03.26.2025 – Volume 3, Issue 18

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IN THIS ISSUE

COMMUNITY

THEATER

SPORTS

MHS students join COA Olympics

A musical journey to the underworld

What to watch this spring season

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Page 11

Page 9

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March 26, 2025

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VOLUME 3, ISSUE NO. 18

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EDUCATION

On flag policy, School Committee to seek further legal guidance Flags and banners like these in the MHS cafeteria could be removed under the latest proposed flag policy. School Committee member Brian Ota said some people in town don’t feel the Pride flag represents ‘traditional family values.’

BY LEIGH BLANDER For the first time, the full School Committee debated a proposed flag policy on March 20, with members expressing differing views and deciding to ask the district’s legal counsel additional questions before settling on a plan.

The most recent draft policy allows only the U.S., state, and POW/MIA flags

CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER

on school property and gives the School Committee sole authority to determine any other flags, banners and symbolic displays on district property. It excludes input from students, administrators and the community. The draft policy could lead to the removal of Pride flags and Black Lives Matter and Juneteenth banners in schools.

A group of Marblehead High School students, who

say the Pride and Black Lives Matter signs are important to make marginalized students feel welcome in Marblehead, submitted a counterproposal, vetted by attorneys, that would give students a say in deciding which flags and banners can go up inside buildings.

Thursday’s meeting was the first time several members of the FLAG, P. A6

COMMUNITY KINDNESS

The wheel deal

MHS students raise money for local man’s new trike

BY LEIGH BLANDER

COURTESY PHOTOS / SEAMUS CROWLEY

Nilokay Kuzmina reacts as the MHS track team delivers his brand new tricycle. The students raised more than $1,200 after Kuzmina’s last trike was damaged by hitting a pothole.

If you need a reminder that there is kindness in the world, some Marblehead High School students offered an inspiring example last week.

The MHS track team often sees 38-year-old Nikolay Kuzmina, who is neurodiverse, riding his large tricycle around the school’s parking lot in the afternoons. It’s a daily ritual Kuzmina treasures, but recently his trike hit a pothole and its axle snapped.

Members of the track team noticed that Kuzmina had started walking around the parking lot, instead of riding. That’s when Coach Nolan Raimo got an idea.

“I thought, ‘We’re going to figure out a way to fix this,’” he said. “So I told the kids, instead of buying a coach’s gift this year, let’s raise money to buy Niko a new bike. Senior Elise Burchfield took the initiative to start a GoFundMe.” They raised more than $1,200 and TRIKE, P. A3

SUSTAINABILITY

Marblehead tackles clean energy integration in historic district

BY WILL DOWD Residents, preservationists and sustainability advocates gathered March 19 at Abbot Hall to tackle a growing challenge: how to incorporate modern clean energy technologies into the town’s historic homes while preserving their character.

The community workshop aimed to gather public input on draft guidelines for integrating solar panels, heat pumps and electric vehicle chargers into properties within Marblehead’s Old and Historic District.

“We want everyone to understand that their home improvement needs can coexist

BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW

with their neighbors’ priorities, and that all perspectives are valid in this process,” said Lindsay Randall, senior regional humanities specialist at the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, who facilitated the event.

Participants sat at tables spread throughout the historic town hall, reviewing materials and engaging in interactive exercises designed to elicit feedback on the proposed guidelines. Facilitators moved between groups, answering questions and guiding discussions as residents examined design options and shared their perspectives.

The workshop, funded by a $25,000 MAPC grant awarded

in May 2024, continued efforts to balance Marblehead’s netzero carbon emissions goal for 2040 with preservation of its architectural heritage. The project follows an October 2024 joint meeting between the Old and Historic Districts Commission and the Green Marblehead Implementation Committee.

The proposed guidelines presented at the workshop address several key challenges faced by historic district homeowners.

For solar panels, they suggest acceptable placement options that minimize visibility from public streets, potentially allowing HISTORIC, P. A6

CURRENT PHOTO / WILL DOWD

Participants review proposed guidelines for integrating clean energy technologies with historic preservation during a March 19 workshop at Abbot Hall.

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LABOR DISPUTE ESCALATES

State issues complaint against town in union negotiations

BY WILL DOWD The Massachusetts Department of Labor Relations issued a three-count complaint against the town of Marblehead Feb. 10, finding probable cause that officials violated state labor laws during contract negotiations with municipal employees.

The complaint comes after the Marblehead Municipal Employees Union filed charges in September alleging the town engaged in so-called surface bargaining, implemented workplace policies without union consent and failed to provide financial documentation requested during contract talks.

Municipal employees have worked without a contract since July, with negotiations that began in March growing increasingly contentious as the May Town Meeting approaches.

The most serious allegation in the complaint involves surface bargaining, a charge that suggests officials only pretended to negotiate in good faith, according to Terri Tauro, president of the union representing about 100 municipal workers.

“This is perhaps the most damning of all the complaints issued. The DLR only issues this complaint in the most blatant of situations,” said Tauro.

The complaint alleges town negotiators repeatedly told union representatives they needed to conduct “further analysis” on union proposals between April and

COURTESY PHOTOS

Marblehead Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer and union president Terri Tauro stand on opposite sides of a contentious labor dispute, as the state finds probable cause that the town violated labor laws during contract negotiations.

August before making substantive responses. However, the DLR found that during mediation in December, town officials admitted they had never conducted the financial analysis they claimed was needed.

“All of this delay is resulting, again, in a rushed situation before the Town Meeting for my people,” Tauro said. “I’m really upset at the lack of respect for my people, 80 percent of the workforce.”

Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer characterized the union’s complaints as negotiating tactics meant to apply pressure on officials.

“The town rejected proposals that did not require spreadsheets to make a decision. The union asked for spreadsheets that did not yet exist,” Kezer said. “We believe these claims are part of their broader strategy to apply pressure on the town and force us into concessions that we feel are not justified.”

A second count alleges the town implemented new workplace policies without bargaining.

According to the complaint, the town adopted policies affecting parental leave, FMLA leave and employee conduct in June 2024 without providing the union an opportunity to negotiate, even though these areas are mandatory subjects of collective bargaining.

The union discovered the policy changes after they were cited in a disciplinary hearing involving a union member in September.

“The new policies were implemented to meet federal law and as part of the town’s efforts to maintain a productive, safe, and compliant workplace,” Kezer said. “If there are any policies that conflict with collective bargaining contracts, we are open to discussions but assert that these changes were essential to being compliant with current law.”

A third count involves the town’s delayed response to the union’s August information request for financial analysis of contract proposals. The complaint states that the union asked for financial justification for the town’s rejection of proposals, but did not receive a response until after mediation began in December.

“The problem with this is how can they say they cannot afford something they have not done a financial analysis on,” Tauro said.

“The last COLA (cost of living adjustment) we asked for would have only cost an average of $150,000 per year.”

Both sides are scheduled to meet again with a state mediator

2025 ELECTION

Flanagan brings banking, service to town clerk contest

BY WILL DOWD Marblehead resident Melissa Flanagan believes the Town Clerk’s Office needs a change, to focus on openness and improved communication. So she’s running for the position in the June 10 election.

“I want there to be more overall openness, Melissa transparency Flanagan and communication, like having an open door policy, making people feel welcome,” Flanagan told the Marblehead Current.

Flanagan joins union president Terri Tauro in challenging incumbent Town Clerk Robin Michaud, who is completing her sixth three-year term and has pulled nomination papers.

Michaud, first elected in 2007, narrowly defeated challenger Sally Sands in 2016 by 129 votes.

Flanagan, 44, who has lived in Marblehead for 35 years, currently works as a deposit operations specialist at Marblehead Bank, processing wires, mobile deposits and handling fraud prevention.

