to the 1720s.

The project uses advanced technology, such as groundpenetrating radar and conductivity to create a picture of what lies beneath the surface before excavation begins. This geophysical survey allows the team to identify anomalies below ground and strategically place excavation units for further exploration.

The technology allows them

to locate old outbuildings, such as barns and small sheds known as privies, as well as kitchen trash pits. Once such features are identified, the team digs their trenches to discover artifacts.

The team is searching for artifacts from the entire history of the site, but especially from the tenure of Lee and his family. They are also interested in the enslaved individuals who lived and worked on the site.

The public is welcome to observe the work from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., weather permitting. However, the museum kindly asks that people leave plenty of room around the archaeologists and keep away from any open pits and uneven ground.

The public can follow the work on social media by following the Marblehead Museum and Fiske Center for Archaeological Research on Facebook or Instagram.

The project is sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, National Grand Bank, the Lynch Foundation and individual donors.

Stephen Bach generated this image of a frustrated computer user with the help of artificial intelligence.

CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER Superintendent John Buckey says his focus is on students.

CURRENT PHOTO / CLAIRE TIPS

Undergraduates, graduate students and teaching assistants work on an archeological dig site on the Lee Mansion property with shovels, trowels, ice cream scoops and chopsticks.

JULY 1-4

MARBLEHEAD FESTIVAL OF ARTS

The Festival is back with events for the whole family, including the Festival 5k, Artisans Marketplace, Cod & Whale Auction, Champagne Reception, Concerts @ Crocker, and more!

Rufus Leonard Titus Jr.

Aug. 2, 1933 - May 31, 2023

IN BETWEEN....

Rufus grew up on Pond Street in Marblehead and attended public schools, graduating from Marblehead High School in 1951.

He served in the U.S. Army and graduated from Boston University in 1957. As part of his continuing education, he completed proficiency courses in municipal finance and healthcare financing at University of Massachusetts, Amherst and University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He became a licensed insurance and bond broker for several years before joining

Massachusetts Blue Cross Blue Shield as an enrollment representative in the office of Clyde’s “Proud Team of Boston South Minute Men” — “Go Mac!” During his career with the companies, he also served in claims administration, professional relations and

computer operations.

When Rufus retired from Blue Cross, he worked in the library at Salem State University and at Abbot Public Library in Marblehead.

Rufus was involved in various organizations throughout his life. He was elected to the Board of Assessors in the 1970s and was a regular attendee at both selectmen and town meetings.

He was a past president of the Marblehead Visiting Nurses Association, where he was appointed to a committee to study the future and best use of the Mary Alley Hospital building on Widger Road.

He also served on the Cemetery Commission, board of directors of the Marblehead Savings Bank Investment Committee, Philanthropic Lodge AF&AM, and was a past commodore at the Marblehead

Yacht Club. He was honored by the Marblehead Rotary Club as a Paul Harris Fellow and, in more recent years, he volunteered as a docent at the Maritime Museum at Abbot Hall and the “Mapping Marblehead” exhibit at the Old Town House. He will be fondly remembered at his post as crossing guard at the corner of Pond, Elm and Green streets.

Rufus leaves his wife of 68 years, Jean Lindsey Titus. Together, they ran two businesses and raised three children.

In 1974, Rufus and Jean bought the small neighborhood store Mullen’s and renamed it The Little Store because “that’s what it was.”

Years later, they reworked their home to accommodate a guest house, The Golden Cod,

considered their forever home.

which they ran successfully for more than 30 years.

Rufus is predeceased by his eldest daughter, Joan Titus Reagan, and leaves behind her two children, Joe Reagan and Jennifer Reagan Blaha; their father, John Reagan, and four great-grandchildren.

He is survived by son John Titus and his wife, Paula; his youngest daughter, Lindsey; nephews Calvin and Robert Titus; and niece Nancy Titus Person and their families. Graveside memorial services will be held at Waterside Cemetery in Marblehead on Thursday, July 6, at 11 a.m., with reception to follow at the VFW, 321 West Shore Drive. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy for the Titus family may be shared at eustisandcornellfuneralhome. com.

Johanna H. van Lookeren Campagne

Johanna Henriette “Joan” van Lookeren Campagne passed away at home on June 9, a few months after her 90th birthday.

