03.06.2024 – Volume 2, Issue 15

Committee answers questions, concerns

BY LEIGH BLANDER

The School Committee answered questions from community members for two hours on Feb. 29, in the wake of a letter signed by nearly 800 people giving the committee failing grades and demanding more transparency.

In what was called a “conversation with the committee,” residents asked about topics ranging from the schools’ budget crisis and possible Proposition 2 1/2 override, controversial draft flag policy, special education programs, vacant buildings and more.

The committee also announced a second forum

on March 27, moderated by Massachusetts League of Women Voters officer Elizabeth Foster-Nolan.

School buildings Mary McCarriston asked the School Committee why it has not turned over the vacant

‘Where dreams come true’

BY CHRISTINE MCCARRISTON

For members of the Facebook group Buy Nothing Marblehead, the old adage one man’s trash is another man’s treasure rings true… but there is much more to the group. Buy Nothing provides a sense of community and works to build relationships — virtual and otherwise. One member even said the group is where dreams come true.

The Buy Nothing project is an international network whose mission is to give, receive, share and show gratitude in hyper-local communities.

One of the Buy Nothing Marblehead (BNM) administrators helped start the local group eight years ago as a platform that reduces waste in landfills and provides those who join items they need while building community.

“It’s about that connection to neighbors,” BNM administrator Pam Robbins said. “People are giving away something they really kind of like and giving it to someone who will like it and care for it like they did.”

Robbins spoke of painted dressers, antique Amish quilts and even chicken soup leftovers from a chicken

» Preliminary schools budget projects deep staff cuts, Page 2

meetings the last two nights,” McCarriston said. “I hear the town needs money, the schools need money. You can’t expect the town’s taxes to go up and up and up.”

School Committee member Brian Ota responded, “If we turn the property over, the school department will not get any of that money, and the town will allocate it as they wish. That’s why we haven’t done it yet.”

Member Jenn Schaeffner

been at the budget

PUBLIc S a FETY

Select Board fires police officer

Decision comes after two-and-a-half-year paid suspension

BY WILL DOWD

The town has terminated police officer Christopher Gallo, who was suspended with pay for two-and-a-half years amid allegations that he spent more than 100 hours at home during work shifts.

Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer announced the firing in a Select Board meeting Feb. 28.

“A termination notice was delivered to Officer Christopher Gallo on Friday,” Kezer said. “So that was his last day of employment with the town.”

The Select Board made the decision to fire Gallo during an executive (private) session earlier this month.

Kezer had prepared a 550-plus page recommendation in the Gallo case, which will be released as soon as the Select Board votes on the executive session minutes.

Budget cut amid rising costs, tax limits

BY WILL DOWD

Increasing expenses coupled with limited tax revenue and a structural deficit have forced Marblehead officials to cut the budget, Finance Director Aleesha Nunley Benjamin said Tuesday.

Nunley Benjamin delivered the news during a “finance forum,” a sort of primer on the town’s fiscal health leading up to this May’s Town Meeting. The town projects revenue at $107 million, but the fiscal 2025 budget sits around $111 million, leaving a $4.2 million gap to fill. Half of that deficit will be assigned to the schools.

The town has announced that it will not seek a Proposition 2 ½ tax override this year. The schools have not made a decision on a tax increase request.

Nunley Benjamin reported the following cost increases:

» Health insurance costs jumped by $224,000 last year, a 7% hike,

Retirement expenses continue rising about 8-9% yearly, excluding a single $1.4 million pension increase.

SchOOLS

» Trash fees spiked 20.66%, by $420,679 to $2.45 million.

» Contractual obligations have increased roughly 5% per year.

Proposition 21⁄2 restrictions passed in 1980 cap property tax hikes at 2.5%, with exceptions for new growth or debt exclusions.

To balance fiscal 2025, Marblehead cut $73,000 by eliminating a full-time police officer position and reducing the library and Council on Aging budgets. The town also shifted some expenses temporarily to department revolving funds to

limit vital service reductions.

Along with $22,000 in local fee hikes, a proposed 0.75% meals and a room tax up to 6% could raise $400,000. Adopting local meals and hotel levies would make Marblehead comparable to most other Massachusetts towns.

“If the meals and rooms tax does not pass, we’ll have to put something else in the warrant to reduce the budget on both the school and the town side.”

Along with exploring new revenues, the town aims to rebuild depleted budget reserves

by adhering to recommended best practices, Nunley Benjamin noted. “We are working to reserve free cash at 5% of the budget,” she explained. Nunley Benjamin and Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer say the town wants to stimulate new growth and enhance revenue streams.

“New growth is when somebody makes significant improvements to their property that increases the property’s value,” Kezer said. “Certain things count towards new growth and others do not — if it’s maintenance, like putting in new siding on your house, that’s not new growth. That’s just maintenance. But if you put an addition on your house, a swimming pool, a deck— those increase the value of your home.”

He explained that cities and towns can then calculate that additional property value and tax it accordingly.

“More importantly, for everyone else, it adds revenue on top of the existing tax levy,” Kezer noted. “So it’s more tax revenue without raising taxes.”

Deep staffing cuts projected

BY LEIGH BLANDER Interim School Superintendent

Theresa McGuinness has preliminarily outlined $2.3 million in cuts that would be needed to meet town budget guidelines for fiscal year 2025. McGuinness’ $45.6 million reduced-services budget proposal includes eliminating 36 staff positions, consolidating the district’s therapeutic programs at the Brown School, increasing fees for athletics and extracurricular activities, and cutting instructional supplies and professional development.

The reduced-services plan could be funded without asking the town’s taxpayers for more money with a Proposition 2 1/2 override this spring. To maintain the same level of services, an override would be needed.

“At this time in history, the taxpayers of Marblehead do not have an appetite for an override, having twice failed in as many years,” McGuinness said at a School Committee budget workshop on Feb. 28. “For this budget year FY 25, I respect what was asked of us and tonight present our preliminary budget reflecting significant cuts.”

Chair Sarah Fox emphasized that the School Committee has not yet debated the budget or decided whether to ask for an override.

Speaking about the budget process, McGuinness said, “I’m not going to say it wasn’t painful because it was, and it sort of still is.”

Even without adding staff or programs, rising expenses represent a $2.5 million or 5.77% increase in the school budget.

SchOOLS

The biggest budget drivers are staffing (with contract negotiations starting this month), out-of-district tuitions and transportation, and operations and maintenance.

Staff salaries are projected to increase $927,578, while out-ofdistrict tuition and transportation are expected to jump more than $850,000.

The reductions McGuinness outlined include the following positions:

Four special education teachers Student services assistant director

» Three special education support staff (paraprofessionals/ tutors)

Two adjustment counselors

One board-certified behavior analyst

» Four classroom teachers

» Veterans School assistant principal

Five general education support staff (paraprofessionals/tutors)

Two reading teachers

» One English language teacher

» Five clerical/administrative support positions

» Two facilities staff

Four lunch supervisors (paraprofessionals)

One driver

Therapeutic programs consolidate

The proposed reduced-services budget also moves all therapeutic programs across the district to the Brown School.

The MPS website describes those programs as follows:

“Students with emotional disabilities or other impairments that significantly impact their self-regulation skills receive a continuum of services and supports that include teaching emotional regulation strategies, social skills, and executive functioning skills. Therapeutic instructional practices are provided in small group settings, within general education classrooms, and/or embedded in core content instruction.” Fees increase

Currently, fees for athletics and extracurriculars cover 50% of the stipends for coaches and staff. Under the reduced-services budget, fees would increase to cover 100% of those stipends. Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations Michelle Cresta and Athletics Director

Greg Ceglarski are analyzing fees in nearby districts to determine the best path forward.

This school year, 1,233 student athletes play on 64 teams in the

district, with 90 paid coaches. Capital improvement requests McGuinness and Cresta identified four priorities on a long list of capital improvement requests that they hope the town will help fund. They are: $100,000 for a structural repair of the D wing at Veterans Middle School » $218,000 to replace HVAC units at Glover School » $30,000 to update the fire panel at Village $52,700 to replace the paging system at MHS. The system controls bells and clocks in the building.

» Enrollment, performance

While data shows declining enrollment in Marblehead schools in recent years, the New England School Development Council is projecting a slow and steady increase moving forward, according to McGuinness. MPS enrollment is 2,617 this year.

At the workshop, principals from each school presented their enrollment figures, as well as MCAS data showing marked improvements across the district. Next steps McGuinness outlined the next steps in the budget process. In March, the School Committee will review a staffing accountability report based on enrollment, student need and IEPs (individualized education programs), and learn more about options for athletics fees.

On March 21, the School Committee has tentatively scheduled a budget hearing. Member Jenn Schaeffner wrote on Facebook that the hearing would be “an opportunity for the community to provide feedback on the proposed budget.”

State reviewing English language program

BY LEIGH BLANDER

This week, the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Language Acquisition is in Marblehead, conducting what’s called a “tiered focused monitoring review” of the public schools. According to DESE, 4.5% of Marblehead students are English learners.

The OLA reviews each district’s and charter school’s English learner education program every six years to monitor compliance

with federal and state English learner education laws and regulations. Areas of review will include the following: English learners’ student assessments, identification of English learners, what programs English learners are placed in, parent and community involvement, curriculum and instruction, student support services, licensure requirements for faculty, staff and administration, program plans and evaluation and recordkeeping.

“In addition to the onsite visit, parent outreach is an important part of the review process,” according to a DESE statement. “The district will send a survey to families focused on key areas of their child’s English learner education program. Survey results will be reviewed by OLA and they will contribute to the monitoring report.”

Parents and other individuals may call David Valade, OLA’s review chairperson, at 413-3146711 to request a telephone interview. If an individual requires an accommodation, such

NEWS FOr PEOPLE, NOT FOr PrOFIT.

CO-CHAIRPERSONS Jessica Barnett     Ed Bell

as translation, to participate in an interview, DESE will make the necessary arrangements.

Within approximately 60 business days of the onsite visit, the review chairperson will provide MPS with a report with information about areas in which the MPS meets or exceeds regulatory requirements and areas in which the MPS requires assistance to correct or improve practices.

The report will be available to the public at doe.mass.edu/ele/ cpr/.

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CURRENT PHOTO / WILL DOWD

Finance Director Aleesha Nunley Benjamin presented during the town’s very first ‘finance forum,’ a primer on municipal finance, and the town’s fiscal vital signs ahead of Town Meeting.

CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER

The School Committee, principals and district leaders gathered for a budget workshop on Feb. 28.

Resident whose puppy was killed by hit-and-run driver speaks to traffic committee

BY WILL DOWD

Following a Jan. 31 hit-and-run on Beach Street that killed his six-month-old puppy Goose, Henry Peabody addressed the Traffic Safety Advisory Committee on Monday calling for significant improvements and speed reductions.

“Today I saw a car passing another car, and I was almost hit by a U-Haul van,” Peabody said. “I was given an obscene hand gesture by another citizen when I asked him to slow down after losing our dog.”

Since Goose’s death, the Peabodys have been pleading with local drivers to slow down.

“It’s just a really, really fast street, and the town has known about this for a very, very long time,” he said. “I feel as though one of the greatest gifts we could give the town is to have a safe place for all pedestrians and bikers to use.”

Crosswalk safety Committee members continued discussion about calls for additional crosswalks near Glover School, the Devereux School and Lafayette Street.

The committee revisited a long-requested potential crosswalk on Maple Street near Glover Elementary School, reviewing data collected by committee member Gary Herbert indicating current vehicle speeds up to 40 mph exceed safe crossing thresholds.

“If 15% of people are going 34 mph or faster in a 20 mph school zone, that’s a problem,” said committee member Rick Smyers. “We’ve got to do everything to slow down traffic there. There are kids crossing that street.”

Along Smith Street near the Devereux School, the committee observed parents crossing the street with children before and after school, noticing issues with speeding traffic and vehicles

Schools

From P. A1

pointed out that once the district gives up the property, it can’t get it back. And there may be a need for another school building in the future, with Town Meeting voting on new multifamily zoning in May.

“If approved, it will allow, from a zoning perspective, another 900 units to be built,” she said.

“As a School Committee, I feel we have a responsibility to determine the mid- and longterm ramifications.”

Chair Sarah Fox said selling one school property wouldn’t solve the town’s budget problems.

“Selling a school and getting a half-a-million dollars is not funding our schools,” she said. “A half-a-million-dollar infusion one year isn’t saving our staff. That’s not the fix we need here. We need a comprehensive look at the financial disaster our town is in.”

Prop 2 1/2 override

The School Committee hasn’t yet decided whether to ask taxpayers for a Proposition 2 1/2

Gallo

From P. A1

The termination caps a lengthy, expensive disciplinary process, including legal fees and Gallo’s salary, which was approximately $5,400 a month while on leave. Gallo was suspended June 16, 2021.

Police Chief Dennis King,

quickly turning corners near the school entrance.

Police Chief Dennis King countered that data shows existing intersection crosswalks at Maple and Tedesco or Lafayette and Maple are safer options.

“We know crossing at Maple and Tedesco or Lafayette and Maple with lights is safer,” King said. “We need to encourage schools to emphasize those safe crossings rather than unsafe mid-block crossings.”