Her connection to the town runs deep. She moved to Marblehead from New Hampshire at age 9 when her father, Chet Strout (of Chet’s Video), who grew up in town, returned to his roots. Her grandfather once drove the bus for Marblehead High School sports teams.

“My dad’s originally from here. Grew up here,

went to school here,” Flanagan said.

With nearly eight years of banking experience, Flanagan worked her way up from teller to head teller, customer service representative and eventually branch manager at National Grand Bank before COVID-19. After a three-month employment gap during the pandemic, she transitioned to Marblehead Bank.

“Where I’ve been in banking for seven, eight years, it’s been some of the same things, but also, like you deal with very detail oriented stuff, and you have to be able to work with customers, and work with a lot of difficult customers,” she said.

If elected, Flanagan plans to establish a stronger online presence, including social media, to improve communication about important dates and deadlines. She also supports expanding early voting options for town elections.

“You need to make it as accessible as possible to be able to give people the option to get their opinion out there, because otherwise people are just going to, if it’s not easy enough for them, then they’re just not going to do it,” Flanagan said.

Digitizing historic town records stands among her priorities, noting her longtime interest in history. She and her father have visited historical sites in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. “History’s always been something I’ve been interested in, and then digitizing that kind of falls

in line,” she said.

Flanagan is married to Martin Flanagan of the Marblehead Health Department. She has taken their 7-year-old son, Liam, to polls on Election Day. “My son loves it. He loves to go with me and help me. He’s so interested in all of it,” she said.

While acknowledging she has more to learn about election security, Flanagan recognizes its importance.

“I’m not 100% sure, honestly,” she said regarding specific security protocols. “But I definitely think that there needs to be a change and a better process.”

Customer service stands central to her vision for the office.

Flanagan emphasized the importance of acknowledging visitors promptly and responding to inquiries efficiently.

“Even with phone calls or emails, making sure that you’re just communicating with them, and even if you can’t answer their question right away,” she said. “People don’t like waiting.”

She believes the town clerk position aligns well with her organizational skills and public service interests.

She would measure her success by delivering on campaign promises.

“Following through with the tasks at hand,” she said. “Actually taking the time and the effort and not just talking to them, but following through with them. Making that come to life is a huge part of what I would consider to be the success of it.“​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Thursday. Union members are concerned that if they don’t secure a contract by Town Meeting, they will go another year without a raise.

Kezer disputed this characterization, noting the town had previously offered a solution that was rejected.

“The union rejected a one-year proposal last year that would have provided pay raises for employees while we would be able to continue negotiations after Town Meeting.

The union members were not even made aware of the offer,” Kezer said.

The Department of Labor Relations has scheduled a formal hearing on the complaint between January and March 2026, but both sides have expressed hope that continued mediation could resolve the dispute before then.

“We are committed to reaching a fair resolution before the Town Meeting,” Kezer said. “We continue to engage in meaningful discussions with the union and remain hopeful for an agreement that reflects the town’s financial reality while addressing employee needs.”

The MMEU has expressed what it feels is the need for the Select Board to become more involved in negotiations.

If the DLR ultimately rules against the town, officials could be ordered to withdraw the contested policies and provide detailed financial analysis of why they rejected union proposals.

Local candidates lineup for June election

BY WILL DOWD As of March 24, the following individuals have pulled nomination papers for Marblehead’s municipal election scheduled for June 10:

Select Board (1 seat, three-year term) » Jim Zisson

School Committee (2 seats, three-year term): » Sarah Fox (incumbent) » Katherine B. Schmeckpepper » Henry Gwazada

Board of Health (1 seat, three-year term): » Kim Crowley

Town Clerk (1 seat, three-year term): » Robin Michaud (incumbent) » Melissa Flanagan » Theresa Tauro

Town Moderator (1 seat, one-year term): » John G. Attridge (incumbent)

Library Trustee (2 seats, three-year terms): » Marjorie G. Norman Kathleen Waslov

Light Commissioner (1 seat, three-year term): » Jean-Jacques Yarmoff Michael Hull

Planning Board (one seat, three-year term): » Edward O. Nilsson (incumbent)

Recreation & Park Commission (five seats, one-year terms): » Linda Rice Collins (incumbent) » Shelly Bedrossian (incumbent) » Rossana Ferrante (incumbent) » Karin Ernst (incumbent)

Water & Sewer Commission (two seats, three-year term): » James T. Maher

Water & Sewer Commission (one seat, one-year unexpired term): » Timothy J. Shotmeyer » Gregory W. Burt

Candidates have until April 22 at 5 p.m. to submit completed nomination papers with at least 50 valid signatures from registered Marblehead voters. For more information, contact the Town Clerk’s Office at 781-631-0528.

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Community Editor - Will Dowd wdowd@marbleheadnews.org

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Sports Reporter Joe McConnell

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PLAYING GAMES

Students, seniors compete and connect in Olympics

BY GREY COLLINS On Friday, while the Marblehead High School was filled with students cramming for tests and listening to lectures, the Community Center next door was alive with the sound of bouncing volleyballs, the sliding of curling stones, and the laughter of students and senior citizens alike at the first MHS Students and Seniors Club and Council on Aging Olympics.

Teams of students and seniors competed fiercely in chair volleyball, cornhole and curling throughout the day.

The event was the result of a three-month planning process that was led by MHS juniors Sadie Halpern, Maren Rowe and Sydney Berman. The students coordinated with the Council on Aging to set up the event, pick a date and build rosters of participants, and it was not a straightforward process.

“There were definitely a lot of moving parts that we had to figure out,” said Rowe. “We had to make sure the seniors and the students knew about it, but having good people to work with at the COA made it easier.”

The teens founded the Students and Seniors Club last year, but they typically only had events once a month during the high school’s hour-long free period called Magic-Block.

However, in January they started planning a full-day field trip to the Council on Aging so they could spend more time with the

Trike From P. A1

presented Kuzmina with his new bike last Thursday.

“Oh my God,” Kuzmina exclaimed when he was presented with the blue trike. “It’s so big!”

Later, Kuzmina spoke with the Current.

“I’m really overwhelmed,” he said.

“I really like my bike so much. It’s good exercise, and I get a lot of fresh air.”

Raimo described Kuzmina’s reaction.

“He melted,” he said.

“His jaw dropped. The first thing he thought about was thanking everyone. It was absolutely heartwarming.”

A Boston TV station came out Friday to interview Kuzmina.

“It felt awesome,” he said. “I felt like a rockstar.”

Raimo has known Kuzmina since they were both students at MHS. “I’ve had a really good relationship with Niko,” he said. “He’s always riding his tricycle around, and we talk. Over the last five or six years, we’ve become really close. He’s such a kind person.”

Kuzmina’s mother, Yelena, was moved to tears when her son came home with the new bike.

“When I saw it, I cried,” she told the Current. “I cried not about my son, but about the kindness… the kindness of this coach.”

Burchfield was there when Raimo presented the new bike to Kuzmina.

“The whole track team came out to see,” Burchfield said. “He came running over. It was really really sweet.”

Something special has happened since Kuzmina got his new trike.

“More people are starting to talk to Niko when they see him now,

BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW

MHS junior Ryan Angilly plays cornhole with Don Puluse at the COA Olympics.

CURRENT PHOTOS / GREY COLLINS

COA seniors and MHS students compete in Olympic Games on March 21.

seniors.

“There’s just so much more that you can do in three hours than one,” said Rowe.

The 15 student participants walked down to the Community Center at 11 a.m., and split up into three teams along with the seniors. They spent the next couple hours playing cornhole, curling and chair volleyball together. The seniors even gave them some instruction and advice throughout the day.

