Exploring a new kind of wilderness

BY COURT MERRIGAN

I have been fond of saying since I arrived in Marblehead that I don’t know the difference between a cement truck and a sailboat. The place where I grew up is the dead center of the country, as far from one ocean as from the other. One of the most vivid memories of my childhood remains the first time I saw the ocean. I couldn’t quite believe all that vast blue stretching out into nothingness. I was also 14 by then. Old enough for my feet to be awfully firmly planted on terra firma, where they’ve generally remained ever since.

This, however, did not stop me from signing up my son for sailing classes. More on that in a moment.

The other day I was standing at the top of Abbot Hall talking with one of my fellow Cranks (volunteers who crank the clock there). He’s read my column on Steer Swamp, and noted my remark about the paucity of wilderness in this long-settled portion of New England. He said to me, “But we’re surrounded by wilderness. Look over,” and pointed out to the ocean.

For Christmas, my daughter got me a T-shirt highlighting “The Sharks of Marblehead,” which I gathered from the garment are not only tracked, but named. Now, it’s true that in the deep wilderness of the Wyoming mountains there are bears and wolves and camp provision-pilfering chipmunks. It’s equally true that great white sharks patrol the waters off Marblehead. Neither group of large animals has much interest in me, as humans are generally considered nondelicious in predator circles. But mathematically speaking, there are great white sharks closer to my house in Marblehead than there were grizzly bears to my house in Wyoming. My fellow Crank is

Fourth of July fireworks from Fountain Park

To the editor:

For the past 40 years, my husband and I have viewed the July 4th fireworks from two vantage points, from Fort Sewall in the days when the fireworks were set off on the Causeway, and since Fountain Park when the fireworks switched locations and are set off from a barge at the mouth of the Marblehead Harbor.

Yesterday, in the evening hours approaching the start time of 9:15 p.m., the town itself was filled with the joy of people moving towards their viewing destinations. The whole town was alive with locals and visitors in the know. The 100 or so people of all ages gathered on Fountain Park were in a festive mood — families together, kids laughing and playing with sparklers, excitement building for the fantastic fireworks display.

No one was in a hurry. No one cared that the display began 15 minutes late. We all were just enjoying the local scenery. But finally, boom, boom boom — the opening fireworks sounded and all eyes turned towards the sky. A moment of disbelief and shock — nothing! Boom, boom, boom again. Nothing. Then everyone broke out in laughter. Sound but no light. The fog wafted up from the water below. So thick, you could barely make out anything — neither the boats in the harbor, nor the ring of lights’ rosy afterglow around the harbor. Boom, boom, boom. More nothing. More laughter and disbelief.

After many minutes passed, you could see the faintest glimpse of sparkling light. For no reason, one or two fireworks got up high enough, or were set off at a moment of parting fog.

The grand finale was particularly hilarious. Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom boom… on and on. One could see a pale reflection of what we used to know to be true. So dim, you weren’t sure it was real. It was a grand finale of the fireworks only of booms and barely any flashes of light.

Did people realize that this is the first or if not the first, the most obvious of July 4ths that is affected by climate change. The fires in Canada, the air quality, the low to no visibility of what is immediately in front of you.

Recall that twice in June and once so far in July, the air quality index has increased to dangerous levels. With it, visibility has decreased and what are normally sunny, blue, summer days and clear night skies are overcast skies, or, in the case of the Marblehead fireworks, invisible light displays.

Rules of thumb regarding climate change: for every drought, a downpour; dry places get dryer; wet places get wetter.

The other night we saw only the barest glimpse of fireworks, but it rained down the truth of climate change. Privileged as we are, we all lived the spirit of July fourth as if there were no tomorrow.

Susan Murcott Atlantic Avenue

MFoA Performing Arts Committee says ‘thank you’

To the editor: The Marblehead Festival of Arts Performing Arts Committee would like to thank the many people and community members that helped us present our 56th Performing Arts Concerts @ Crocker Park during our 57th Festival. As always, our lineup required an incredible amount of assistance and we’d like to acknowledge the tremendous support received this year. Thanks to: All our performers who were great to work with, and really gave us their all for these tremendous shows! To the Festival volunteers who always enthusiastically do their part, and the sound & lights crew, without whom we could not do the gig, including; Morrell Reynolds, Todd Rocco, Lawrence Habin and Claude Richardson, plus our in-house pros Jerry Morvillo and Rob Bernstein from Matty Colon Productions Unlimited for making it all look and sound so good! Thanks to our Internship Program Coordinator John Krivit and our 2023 student interns plus crew of Abby Wheeler, Jamie Wheeler, Joey Smith and the NYC gang, as we continue the 20+ year tradition of education, very hard work and lots of laughs! Thanks also to Kathy Culkin for feeding the crew!

Our deepest gratitude goes to the following local restaurants for their donations to feed our performers. As always, we invite you to visit these giving members of our community and when you do, thank them for their donations to this year’s Festival: Amore Kitchen (Maria & Daniel), The Landing (Rob), Three Cod Tavern (Chip), Evan’s Deli (Evan), Café Italia (Donna & Mark), Casa Corona (Felix), Manhattan Sandwich Shoppe (Mike & Kaitlin), House of Pizza (Tom) and The Beacon (Johnny & Edgar). Thanks also to Ralph Khouri for gracing our stage with the beautiful oriental rug!

Thanks to the Select Board and staff for their support. And to town officials for providing access to historic Crocker Park, one of the most beautiful concert venues in the world!

Thanks also to Peter James, Sam Andrews and the Rec and

Parks Department for helping us keep the park clean and safe. Thanks also to Rick Macomber of Macomber Electricians for his annual efforts to keep the “juice” flowing.

Thanks to this year’s Festival President Jodi Tatiana Charles, Bill Smalley and the 2023 Festival Board of Directors, along with so many others for supporting our efforts.

Special thanks once again to our technical director and Mr. Festival, Robb Macomber, for doing it all every year!

Thanks to Fred & Karl of Marblehead Hardware for the very kind “Traeger Grill Giveaway” prize donation. Thanks to the Crocker Park neighbors and Mariner’s Lane Association. Hope your weekend was a great one. Thank you, thank you!

Finally, thank you to our beloved town of Marblehead and our incredible community for the forum to entertain and for being there to enjoy it all. It is so gratifying to see neighbors all together and to hear such positive feedback! It’s worth every minute of the time we put in to provide incredible performances to such a supportive audience!

We are already working on our 58th Festival and invite you to be part of the fun. Simply visit www.marbleheadfestival.org to join us or visit the Festival’s Facebook page for the latest updates and to post/share your Festival photos!

How lucky are we to share this great gift of performing arts with all of you. We never take it or your support for granted. A final thanks goes to you all!

Brian Wheeler, MFoA Performing Arts chairperson Waterside Road

Thank you to National Grand Bank

To the editor: I would like to thank President Jim Nye and the National Grand Bank for your continued financial support to Chaplin Lyman Rollins VFW Post 2005 on Memorial Day and Veterans Day. After each of these important ceremonies, the post always welcomes the public for refreshment and conversation.

Thank you National Grand Bank!

Sincerely,