Members also discussed painting a shoulder line along the south side of Lafayette Street from the Salem-Marblehead line to Maple Street to delineate a walking area where no sidewalk currently exists. However, the committee tabled motions on potential recommendations for Lafayette Street improvements.

“We currently are in a position where there is no safe way to either cross the street or a sidewalk for our children to walk to school,” said resident Kristine Quirke, whose home sits near the Salem-Marblehead line. “We also are at a point of Lafayette Street where there is a nature reserve that a lot of people walk to.”

She added, “Over the past two years, since we’ve been living here we’ve witnessed multiple car accidents on Lafayette

override this spring to prevent a projected $2.3 million in cuts.

Resident Rick Patoski asked what the committee would do to convince people without children in the schools to raise their taxes.

“There’s a moral obligation to provide access to a good education,” Fox said. “If you need another reason, under-funded schools hurt home values.”

She continued, “Our homes are our greatest investment, and our schools are our best way to solidify our investment.”

Educators and co-presidents of the teachers union Jonathan Heller and Sally Shevory came forward to ask committee members what they would do to fight for the funding the schools need.

“We know the town has given you a directive (to build a reduced-services budget),” Heller said. “As a committee you do have a right to go back to the town and say, ‘This is what we need for our students and our schools to provide the very best education possible.’ As a School Committee, are you willing to put yourselves out there and go back to the town and advocate

who recommended Gallo’s firing, wrote in a statement, “The Select Board decision puts finality to two serious allegations of officer misconduct that has gone on for quite some time. I feel that the discipline recommendations I made regarding Officer Gallo’s actions were based on the findings of the investigations and were fitting to the seriousness of the allegations.”

Street.”

The recent death of 80-yearold Karl Johnson after being hit on Pleasant Street has renewed attention on pedestrian and bicyclist safety issues. Johnson’s death came 14 years after 15-year-old Allie Castner was tragically killed by a vehicle while crossing the busy road nearby.

The incidents have sparked calls for traffic calming measures, such as crosswalks, narrower streets and lane reductions to slow vehicles in the area known for speeding problems.

The town has taken some measures, recently adding bump-outs to three crosswalks on Pleasant Street and reconfiguring the busy

for the students and say, ‘Enough of the cuts’?”

Members promised they would fight for students. Ota recognized the challenges.

“The town has made it very clear that there is no money,” he said. “I don’t know how true that is. For us to look at another override is a difficult question. If it comes down to the fact that this is really going to devastate the school system, then by all means, we’ll ask for an override.”

Flag debate

A high school senior asked the School Committee about the draft flag policy that would allow only Marblehead, state and U.S. flags on school property and would give the School Committee the authority to decide if any other flags and banners can be put up for 30 days at a time.

“We are the people here everyday,” the student said. “You’re not in the schools. You don’t understand the support that people of color get from seeing these flags. You don’t understand the trials and tribulations of going through the school being micro-aggressed

He went on to detail the alleged violations from an inspector general’s report on time fraud and a separate off-duty incident allegedly involving alcohol and falsifying records.

“I recognize that many in the town feel the process has taken too long. These were complicated discipline matters, and because of the nature of the allegations, demanded

unanimously to direct town staff to prepare a Complete Streets application seeking funds for new bike racks.

“The rationale for why you want to put in parking for bikes is essentially the same reason you put in parking for cars: If people want to come visit a location, you put in parking to make it convenient,” said Smyers, who presented recommendations for new bike racks. “However, in many cases, bike parking should actually be preferred to car parking.”

He identified eight initial sites for bike racks, ranging from recreation areas like Castle Rock Park and Brown’s Pond to municipal buildings and spaces such as Abbot Hall and Fort Sewall.

intersection where Pleasant, Vine and Village meet. Rapid flashing beacons have been put where Leggs Hill Road and Tedesco Street meet, as well as a crosswalk to the Tower School.

During Monday’s meeting, King cited some recent statistics that underscore the broader importance of traffic safety efforts in town. According to King, crashes in town were down 11% in 2023 from the previous year. Police made about 1,300 traffic stops in 2023, up 132% from 2022. “Education and enforcement is a big part of the increase,” King said regarding the improved safety numbers.

Bike parking

The committee voted

and being harassed in the hallways. This is a piece of our identity, and it shows people that they don’t need to shrink themselves when they come here.”

Schaeffner responded that the draft is in its early stages and being reviewed by the lawyer for the district. She also mentioned that the Select Board approved a similar flag policy on Feb. 28. The town’s policy gives the town administrator power to decide which additional flags/banners can be displayed.

Another student, Sophia Weiner, urged the committee to take more steps toward creating a “more inclusive environment” in all Marblehead schools.

Member Alison Taylor pointed out that there is a diversity, equity and inclusion working group at each school in town.

Special education

Carey Power Zoomed in to ask if all School Committee members were familiar with special education laws and what the district is required to provide to students, especially given so many projected budget cuts.

complete and thorough investigations,” King said. “Even with changes in the town administrator and the town’s legal team considered, it was going to take some time to go through.”

Gallo can appeal the decision through arbitration or the state Civil Service Commission. His attorney, Gary Nolan, did not return the Current’s request for comment about whether Gallo

“The longer-term ones are trickier, the commercial places. There’s really only three options: you either repurpose on-street parking, you use the sidewalk or you require off-street parking or encourage off-street parking by the private landowner,” he said. “There aren’t any easy, obvious solutions to this one, which is why I’m recommending we defer that to the bike master plan.” A bike master plan for a municipality describes short and long range objectives for developing bicycle infrastructure, according to the nonprofit PeopleForBikes.

Director of Public Works Amy McHugh called the presentation “great,” but she also said, “The only thing I advise is that we all think about what’s happening with our sidewalk plan that’s coming up into which we’ll incorporate things like this into it.”

She also noted that the town had just put out a request for bids for a bike plan.

“We’ll have another piece to incorporate into that,” she stressed. “DPW is trying to be holistic with utilities, paving, bikes, sidewalks.”

Ota, who is a former principal and special ed teacher, emphasized, “All teachers know the process very well. The buildings know exactly how to administer IEP law, and they take care of it very well.”

Taylor said the committee has asked for an audit of the special education department’s processes to see “what additional things we can bring to the table and suggest.”

“It all does boil down to budget,” she said.

Report card

Kathy Hempel asked committee members to grade themselves on their performance, and the responses ranged from Bs to one C from Ota on the superintendent search.

“We brought in an excellent interim superintendent, but so many catastrophic things happened at the same time, she has decided not to stay,” he said.

Hempel suggested that since 800 people gave the committee failing marks, “I would ask that you do a little bit more selfreflection and maybe think about how things could be different.”

plans to appeal.

“The police department currently has two vacancies,” Kezer told the Select Board.

“One will be filled through either a lateral transfer or through a new hire through the Civil Service process, depending on which avenue we get the opportunities.”

One of the two positions will not be filled in the next fiscal year, given budget constraints.

CURRENT PHOTO / WILL DOWD

Henry Peabody of Beach Street addresses the Traffic Safety Advisory Committee on Monday, pleading with the panel to implement safety improvements like speed reductions. Peabody’s calls come after a Jan. 31 hit-and-run on Beach Street took the life of his 6-month-old puppy, Goose.

Opinion

Time for change

“Everybody’s talkin’ at me, can’t hear a word they’re sayin.” Harry Nilsson coined this phrase in 1968. Today, this is the belief of many of our town citizenry when it comes to the elected Board of Assessors. Ever since the most recent tax bills were sent out in early January, the public outcry has been loud and clear. How is it that the assessed values and corresponding taxes on a large number of homes increased so dramatically in one year? And why has the Board of Assessors been so slow to respond to these questions?

When Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer presented his annual State of the Town address on January 24, he and the Select Board were repeatedly asked to address the issue of increased assessments. Kezer and members of the Select Board explained, correctly, that as currently established, the Board of Assessors is a separate and distinct entity within our governmental body and, accordingly, these questions should be presented to and answered by our elected assessors who by statute are charged with the responsibility of determining real estate values and the annual tax rate to be applied.

Increasingly, transparency has been demanded of our town leaders, most if not all of whom will speak strongly in support of such action, yet time and again we are kept in the dark on a wide range of issues.

Increasingly, transparency has been demanded of our town leaders, most if not all of whom will speak strongly in support of such action, yet time and again we are kept in the dark on a wide range of issues. This past year much of the focus on the lack of transparency has been on our School Committee, but clearly they are not alone in needing to be reminded how vital it is to have open debate, discussion and dissemination of information to ensure that the public is afforded the basic respect it deserves on all matters involving the operations of our local government.

Which brings us to this basic question. How did things get so out of control regarding the recalculation of property values and major increases in real estate tax assessments? Surely the Board of Assessors had to know there would be legitimate questions about this process. Why did they not hold public hearings in advance to let our homeowners know how and why there would be such radical increases to so many properties? And why, once ‘Headers began to call for answers, did they not immediately schedule public hearings instead of choosing to go into seclusion when asked to address these concerns?

Town Meeting will be asked to approve Article 38 on the warrant which, if passed at Town Meeting and subsequently approved by a majority of voters at our June elections, will cause members of the Board of Assessors to hereafter be appointed by the Select Board instead of being elected. This would bring the Board of Assessors more into the arena of our Finance Department, a logical place to be, and they would be accountable to the Select Board. And should this pass, then in future years the Select Board’s annual State of the Town meeting would be the appropriate forum to address assessmentrelated concerns such as have surfaced this year.

It is unfortunate that this article needs to find itself on the warrant, but the Board of Assessors has only itself to blame for failing to hear what so many people were sayin’. We support the passage of article 38.

EVErYThING

Seeking what unites us is not trivial

BY VIRGINIA BUCKINGHAM

I found it! The key to uniting our fractured country! Can you guess what it is?

If you correctly answered “trivia nights”, then you must be one of the millions of people all over the country who enjoy the challenge of answering questions about obscure or unimportant things. In fact, pull in to any burg in any state, whether it votes blue or red, and you surely can find a pub or a hall devoted to this brain-tickling entertainment on any given evening. More on that in a moment.

I’m old enough to remember when the board game Trivial Pursuit was originally introduced and took the country’s family game nights by storm. After some research, I can now answer this trivia question: What game were the creators of Trivial Pursuit playing when they lost a piece and decided to create their own game instead? Answer — Scrabble!

Since 1981, well over 100 million of the games, in multiple editions and languages, have sold around the world, delighting those knowledgeable about such matters as which actor played James Bond in the most movies. Answer: Roger Moore.

Before that invention, and like our great country itself, the idea of holding trivia nights in pubs seems to have originated across the pond. In the 70s, ladies and gents began gathering with their pints for quiz nights. Here, on college campuses where original ideas, not groupthink, used to be the norm, young Americans took up the tradition soon after.

Think you have nothing in common with a Trump voter, or Biden voter, depending on your political leanings? Think again, if trivia is your thing. Here’s a smattering of non-ideological “proof”.

In Georgia, I counted eight different spots in Atlanta for trivia on almost every night of the week. Oh, Atlanta voted for President Biden in 2020 you say? Then head to rural Jasper County where former President Trump pulled in over 70% of the vote. Want to scratch your trivia itch while driving through? Mondays at the Brickhouse Grille seems to be the spot.

It’s the same story in swing state Michigan. In

Think you have nothing in common with a Trump voter, or Biden voter, depending on your political leanings?

Think again, if trivia is your thing.

Detroit, a blue bastion, a city-boosting website has a whole page devoted to where to find the best beers and use your brains. Drive a couple hours north to the conservative city of Midland, solidly red and home to Dow Chemical Company, and check out their trivia league night at a local favorite The Boulevard. The same story repeats all over the country in big cities and small towns. You might be thinking, what does that really say about anything? Maybe nothing. But maybe something. And that something is worth holding on to in these turbulent times — that we have more in common than we believe, if we don’t fall into the trap of “who you vote for defines you.”

Whether or not we’re good at answering trivia doesn’t define us either. Thank goodness. At a fun gathering to support the Current last week, I reluctantly joined a team. If the subject is 1990s state government in Massachusetts, I’m your girl. But female pop stars who united to sing some famous song? Clueless. I didn’t even remember that my home state Connecticut is known as the Constitution State, even though I’ve seen thousands of license plates bearing that appellation. Luckily my teammates were smarter about, well, everything.

I realize my argument that the broad popularity of trivia is a sign we’re more united than it seems is simplistic. Sometimes though the hardest problems are solved with simple answers. And any progress on solving the problem of our deep divisions is worth the pursuit.

A member of the Marblehead Current’s Board of Directors, Virginia Buckingham is the former chief executive officer of the Massachusetts Port Authority, chief of staff to two Massachusetts governors, deputy editorial page editor for the Boston Herald and author of “On My Watch: A Memoir.”

Airplanes take flight around Marblehead Harbor

BY LAUREN MCCORMACK

If you looked out onto Marblehead Harbor 110 years ago, you might have seen an airplane gliding across the ocean for takeoff. From 1909 to 1918, Marblehead was home to The Burgess Company.