“My favorite was curling,” said Berman. “I went into it not thinking that I was going to be good, but I got some pointers from a few of my senior citizen friends, and I ended up getting on the board.”

After a couple hours of gameplay, the students and seniors sat down and had lunch together, and then resumed the games until they ended the day with an award ceremony for

so many people know him from his tricycle,” Raimo said. “He’s one of the most social people you’ll meet,” and he loves talking to people.

the winning teams. After long months of hard work, it was a great experience for the students to see their hard work come to fruition.

“We’ve been planning it for months, so for it to actually happen and go really well was really special,” said Rowe.

“It was really cool to see everyone enjoying themselves so much,” added Berman. “And it really showed us that hard work pays off.”

While organizing the Olympics was a great opportunity to spend time with the seniors, it was also an equally great opportunity for the students to learn, grow and start taking a more active role in their community. MHS teacher and club advisor Jenn Billings spoke about how impactful this experience has been, and how her students have really stepped up to make this event happen.

The coach encourages other folks to strike up a conversation with Kuzmina when they see him riding.

“Engage with him, talk

“This is so great, I feel like Maren, Sydney and Sadie have grown up in front of me,” said Billings. “This club was their idea, they are doing all of the communication for this and they’ve really grown in responsibility. They’ve really taken charge and made it into something meaningful. I’m so proud of them.”

Billings also hopes that more events will happen throughout the year, and thinks that there should be more interaction between MHS students and the senior community, because it’s a great learning opportunity.

“I think we should make this a twice a year activity,” said Billings. “We practically share a parking lot with the Community Center, so any opportunity to get the kids out here and interact with this vibrant community is great.”

Events like these are building connections across different generations. They are sharing

with him,” he said. “Keep the good vibes going.”

Raimo added, “I feel like our town is so polarized now we often forget that besides arguing about

stories, knowledge, and even curling strategies.

“My favorite part is the connections we make with the seniors,” said Berman. “We see a lot of familiar faces each month, and a lot of them come back every single time. It’s really cool to connect with them, and a lot of the players on our team have gotten to know a lot of the senior players, and it has been really cool for us to see.”

During junior year, one of the most stressful times in a student’s life, when SAT scores and college applications are on everybody’s mind, many students have felt that coming down to the COA offers an escape from all of the noise.

“A lot of times kids focus on tests or homework, so it’s good to just take an hour out of your day and do something else, and laugh and smile with new people,” said Rowe. “I always leave the COA a lot happier than when I came in,”

tax rates and things of that nature, we’re all just people and can enjoy

talking to each other and connecting with each other.”

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Opinion EDITORIAL

ENDING THE STIGMA

Time to end What’s your anxiety archetype?

Beacon Hill’s double standard

BY WENDY TAMIS ROBBINS

Just in time for Sunshine Week — the annual event designed to shine a light on the importance of public records and open government coordinated by the University of Florida’s journalism school, celebrated this year March 16-22 — “transparency” has very much been a buzzword within our state government.

But when it comes to sunshine, the forecast for Beacon Hill remains, as ever, “mostly cloudy.”

First, the good news: As the week was ending, lawmakers had sent to Gov. Maura Healey another extension of pandemic-era policies allowing remote access for public meetings.

The legislation (H.62) would keep in place language granting public bodies flexibility to hold meetings virtually or in hybrid formats, one of a number of COVID-era policies set to expire March 31. The extension would stretch until June 30, 2027.

Once the extension is finalized, next on the agenda in the Senate would be working on a permanent hybrid meeting law, according to Senate President Karen Spilka. Healey offered a plan to permanently enshrine the option for hybrid public meetings as part of a local option tax bill she filed in January, the State House News Service reported.

The Legislature is also reportedly open to debating whether to require public bodies to offer remote access to their meetings.

The extension, which appears imminent, is welcome news, given that many residents, including those with mobility challenges, have come to depend on remote meeting access, at least with the boards that offer hybrid attendance options, like the Select Board, Board of Health, Historical Commission and School Committee.

However, several regulatory boards still conduct business exclusively in person, including the Board of Assessors, Cemetery Commission, Recreation and Parks Commission, Harbors and Waters and Water and Sewer Commission. If our state’s elected leaders enact a remote access mandate — and we think they should — we hope and expect that the state would also provide sufficient funding to allow cities and towns to respond to the technological challenges that such a mandate would present.

However, beyond the extension of hybrid meeting access, the news is less positive on the transparency front.

Beacon Hill lawmakers are still resisting an audit that 71.4% of voters in the state and 70.7% of voters in Marblehead approved as Question 1 on last November’s ballot. The House recently voted 128-23 against an amendment that would have enforced compliance with the audit.

This is a matter on which there is some room for reasonable minds to differ.

As Marblehead state Rep. Jenny Armini noted, the House is on record as being open to a financial audit and even having Auditor Diana DiZoglio choosing the firm to conduct it. She charges DiZoglio instead with seeking to conduct a “political” audit of the sort that would violate the separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches.

While that may be true, we believe it paramount that our legislators find a way to honor the spirit of last November’s vote — and soon.

Another long-standing issue on Beacon Hill, to which the Boston Globe brought some renewed attention last week, is the fact that Massachusetts maintains the dishonorable distinction of being the only state in the country where the governor, Legislature and judiciary all claim that the state’s public records law does not apply to them.

The Globe’s survey of the state’s 198 lawmakers found that just 12% believe they should be subjected to Massachusetts’ public records law, and even fewer said the governor (11%) or judiciary (7%) should have to turn over government emails, memos and documents when asked.

The vast majority of lawmakers — 78 percent — did not respond at all to the survey, failing to return multiple emails, calls, or text messages from reporters over several weeks, the Globe reported. (Armini declined to comment.)

Given those dismal results, it is hard to disagree with Justin Silverman, executive director of the New England First Amendment Coalition, who told the Globe, “That indicates to me that transparency is just not a priority — and it needs to be and the public should demand nothing less,” said.

Our local government officials, who are peppered with records requests regularly by the Current and concerned citizens alike, don’t need to be told what a nonsensical dichotomy this is. That it has persisted so long makes it no less outrageous.

As the Globe noted, the Legislature has been making some positive noises about making more votes public and explaining better the bills they’re proposing. One Democrat even described the body’s newfound attitude as one of “extreme transparency.”

But until the Legislature’s — and the governor’s, and the judiciary’s — exemption from the public records law is ended, those words will continue to ring hollow.

The only way I can describe this year so far is “It’s like getting whiplash — over and over again.”

I’ve taken to keeping a neck brace on my nightstand and putting it on each morning before I pick up my phone.

The daily news feed is nothing short of shocking. And when things feel out of our control, it makes us feel unsafe.

And when our brain feels unsafe, it creates anxiety.

Our brain loves predictability and interprets unpredictable as unsafe. Change? Volatility?

Not approved! In this modern world of political divides, distant wars, random gun violence, wild turkeys and coyotes, nothing is predictable.

Anxiety gets your attention with racing thoughts and a rapid heart rate while you try to identify the threat so you can freeze, fight or flee to safety.

The problem is narrowing it down to just one. It’s a steady torrent of unpredictables every day.

Not to mention there’s nowhere to run. Canada? No one to fight.

Social media comments? And no use freezing unless being and pulling the covers over your head and staying in bed paralyzed in the face of relentless uncertainty is today’s flavor of self-care.

And it doesn’t have to be coming from the outside world.

Even in times of relative peace, it may be your marriage, career, family and/or health that create an unpredictable, uncontrollable environment that triggers you.

I lived what looked like a perfect, successful life for decades while silently suffering in a dark well of anxiety and panic.