Born and raised in the town of Bussum in The Netherlands, she immigrated to the United States at the age of 20 with her husband, Willem. They lived in Beaver, Pennsylvania, where they started a family and made many lifelong friends. They also resided in Stamford, Connecticut, before finally settling in Marblehead, which they

Mathew C. Cornell

Mathew C. Cornell passed away on Monday, Jan. 23, 2023, at 11:09 a.m. at his home in South Paris, Maine.

He was a graduate of Marblehead High School, Class of 1984 and went to the College of Boca Raton where he graduated with a degree in mortuary science. He went on to help in the family business at Eustis & Cornell Funeral Home, Marblehead. After he retired from the business, he moved to Maine where he lived in peace for the rest of his days.

A celebration of life will be held at the VFW Hall, 321 West Shore Drive, Marblehead on Sunday, June 25th from 2 to 5 p.m. Fond memories and

From P. A13

fit” for the plastic housing that had been found in the parking lot. The owner of the vehicle said he did not think he had struck another vehicle but expressed an interest in doing what needed to be done to “fix this.”

Thursday, June 8

8:34 a.m. A scam call was reported on Abbot Street.

11:34 a.m. An officer investigated the report of a strange man on Ocean Avenue.

11:48 a.m. Police fielded a pair of calls about the leaf blower ban.

11:53 a.m. An officer investigated the report of someone blowing debris on West Shore Drive and Rainbow Road.

2:45 p.m. Officers joined firefighters on Gilbert Heights Road to investigate a possible gas leak. An officer was dispatched back to the area at 3:50 p.m.

3:35 p.m. An officer investigated the report of a bag in the road on Atlantic and Gallison avenues.

4:23 p.m. A cell phone was found on Wyman Road.

6:32 p.m. Officers investigated a report of suspicious activity on Sargent Road.

8:20 p.m. A residence that had lost half its power was reported on Pickwick Road.

10:34 p.m. Officers restored the

Johanna loved to cook and garden, knit and sew. She was a voracious reader and kept informed by religiously reading the New York Times, seven days a week. Her favorite place to spend time, aside from Marblehead, was on Sanibel Island in Florida.

She was the ultimate mother, but she cherished her role as grandmother possibly even more, speaking to at least one of her grandchildren on a daily basis right up to the end of her life.

Johanna was predeceased by Willem, with whom she shared 56 years of marriage; her beloved dog Charley; and her dear friend Anne Costello.

The daughter of the late Ellen and

OBIT uARY POLICY

The Marblehead Current publishes obituaries online for free and in its print edition for a flat fee of $200. Submissions or inquiries should be sent to notices@marbleheadnews.org.

Submissions should include the name of the funeral home serving the deceased’s family, along with a daytime phone number for a person to contact, in case we have any questions about the obituary. Photos, preferably in JPEG format, are welcome. Photos should be of high enough quality to reproduce well in print. Generally, an image file created by a digital camera or smartphone will be fine; images copied from websites will not.

expressions of sympathy may be shared at eustisandcornellfuneralhome.com.

peace after a caller reported their neighbors were being loud on Jersey Street.

11:05 p.m. A 53-year-old man was arrested and charged with malicious destruction of property and at least one other offense (redacted from the police log) after officers investigated a report of an assault on Pond Street.

11:09 p.m. Officers restored the peace after a disturbance on Jersey Street.

Friday, June 9

8:37 a.m. An officer was dispatched to Ocean Avenue to take a report from a man who rented a garage on the property to one of his tenants. The property owner explained that he had found a new lock on the side door to the garage that he did not install and believed his tenant changed the lock without his permission, which had left the property owner without access to the structure. The property owner had summoned a locksmith who was in the process of changing the lock to the side door of the garage, though he said that the tenant would continue to have access through the mechanical garage door system. The property owner also complained that his tenant had stopped paying rent for both the garage and his apartment. The officer advised the man that these were civil

matters and that he should seek the advice of an attorney. Once back at the station, the property owner called back to report that he had discovered damage to the doorframe of the garage presumably made by the tenant, which the officer returned to the property to inspect. The officer then spoke to the tenant, who was “very upset” about what had transpired. The tenant explained that the garage door did not function properly, which is why he needed access through the side door on which the landlord had now installed a new lock. At one point, he indicated he planned to “just break the lock on the door.” The officer advised him not to do that but instead to consult an attorney.