Founded by William Starling Burgess (18781947), who had already made a name for himself designing and constructing yachts in Marblehead, the company built over 40 models of airplanes during its nine years of operation, both for private individuals and governments. Many of these were seaplanes, designed to take off and land on water. Company pilots often tested the aircraft in Marblehead Harbor, as well as at Hathaway’s Farm in town. The company’s original offices and (so-called) Factory No. 1 sat on Redstone Lane, off Gregory Street. With the outbreak of World War I, The Burgess Company

School Committee draft flag policy divisive

To the editor:

Before I begin my comments, I want to admit that I have not attended a School Committee meeting, but I did listen to a recent one on TV. However, I share the following to see if other people may agree with my impression of the meeting.

One word sums it up: micromanagement. Sarah Fox and Jennifer Schaeffner did almost all the talking. Brian Ota rarely got a word in. The interim superintendent, Theresa McGuinness, said little or nothing and was not consulted, if I remember correctly. This may explain why she later said she was not interested in a permanent position, and why a former superintendent left because he found a lack of collaborative attitude.

An example of this is the matter of the Black Lives Matter flag. The committee could ask the superintendent to consider it and discuss it with the school principals, and perhaps the teachers.

The committee may have felt that one consistent policy for the whole school system was needed, and soon. I disagree. What is right for the high school may not be right for the elementary schools. Also, what goes up the flagpole is one thing; what is on the wall in a classroom or hallway is another.

Tim Parker

Arthur Avenue

With all due respect

To the editor:

With all due respect, Mr. Walter Haug, having read your recent letter — “Recognize the danger this man poses” — in the Marblehead Current’s Feb. 21 edition, I want to respond. You’re quoting a bunch of Democratic Trump-hating talking points we have all heard ad nauseam. Let’s just talk facts. Some things were said that we could object to; however, remember actions speak louder than words.

When Donald Trump was our president, we had no war; food was affordable; gas was affordable; rent and housing were affordable. We were

trying to put a stop to crime in the streets. The United States border was not open for an invasion; ISIS had been defeated for the time; we were not so fearful of immediate terrorist danger. Our ally, Israel, and the Middle East were on a positive path towards peace; we were not at war; we were not attacked without a response. Our president, Donald Trump, tried to have a relationship with our enemies — always better to keep your enemies close while remaining strong. However, facts have been twisted into negative and evil things. Wake up. I am sure I’ve missed many accomplishments this “dangerous man” is responsible for.

Say whatever you believe regarding the danger “this man poses,” but if the Democratic Biden policies prevail, I believe our wonderful country could fail like so many others in history.

I love my country; we are very special. Please don’t join those who want to change us. People painfully come here because we are the greatest country — because we are different. Please don’t fight against us.

Ellen McSwiggin Farrell Court

Letters policy

The Current welcomes letters to the editor and strives to represent a range of viewpoints on our opinion pages.

Generally, letters should not exceed 500 words. Letters over the word limit may be returned to the writer for editing.

Writers may be given more leeway to criticize national political candidates and other public figures. However, in all cases, letter writers should refrain from name calling and personal attacks and instead focus on the substance of matters of public concern.

Letter writers may be asked to substantiate claims that do not relate to information previously published in the Current.

While we will make every effort to let writers have their say, we reserve the right not to publish letters.

Letters must include:

» The author’s name. Unsigned letters and form letters will not be published.

» The name of the street on which the author lives in Marblehead. Only the street name will be published next to the author’s name – not their full address.

The author’s daytime/cell phone number for verification purposes (not publication).

Letters must be received by our newsroom directly from their writers (for special circumstances, contact the newsroom). Email submissions to info@marbleheadnews.org or use the submission form found at marbleheadcurrent.org/letters.

Some letters may be shared to social media. We will share a wide array of viewpoints.

Letters must be received by noon on Friday in order to be printed in the following week’s print edition.

The discovery of Marblehead, 1965

BY BOB BAKER

Late spring, 1965. Wife Nancy and I decided to look into this “You’d love it!” town we’d heard about. The ride from Cambridge to Marblehead is not inspiring. The coast is flat, flat, flat. With the town of Swampscott, the crag begins. Feels good. Atlantic Avenue, leading into Marblehead. Pleasant, but nothing you’d write an anthem about. A commercial district of shops. Sign says “Real Estate.” Storefront office where we’re greeted by a woman in her 50s, a study in casual disarray. The smock dress she’s wearing started out black, but ash of the cigarette variety has assigned it a leoparding of gray. The carpet slippers on her feet do -- in a way -- coordinate with her dress: a sizable portion of their surface generally inclines almost pretty much nearly close to on the verge of an approximation of in the somewhere somewhat vicinity of black.

You’ll not be surprised to learn that a lit cigarette is caught between her lips. The cigarette acts as a baton, conducting

Vault

From P. A4

It is said that The Burgess Company, at its height, employed

800 people in its Marblehead

One employee was 20-year-old Mary Decosta Briggs, who was born in 1898 and spent her childhood on Orne Street.

Mary’s uniform cap, with the handwritten note “Burges [sic] Plant 1918” inscribed on it, now resides in the museum’s collection — a reminder of the

syllables as she speaks: “Hiya, kids, I’m Betty Farnam. Can I do for ya today?”

I tell Betty we’d like to check out Marblehead -- maybe some apartments. Would she be willing to show us around?

“Ya come to the right goddam person all right. Most real estaters’d tell ya go do your own ‘splorin’ first. But what the hell, I can use a change a scene. Take my car; you can sightsee while I drive.”

We hop into Betty’s hulking, maroon Pontiac. “Mix of everything here. History up the gazoo. Town’s started by low life. 1629. Rowdy fishermen from England. Built shacks and matchbox boats held together with oakum and a prayer that shipped out to the Grand Banks in storms they’d no right to come back from ... a lot didn’t.

Ones that made it back, drank up a rum squall.

“This is the causeway to Marblehead Neck where the moneybags live.”

The Pontiac rolls to a stop. “Postcard” is the word. Vast harbor strewn with big kids’ toys: stiletto-hulled, tall-masted yachts, power boats and fishing boats. Filling the horizon dead ahead, grand homes on a

rock-based peninsula, separated from sea walls at harbor’s edge by swaths of manicured lawn.

“Y’aint seen the half of it, boys and girls. Fourth a July, that harbor’s up to her gills -- 1900 boats.

“This is the outside loop of Marblehead Neck ... the ocean views. Look between the houses, just the Atlantic between you and Portugal.”

Fleeting patches of blue-black ocean tease our eyes from gaps between homes and trees as we drive along. The car stops. We get out and follow Betty along a pathway. “From that rock, you can check out Portugal.”

Nancy and I ascend the easy grade of the giant rock to the top. Immediately before us, the Atlantic sails all the way to Portugal.

Despite the 70-degree temperature, a shiver runs through me. nnn

In the car again, Betty tells us most of the grand homes on Marblehead Neck started out as“summer cottages.”

“Late 1800s, the rich birds who lived in Boston in the winter packed their families and white suits and dresses into trunks and plopped ‘em in these ‘cottages’

local men and women who built airplanes here in town at the dawning of the industry.

On the evening of Nov. 7, 1918, a fire tore through Factory No. 1, destroying it in only 30 minutes.

Despite efforts to carry on operations, the armistice of Nov. 11, 1918, which ended World War I, also effectively put an end to The Burgess Company. Within

days, government officials ended production and the company was forced to lay off the majority of its employees. The business never recovered and soon the sight of airplanes in Marblehead Harbor was but a memory.

For an extensive collection of photographs of the Burgess factories and aircraft, please

for the summer. Then they built the yacht clubs to yacht and party from. Then shutter it up after Labor Day. In the ’40s, people started winterizing em. “Here we are at the end of the Neck. That’s the lighthouse. Different, huh?” An Eiffel Tower. A cast-iron cylinder shoots 90 feet above the rock to support the octagonal housing from which the beacon shines. The effect is Victorian -- a gazebo in the sky.

Entering the lighthouse parking lot, Betty says, “We won’t get out. Never get ya back in.”

Another postcard. Expanse of blue-black water, occasionally flecked with white hull, white sail, great homes perched on the shore -- an island near us, a small compound of buildings, thin crescent of tan-sand beach.

“That’s Children’s Island. Summer camp for Marblehead kids. They ferry out in the morning, learn to tie knots and get sunburns. Come back late afternoon worn to a frazzle. Across over there ... Fort Sewall.”

A promontory surmounted with earthen ramparts.

“A couple British ships’re chasing the Constitution -- you know, ‘Old Ironsides’ from

grammar school. Ironsides is in trouble ... the boys from Marblehead man the cannons at Fort Sewall. The Brits skedaddle. We saved her.”

“Birthplace of the American Navy, too. You remember George Washington? General Glover and his Marblehead rowdies saved his butt more’n once. We’d all be speaking British today if not for Marblehead.”

We recross the causeway and enter a house-scape which is a confusion of shifting planes and alleys and dips and rises and sudden openings and tucked-aways. “Houses grew up from the water,” she says, as we drive by extents of antique houses so close to each other, they seem joined. “Had to be handy to the water ... that’s ordinarily the best place to get fish from, you see ... the water. Heh heh.

“There’s about 800 houses in Old Town. More than 300 built 50 or more years before the Revolutionary War or 50 years after. That’s why it’s called Old Town.”

An excerpt from Bob Baker’s memoir “When Life Was Wow!” He’s been a barnacle on Marblehead rock since he moved here in ’65

visit the Marblehead Museum’s online collections database: marblehead.pastperfectonline. com/. Lauren McCormack is executive

director of the Marblehead Museum. “From the Vault” is a partnership between the Marblehead Museum and the Marblehead Current.

An undated photograph shows a plane taking off from Tucker’s Wharf with the Neck in the background.

COURTESY PHOTOS / MARBLEHEAD MUSEUM COLLECTION

Mary Decosta Briggs’ Burgess uniform hat.

BY KRIS OLSON

There was comedy both intentional and unintentional as residents piled into the Boston Yacht Club to offer a rousing sendoff to Rebecca Curran Cutting Feb. 29. Until her recent retirement, Cutting had worked for the town for 36 years, much of it as both town planner and chief procurement officer.

The celebration in Cutting’s honor brought out dignitaries that included state Rep. Jenny Armini, who presented Cutting with a citation on behalf of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, who intersected briefly with Cutting in the halls of government in Salem back when Cutting was the city’s assistant planner and Driscoll, who served as the city’s mayor from 2006 to

2023, then just an intern.

“Who would have thought that, 30 years later, one of us would have one of the most prestigious and important jobs in Massachusetts — and the other one would become lieutenant governor,” Driscoll joked, drawing roars from a shoulder-to-shoulder crowd of town officials, past and present, and other friends of Cutting.

The unintentional comedy came as Select

Board member Jim Nye had to pause to take breaths repeatedly as he read from the board’s proclamation of Feb. 29, 2024, as “Rebecca Curran Cutting Day” in the town of Marblehead. The proclamation offered up a representative sample of the many projects in which Cutting had been involved over the years — a point also made by a display of miniature construction helmets at the event, labeled with the “many

hats” Cutting had worn during her decades of public service. Other speakers included Planning Board Chairman Bob Schaeffner, who thanked Cutting for her invaluable contributions, saying his “would not

have been a very effective board” without her. Thatcher Kezer quipped about his pride in being the only town administrator to have outlasted Cutting. When someone is looking for an answer in

municipal government, Kezer noted that the appropriate question often is, “Do you want to speak to the person in charge or the one who knows what’s going on?”

He suggested that Cutting is the latter.

“The rest of us know our success is so dependent on people like Becky,” he said.

In presenting Cutting with a gift on behalf of the party’s attendees, Select Board Administrative Aide Kyle Wiley explained that she and other organizers believed they had found the perfect item on the website of artist Racket Shreve. They then learned to their dismay that the website had not been updated recently, and the piece they sought was no longer available.

Shreve asked how much time he had and, despite learning the party was just over a week away, he got to work, producing a new original piece to be presented to Cutting.

Addressing the crowd, Cutting explained that when she first arrived in Marblehead, her initial plan had been to stay about three to five years. After that, she would lose her objectivity, she figured. But she soon realized that thinking had been misguided.

“Getting to know the town makes all the difference,” she said.

Before thanking all in attendance, Cutting paused to reflect on faces she wished she could have seen in the crowd, like late Select Board members Judy Jacobi and Tom McNulty, among others. She professed her love for Marblehead and her appreciation for her career.

“It’s been wonderful,” she said.

The Marblehead Current is proud to partner with photographer and historian Dan Dixey, who regularly shares photos of Marblehead from his extensive collection, along with information about each shot.

The first photo, left, shows the demolition of the old Rockmere Hotel in 1965. A red car is parked in front of the hotel.

The second photo from Aug. 27, 1966, captures the construction of Glover Landing. It features a building under construction with wooden framing on a rocky outcrop by the sea. Multiple boats are anchored in the foreground, and residential buildings line the shore in the background.

Meet the team behind Nordic Oasis

BY MELISSA STACEY

The following is an interview with Brendan Binkoski, co-owner of Nordic Oasis, conducted by Discover Marblehead. Nordic Oasis offers hot and cold therapy services which aim to provide healing powers for both the mind and body at their club location at 201 Pleasant St. To learn more, call 781-990-8990 or go to oasisnordic.com.

Brendan, tell us about Nordic Oasis and why you and Barry started it. Nordic Oasis offers steam, sauna (both infrared and traditional) and cold plunge services at our location at 201 Pleasant St. Our mission is to provide a refreshing and rejuvenating

Joining racial justice work on the North Shore

Several members of the Marblehead Racial Justice Team participated in the NAACP North Shore symposium at the Lynn Museum on Feb. 24.