There are endless inputs that keep our anxiety constantly triggered at a low (and sometime high) level and why it looks for ways to feel safe in this seemingly threatening environment.

The archetypes

In the modern world, primal safety mechanisms like freezing, fighting and fleeing are rarely

still applicable. More complex threats require more sophisticated responses.

For years, I’ve watched my own and my clients’ anxiety find different ways to create the safety it seeks. In an effort to regain control and create predictable responses, it adopts perfectionism, people-pleasing, overachieving, organizing, avoiding, overthinking and caretaking. These are sometimes referred to as the seven anxiety archetypes.

Anxiety hijacks your otherwise powerful traits like your eye for detail, drive for success, caretaking nature, analytical brain and social intuition and turbo charges them. Unfortunately, the sense of safety is fleeting (if ever realized), and the long-term effect is — you guessed it — more anxiety.

A closer look

The antidote for anxiety is safety. Its sole purpose is to keep you alive, which thousands of years ago required that you belonged. Belonging meant survival — access to resources (food and water) and protection from predators. It’s still looking for this thousands of years later under extremely different circumstances. Rejection is more nuanced, and so are the ways anxiety tries to ensure it’s worthy of the love, care and belonging it needs to feel safe.

Let’s unpack three of the most common archetypes through that lens. » The Perfectionist fools us into believing order will mask the chaos, and perfection will mask the vulnerable. It prioritizes acceptance and validation from others over being authentic.

The paradox: While your anxiety thinks perfection will earn you the belonging you desperately want, it creates more isolation than connection — and more anxiety as a result. » The People Pleaser can read the room, and you go into damage control the minute something feels off. It fools us into believing that morphing into whatever will create a safe and calm environment is more

important than protecting our own needs. When your anxiety shows up as an intense need to keep everyone happy and comfortable so you don’t get rejected or abandoned, you end up abandoning yourself.

The paradox: Every time you prioritize keeping the peace over speaking your truth, your anxiety gets a clear message: “Being authentic is dangerous.” » The Overachiever fools us into believing achievement equals safety. Success became your security blanket when gold stars brought celebration and acceptance.

Each accomplishment became evidence that you deserve to take up space in the world.

Your anxiety convinced you that you need to earn your right to feel safe.

The paradox: The more you strive to achieve to feel like you’re enough, the more you convince yourself that who you are “as is” isn’t enough.

Regardless of how your anxiety presents itself, one of the best ways to redirect that anxious energy is into adaptability.

According to the Harvard Business Review, adaptability is one of the most likely indicators of success in unpredictable or even unstable environments. And in order to adapt, it said, “[You] must have [your] antenna tuned to signals of change from the external environment, decode them, and quickly act.”

When you can adapt while also protecting your authenticity and sharing your unique gifts, you’ll feel accepted for who you are, not what you accomplish, how you look doing it or how much you sacrificed for it. And when that happens, you’ll feel a sense of safety and belonging that is the natural path to freedom from anxiety.

Take the Quiz: Find out your anxiety archetype at wendytamisrobbins.com/quiz.

Wendy Tamis Robbins of Marblehead is an anxiety expert, coach, course creator, speaker, founder of CAVE Club, author and survivor. Tune into her newest podcast, “So F*cking Anxious,” on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR perception and the extent School Committee public of active government control over response ‘insulting’ the speech at issue to determine To the editor, On Thursday night I was one of many residents to comment on the School Committee’s proposed flag policy. The residents who spoke did so with passion and offered well-reasoned thoughts and opinions in a respectful manner. As a practicing lawyer of over twelve years who clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston and served as an editor of the Harvard Law Review, I offered my perspective on two legal aspects of the flag policy debate that some members of the School Committee seem to be overlooking or ignoring.

First, despite claims by committee members to the contrary, the Shurtleff Supreme Court case does not require adoption of the proposed policy.

Shurtleff simply holds that when the government speaks it can choose what it says and it clarifies that courts should look to history,

if the speech is “government speech” not subject to the First Amendment. If speech is not “government speech,” then it is private speech subject to First Amendment rights. In the context of a school environment, Supreme Court case law is abundantly clear that school districts may, to some extent, regulate student speech, including to prevent disruption of the learning environment.

When committee members say they are compelled to adopt their proposed policy that is true only insofar as they believe that students should not be allowed to use flags and banners in school to express themselves or they disapprove of the ideas being expressed and want to censor them. They should admit that and have an open policy (not legal) debate about whether that is in the best interests of students and their education and development.

Second, I simply pointed out that, as written, the draft policy grants

the School Committee sole authority about whether any flag, banner of similar symbolic display “on school district property” is permitted and that such broad language, on its face, regulates protected speech such as flags on cars entering school parking lots, flags on clothing worn on school property, and pro-Marblehead banners at sporting events. I recommended the Committee consider revisions to avoid unnecessary and unconstitutional overreach.

The response by several School Committee members to my remarks and those of others was insulting.

Commenters, who were polite but firm, were told they were lacking civility. Multiple members clearly indicated their minds are made up. One criticized commenters for inquiring about advice received from legal counsel when time and again committee members justified the policy as required by the advice of counsel. One implied my second point was conspiratorial, claiming LETTERS, P. A5

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Marblehead Current Wednesday, March 26, 2025 A5

SUSTAINABLE MARBLEHEAD

Marblehead’s road to net zero: Updates and how you can help

BY ELAINE LEAHY In 2018, Marblehead took a decisive step toward sustainability by passing a warrant article committing to clean energy in housing, transportation and energy. A year later, the Select Board followed through by forming the Green Marblehead Committee. With input from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and the community, the GMC set an ambitious goal: for the town to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.

Achieving net zero means dramatically reducing emissions and offsetting any remaining emissions through measures like tree planting. In 2023, the Select Board adopted the GMC’s Net Zero Roadmap, which outlines how both the town and residents can reduce their carbon footprints.

A key provision of the roadmap was hiring a sustainability coordinator to help steer Marblehead toward its goal. The idea for a dedicated sustainability position in town government gained traction thanks to Becky Curran Cutting, Marblehead’s former town planner. After decades of working with various town departments, she identified a gap: no single

person was responsible for coordinating sustainability initiatives. Drawing on examples from other municipalities, she demonstrated how a sustainability coordinator could save the town money and secure funding for critical projects.

Climate change is not a distant issue for Marblehead. Rising sea levels threaten marine businesses, historic homes and waterfront properties.

Retrofitting municipal buildings and modernizing infrastructure requires funding. Without external grants, these costs would fall squarely on taxpayers.

Curran Cutting’s vision helped establish the sustainability coordinator role, ensuring that Marblehead’s sustainability efforts are strategic and well-funded.

Since stepping into the role, Marblehead’s sustainability coordinator, Logan Casey, has

been instrumental in securing $458,028 in grants, including funding for: State Street Landing/ Harbormaster’s Office Resiliency Project Rail Trail improvements (Smith Street to Pleasant Street) Marblehead Comprehensive Master Plan Devereux Beach ADA Improvement Project EV charger technical assistance planning 5 Corners intersection and School Street parking lot redesign He has also implemented projects such as the Marblehead Sustainable Heritage Grant ($25,000), which brought together the Old and Historic Districts Commission and the Green Marblehead Implementation Committee to discuss ways to retrofit historic homes with sustainable technologies while preserving their character.

Additionally, Casey followed through on a Town Meeting vote to keep the State Street Landing restrooms open year-round, coordinating the installation of a heat pump system to ensure heating efficiency.

The success of Marblehead’s

Net Zero Plan isn’t solely dependent on town government; residents play a crucial role.

One of the most effective ways residents can contribute is by upgrading their homes to be more energy efficient.