3:27 p.m. An officer investigated a report of larceny, forgery or fraud on Powder House Court.

Saturday, June 10

12:08 a.m. An officer on foot patrol at Seaside Park discovered spray painted black graffiti on the back end of the Recreation and Parks Department’s instruction board for the outdoor play equipment at the rear of the park at the entrance of the Seaside Park trail. The officer then saw that the other side of the instruction board had been defaced as well, but with pink spray paint.

7:45 a.m. An officer responded

to the scene of a vehicle crash on Washington Street.

10:16 a.m. Annoying phone calls were reported on Bessom Street.

11:41 a.m. Annoying phone calls were reported on Bassett Street.

2:29 p.m. A vehicle crash was reported on Chestnut Street and Atlantic Avenue.

3:24 p.m. An officer spoke at the station with a man who reported that a few minutes earlier he had been turning his vehicle onto Lattimer Street from Fairview Road when he noticed a young man approximately 16 years old riding his bike in the middle of the street towards his vehicle. The man had stopped his vehicle and waited for the juvenile to go around him. The juvenile had been looking downwards and lifted his head up at the last minute and struck the front right fender flare of the man’s vehicle. The man could not give any description of the juvenile other than that he was wearing a darkcolored sweatshirt. The man was not concerned about the minor scuff on his vehicle, stating that he would buff it off, but wanted to document the incident in case the juvenile came to the station to report it and/or claim that he was injured. The man stated that the juvenile did not fall off his bike and appeared to be uninjured.

10:08 p.m. An officer investigated a report of kids

riding their bikes against the flow of traffic on Ocean Avenue.

Adriaan Zur Muhlen, she is survived by her sister, Anna Maria “Miep” Witsen Elias of Bussum, Holland; her brother, Adriaan “Aat” Zur Muhlen of Yarmouth, Maine; her daughter and son-in-law, Ellen Margaret and Stephen Fuller, of San Ramon, California; her daughter Henriette Campagne of Marblehead; her son and daughter-in-law, David and Sue Campagne, of France; her four grandchildren, Kaitlyn Fuller Sangster, Sarah Fuller Keyes and Elizabeth Fuller St. Maurice, all of California, and Nathaniel Campagne of Colorado; and three great-grandchildren, Hannah and Isla Sangster and Lily Keyes. She also leaves many nieces and nephews in Marblehead, Maine and The Netherlands. A private service will be held at Waterside Cemetery. Police

Sunday, June 11

7:10 a.m. Officers responded to the scene of an accident on Ocean and Atlantic avenues.

10:22 a.m. An officer was dispatched to Lattimer Street to investigate the report of damage to a homeowner’s stone wall. The homeowner explained that two days earlier he had noticed what appeared to be a “clean break” of his stone wall abutting his neighbor’s property. An officer photographed the damage and then spoke with the man’s neighbor. The neighbor denied causing the damage and stated that she had not even noticed that the wall had been damaged. She said that she had mentioned to her neighbor when the wall was installed that she was fearful of popping her tire trying to back into the narrow driveway and asked that his workers take a look at it. The officer explained to her that the damage to the stone appeared to be a clean cut and asked if her workers made the cut. The neighbor denied that she had hired workers to cut her neighbor’s wall. The officer advised her to stay off of her neighbor’s property and to address any concerns with him in the appropriate manner.

2:46 p.m. Officers investigated the report of a past hit-and-run on Franklin Street.

CuZneR

In nAT u Re Stumbling upon a juvenile bald eagle

BY RICK CUZNER

This is a juvenile bald eagle I found on a recent trip through the Parker River Refuge on Plum Island. The coloration of the head leads me to believe this one is about 2 1/2 years old.

According to the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, juvenile eagles display a variation in plumage, transitioning from entirely dark

during their first year to various patterns of white on their body parts. The eyes and beak color also evolve from dark brown and black-gray to the characteristic pale and bright yellow, respectively, as they mature.

Bald eagles as adults are easily identified by their distinct brown bodies and contrasting white heads and tails. The pale yellow eyes and bright yellow beak and feet are defining traits in adults.

Our PAINT OUT Show Continues Upstairs through