The event focused on several topics, including the history of people of color in Essex County, housing, the intersections of education and the justice system, healthcare, and anti-racist work.

“Thanks to the NAACP North Shore branch for providing speakers who reminded me that

BY WILL DOWD

The Current welcomes submissions (150-200 words) to the news in brief. Send yours to wdowd@marbleheadnews.org.

Local woman honored for real estate work

Bernadette Butterfield of Marblehead, senior vice president of business strategy and development at Groom Construction, has been named one of the Outstanding Women of Commercial Real Estate for 2024 by the Boston Real Estate Times. Butterfield is being recognized for her work in corporate social responsibility and community engagement.

Leadership change at Marblehead Ophthalmology

Dr. Andrew Orenberg has taken over as presiding physician at Marblehead Ophthalmology, formerly known as Leon Remis, M.D.

Orenberg, a graduate of the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, will continue treating Remis’ patients while also accepting new patients in need of vision care. He brings over 16 years of ophthalmology experience to the practice and encourages an active physician-patient partnership.

Marblehead’s boaters invited to share stories

Susan Cairns Fischer is inviting Marblehead boaters to share the unique stories behind their boat names for the upcoming third edition of “Marblehead Boat Names,” set to be released in the summer of 2024. A decade has passed since the second edition, and with numerous new or updated boats and names in Marblehead’s

we as local community members need to show up and speak up at public meetings because so much is decided locally,” said MRJT’s Rev. Susan Morrison. “We need to relearn and teach real American history, and we need to support our local police efforts in creating restorative justice programs in our communities.”

To learn more about the North Shore NAACP, visit northshorenaacp.org/.

waters, Fischer aims to include as many stories as possible in this edition. Boaters interested in submitting their stories can visit MarbleheadBoatNames. com. Fischer encourages the community to spread the word and looks forward to featuring all submissions in the book.

Upcoming Marblehead Museum programs

» The Marblehead Museum will feature Susan Wilson for a Zoom lecture on pioneering Boston doctor Susan Dimock, Thursday, March 7, at 7 p.m. Dimock’s journey, from witnessing Civil War battles to becoming one of Boston’s most enterprising women in a time when the idea of a “woman doctor” was controversial, promises an engaging narrative. For tickets, visit marbleheadmuseum.org or call 781-631-1768.

Annual benefit dinner at The Landing: On Tuesday, March 12, at 6 p.m., the Marblehead Museum will hold its annual benefit dinner at The Landing Restaurant to support the new

experience while creating a club vibe where everyone in the community feels welcome. We also offer monthly memberships and club rentals for private events. Barry and I started the business to spread awareness of the physical and mental benefits of hot and cold therapy — something humans have been doing for more than 1,000 years.

What is the best piece of business advice you’ve ever received? The best piece of advice I’ve received is, “Stay determined.” Every day you will encounter issues and problems, be patient and push through them.

What is your favorite spot in Marblehead, and why? My favorite spot in town is

Marblehead Neck. It’s beautiful and unique.

What is something people would be surprised to learn about you? Most people may be surprised to know that I lived in Asia for three years — mostly in Seoul.

The business spotlight is a weekly feature published in partnership with Discover Marblehead. To learn more, visit discovermhd.com

exhibit in the Lee Mansion Brick Kitchen. The Landing will contribute 15% of each bill to the museum. Reservations are suggested and can be made by calling The Landing at 781-639-1266.

» Lecture on the Intolerable Acts: Robert Allison, professor of history at Suffolk University, will speak at the Marblehead Museum on Thursday, March 21, at 7 p.m., about how the Intolerable Acts propelled Massachusetts toward revolution. Sponsored by the Marblehead Museum and the Revolution 250 Marblehead Committee, the lecture is available in-person and via Zoom. For tickets, visit the museum’s website or call 781-631-1768.

Annual meeting and archaeological talk: The Marblehead Museum’s annual meeting is set for Thursday, March 28, at 6:30 p.m., featuring updates on the museum’s 2023 achievements and future plans. Following the meeting, at 7 p.m., Christa Beranek of the Fiske Center for Archaeology at UMass Boston will discuss the 2023 archaeological findings at the Lee Mansion. The meeting is free, but registration is required. Visit the museum’s website or call 781-631-1768 to register.

‘What’s Wrong with My Houseplant?’

The Cottage Gardeners of Marblehead and Swampscott are hosting a free public meeting at the Jewish Community Center of the North Shore on March 12. The event, starting with refreshments at 12:30 p.m. and followed by the program at 1 p.m., will feature Massachusetts Master Gardener Bonnie Powers. Powers will present “What’s

Wrong With My Houseplant?”

focusing on the essentials for healthy indoor plants, including proper light, water, soil, and pest and disease management. The event is open to all, but RSVPs are requested at JCCNS.org.

Town seeks applicants for charter committee

The town is soliciting volunteers to serve on a committee to create a town charter.

The group will study Marblehead’s current government structure, analyze options and gather public input over the course of a year.

Residents interested in serving should submit letters of interest and resumes by March 22. Submit materials to the Select Board at Abbot Hall, 188 Washington St., or email wileyk@marblehead.org.

Other volunteer opportunities

The town has openings on several municipal boards and commissions:

Cable Television Advisory Committee (four vacancies, one-year terms, deadline March

8) Marblehead Cultural Council (three vacancies, three-year terms)

» Marblehead Disabilities Commission (one vacancy, three-year term) Interested residents should submit letters of interest and resumes to the Select Board at Abbot Hall, 188 Washington St., or email wileyk@marblehead. org. Details on each group are at marblehead.org.

Abbot Library offers tax counseling service

Registration is open for the Tax Counseling for the Elderly Program offered by AARP at the Abbot Library. The free tax

preparation service will be held on Mondays through April 8. Appointments are required. Call the library at 781-631-1481 during open hours to sign up. Tax forms are now available in the Reference Room.

The TCE program provides basic tax return preparation for low- to moderate-income taxpayers, with a focus on seniors. Participants do not need to be AARP members or meet an age requirement. For more information, visit abbotlibrary.org/tax-prepprogram or email the library at mar@noblenet.org.

Marblehead mothers’ co-op to hold pop-up shop

The Marblehead Mother’s Co-op will host its ninth annual Pop-up Shops event at The Boston Yacht Club April 5-6. This year’s vendor lineup includes over 20 primarily women-owned local businesses selling apparel, jewelry, home goods and more.

Notable guests include Emmy Award-winning TV broadcaster Maria Sansone, who will sign copies of her best-selling cookbook, “Oh $#!% What’s For Dinner?” and medical aesthetics practice RN Esthetics. Proceeds benefit Friends of Marblehead Public Schools, a nonprofit supporting local education. Tickets are $20. The pop-up runs April 5, 6 p.m.-10 p.m., and April 6, 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. Learn more at mhdpopupshops.com.

ClearGov is live

Residents now have online access to more of the town’s financial information via the ClearGov Transparency Center at bit.ly/3Oi07pF. It’s part of the town’s new cloud-based financial software system.

‘ShOW UP, SPE a K UP’

COURTESY PHOTO

Marblehead Racial Justice Team members (from left) Jay Morrison, Sue Morrison, Gratia Pelliciotti, Lou Meyi stand with Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker at a recent NAACP North Shore symposium.

COURTESY PHOTO

Barry Paskivich, left, and Brendan Binkoski, co-owners of Nordic Oasis, stand at their 201 Pleasant St. location. Offering a range of hot and cold therapy services, they aim to provide healing and rejuvenation for both mind and body.

COURTESY PHOTO

Bernadette Butterfield of Marblehead has been named one of the Outstanding Women of Commercial Real Estate for 2024 by the Boston Real Estate Times.

‘It’s About Pirates and

advances to second round of MHS Drama Festival

BY CURRENT INTERN BENJI BOYD

*Boyd plays the role of Ronald in “It’s About Pirates and Nothing Else”

On Saturday, March 2, the students of the Marblehead High School Drama Club boarded a bus bound for St. John’s Prep to compete in the 2024 Massachusetts High School Drama Festival, or Drama Fest for short. MHS performed a student-written play “It’s About Pirates and Nothing Else” (formerly “The Life of the Phoenix”) alongside five other productions, and eagerly awaited the decision of a panel of judges on which schools would advance to the next round. After a day of excitement and anticipation, the results came in. The pirates of MHS will advance to the Drama Fest semifinals.

On Saturday, March 9, MHS will head out to compete at Framingham High. Director Ashley Skeffington, an English teacher at MHS and a Drama Fest alum herself, expressed her excitement at seeing the show move on and praised the students for taking the show into their own hands.

“When students have this level of autonomy in a production, there’s a huge buy in. They care more, they pay attention to details, and they push each other to do better,” SKeffington said.

One of the favorite Drama Fest traditions includes All-star Company Awards — recognition given to individual members of a show’s cast and crew to highlight their work. Molly Farber, Monica Pechhold and Liv Niles were honored for technical excellence in costume design and the engineering of a cardboard hydra head, and Jacob Piascik and Matias Watts Cruz both received acting awards.

One of the biggest challenges during rehearsals was getting the play to run under 40 minutes, as is required by the competition. Student writers Luke Menslage and Brady Weed put their heads

together only a few days before the competition to work out what to cut. Thankfully, the writers and cast managed to get the show down to only 38 minutes by nailing down pacing – even if it meant actors had to talk over the audience’s laughter a few times.

Also advancing to semifinals is our host school St. John’s Prep, with “Nothing/ Something” and Georgetown High with “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.” The exact schedule for the semifinals has yet to be announced, but the time slots for each performance will be posted on the Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild Instagram account as soon as they are solidified.

In the meantime,fans can follow the MHS Drama Club Instagram account “marbleheaddrama.”

COURTESY PHOTO / DAWN BRADY WEED

MHS students Aoife Sullivan, Anya Kane, Brady Weed and Luke Menslage at Drama Fest.

COURTESY PHOTO

The fearsome pirate Brownbeard (Samuel Jendrysik) boards the ship of Captain Lewis Stockwell (Gywneth Anderson) during a Drama Fest rehearsal.

COURTESY PHOTO / ANYA KANE

Left to right: Molly Farber, Monica Pechhold, Matias Watts Cruz, Jacob Piascik and Liv Niles pose with their awards in front of student directors Luke Menslage and Brady Weed.

Sports

MHS gets two games closer to TD Garden

BY JOE MCCONNELL

Arguably the hottest high school hockey team in the state since the calendar flipped to 2024, the Marblehead High boys team (13-9-1, sixth seed) defeated the Foxboro Warriors (10-12-1, 27th seed) Wednesday night (Feb. 28) at Salem State’s O’Keefe Arena in a Division 3 Round of 32 state tournament game, 7-2. The Headers started the season with six straight losses, before rattling off 12 wins out of 16 games to earn a Top 10 postseason berth.

The Warriors edged Easthampton (12-9, 38th seed) in a preliminary round game, 4-3, while the Headers were enjoying a bye.

Juniors James Caeran and Kyle Hart each scored hat tricks to pace the attack against the Warriors. Cam Waldman closed out the scoring in the game late in the final period.

The Headers were in control throughout most of the game with the exception of a brief stretch in the closing seconds of the opening stanza and the early stages of the middle frame, when Foxboro tied up the proceedings at two.

Coach Mark Marfione knows that teams have to remain sharp from start to finish to guarantee victory at this stage of the season, but that wasn’t the case against Foxboro. “We didn’t play up to our standards, and also got lucky a few times,” Marfione said after the win over Foxboro. “We

INDOOr TracK

Marblehead junior forward James Caeran (23) receives congratulations from teammates Noah Feingold (10), Ben Wales (2), Hogan Sedky (7) and Kyle Hart (15) after scoring one of his three goals during a Division 3 Round of 32 state tournament game against Foxboro at Salem State’s O’Keefe Arena on Feb.

need better from our second line if we want to advance.

“Kyle (Hart) and James (Caeran) showed in this game that they are good scorers, but we need more from everybody. We also had too many defensive

Runner extraordinaire LeDaisha Williams earns NEC’s top award

BY JOE MCCONNELL

Marblehead High track star LeDaisha Williams is a recipient of the Northeastern Conference (NEC) Athlete of the Year indoor track (MVP) award. The award, voted on by the conference coaches, is presented to the most outstanding male and female indoor track athlete in recognition of their individual successes that greatly determine the outcome of meets.

Alex Jackson of Peabody, a Tanners’ shot-putter, is this year’s NEC male recipient. Jackson recently won the shot put title at the statewide Meet of Champions, and is considered to be the 14 th best thrower in the country.

Williams was undefeated in the 300 during the regular season, before going on to finish first again in the NEC Championship Meet with a time of 42.0.

During the regular season, she participated in both the 300 and 4x400 relays most of the time, which means she had only 30 to 40 minutes rest between events, according to head coach Nolan Raimo.

“She was simply relentless,” he said.

The Marblehead senior captain also stepped up to qualify for the NEC Meet in the 55-meters (7.64) during the second to last meet of the year against Gloucester on Jan. 24.