Programs like Mass Save provide financial incentives to help homeowners insulate and weatherize their homes, install high-efficiency heat pumps and switch to LED lighting.

Weatherization helps keep homes warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, reducing reliance on fossil fuels for heating and cooling.

The town’s net zero goal relies on widespread participation in these initiatives, so taking advantage of these programs is a direct way to help Marblehead move toward a cleaner future.

Learn more about these and other technologies at our annual Green Homes Tour, to take place this fall.

Supporting clean transportation is another way to make an impact. Gasolinepowered vehicles are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, so switching to an electric vehicle significantly reduces an individual’s carbon footprint. If purchasing an EV isn’t an immediate option,

residents can still advocate for expanded EV charging infrastructure in town. The availability of more charging stations makes EV ownership more accessible to those without home charging options, such as renters and condo owners.

Encouraging alternatives to car travel is another way residents can contribute to the town’s net zero goal. Supporting infrastructure improvements for walking and biking— such as safer crosswalks, bike lanes and accessible sidewalks — reduces the town’s reliance on fossilfuel-powered transportation.

Residents can advocate for these improvements by attending public meetings, supporting local initiatives that prioritize walkability and using alternative transportation— including public transportation — whenever possible.

Marblehead’s journey to net zero is well underway. With strong leadership, strategic planning and community involvement, the town can meet its 2040 goal while preserving its historic charm and coastal resilience for generations to come.

Elaine Leahy is executive director of Sustainable Marblehead.

The hidden dangers lurking behind Facebook ads

BY STEPHEN BACH Clicking on ads you see on Facebook might seem harmless. But it can lead to risks you may not expect.

These ads, called “embedded ads,” appear right in your newsfeed, often designed to look like regular posts from friends or pages you follow. Because they blend in seamlessly, it’s easy to click them without much thought, but doing so can expose you to hidden dangers.

One significant risk is downloading harmful software, also known as malware. When you click on certain embedded ads, you might unknowingly

Letters

trigger the download of malicious software onto your device. Malware can range from annoying pop-up ads to serious threats like ransomware, which locks your files until you pay the criminals behind the software.

Identity theft is another possible concern associated with embedded ads. Scammers create deceptive ads designed to lead you to fake websites.

These websites often look real but are designed to trick you into providing personal information, like your name, address, credit card details, or even your Social Security number.

Once criminals have this information, they can use it to commit fraud or steal your identity, causing

From P. A4 that the policy applies only to flags and banners “affixed” or “attached” to school property.

Neither of those words appear in the policy posted online. She should read it again.

The School Committee is risking exposing Marblehead to reputational and legal risks. It should be listening carefully and

significant financial and emotional stress.

Privacy is the biggest issue: Clicking embedded ads can expose your online activity to advertisers, tracking companies, and sometimes even cybercriminals. These entities may track your browsing history, purchasing behavior, and personal preferences without your explicit consent. Your private

acting prudently. And it should show more respect to its voters.

Brenton Speed Gerald Road

3A questions for the Marblehead Planning Board To the editor, The Pleasant Street zone map of the area chosen for

information can then be sold or used for targeted advertising, leading to a loss of privacy and control over your personal data.

Another concern is falling victim to scams.

Some embedded ads lead you to fraudulent websites disguised as reputable brands or services. These fake sites often look legitimate, tricking users into buying products that never arrive or paying for services that don’t exist.

Additionally, these fake websites may attempt to gather personal data by prompting you to log in or provide sensitive information.

Embedded ads can significantly impact your overall online experience.

Facebook tracks your

3A multifamily housing raises some questions. This zone includes the center of Marblehead’s active business, shopping and entertainment facilities that contribute to our quality of daily life. The Village Plaza is an especially busy and important center of activity. The Beacon complex, movie theater and a number of restaurants are important sources of convenient living

interactions with ads, which influences the type and frequency of ads you see. Clicking certain ads leads to more targeted advertising, filling your newsfeed with unwanted, repetitive, or intrusive ads.

This can clutter your social media experience and make your interactions with friends and family less enjoyable.

To protect yourself, always think critically before clicking any ads on Facebook. Verify if the ad is from a reputable company or source you trust. Look closely at the website URL to ensure it’s authentic and avoid entering personal or financial information unless you’re certain the site is secure. One sure-fire way to protect yourself

and enjoyment. Please tell us how you plan to integrate 3A housing into this zone without eliminating desirable well used features we now enjoy.

I believe affordability is an important consideration for new 3A housing. Current Marblehead real estate ads suggest affordability may be hard to find. The Pleasant Street zone may be especially expensive.

is to carefully check the URL (website address) displayed in the ad. Instead of clicking directly, leave Facebook and use a secure browser like DuckDuckGo to explore the offering independently. Keep your devices and software updated regularly, use antivirus protection and consider employing ad-blocking tools to reduce the number of embedded ads you encounter.

Remember, being cautious and informed is your best defense against the hidden dangers lurking behind embedded ads on Facebook.

Until next time: stay safe out there!

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

March 13 Weekly News Real Estate listings: • 116 Pleasant St Retail store front, 0.07 acres sold for $1,500,000 • 66 Pleasant St. office building, 0.28 acres for $2,000,000 • 66-R Pleasant St., buildable lot 0.42 acres sold for $900,000 Regards, Anthony Chamay Bonad Road

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.

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A6 Wednesday, March 26, 2025 Marblehead Current

Flag

From P. A1 School Committee weighed in on the controversy.

Al Williams said he opposed the current draft policy, which could lead to the removal of Pride flags and Black Lives Matter and Juneteenth banners in schools.

Williams initially voiced support for the students’ plan, which would allow input from students, administrators and the community.

School Committee Chair Jenn Schaeffner shared concerns from the lawyer that once the process is opened to people beyond the committee, free speech issues become involved, meaning the district could be legally required to display any flags brought forward, no matter how offensive to some.

Later, Williams told the Current, “I’m hoping that the superintendent, as our agent, can be that source of flag/banner requests.

And John (Robidoux) could manage getting student

voice to be part of that process.”

School Committee member Brian Ota spoke in favor of the more restrictive policy.

He said many people may be comfortable with the Pride flag, but “for religious people who believe in traditional family values … and the rainbow flag doesn’t support them and they can’t say it out loud because they would get backlash.”

Cameron Wolfson, who with her wife has two young children in Marblehead, reacted to Ota’s remarks.

“As a parent in an LGBTQ family, I was deeply unsettled by the suggestion that ‘traditional values’ are at odds with the Pride flag. My wife and I moved to Marblehead because we believed this was a community that embraced respect, inclusion and compassion — the very values I was taught growing up attending mass at Star of the Sea Church. Rhetoric that casts LGBTQ kids and families as outsiders is harmful and only underscores the need for

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The Brown School’s third-grade Leadership Council presented to the School Committee on March 20.

more symbols of inclusion, not fewer. The Pride flag doesn’t exclude anyone; it affirms that all students, no matter their background or family structure, are valued and supported.”

Robidoux said the flag issue needs “a little bit more work” and “a little bit more discussion.”

“We need to move forward mindfully because there are going to be ramifications… How do we make sure kids feel like they belong?” he said.

Robidoux continued, “My opinion as an educator and administrator is that flags and banners that have

educational relevance when aligned with our curriculum and our values, I think there’s value there.”

Gesturing to the School Committee, Robidoux added, “At the end of the day, as superintendent, they’re my boss. I’m responsible for making sure the policies are enforced whether I agree with them or not. I’m in a really strange position.”

Member Sarah Fox said, “I don’t know what the answer is. I’m having a really hard time with this.”

