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Vol. 2, No. 41
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Classic car show turns Main St. into Memory Lane
978-777-6397
Friday, October 13, 2017
School Committee tries again to find new superintendent By Christopher Roberson
By Christopher Roberson
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rom the iconic muscle cars of the 1960s and 1970s to a lustrous supercar, the Fourth Annual Antique Car Show featured a smorgasbord of pristine vehicles lined up on either side of Main Street. “We’ve got Jeeps and Bugs and Corvettes,” said Maria Terris, event coordinator for the Peabody Area Chamber of Commerce during the Oct. 7 event, adding that approximately 90 residents from Essex County and New Hampshire attended the show this year. She said the show has continued to be a popular venue for automotive enthusiasts. “It brings people with the same hobbies together,” she said. Noreen Cousins, president the North Shore Old Car Club (NSOCC), said this is the first year her organization has taken part in the show. One car that Cousins said caught her eye was the 1967 Shelby GT500 owned by residents Donald and Josie Lee. “It’s ab-
Anthony Calitri (left) and William Pierce (right) of the North Shore Old Car Club were on hand to rate the best of the many iconic vehicles on display at the Fourth Annual Antique Car Show on Oct. 7. (Advocate photo by Christopher Roberson)
solutely gorgeous,” said Cousins. Anthony Calitri and William Pierce of the NSOCC Board of Directors were harnessed
with the task of awarding trophies to the top three vehicles, something they agreed is easi-
MAIN STREET | SEE PAGE 4
fter a failed first attempt during the early months of 2017, the School Committee has resumed its search for a new superintendent of schools. Committee Member Beverley Griffin Dunne said the second search process began on Sept. 8 and has been conducted thus far by the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC). Griffin Dunne said MASC will select five finalists to be publicly interviewed by the committee. That group will then be narrowed down to “two or three” finalists, and site visits will be scheduled in the candidates’ districts. Following the site visits, the committee could either vote on a new superintendent or arrange for a second round of interviews. The projected starting date is July 1, 2018; however, the committee is looking to make a decision by December of this year.
“I wanted to have a completely transparent process and I wanted it to be done quickly,” said Griffin Dunne, adding that the first search was quite sluggish, which caused some candidates to take jobs elsewhere. “We were up against timing; it was not a good time to go out trying to hire a new superintendent.” Former Superintendent Joseph Mastrocola resigned on July 1, 2015, to become the new superintendent-director of Greater Lowell Technical High School. This prompted the committee to appoint Dr. Herbert Levine as the interim superintendent. Griffin Dunne said funding is one of the challenges the new superintendent is likely to encounter after arriving in Peabody. “Traditional funding is shifting so much with the current changes in Washington [D.C.],” she said,
SCHOOL | SEE PAGE 13
One candidate, two incumbents make their cases for City Council By Christopher Roberson
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andidate Stephen Collins and incumbents Anne Manning-Martin and David Gravel have set their eyes on winning a councillor-at-large seat this November. Collins said that throughout his life, he has always viewed himself as one who helps others. “I see my campaign for City Council as a way to accomplish this on a larger scale,” he said. “I have lived in Peabody for 20 years and care about the city and care even more about the people in it.” The oldest of six children, Collins said he was always“afforded great opportunities as a student, an athlete and a resident.” If elected, he said it would be a priority to ensure that such opportunities are available for future generations. “I want to do what I can to continue to make this city a place that we are all proud to call home,” said Collins. Although this is his first time running for office, Collins said he welcomes the task.
Stephen Collins
David Gravel
“I have always aspired to be in a politics and in a position to make a positive change in people’s lives,” he said. Educationally, Collins graduated from Syracuse University where he majored in public policy and minored in strategic management. “I feel that these educational experiences have helped to prepare me for a role within the City Council,” he said. Collins has also been involved at Higgins Middle School, the Torigian YMCA as well as the city’s
Parks Recreation and Forestry Department. “Throughout my time in these roles, I have been able to interact with many of the residents of Peabody and hear their concerns and see the areas of improvement within the city,” he said. “I have had many experiences and held many positions that have come together to build the background to make me a strong choice for councillor-at-large.” Since Collins announced his candidacy on March 6, he has
However, he said his youthfulness has been an advantage. “During my campaign, I have had countless conversations with residents expressing their excitement that someone with a new and fresh perspective is willing to step up and run for a seat on the City Council,”he said. Collins also said increasing taxes continues to be one of the city’s major obstacles. “If elected I intend to address this issue by continuing to tap into the resources in Peabody that I believe are currently unAnne Manning-Martin der-utilized,”he said.“We should continued to be impressed with be inviting new businesses to the number of families who, for find homes in the available ofgenerations, have called Pea- fice space and storefronts of Peabody’s downtown, Centenbody home. “This city is a place where nial Park and the North Shore many are proud to grow up and Mall. With new revenue being then raise families of their own,” generated in the city, it should he said. “As the campaign con- help to stabilize the tax rate for tinues and I listen to the resi- all residents while not causing dents, I learn different lessons overdevelopment.” Manning-Martin has sat on and am thankful for the opportunity to obtain a deeper under- the council since 2008 and was standing of the city, its people also on the School Committee for two terms. and its history.” At 26 years old, Collins is the youngest candidate in the race.
CANDIDATES | SEE PAGE 10