“As a team, we had the dream of winning the NEC Championship, which meant all hands on-deck,” said Raimo,

zone lapses,” the coach added. “I think we have to pay more attention to detail and play a full game if we want to continue winning going forward.”

The veteran Marblehead coach wasn’t through with

BOYS hOOPS

his assessment of his junior snipers. “Kyle is realizing that if he makes quicker passes it will result in scoring chances. I’m proud to say he has grown considerably as a player, while James is just showing overall maturity in his game,” he said.

The Marblehead boys had 14 shots on net, and were able to score on half of their chances.

Junior goalie Leo Burdge came up with 16 saves to do his part to keep his teammates ahead on the scoreboard most of the time.

Hart opened up the scoring with 3:37 gone in the first period assisted by senior captain Hogan Sedky.

Caeran notched the next score at the 5:17 mark of the period from Hart and Sedky.

After the Warriors tied up the game, the host team got back down to business on Caeran’s second marker of the game assisted by sophomore Avin

Rodovsky and Hart. Hart then trickled one past Foxboro goalie Trevor Marder with just over four minutes left in the second to regain the two-goal advantage on a solo effort.

Caeran recorded his hat trick goal while killing a penalty early on in the third. Hart then scored into the empty net with two minutes remaining in the game, before Waldman closed out the scoring barrage.

Altogether, Sedky was credited with three assists in the game, and Hart had two, along with Toby Grenier. Sophomore Andrew DePhillips and Caeran produced one assist apiece.

Headers move on to the Elite 8 after staging third period comeback

After beating the Methuen Rangers (16-4-2, 11 th seed)

Saturday afternoon at Salem

Magicians begin postseason with thrilling sequel, taking down Melrose in OT

BY JOE MCCONNELL

One year ago, the Marblehead High boys basketball team (14-7, 34th seed) played perhaps the most exciting game of the state tournament, when the Magicians defeated host Pope Francis with seconds remaining in a Division 2 Sweet 16 game, 59-57 on a Miles O’Neill putback. Twelve months later, this year’s version of coach Mike Giardi’s squad staged another postseason thriller in the preliminary round against Melrose (13-8, 31st seed) at Stoneham on Feb. 28. The game needed overtime to determine a winner, and the Marblehead boys once again came out on top, 67-64. Melrose was supposed to host the game, but it had to be moved to neighboring Stoneham, because of a leaky roof.

“It was a great game against a really tough opponent,” said Giardi. “We came out hot in the first quarter, and went up 11-0, but Melrose clawed its way back. They attacked the rim, and really made it challenging for us.”

The Magicians ended the first half up by one, and got hot again in the second half, leading at one point by seven. But they could never pull away.

“We ended up getting a little stale, and as a result (Melrose)

was able to take a four-point lead with a 1:30 to go in the game,” explained Giardi. “We then made some big plays offensively and defensively that put us ahead briefly. Melrose was able to come back to tie the game, and had a shot to win it at the buzzer. But they missed to force overtime. We

then jumped out early in the extra period, and were able to hang on. Overall, it was a great effort by our kids, who never panicked.”

Nick Lemmond paced the offensive attack with 30 points.

Scott Campbell was next in

COURTESY PHOTOS / LINDSEY STAFFORD

Marblehead High junior forward Kyle Hart maneuvers craftily with the puck against Foxboro.

COURTESY PHOTO

Marblehead High boys basketball senior captain Scott Campbell looks to block a shot during a game against Salem at the TD Garden in January.

COURTESY PHOTO / CAT PIPER

Marblehead senior captain LeDaisha Williams is running down the final stretch to complete the victory in the 4x400 for her relay teammates during the Division 3 state relays on Jan. 21 at the Reggie Lewis Athletic Center in Roxbury. Williams has since earned the NEC Athlete of the Year girls indoor track award.

Elite Magicians compete with the state’s best at the Meet of Champions

BY JOE MCCONNELL

According to Marblehead High indoor track assistant coach Will Herlihy’s research, the Magicians this year sent the most studentathletes from the North Shore to the Meet of Champions, which consists of the Top 24 athletes in each event throughout the state.

“It’s a great achievement and recognition for an awesome season,” said head coach Nolan Raimo.

“Unfortunately, there is no team scoring at this meet, but every athlete and relay team on both our squads either matched or outperformed their seed.”

The annual statewide meet took place at the Reggie Lewis Athletic Center in Roxbury on Feb. 24.

Boys long jump

Alex Hersey (20-1.5) capped off an historic season in the long jump with a 15th place finish. His best jump of the season was 21-5.75 at the NEC Championships, which broke that meet’s record, according to Raimo.

“Remarkably, Alex achieved all of this without access to a practice jump pit,” said Raimo. “He had to compete against student-athletes, who had the opportunity to jump weekly at meets or in practice pits at their own facilities.

“There’s no doubt that Alex stands as the best indoor long jumper in Marblehead High School history, and is poised to break the outdoor long jump record of 21-10 this spring,” the coach added.

Raimo said jumpers typically see an increase of about 12-inches in their jumps during the spring track season compared to indoor competitions.

Boys 55-meter hurdles

Hersey (7.97) also finished 15 th in the state in these hurdles.

“Despite being sick the

previous week, while still battling through an injury, he delivered a quality race to secure 15th place on the biggest (indoor) stage in Massachusetts track and field,” said Raimo.

“His hurdling strengths are particularly evident in the 110-meter outdoor hurdles, compared to the 55-meter indoor event, making this achievement of being the Top 20 in the state truly remarkable.

“Alex is slated to compete in the 60-meter hurdles at the New Balance Nationals in early

March. Similar to the long jump, he is poised for a successful spring season in the hurdles, perhaps even in the 400- meter hurdles,” added Raimo.

Boys 55-meters

Thomas Carlson (6.62) finished 1 th , just missing the finals by 0.04 seconds.

“When Tommy opened up the season on Dec. 9 with a time of 6.78, we knew it was going to be a great season for him, but we had no idea it would be this incredible,” said Raimo. “Tommy

finished the indoor season with a personal best time of 6.56, which is also a school record. It ranks 15 th in the entire state in the most competitive track event, based on sheer participation numbers. In an event traditionally dominated by seniors, Tommy as a junior set the world on fire. He will now compete in the 60-meter dash at the New Balance Nationals, and he’s positioned to have a fantastic spring season.”

Boys two-mile Nate Assa finished 10 th with a time of 9:42.2. “While not a personal best, it was still a great showing for Nate,” said Raimo. “It was a great experience for him to compete against the best runners in the state. Marblehead has had only a handful of runners who have ever gone sub10 in this event. His extremely successful indoor season was a continuation of his outstanding cross-country season, and now he’ll look to carry the momentum into the spring season.”

Girls 4x200

Ava Machado, Sadie Halpern, Charlie Roszell and LeDaisha Williams (1:46.3) battled it out with the best in the state to finish third, which also secured a new school record.

“It was a great race by everyone,” said Raimo. “Going into the final leg, LeDaisha received the baton with a 10-meter gap between her and the two top teams (Mansfield and Algonquin). But LeDaisha still miraculously caught up, before diving across the line. It was a photo finish. As a team, they finished 0.13 seconds behind the best team in the state. Ava, Sadie, Charlie and LeDaisha are now shutting down for the indoor season due to injury, but they were still able to post one of the best high school seasons in recent memory.”

Girls 4x400

Ava Machado, Kate Twomey, Charlie Roszell and Sadie Halpern (4:11.2) finished sixth.

“Ava, Charlie and Sadie had a quick turnaround of about 45 minutes between the 4x200 and 4x400, which is unbelievable,” said Raimo. “LeDaisha was dealing with an injury all week, which flared up after the 4x200, and so Twomey stepped up at a moment’s notice to replace her. I told her before we got to Reggie that there was a five to 10% chance she would run in the 4x400 later that day. She had been skiing after her indoor season ended following a thirdplace finish in the 1,000 at the State Division 3 Championship Meet. But the day before the (Meet of Champions), we reached out to see if she could be an alternate. Kate is a fantastic role model who is wise beyond her years for a high school student, and we are fortunate as a program to have someone like her willing to sacrifice and run on the biggest stage without fear or worry.”

Sophomore wrestling captain qualifies for regionals after making history Haskell, Hinshaw, O’Brien represent the Black & Blue at the All-State Meet

BY JOE MCCONNELL

It was an historic tournament for the Marblehead Black & Blue wrestlers, with three qualifying and competing in the All-State Meet at Salem on Feb. 23 and 24.

“Kudos to Salem and its staff for running a great couple of days of wrestling. It was truly a sight to see both sets of bleachers filled with fans watching the finals,” said coach Mike Stamison.

At 106, eighth grader Brady Haskell became the first eighth grader in program history to wrestle at All-States, and he went one better by winning a match.

“(Haskell) had a tough draw, first facing off against the eventual All-State runner-up from Greater Lowell, but was then able to pin his Bellingham/Blackstone Valley opponent, before falling to Rockland,” said Stamison.

“Brady wraps up his first varsity season with an excellent 38-6 record. He had first place finishes at the Listiano Memorial Wakefield Tournament, Pentucket Holiday Tournament and CAL/NEC Tournament, while finishing second at the Daniel Gionet Memorial Pelham

Tournament and Division 2 North Sectionals. He also ended up fifth in the Division 2 State Meet. After all of these accomplishments, Brady was chosen an NEC All-Star. The sky’s the limit for him.”

At 144, junior captain Mason Hinshaw wrapped up the season by going 1-2 at the All-States to bring his season

record to an excellent 41-9, an improvement on last year’s 32-12 campaign.

Hinshaw first went up against a Lynnfield/North Reading wrestler, who had defeated him three times in the last two seasons, including in this year’s CAL/NEC finals, 13-8 and 13-3 and also in the Lisitano Memorial semifinals.

Trailing 5-0 early on, Hinshaw was able to pin him in the second period, before going up against eventual All-State champion James Tildsley of Shawsheen, where he lost to him in the quarterfinals. He then had a rematch against his Canton foe, whom he defeated previously at the Division 2 State Meet, 12-8. But this time he lost, 14-4.

Hinshaw ended the season with third place finishes in the Lisitano Memorial and Pentucket Holiday Tournaments to go along with later on at the Division 2 State Meet. He won the Gionet Memorial and the Division 2 North sectionals, while coming in second at the conference meet.

“The training begins now for Mason’s senior campaign,” said Stamison. And finally, at 120, sophomore captain Liam O’Brien made program history, when he became the first outright qualifier to the All-New England Meet after his performance in the All-States.

“We’ve had three alternates — Sean Taylor, Nick Sirota and Mason Hinshaw — in years past, but by placing seventh in the All-States Liam is guaranteed to wrestle against the (regional

elite in Providence),” said Stamison.

His first-round All-State match was against a Gloucester opponent, who defeated earlier this season. But this time he won, 6-3. In the quarterfinals, he was pinned by his Andover counterpart. In his last match of the day, he was up against a wrestler from Dedham. With time running out on the season, he was able to negotiate a reversal in the third period, before getting a pin to notch his 100 th career varsity win, and a spot in the regionals.

“Liam now joins the Hopkins brothers — Stephen and Michael — Jake Powell and older brother Connor in the program’s 100 Win Club,” said Stamison. “Liam’s whole family was on hand to celebrate the milestone.”

On Day 2 of the All-States, the mission was simple: Win one match and move on to the AllNew England Meet for O’Brien.

The first match of the day didn’t go his way, losing to St. John’s Prep, 8-0. But he then gutted out a close win against Shawsheen, 4-2 to secure the seventh-place finish. O’Brien is now tied with Hinshaw in wins with 41 on the season. He’s 41-12 overall.

COURTESY PHOTO

Marblehead High sophomore wrestling captain Liam O’Brien is flanked

“and that included LeDaisha scoring in the 300 and 55-meters, an event she had not run before the Gloucester meet. She then proceeded to surpass her qualifying time in the 55-meters to finish third behind teammates Ava Machado (first) and Sadie Halpern (second) with a time of 7.57. As a result, we scored 24 points to take a commanding lead at the start of the NEC Meet, and never looked back.”

Williams continued on that day to win the 300, and anchor the 4x200 relay that went on to shatter the NEC Meet’s previous best mark of 1:48.18. Together, they ran it in 1:46.35. She individually scored 18.5 points at the NEC Meet (10 in the 300, six in the 55-meters and 2.5 in the 4x200).

Before the conference meet, the Marblehead speedster ran

Hockey

From P. A9

State’s Rockett Arena, 3-1 in a Division 3 Sweet 16 game, the Marblehead High boys hockey team (14-9-1, sixth seed) is on the cusp of making history. These Headers started the season with six straight losses, but have since recorded a 14-3-1 record in the last 18 games, including the comeback triumph over the Rangers. They are just a couple of wins away from playing at the TD Garden for the first time since 2011, when that group won the state title. It was the program’s first and only statewide championship.

One of their assistant coaches, Liam Gillis, played on that club. Head coach Mark Marfione also has two more assistants on his staff with a winning local pedigree. Tim Kalinowski and Matt Koopman played together with Gillis in subsequent seasons following that 2011 campaign.