She expressed concern that allowing some flags (other than those

Historic

Sasha Shyduroff Gutman, senior clean energy and climate planner at MAPC, explained Marblehead’s vulnerability to climate impacts, including coastal flooding, drought and sea level rise. Gutman emphasized that 44% of the town’s greenhouse gas emissions come from residential buildings.

“This is what we’re trying to address with those measures,” she said, referring to clean energy retrofits for homes.

The tension between historic preservation and environmental sustainability has become increasingly pronounced in Marblehead, where approximately a quarter of structures fall under OHDC jurisdiction. Homeowners face restrictions on visible exterior alterations, which can conflict with efforts to install modern energyefficient technologies.

Presentations from

From P. A1 installations on rear-facing or non-street-visible roof sections.

Guidelines for heat pumps have recommended positioning outdoor compressor units in secluded areas like rear yards or behind landscaping features, while mini-split systems would require conduit lines to be painted to match building exteriors.

For EV chargers, a proposed option includes permitting wall-mounted units in carports, garages or on non-street-facing walls. Guidelines would emphasize reversibility of installations and preservation of historic materials, creating what MAPC’s Randall called “clear pathways” for homeowners to reduce their carbon footprint while respecting Marblehead’s architectural heritage.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Construction Management Services Residential & Commercial Inspections

MANAGEMENT DESIGN ASSOCIATES

Robert A. Erbetta

P.O. Box 44, Marblehead, MA 01945 (617) 293-8512 raerbetta@comcast.net

representing the state, U.S. and Marblehead) would open the district up to having to allow all flags, and could lead to litigation.

“All means all,” she repeated several times.

School Committee member Alison Taylor, who was attending the meeting on Zoom, left before the flag discussion began.

Several community members, including MHS junior Liv Niles, spoke in favor of the students’ compromise plan. One attorney, Brenton Speed, said the more restrictive policy could open the town to legal threats.

In the end, Schaeffner agreed to take the questions and concerns raised by committee members to the attorney for further clarification and bring that information back to her colleagues.

Antisemitism report update Robidoux also spoke about his participation in a Hadassah webinar on antisemitism in schools and announced that preservation experts highlighted successful approaches from other New England communities.

Margaret Back, preservation projects manager at the Newport Restoration Foundation, shared insights from managing more than 80 historic properties in Rhode Island, many located in flood zones.

“We’re really thinking about the scalability of these types of projects,” Back said, emphasizing the importance of developing solutions that can be applied across multiple properties. She stressed the need to address basic energy efficiency before installing new technology.

“If we can’t solve some of the envelope-iness in these properties, putting in a new mechanical system isn’t going to help very much,” Back said.

Elizabeth Paliga, preservation services manager for Northern New England at Historic New England, discussed her organization’s preservation philosophy. Paliga oversees 51 privately owned easement properties and helps homeowners navigate preservation requirements while upgrading their homes.

Throughout the evening, residents engaged in animated conversations around tables covered with worksheets, reference materials and design examples. Some participants

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the district’s $25,000 outside investigation into antisemitism in Marblehead schools is complete, but he postponed reporting on it until the next meeting in two weeks.

A long-anticipated outside report on the district’s special education services will also be delivered soon, he said.

Young leaders

At the beginning of the meeting, the Brown School Leadership Council presented to the School Committee.

“They are amazing third graders, we’re very, very proud of them,” said Brown Principal Mary Maxfield.

The Leadership Council is made up of 10 students, and its goals include helping people, teamwork, trying new things, fairness for all and listening to others.

The students spoke about a “kindness and justice wall” they’ve built at school with paper bricks. Each brick includes a message about how to help others and ensure that all voices at Brown are heard. examined photographs of solar panel installations on historic rooflines, while others discussed options for heat pump placement that would minimize visual impact from public ways.

One table exercise had attendees build model houses and experiment with placements for various technologies, helping participants visualize potential solutions for their own properties while encouraging creative problem-solving.

Town officials noted that developing clear, consensus-based guidelines could help avoid conflicts like a previous case reported by the Current, in which a Front Street homeowner lost an appeal to keep exterior heat pump equipment on her historic home, highlighting the practical challenges residents face.

Randall explained that the draft guidelines presented incorporate input from previous community engagement.

“We had taken information from the joint meeting, and we had written some draft guidelines. We shared it with external experts around clean energy but also experts in historic preservation, and that’s what we have brought here for the community feedback,” Randall said.

The workshop concluded with participants submitting written feedback forms and additions to a community vision board displaying residents’ priorities and concerns.

MAPC officials will use feedback from the meeting to revise the draft guidelines before presenting recommendations to town boards. The final guidelines are expected to provide clearer pathways for homeowners looking to reduce their carbon footprint while respecting Marblehead’s architectural heritage.

“We’re going to take their feedback, the feedback we get tonight, and do another set of revisions to the guidelines,” Randall said, “so that they hopefully are going to coalesce in what the community of Marblehead wants.”

The revised guidelines are expected to be presented at a public meeting later this spring.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT

Celebrating 55 years of mental health services in the community

BY MELISSA STACEY The Marblehead Counseling Center was founded 55 years ago to provide direct services to individuals and families and to address community needs.

This vision remains true today.

They provide a broad array of therapy, education and support for children, teens, adults, seniors and families in Marblehead, as well as other communities on the North Shore. Teri Allen McDonough serves as social services coordinator at the center, located in Hobb’s House, 66 Clifton Ave. To learn more about their services, visit marbleheadcounseling.org.

Teri, tell us about the Marblehead Counseling Center and how you help your clients. The mission of the Marblehead Counseling Center is to improve the quality of life for individuals and families in Marblehead, Swampscott and other North Shore communities by providing a high-quality, local source of mental health services and family support.

Our clinical services cater to children, adolescents, adults, seniors and families, focusing

COURTESY PHOTO

on psychological and social dynamics, substance use disorder and more.

The in-house social services further enhance our clients’ experience, helping them to focus on learning life and coping skills to manage challenges and develop selfworth. Our social services respond to areas of need that may include financial and housing assistance, food insecurity, childcare, transportation and other life challenges.

Due in large part to our chief clinical officer of 20 years, MCC has also long been considered a high-quality training ground for counseling internships with local higher education institutions, and we’re proud to contribute to the development of the provider workforce in the

Lisa Cohen (left to right), Gregg Mulford, Teri Allen McDonough and Marie Ouellette stand outside the Marblehead Counseling Center, marking its 55th year of providing mental health services to the community.

midst of a mental health crisis.

How can the community of Marblehead become involved?

We’re truly all in this together.

With the demand for local mental health and social services soaring, we’re seeing long waitlists and people unable to afford help. We’re working hard to increase awareness and fundraising efforts this year, which will allow us to scale operations and continue to offer assistance to those in need.

In celebrating our 55th year, there are several ways to support us and to join us in our celebrations. Check our website — marbleheadcounseling.org — and follow us on your favorite social media for more detailed information.

What is your role with the Counseling Center?

As the social services coordinator, I oversee our case management program that works with individuals and families to assess their needs and connect them to resources and services that empower them on a path of greater sustainability.

Additionally, I develop community partnerships that help to foster mental wellness and explore funding opportunities to strengthen and expand the MCC mission such as our timely award from the Cummings Foundation to help address the critical intersection of mental health access and the provider workforce chasm.

We’re fortunate to have the support of town resources, philanthropic and faith-based organizations, local businesses

and community members that value the services provided by Marblehead Counseling Center in these uncertain times.

What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?

I was raised in the midwestern community featured in the movie “Home Alone” and attended high school where movies like “The Breakfast Club” and “Mean Girls” were loosely based. Marblehead has been my home for over 30 years, and I’ve had the good fortune to connect to so many folks throughout those years that some people assume I grew up in town.