Their family lineage runs deep, as well. All three of their grandfathers were local high school sports legends. Dick Lynch is Kalinowski’s grandfather, and he coached with Gillis’ granddad on Swampscott’s Stan Bondelevitch football staff. Lynch went on to become the Danvers High athletic director. His son, Mike, was the longtime Channel 5 sports anchor. Gillis’ grandad was the Salem State sports boss, while Matt’s paternal

Boys

From P. A9

line with 19. Ryan Commoss contributed 12 points to the winning cause. Finn Baron accounted for six.

Leominster eliminates Magicians in Round of 32 On the surface, it appeared the Division 2 boys state tournament Round of 32 basketball game at Leominster on March 1 was a blowout after the second-seeded Blue Devils (18-3) defeated the visiting Magicians (14-8, 34th seed), 78-58. But it was anything, but easy for the home team.

Leominster led after one quarter, 22-17. But led by sharpshooter Nick Lemmond, the Marblehead boys went on to outscore Leominster in the second quarter, 23-18, and as a result they went into the halftime break all tied up at 40.

“Our kids played incredibly well for three quarters, but we broke down in the fourth, both mentally and physically,” said Giardi. “We didn’t make the adjustments we needed to make in the fourth both on the court and off, and it hurt us.

“Down by only one after three quarters (54-53), we felt we were in good shape, but we only scored five points from

a blazing fast 400-meter split (58.6) in the sprint medley relays during the Division 3 State Relays to propel her teammates to victory, six seconds ahead of the second-place quartet.

At that same meet, Williams anchored the 4x400 — her second 400 of the day — where she ended up passing a Westwood runner in the final 30 meters to secure the win in 4:12.22.

“We won that meet by onepoint over Billerica, a team that has dominated Division 3 track for many years,” said Raimo, “and it was all because of the 4x400 team of Ava Machado, Sadie Halpern, Charlie Roszell and LeDaisha Williams.”

At the Coaches Invitational, Williams finished eighth overall in the 300. She also participated in the 4x400, and together they ran a 4:07.80 to win the event by seven seconds over second-place Milton (4:14.62).

During the Division 3 State Championships that followed the aforementioned NEC Meet, she missed winning the state title in the 300 by just .002 seconds.

“LeDaisha missed winning the title by an almost nonexistent distance, but she still handled it with complete grace,” said Raimo. “She hugged the Westwood runner – Ruby Codrington – who ended up winning the title.

“A lot of athletes would have folded after a narrow defeat like that, but LeDaisha rallied to once again anchor the 4x400 relay, where she helped win the state championship in a time of 4:06.73, gapping second-place Nashoba by over five seconds (4:11.92),” added the veteran Marblehead coach.

At the Meet of Champions, Williams received the baton in the final leg of the 4x200 with the team already down by 10

meters to Algonquin Regional and Mansfield. All signs were pointing to a third-place finish against the best competition in the state. But Williams was gaining ground fast. She had the slightest stumble coming off the final turn, but with only 40 meters left the three teams were stride for stride. Williams then dove across the finish line in a final attempt to win the All-State championship, but unfortunately missed it by 0.13. Mansfield won it in 1:45.93, followed by Algonquin Regional (1:46).

“We were massive underdogs in this race, but yet LeDaisha still gave us a chance,” said Raimo.

To sum her up, Raimo said that Williams is one of the kindest individuals he has ever met, and he went on to say, “LeDaisha’s mother attends every meet and cheers on all the Marblehead runners, even after LeDaisha is done competing. The apple

grandfather, Alex, was the longtime MHS football coach and athletic director.

Is there any wonder that these players know that winning formula? They learn history very well.

Against Methuen, the Headers found themselves trailing, 1-0 after two periods. But then, they went on the attack in the third period to light the lamp three times to wrap up their second straight postseason victory.

With 9:38 left in the game, junior James Caeran tied up the proceedings from captain Hogan Sedky and Kyle Hart. Less than two minutes later, Sedky scored what turned out to be the game-winner assisted by Caeran.

that point on, and gave up 24. We played tough and with a ton of heart, but just didn’t have enough in the tank,” added the veteran Marblehead coach.

Lemmond started slowly, but he heated up big-time in the second quarter. The senior shooting star poured in six three-pointers to account for 18 points in eight minutes. He accounted for 26 points in the game.

The Magicians really picked it up in the second quarter behind the efforts of Lemmond, once again. They took their first lead of the game midway through the second quarter, 33-32 on one of Lemmond’s six threes in the period.

From that point on, both teams basically traded baskets.

The game was tied three different times at 35, 38 and finally 40 at the halftime buzzer.

It was more of the same in the third quarter. The Blue Devils managed to take a slim one-point lead at the end of the frame, 54-53. Four different Marblehead players scored during these eight minutes, led by Campbell and Lemmond with four apiece.

But then came the fateful fourth. Leominster scored the

first 17 points of the quarter to take a 71-53 lead, even timeouts by coach Giardi wasn’t enough to slow them down.

The Magicians finally broke through offensively in the fourth on another three by Lemmond. Campbell secured the other two points for the locals in the period. Besides Lemmond’s 26, Campbell was next in line with 15. Commoss chipped in with 11. Sam Thompson was credited with six.

Jack Dadah (22), Jayden Johnson (21) and Terrence McCormack (17) were the top three Leominster scorers.

Marblehead seniors Lemmond, Commoss and Campbell supplied most of the offensive firepower this season, including in the loss against Leominster. But, according to Giardi, their classmates Adrian Baron, Christian Weston and Cam Comstock also did all they could to slow down the (Leominster) offense on defense to keep the game close for at least three quarters.

“I’m really proud of the way the team, especially the seniors handled themselves all year long. Our underclassmen have a lot to work for next year,” added Giardi.

certainly doesn’t fall far from the tree, because LeDaisha has also brought so much grace, class and respect to the Marblehead track program.

“We are respected at the state and regional level, and a large part of that is because of LeDaisha’s success in the 300 and the relays. I’ve now coached hundreds of athletes, and I’ve competed against or with thousands of others, but yet I’ve never seen someone fight on the track with such effort and tenacity like LeDaisha. She just loves to compete. LeDaisha is the epitome of a true competitor. As a coach who strives to create the best environment I can for these student-athletes, LeDaisha is the bedrock of who we strive to be as a team — competitors who leave it all out on the track, while also appreciating the journey of becoming the best we can possibly be.”

Prior to the empty-netter, the Headers had to kill a penalty, which they did to perfection, particularly London McDonald, Grenier and Hart, who had a few chances to score a shorthanded goal with a relentless stickchecking attack.

“We called a timeout before our kill, and made a few adjustments,” said Marfione, “and Charlie Grenier and McDonald did great for us during that critical moment of the game.”

The Marblehead boys outshot their Methuen counterparts, 26-14. Junior goalie Leo Burdge once again did his job to limit the opposition’s scoring opportunities. “Leo came up with some big saves to keep us in the game,” said Marfione. There was never a doubt in this team, even when they couldn’t buy a win in December. “We always liked our group,” said Marfione. “The early results were frustrating, but we knew once we focused on details we would play better. I liked our group from Day 1.”

But that being said, there’s always room for improvement, according to Marfione. “We just got to watch the film, and work on anything we need to get better at,” he said.

The Scituate Sailors (17-52, third seed) are next up for the locals in a Division 3 Elite 8 game (time, site TBA). They defeated Watertown (8-12-2, 19th seed), 6-1 in their Sweet 16 contest on March 2.

Magicians fall to host Westboro to begin postseason

BY JOE MCCONNELL

As the 33rd seed in the Division 2 state tournament, the Marblehead High girls basketball team (14-9) took on host Westboro (13-9, 32nd seed) in a preliminary round game, only to lose, 57-49. Westboro then lost to the top seed Medfield (19-2) in the Round of 32, 68-50. A team made up of only two seniors — Kate Burns and Katie Pyne — came of age this season to produce a winning record that secured a postseason berth.

“We were leading by two early on in the fourth quarter, but after that we just ran out of gas,” said coach Paul Moran. “It’s tough to go on the road

in the state tournament, but we played really good defense against Westboro to keep the game close.”

Sophomore Tess Andriano was the team’s leading scorer against Westboro with 13 points. Her classmate Marri O’Connell was next in line with 11. Senior co-captain Kate Burns and freshman Ainsley McDonald netted seven apiece. Burns also dominated the board with 10 rebounds.

Junior Ramona Gillett scored four points. Senior co-captain Katie Pyne tallied three times.

Junior Liv Goldwater accounted for two points.

“The entire team did a good job giving me all they had this year,” said Moran.

Senior forward Charlie Grenier provided some insurance with an empty net goal with 56.6 seconds left on the clock.

Marblehead junior defenseman James MacKenzie skates the puck out of his own zone during a Division 3 Round of 32 state tournament game at Salem State’s O’Keefe Arena on Feb. 28. Sophomore teammate Toby Grenier is alongside him for added support. The Headers ended up winning the game, 7-2.

COURTESY PHOTOS / LINDSEY STAFFORD

Marblehead junior forward Kyle Hart faces off against his Foxboro counterpart during a Division 3 Round of 32 state tournament game at Salem State’s O’Keefe Arena on Feb. 28. Hart was credited with three goals and two assists to help lead his teammates past the Warriors, 7-2.

GIrLS hOOPS

PaWS

Octavia found on doorstep

BREED: Rat SIZE: Small AGE: Young SEX: Female Meet Octavia. She came to the Marblehead Animal Shelter when

hISTOrY Select Board forms 250th committee

BY WILL DOWD

Nothing

soup recipe being given away.

“Sometimes people have houseguests and there are things leftover when they leave and they don’t want to throw them away,” Robbins said. Of course, knowing the member who gives away cooked chicken helps even a few years post pandemic.

“The other day someone cooked chili and had too much leftover for their family and offered it to the group. It’s nice to be nice,” she said, adding that gratitude and kindness are key to the group.

The items still in good condition but no longer wanted by some BNM members have helped many people furnish and decorate their homes and stocked grandparents’ homes with countless toys, all while

The Select Board voted unanimously on Feb. 28 to establish an ad hoc committee called Marblehead 250 Committee to organize events and activities commemorating the 250th anniversary of American independence leading up to 2026.

Co-chaired by town historian Donald Doliber, Marblehead Museum Executive Director Lauren McCormack and Marblehead Historical Commission member Edward Nilsson, the 13-member

helping donors clean out their houses. As the name implies, nothing is for sale, it is all free.

Member Kera Dalton is grateful for the generosity to the refugees she helps as they relocate to the area.

“Buy Nothing has been great,” Dalton said. “At one point we had a family who needed a couch, and we got three offers for a couch,” adding she has also received furniture, clothes and car seats for the families.

“People have been wonderful. The families are always telling me to thank people. They are very appreciative.”

Sometimes, the Buy Nothing community offers more than Dalton requests, she said, noting the extreme generosity.

“Most of what they have in their apartments has come from Buy Nothing,” adding she has also been gifted hats, mittens, gloves

committee will provide public programming to highlight Marblehead’s role in the Revolutionary War.

“We’ve already developed some themes and concepts, and we are asking, first of all, to be recognized as that 250th Committee,” Doliber, with Nilsson seated at his side, told the Select Board. “Second of all, we’re requesting that we have the ability for supporters to donate.

Doliber noted the committee came together after successful celebrations in years past around what was called “Spirit Day,”

and other warm clothing for the families, many of whom aren’t prepared for our cold weather.

Jim Trick is one member who has given away everything from “green beans to guitars.” He was given a number of guitars recently and within 15 minutes of posting on BNM, four people had new guitars. Trick called BNM “social media at its best,” showing the heart of the community.

“It brings people from our community together,” he said. “BNM is like “The Waltons” or Mayberry on steroids.”

While Trick was raised in Haverhill, he has been a Marbleheader for over 20 years and says his heart is deep in the town.

“I can’t believe we get to live here, and we get free stuff!” he said, giving a nod to BNM.

Buy Nothing Marblehead

where residents celebrated the town’s history at various landmarks from Abbot Hall to the Old Town House.

The Select Board authorized the committee to use the existing Town Celebration Fund to accept donations from supporters to help finance its efforts. Funds can be donated by mailing checks made payable to “Town of Marblehead” to Abbot Hall, 188 Washington St., Marblehead, MA 01945, with the memo “Town Celebration Fund.”

The Select Board also granted the committee permission to

has proven crucial for refugee families as noted by Dalton, as well as for people seeking medical supplies, baby products, exercise equipment, art supplies and so much more. Robbins said some members give the gift of self, which truly goes to the mission of building community relationships. Trick is one of those people. In the good weather he posts about his upcoming impromptu concerts at Crocker Park where he will grab his guitar and entertain the crowd. Robbins added that some members of BNM post asking if anyone has the talent and time to teach their grandchild to sew or learn to play the video game Minecraft and members respond positively.

Members also help each other with simple kitchen items. Trick recalled the time he was moved to post that “Buy Nothing

incorporate the iconic painting “Spirit of ‘76” by A.M. Willard, which depicts three American Revolutionary soldiers, into its anniversary logo. The painting has long been associated with Marblehead as it was inspired by Archibald Willard’s visit to the town during the 1876 centennial celebrations.

“It’s significant that we sit here under the presence of that painting,” Doliber told the Select Board. “[It’s the] perfect opportunity for tourism, the perfect opportunity for education and the perfect opportunity for culture.”

Marblehead is where dreams come true.” It was all thanks to the gift of a salad spinner.