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

NEWS IN BRIEF The historic King Hooper Mansion, home to the Marblehead Arts Association, will host the upcoming Youth Digital Art Exhibition from April 19 through June 14. The mansion, built in 1728, has long been a center for artistic and cultural events in Marblehead.

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

Local energy expert appointed to new state commission Marblehead resident Larry Lessard has been appointed to the newly established Commission on Fossil Fuel Workforce for the state. This commission is tasked with supporting the state’s transition to clean energy and assessing how workers in the fossil fuel industry can gain employment.

Lessard is a widely recognized expert in geothermal energy..

He is the founder and director of Achieve Renewable Energy in Salem.

2025 excise tax bills mailed The 2025 excise tax bills were mailed on Feb. 28 and are due

by March 29.

Residents who have not received their excise tax bill should contact the Tax Collector’s Office for assistance at 781-631-0587 or email revenue@marblehead.org.

Arts association seeks entries for youth digital art exhibit The Marblehead Arts Association Youth Council has announced an open call for its upcoming digital art exhibition for artists 18 and younger.

The exhibition will run April 19 through June 14, with an opening reception April 20 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the association’s King Hooper Mansion, 8 Hooper St. Young artists are invited to submit digital drawings, paintings, illustrations, videos and sculptures created with programs such as Procreate, Blender, Adobe products or other digital software. A limited number of monitors will be available to display video and animation works.

Each artist may submit up to three pieces, with at least one piece guaranteed to be shown.

The exhibit will be judged

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Marblehead’s Larry Lessard has been named to a newly created state commission on clean energy.

for ribbons and cash prizes by a team of MAA members.

Computer-generated or AI subjects are not allowed.

All accepted 2-D work must be framed and wired for hanging.

There is a $5 take-in fee per piece.

The deadline for online submission is April 14 at 5 p.m.

To apply, students can fill out a JotForm with a picture of their work along with its size, title and price if it is for sale.

For more information, visit marbleheadarts.org or call 781-631-2608.

Ballet school, civic company launch poetry contest The Marblehead School of Ballet and North Shore Civic Ballet invite poets of all ages to submit their work to the organizations’ annual poetry contest through April 5.

This year’s theme is “Steps to My Soul: How Dance Transforms Me.” The contest celebrates National Poetry Month in April and promotes the school’s spring in-studio performance on April 26.

“We want to introduce more people of all ages — children, tweens, teenagers, adults, and seniors — to the wonders and benefits of dance and poetry through the school’s spring in-studio performance,” said Paula K. Shiff, director of the Marblehead School of Ballet.

Contestants should submit

COURTESY PHOTO / JOHN PHELAN VIA WIKIPEDIA

a poem with their first and last name, photo, age and contact information to msb@havetodance. com. Winners will read their poems and receive prizes at the Spring Spotlight: An In-Studio Performance at 2 p.m., April 26, at the school, 115 Pleasant St. Prizes include a $100 gift certificate and MSB mug for first place, $50 gift certificate and mug for second, and one class and mug for third.

For information, call 781-631-6262 or visit marbleheadschoolofballet.com.

March COA events

This March, the Council on Aging is offering activities for seniors ranging from art collaborations to fitness classes and day trips. For registration information, call 781-631-6225 or email councilonaging@ marblehead.org. » Opening Minds Through Art is an evidence-based, intergenerational art program pairing individuals with dementia and Marblehead High School art students for six weeks of creative collaboration.

The program begins in the coming weeks and culminates in a gallery exhibition celebrating participants’ work. » Coffee with a Cop (Fridays, 9 a.m.): This offers informal

COURTESY PHOTO / MARBLEHEAD SCHOOL OF BALLET

Masha Bondarenko and Victoria Lottatore perform with the Marblehead School of Ballet’s young dancers in the spring in-studio performance.

discussions with Police Chief Dennis King or department representatives about community concerns. » Explorers Lifelong Learning presents free classical concerts at Salem State on Sundays at 3 p.m., plus a lecture on Frank Lloyd Wright on April 10. » High School Film Club (March 24, 3 p.m.) hosts screenings at Marblehead High with transportation provided. » iPhone workshop (March 28, 10 a.m.- noon) offers hands-on personalization class for $20. » Book club (March 28, 2

p.m.) discusses “Lady of the Eternal City” by Kate Quinn.

Planning Board sets MBTA zoning sessions The Marblehead Planning Board will host additional public meetings on proposed MBTA zoning changes. The remaining schedule includes: » March 31, 7 p.m.: Overview presentation. » April 7, 2-4 p.m.: Public workshop Last May, voters rejected a proposal creating three multifamily housing districts to comply with state law requiring MBTA-served communities to allow multifamily housing.

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A8 Wednesday, March 26, 2025 Marblehead Current

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Marblehead Current Wednesday, March 26, 2025 A9

Sports SPRING SPORTS

Magicians open up the season against non-league Woburn Thursday at Piper Girls lacrosse looks to return to its winning ways with large turnout coupled with veteran coaching staff

BY JOE MCCONNELL Last spring, the Marblehead High girls lacrosse team finished up with a 7-11 record. But the program is certainly not lacking in experience and familiar faces along the sidelines to get the varsity back on the winning track quickly.

Annie Madden has been in charge of the big club since 2011 after coaching the JVs the three previous years. Casey Collins, Class of 2015, and Meggie (Collins) Ragno, Class of 2012, are her 2025 assistants, while Emily O’Connor, Class of 2019, is the JV coach.

Madden and her staff require certain demands on each and every player in the program. “We expect every player, regardless of whether they are on the varsity or JV team, to bring a strong work ethic, a positive attitude and a commitment to their teammates every single day,” said Madden. “This means showing up to practice ready to give their best effort, while also being willing to push themselves to improve, not to mention supporting one another on and off the field at all times.

“Every player should also demonstrate respect for their coaches, teammates, opponents and the game itself,” added Madden. “Dedication to the team means being accountable and embracing challenges, while understanding that success comes from working together, no matter what their role happens to be. In summary, I expect each player to contribute to our program’s culture of hard work, resiliency and unity.”

Madden certainly has plenty of numbers to work with this year. A total of 51 players have signed up to try to earn a spot on either the varsity or JV team.

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Marblehead Current sports profile: Sean Dolan

BY JOE MCCONNELL NAME: Sean Dolan AGE: 18 FAMILY: Parents Matt and Jenna, sister Lara, 16 SCHOOL YEAR: Senior SPORTS YOU PLAY: Hockey, lacrosse FAVORITE SPORT: It’s hockey, because of the brothers that I will have from it for the rest of my life. The sport creates that family atmosphere.

YOUR MOST MEMORABLE GAME: Winning the state championship at TD Garden in 2024, because there’s no better feeling than experiencing when your hard work pays off.

COLLEGE: I will be attending Boston College.

MAJOR: Undecided DO YOU WANT TO PLAY SPORTS IN COLLEGE: It would be awesome to play either club hockey or club lacrosse.

DESIRED CAREER: Honestly, no clue yet.

The Current athlete profile is brought to you

by National Grand bank

BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW

Marblehead girls lacrosse coach Annie Madden, center, walks off the field with her players after a state tournament game against host Ashland was suspended, because of lightning two years ago.

Madden, who has been the team’s varsity head coach since 2011, hopes this year’s edition of her Magicians will return to the postseason once again in June after missing it in 2024.

After only a few days of practice, Madden likes several of her team’s attributes. “Our varsity team’s strengths this year include teamwork, determination and growing chemistry on the field,” she said. “We are putting in the effort to work together in order to create scoring opportunities so far in practice. Moving forward, we will continue to focus on capitalizing on those chances by finishing them off more consistently, while improving our communication and sharpening our overall game awareness. Together, we will keep building and strengthening our program to meet the needs we see fit.”