“I was swimming in a sea of soggy salad,” he remembered. That all changed when a donor answered his call for a salad spinner. “Things are really starting to turn around,” he said with a laugh. BNM even delivered on a 1979 Marblehead High School yearbook recently with the recipient posting that the gift reflected “the spirit of the group.”

More than 4,000 members make up Buy Nothing

Marblehead, creating over 1,100 posts last month, building community and gifting what people no longer want or need to those who will hopefully treasure it. As Jim Trick would say, for some it’s where dreams come true.

CURRENT PHOTO / WILL DOWD

Marblehead Town Historian Don Doliber, right, and Edward Nilsson address the Select Board on Feb. 28, requesting the formation of an ad hoc committee to plan 250th celebrations.

Irish tradition: A lilting salmon

BY LINDA BASSETT

In Ireland, cooks make a distinction between storebought and homemade butter, the homemade, of course, being preferred. This version’s flavor is brought about by letting the cream sour ever so slightly before churning. Thankfully, American cooks can find a similar flavor in the widely available Kerry Gold brand of butter. It’s a dream melted into a steaming baked potato or spread on toast, biscuits or scones. It also adds the right lilt to a sauce for poached salmon, a tradition at this time of year. In Dublin and Cork City and Galway, salmon, not corned beef, is a preferred feasting food.

My initial attempt at poaching salmon met with a number of obstacles. Staring into the depths of a boiling pot, I tried to figure out how to get the food in and out without causing bodily harm. And the bubbles? Should they be large and angry? Softly breaking? Or, as the French say, “a smile?” (That’s a barely perceptible boil.)

After some kitchen experience, I ditched the deep pot for a skillet. In a shallow pan, the water reaches a boil faster; the product is more easily controlled. A very large one, 10-inch or 12-inches, preferably stainless steel, handles four to six pieces of fish in a single batch.

To reach the right temperature, I bring the water to a rapid boil. Then, lower the heat under the burner until it calms down to a gentle simmer. OK, from here on, it’s hands-on, eyes-straight-ahead! I do not answer the door or my cell.

I add the salmon pieces to the pan, lowering them from front to back, so that the water doesn’t splash. Neither does it cover the fish; it should reach about halfway up the sides of the filet or steak. The water will calm down giving the fish a nice soft bubble bath. The fish doesn’t need to be turned. Spooning cooking water over the top, if needed, finishes the cooking. I need to be able to watch as the

salmon finishes cooking. I turn off the burner and let it sit for up to 15 minutes or until done. (A slight cut will show a pink, not red, center.) This is called “carry-over” cooking because the water continues to cook with its residual heat. I put the skillet aside on an unused burner. (I also use this skillet technique to poach eggs and asparagus.)

While the salmon relaxes in its bath, I make the butter sauce. The ingredients here — butter and eggs and lemon juice — do their best work at room temperature. I let them hang out on the kitchen counter for 30 minutes to an hour before I need them.

Most recipes for egg sauce call for a double boiler. It isn’t necessary. Placing a small saucepan inside a larger one works too. I pour boiling water into the bottom saucepan, without letting it come up the sides of the smaller one. (It cooks from beneath.) When the water is gently bubbling, separate the eggs and add the yolks to the smaller (top) saucepan. Whisk them with the cold water. (A smaller whisk works best in a small saucepan.)

Then add the butter, a few pieces at a time, and continue whisking.

If the eggs start to curdle — e.g., they start looking like scrambled eggs — add droplets of cold water, very, very slowly while whisking until the sauce is smooth, then go back to adding butter and whisking. In minutes, the mixture will smooth out and thicken. Keep on whisking and add half the lemon juice, taste, and whisk in the other half, or more as needed, for a shiny, lump-free texture.

For dessert, there’s nothing like whiskey cake. No fussy frosting, just a dollop of whipped cream or crème fraiche on the side. Real recipes follow.

POACHED SALMON WITH IRISH BUTTER SAUCE

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

` 2 pounds center-cut fresh salmon steaks or filets

` Salt ` Water

` 2 egg yolks

` 2 teaspoons cold water

` 1 stick Irish butter, diced

` 1 teaspoon (or more, to taste) lemon juice

` Flat parsley, fennel leaves, lemon segments, for garnish

Choose a pan that just fits the fish. Fill it halfway with salted water. Bring to a boil. Place the fish in the pan. Return to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook very gently for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat. Let the salmon sit in the water for an additional 20 minutes.

While the fish cooks: Place the egg yolks in the top of a double boiler over low heat. Whisk in the cold water.

Add the butter bit by bit, whisking constantly. The mixture will gradually thicken. If it begins to curdle. Remove the pan from the heat and add cold water a drop at a time. Do not leave the pan or stop whisking. Add the lemon juice to taste.

To serve, place a pool of butter sauce on a serving plate or platter. Top with the salmon. Garnish with greens and lemon.

WHISKEY CAKE

Makes 1 (9x9-in square) cake.

` 1 tablespoon grated orange zest

` 1 cup golden raisins

` 4 tablespoons Irish whiskey

` 12 tablespoons butter ` 3⁄4 cup sugar

` 2 medium eggs

` 2 cups all-purpose flour

` 1/8 teaspoon salt ` 3⁄4 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Grease a 9x9-inch square cake pan. Soak the orange zest and raisins in whiskey, 10 minutes. Cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.

In another bowl (medium) , sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Add to the egg mixture. Beat well so that all the ingredients are well incorporated. Fold in the orange zest, raisins and whiskey. Pour into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven.

Linda Bassett lived in Marblehead for years and has worked as a cook, trained up-andcoming chefs, studied food history and led food tours. Her book, “From Apple Pie to Pad Thai,” is about local cooks and cooking.

www.mhsheadlight.com

How the American school system enables toxic sports culture

Rachael Albert, Senior, Assistant Editor

Teen dramas are, by nature, histrionic, and often criticized for their romanticization of unsafe behaviors such as drug use and partner abuse. Their premises, however, are not unfounded. We all know that teenagers across America drive unsafely, drink, do drugs, etc., but these choices are made by the individual and not supported by a system that indirectly idolizes them for their destructive behavior.

There is the cliche of the star athlete who is too good for the tiny suburb he comes from and gets recruited by some Division 1 Ivy League university. The girlfriend he treats horribly is so proud of him and excited to attend all the big school games. This trope is often in modern media, from "Euphoria" to "Gossip Girl." This athlete does not belong at an Ivy League. This industry insists on selecting students with only the highest moral and academic character despite the universities, themselves, not having these traits. Again, teen dramas are an exaggeration of this phenomenon, but one easily sees where the rhetoric derives from. When this happens in your town or your school, it is not life imitating art; it is an example of what artists try to bring into the limelight.

The warnings of these shows are not muted by their romantic overtones. They clearly articulate the issue with marquee high school sports, and whether the viewer understands the blatant criticism or not is a good indicator of character. The target audience of these shows are high school students, and, unfortunately, many of them turn a blind eye when they see the behavior that is condemned

on-screen in their own lives. They refuse to believe their friends and peers are abusing the system designed to educate and nurture them, and, furthermore, that the abuse will continue. These athletes that are prioritized by their schools and idolized by their towns do not change when they enter college. Their tuition is waived because universities would rather have good athletes than good academics. They are praised on a national scale as all their supporters disregard morality. Allowing an abuser to continue abuse will never end the cycle. These students don’t magically become better people because they attend Princeton or Harvard. No, they extend their destructive habits from their personal to professional lives, and nobody stops them. America loves football and hates to admit their hypocrisy.

Can one blame these students for seeking public validation? They entered into a world that they can take advantage of with their talents, and if they see a way out of the tedious life that consumes modern society, why wouldn’t they pursue it? Everyone has character flaws, some worse than others, but it is up to a person’s environment to either fuel or criticize these flaws. A child being praised for poor behavior will not understand that their behavior is malicious; we know this, yet when it suits the narrative of a town being known for its athletes we feed the beast. If the system was different, if there was another way to be successful in a small town, these athletes would hopefully take it, but they do not have that flexibility. Because of their success the system does not change, and these people continue to be adored by their town but silently hated by those who understand that their meritable qualities are superficial.

Marbleheaders you should know:

Emma and Dave Dragan

What do you think about trading in your phones and Xboxes for a rock and a can?

Because Marbleheaders Emma and Dave Dragan think that you should try it. Maybe we should all try to find some more joy in the simple things.

Dave, who works at the

Marblehead Community Center, talked about how different being a kid is today and spoke about his own childhood experiences.

“Kids today are into computers, we never had things like that. You want to go play, we're playing in the woods,” said Dave. “We're playing Can Off the Rock. You get a rock, you get a can, and you put the can on the rock. The idea is to grab your can and knock the other can off the rock.”

Dave grew up in Everett, Massachusetts and joined the Navy at seventeen years old. He later served in the Army and in the Army National Guard. Afterwards, he worked at General Electric in

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF: Ila Bumagin and Mona Gelfgatt

Lynn for about 35 years. He also later wrote instruction manuals for jet engines at Lockheed. He and his wife Emma eventually moved to Marblehead twelve years ago. Dave continues to work at the Community Center driving vans for the Marblehead Council on Aging.

“I used to love to go down by the railroad tracks and watch the trains, because back then you had these big steam locomotives,” said Dave about some of his favorite things to do as a kid. “I’d go out to Revere Beach, because back then you had amusement rides down there and everything. Roller coasters and ferris wheels.”

Emma grew up, went to school in Wakefield, Massachusetts, and worked in retail after graduating. “We would walk everywhere,” reminisced Emma about her high school years. “I sang and a lot of my friends sang. We did plays and we danced a lot. We used to have dances all the time. It would be a lot of fun.”

She also recounted her especially festive high school job. “I worked in high school part time… I worked for a tinsel company, and we made tinsel for Christmas trees.”

Emma and Dave met in a college psychology class fiftyfour years ago after she refused to give him her answers. “She wouldn’t let me cheat off her,”

said Dave. “I studied for those answers!” Emma added. But soon after, Emma’s car broke down, and Dave helped her out. They got married the following year and have been together ever since.

Dave and Emma both think that new technology has negatively affected kids today. Dave talked about how kids are less resourceful now than when he was a kid. They also thought that social media was negatively affecting kids by exposing them to too much content. “When I grew up, I didn’t have anything,” said Dave. “If we wanted something, we went down to the dump. We picked up old roller skates, put them on a twoby-four, and made a scooter out of them. Kids today are growing up too quickly, they're not enjoying being a kid. They are exposed to too much stuff because of social media.”

Both Dave and Emma gave some advice to current high school students.

“I would say study, and still enjoy everything, and think about doing something for your fellow man,” said Emma. “That’s really important, that even when you get older you still should give something to the community.”

“Get into something that makes you happy when you go to work in the morning,” said Dave. I’m not sure how well it will pay, but I think I'll try to make a career out of Can Off the Rock.

Ford’s Mustang Dark Horse: latest, loudest, and possibly last

Maxwell Doron, Freshman, Guest Writer

You may not know the term “muscle car,” but ask anyone at an auto show and they will share story upon story about the attention-drawing cars of the 60’s and 70’s. However, such vehicles are starting to slowly disappear, and the companies that make them are switching to consumer-friendly crossovers. The Corvette, a Chevrolet icon, moved to a mid-engine layout, supplying better performance but invalidating its muscle car status. Since the release of the new electric Charger, even Dodge’s reputation for drag strip-domination is at stake. As hybrid and electric cars grow in popularity, enthusiasts slowly lose hope in the survival of the V8 muscle car.

But even if this is the beginning of the end, Ford’s 7thgen Mustang gives us a glimmer of hope. Ever since its debut in 1964, the Ford Mustang has been a true American hero. With its colorful heritage, aggressive styling, and big V8 engine, the Mustang has been an everlasting symbol of American pride. The latest generation gives us a brand new, highly anticipated special edition. Introducing the Dark Horse: the most

sophisticated and memorable ‘Stang in their lineup. The 5-liter, 8-cylinder Coyote engine produces an astounding 500 horsepower. That power is fed through a 6-speed manual transmission, though a 10-speed automatic is still an option. You get 15.3 inch brakes in the front and 14 inch in the rear, giving you record-breaking stopping power.

The Dark Horse’s interior is also an impressive step up from the last generation. Down on your right is the electronic handbrake. Engaging drift mode switches it to a “drift stick,” sending your car into a slide whenever you pull it. On the dashboard is one huge screen making up both the main control panel and the driver’s gauge cluster. Open the door at night and you’ll be greeted by a Dark Horse emblem projected onto the ground.

Eventually, Ford will kill off their 59-year-old superstar, and the world will lose another great. But through its long career, it has lodged itself into the hearts and minds of everyone. If this is the end of an era, then the Dark Horse is the perfect car to send it off. Maybe, just maybe, we’ll have some stories to tell our children and grandchildren when they ask what a muscle car is.

ASSISTANT EDITORS: Benji Boyd, Rachael Albert TECHNOLOGY EDITOR: Kate Twomey

REPORTERS: Cole Barbeau, John Bender, Nathaniel Carper-Young, Grey Collins, Tucker Crane, Aislin Freedman, Samuel Jendrysik, Anya Kane, Nina Lees, Georgia Marshall, Charlie Seliger, Livia Weiss

FACULTY ADVISOR: Thomas Higgins

Jacqueline Mae (Opie) Laubner

Jacqueline Mae (Opie) Laubner began her new chapter on February 28. Although Jackie’s heart cropped up to pose an issue to her in her 89th year, it was the kindest and most generous heart imaginable.

Jackie was the beloved daughter of Charles “Jack” Opie and Lillian (Coles) Opie. She married Karl Laubner in 1968, and the two remained soulmates even past Karl’s

Nancy Lois Farrell, 89

Nancy Lois Farrell passed away on March 2. She was 89 years old. Nancy is survived, and greatly mourned, by her four children Mark Farrell, Betsy Scott, Tricia Docherty and David Farrell; daughters-in law Ann Armour Farrell and Brenda Farrell; her seven grandchildren, Michael and Liz Farrell, Chanel Docherty, Lindsey and Caitlin Scott, and Isabella and Chloe Farrell; and her niece Nancy Clinton, her husband Paul and their three children Branden, Bret and Melanie Clinton. She was predeceased by a grandson, Corey Docherty, and son-in-law, John Scott. Nancy’s husband of 68 years, Richard A. Farrell,

POLIcE LOG

death in 2016. Jackie spent her years along the coast, calling Nahant, Swampscott, Lynn and Marblehead home.

A skilled writer herself, Jackie loved a good book and found nothing nicer than the feel of

recently died in June of 2023. She was born Nancy Lois Gannon on May 2, 1934, in Lynn, and grew up in Swampscott where she was an accomplished high school cheerleader and field hockey player. She met “Dick” Farrell, a Marbleheader, in 1950, whom she described

a broadsheet newspaper in her hands. She enjoyed music, retreating to the piano at any time she could take a moment for herself and play. Painting, whipping up outfits on her sewing machine, and more, she was a Renaissance woman who never knew she had talent.

Jackie’s only child Eve (Laubner) Bassett, Eve’s husband Wilbur Bassett, and their two sons Will and Gus, were graced by Jackie’s love, living with her in the same home since 2016. An incredible force in her grandsons’ lives, Jackie modeled what it means to be strong, good and true.

Jackie completed her

as “the most handsome boy I’d ever seen.” They attended Dick’s high school senior prom together and then dated through his four years in college. After college Dick enlisted in the army during the Korean war and was stationed in Germany. In 1955, Nancy flew to Germany to marry him in Ramstein and they had a one-month romantic honeymoon touring Europe. They lived together in Marblehead for the rest of their lives.

Nancy was very athletic and taught her children many sports including her favorites, tennis and skiing. She was an active supporter of women’s rights and participated in the League of Women Voters and the NOW (National Organization of Women). She was a lover of art

bachelor’s at Salem State and master’s at Boston University. With these degrees, she taught English, Latin, elementary grades and even cooking and sewing during a career that spanned more than three decades.

Jackie was grateful for her husband Karl; beloved grandsons Will and Gus and their parents Eve and Wilbur; the Laubner family, including a loving group of nephews and nieces and their children; the Bassett family, especially Wilbur’s sisters and niece; her friends from Lynn and from the DAR; and her special cousin Judy DeCrisci and Judy’s two daughters.

and volunteered at The King Hooper Mansion art gallery and was a docent at the Peabody Essex Museum for over 20 years. Nancy held a variety of jobs in her life, her favorite being a preschool teacher. She adored children and her fun, loving and playful spirit was a draw to any child. She was extremely involved in her nearby grandchildren’s lives and was a second mother to them until the end, forever encouraging them to seize all opportunities and adventures. She loved parties and dressing up and always traveled with a bag of costumes. All her friends and family never went to a celebration with Nancy that didn’t involve lavish costumes, dancing and feather boas.

Nancy loved to write and

Jackie had an amazing serenity right up to her passing. While her family will miss her forever, she will stay in their hearts, and the modeling she did as she went through life will make them better people.

Jackie’s family is honoring her wish that friends and family not have to worry about visiting hours, Mass times and putting on good clothes to attend services for her. So, for a fitting tribute to Jackie, her family asks you to consider doing the following while keeping her in mind: Hug a loved one, do a good deed and take care of yourself. For an online guest book, please visit Cuffemcginn.com.

tell stories about her life and world views and was continually working on her memoir. She was the most loving, positive, optimistic, supportive, generous and happy person that a person could be. Life to her was all about having a good time, and she made the most of every minute. Her high energy and zest for life was an inspiration for all and there was never a dull (or quiet!) moment when Nancy was around.

A private burial will be on Wednesday morning, and a public celebration of life will be held on Wednesday, March 6, 1 p.m.-4 p.m. at The Landing Restaurant, 81 Front St. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at eutisandcornellfuneralhome. com for the Farrell family.

Wrong ways, romance scams and stolen strollers

Excerpts from the Marblehead police log Feb. 14-22. Consistent with state law, police have adopted a policy of not providing media outlets reports related to incidents involving domestic violence, juveniles and matters that remain under investigation.

Feb. 15

11:08 a.m. — Officer Douglas Mills and Capt. Matthew Freeman responded to the access road of the Village School for a report of a motorist driving erratically in the wrong direction, nearly causing an accident. The operator had previously received warnings from Officer Andrew Farewell for the same issue of improperly traveling the one-way access road. After conferring with school officials on scene, the motorist was issued another

strong verbal warning for wrongway operation. Follow-up is underway regarding potential driver’s license suspension by the Registry of Motor Vehicles.

7:00 p.m. — A woman contacted Officer Jason McDonald to file an online fraud report over concerns of a potential romance scam. She stated that after exchanging contact information with a man she met online several weeks prior, he began demonstrating suspicious behavior, including allegedly sending unsolicited gifts and repeatedly asking for money. Additionally, she noticed the next morning that text conversations with the man had been mysteriously deleted from her phone without her doing. She feared the man had gained access to her device and

personal information. The case was forwarded to the Criminal Investigation Division for review on the possibility of fraud or hacking activities taking place.

Feb. 16

9:07 a.m. - Sgt. Sean Brady and other officers conducted a house check at a Prospect Street residence in response to an open front door call. First responders at the scene confirmed noticeable property damage, as the front door had been broken in half and a rear window smashed. After reaching the owner, police were informed that demolition work was slated for the vacant house, which explained the removed door. The owner stated he would be returning to re-secure the property, leading officers to clear with no signs of burglary or

vandalism noted.

4:06 p.m. — Officer Robert Picariello took a report of stolen merchandise from Hip Baby Gear, a baby supply shop located on Washington Street. An employee stated that during the short time she stepped away from the sales floor to retrieve a food order from a neighboring eatery, two expensive baby strollers were stolen. Picariello provided advice on implementing additional security precautions to deter future shoplifting incidents at the business.

Feb. 17

10:45 a.m. — Officer Douglas Mills conducted traffic enforcement and speed monitoring along Atlantic Avenue near the intersection of Drumlin Road. Neighbors have complained about habitual

speeding in the area. During the detail, vehicle flow was noted to be relatively light. However, one motorist was cited for exceeding the posted 30 mile per hour speed limit.

Feb. 18

2:45 a.m. — Lt. Jon Lunt took a report from a woman who said she had received multiple disturbing phone calls overnight. She stated the first was from an unknown number, with the caller claiming a relative had died, which was not true. Hours later, she received another suspicious call originating from a Santa Cruz, California, area code, despite having no current ties there. While no evident threats were made, Lunt increased neighborhood patrols of the immediate vicinity as a precautionary measure.

What’s happening at Abbot Public Library

The Abbot Public Library is temporarily located at the old Eveleth School, 3 Brook Rd., while its Pleasant Street building undergoes a multi-million-dollar renovation. All programs require registration at abbotlibrary.org unless otherwise stated.

PJ drive

The Abbot Public Library is collecting new pajamas for children in need until March 15, as part of the 17th annual Boston Bruins PJ Drive. The goal is to collect 100 pairs of pjs in sizes 12-24 months and up. Donations can be dropped off at the library or ordered online to be delivered to Cradles to Crayons. The pjs will go to local children living in low-income and homeless situations through the Wonderfund and Cradles to Crayons. Visit abbotlibrary.org for more information.

Networking group

The Massachusetts Library Collaborative’s 50+ Job Seekers

Group will meet virtually on Zoom on Wednesday, March 20, 9:3011:30 a.m. Registration at tinyurl. com/Job-Seekers-2024 is required.

Adult Crafternoon:

Collage postcards

Abbot Library will host an adult crafternoon event

Friday, March 8, 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Participants will make miniature collage postcards from a variety of materials. The event is limited to 10 people. All supplies will be provided for free. No prior experience is necessary.

Midday Movie Matinee

Abbot Public Library will host a Midday Movie Matinee on

Saturday, March 16, at 1 p.m.

The movie — “Poor Things” — examines the life of a young woman in a conservative society after a scientist resurrects her.

Poetry salon discusses Amichai’s works

The Poetry Salon will meet

Thursday, March 21, 2 p.m.-4

p.m. at Abbot Public Library and online to discuss the poetry of prominent Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai. Facilitator Claire Keyes will explore how Amichai addressed philosophical issues and religious faith through imagery in his translated works.

Pollinators lecture

Abbot Public Library and Sustainable Marblehead will host a talk on Wednesday, March 27, 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m. about combating biodiversity loss by creating pollinator pathways. Speaker Peggy MacLeod will discuss community strategies like native plantings to support habitats and resilience.

Friends moving sale

The Friends of Abbot Public Library will hold a moving sale March 25-30 at the library’s interim Eveleth School location. All books in the Sail Away Book Shop will be on sale, with bag of books specials and a raffle. Sale hours are 10 a.m.-4

p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and noon-4 p.m.

Thursday when the library opens later. More information on joining the Friends nonprofit is at abbotlibrary.org.

Five Glover Houses

Marblehead Architecture Heritage will present “Five Glover Houses in Marblehead” on Monday, March 18, from 6:30-8 p.m. Judy Anderson will discuss five 18th-century homes of the prominent Glover family, including Revolutionary War Gen. John Glover’s Georgianstyle residence on Glover Square.

Anderson is a social and cultural historian focused on architecture, daily life and women’s and family history.

Saving Our Shoreline Barbara Warren, executive director of Salem Sound Coastwatch, will discuss coastal resilience efforts on Wednesday, March 20, 6:45 p.m.-8 p.m. The

event is part of the “Underwater in Salem Sound” lecture series. The free lecture series is co-sponsored by Salem Sound Coastwatch and Abbot Public Library. More information is at salemsound.org.

Moving and grooving

Abbot Public Library announces its “Moving and Grooving Playgroup” sessions on Monday, March 18, 10a.m.11 a.m. Aimed at children five years old and younger, the program encourages music and movement for preschoolers and their caregivers.

Chess instruction

Flynn MacCallum leads evening chess instruction for students in grades 2-6 at Abbot Public Library on Mondays throughout March. Sessions run from 6 p.m.-7 p.m., covering beginner to advanced levels. Chess boards and pieces provided.

Best bets coming up in Marblehead

Current Events spotlights exciting happenings in the coming week. If you’d like to contribute a listing, please email Current editor Leigh Blander at lblander@marbleheadnews.org. Leigh Blander

The Dirty Angels

Saturday, March 9, 9 p.m.

Legendary local bass player David Hull will be performing with his band The Dirty Angels at The Beacon. Hull is best known for his work with Aerosmith, The Joe Perry Project, Farrenheit and James Montgomery. He’s also played with Buddy Miles, Joe Cocker and Ted Nugent. Hull appears in the 2019 documentary film “WBCN and the American Revolution.” Reservations suggested. Details at thebeaconmarblehead.com.

Preservation plans for Glover’s farmhouse

Sunday, March 10, 2 p.m.

The historic farmhouse of Gen. John Glover in Vinnin Square will soon be demolished, unless funding to save it can be raised by spring. Learn more at a free, illustrated talk at the Old Town House on Washington Street, where the preservation effort underway will be discussed. Learn more at savetheglover.org.

Meet Marblehead’s tree warden

Monday, March 11, 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m.

Tree Warden Jonathan Fobert is the next speaker in the League of Women Voters’ Town Government series. Attend in person at Abbot Library, 3 Brook Road or via Zoom. More info at abbotlibrary.org.

Jazz at the Arts: Yoron Israel and High Standards

Thursday, March 14, 7 p.m.

Be a history detective

Monday, March 11, 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.

Help the Marblehead Museum plan its next exhibit. The museum is in the process of designing the inaugural exhibit in its new building, the Jeremiah Lee Kitchen & Slave Quarters, 157 Washington St. You can help by trying out an exhibit activity the museum is calling “Be a History Detective.”

See what you can learn about Caesar Glover, a Revolutionary War soldier and formerly enslaved man, from examining original records. Stop by for about five minutes and help prototype this interactive exhibit element.

Come hear Yoron Israel, renowned drummer and composer, and his jazz ensemble at the Marblehead Arts Association, 8 Hooper St. Yoron Israel is one of the most sought out musicians of his generation. His latest recording “New Dreams” featuring his group “Trio Plus” continues to receive rave reviews. He has produced other fine works such as “This Moment,” “Visions — The Music of Stevie Wonder,” “Basic Training — Celebrating John Coltrane” and “A Gift For You,” among others. Israel and the High Standards have played around the world since 2004. More info and tickets at marbleheadarts.org.