The team goals this season include among other things to play with intensity, while working together and improving in each game.

“We will rely on our seniors to take ownership of the team by setting the tone for effort and accountability, while also guiding the younger players toward success,” Madden said.

“Offensively, our attack and middies need to create and capitalize on scoring opportunities, while defensively everyone must step up to protect the net, starting with strong communication and discipline,” the coach added. “We expect every player from freshman to senior to contribute, so we can compete and win on a consistent basis.”

The Magicians traveled to Winchester on March 24 to scrimmage the Red & Black. Their first regular season game is scheduled for Thursday, March 27, against non-league Woburn at Piper Field, starting at 4 p.m. The Manchester Essex Hornets then come to Piper March 31 at the same time.

CURRENT PHOTO / KEN MCGAGH

SPRING SPORTS

Laxmen get ready to defend NEC title with daily practices, two scheduled scrimmages Magicians begin season against host Newburyport on April 4

BY JOE MCCONNELL The last time we saw the Marblehead High boys lacrosse team (14-5) they were the 20th seed in the Division 2 state tournament, where they ended up losing a high scoring Round of 32 game to host BridgewaterRaynham (13-7, 13th seed), 11-10.

The Trojans then got hammered

by Marshfield, the fourth seed, 16-1 in the Sweet 16. The Rams (20-3) went on to win three more games to capture the state title.

Longmeadow (20-3), the third seed, fell victim to them in the clincher, but not before taking the South Shore school to triple overtime, before losing, 11-10.

The Magicians, the defending Northeastern Conference North champions, are back under the leadership of coach John Wilkens, who is entering his 24th season along the sidelines.

Wilkens will be assisted by Mike O’Neil, who will work with defense, while Ron Zagarri is the JV coach. Reece Moore and Sean Dolan are the varsity team captains.

A total of 48 players tried out for the team on March 17, and Wilkens told them right away to take a team-first approach, while

CURRENT PHOTO / NICOLE GOODHUE BOYD

Marblehead boys lacrosse player Reece Moore looks to make a pass from behind the net in the offensive zone during a home game against Danvers two years ago. Moore returns as a senior captain of the team, along with Sean Dolan.

also focusing on improving their own individual stick skills and lacrosse IQ. After only a few days on the practice field, Wilkens sees the team’s strengths in its athleticism.

“We have players from the hockey, football, soccer and basketball teams, but they need to translate those skills to lacrosse,” he said, while adding, “stickwork is always a must for improvement on any lacrosse team.”

The Marblehead boys have already taken on Winchester in a scrimmage at home on March 24 as a warmup to the regular season, before Austin Prep comes to Piper Field on March 29 for another tune-up, starting at 10 a.m.

It all begins for real against non-league host Newburyport on Friday, April 4, starting at 7

p.m., and as the team gears up for the opener the goals remain the same.

“Our initial goal is to always win the NEC,” said Wilkens, “but winning a state championship should be everyone’s goal.

“But returning players such as Reece Moore and Will Sullivan (attackers) and Colin White and Sean Dolan (midfielders) will need to step up their (offensive) games, along with the many newcomers on the roster (to help produce another winning season),” added Wilkens. “On defense, last year’s starting goalie Finn Gallup is currently injured, so we are looking at Colin Maniaci to step up his game, while returning defensemen like Bodie Smith and Grady Becker need to lead by example as we bring along several new faces.”

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SUCCESS ON THE SLOPES

MHS boys, girls skiers each finish third in the league, top 10 in the state

BY JOE MCCONNELL The Marblehead High School ski teams participated in the state championships late last month at Charlmont’s Berkshire East Ski Resort. But prior to that, both boys and girls teams each finished third during the regular season in the Massachusetts Bay East League. The league races on the Blue Hills in Canton.

The Marblehead girls compiled 1,749 points during the 12-race season, trailing only Wellesley (3,009) and Dover-Sherborn (2.755). They far exceeded the fourth-place team, Newton North, that finished with 1,351 points. Westwood followed in fifth with 1,200 points. There are 11 teams in the division.

The Marblehead boys accounted for 2,132 points in 12 races, just finishing behind Dover-Sherborn (2,556) and Wellesley (2,465). Brookline (1,813) and Xaverian (1,236) wrapped up the top five in the 11-team division.

Individually, in the boys division, Thomas Svencer (497 points) ended up third overall in the league. Tyler Dana (391, eighth), Henry Gochman (411, ninth), Sawyer Adams (363, 13th), Marco Bonalume (235, 30th),

COURTESY PHOTO / SUSAN SVENCER

The Marblehead High skiers, who took part in the state finals at Charlmont’s Berkshire East Ski Resort late last month, are, from left, Sawyer Adams, Thomas Svencer, Tyler Dana, Henry Gochman, Maggie Svencer, Courtney Hoguet and Chantal Plauche.

Michael LaBossiere (100, 42nd), D.B. Murray (84, 48th), senior captain Nate Jaffe (29, 61st) and Julius Dressel (22, 63rd) rounded out the Marblehead regular season starters.

Senior captain Courtney Hoguet (523) was the league’s top girl, followed by teammates Maggie Svencer (467, sixth), Chantal Plauche (454, ninth), Grace Gill (219, 30th), Josefa Reers (74, 47th), Amelia Jaffe (10,

56th) and senior captain Alexis Hallisey (2, 67th).

In the aforementioned state finals, the Marblehead girls (5:39.35) came in seventh, and the boys were eighth. St. John’s Prep (5:01.12) was the top boys team for the fourth straight year, while Mohawk Trail Regional (5:18.69) finished first among the girls. Newton South, Medway, Newburyport, Winchester and Concord-Carlisle ended up ahead

of the Marblehead girls in second through sixth place, respectively.

Hoguet continued her excellent season with a fifthplace finish in the slalom (50.14), and ninth in the giant slalom (53.74) in the girls competition.

Maggie Svencer was 29th in the slalom (54.83), and 74th in the giant slalom (1:01.37). Plauche came in 62nd in the slalom (58.42), and 70th in the giant slalom (1:00.85). There were 140 finishers in the slalom, and 144 in the giant slalom statewide.

In the boys competition, Thomas Svencer (48.25, 24th in the slalom, 1:01.49,68th in the giant slalom), Dana (48.22, 23rd in the slalom, 1:01.79, 75th in the giant slalom), Gochman (50.74, 44th in the slalom, did not finish the giant slalom) and Adams (49.56, 34th in the slalom, 58.47, 32nd in the giant slalom) competed for the Magicians.

There were 134 finishers in the slalom, and 117 in the giant slalom statewide.

Jaffe, Hoguet and Hallisey were this year’s ski captains for head coach John Thompson, who just completed his 13th year teaching MHS skiers on the slopes, and this season he was assisted by Sarah Thompson, Will Thompson and Geoff Hamilton.

“Courtney, a four-year skier, has been a league leader and team leader the last two years on the slopes,” said coach John Thompson, “while Nate was on the team the last three years.

Alexis, like Courtney, has been in the program all four years, and all three of them together did a great job motivating the team as captains.”

This year’s Marblehead skiers include freshman Sawyer Adams, freshman Sebastian Arrieta, senior Marco Bonalume, junior Tyler Dana, freshman Julius Dressel, senior Lorenzo Gaudioso, freshman Henry Gochman, freshman Sawyer Harrison, senior captain Nate Jaffe, sophomore Michael LaBossiere, junior Nicholas Manganis, sophomore D.B. Murray, freshman Hardison Piper, junior Thomas Svencer, junior Sebastian Vazquez, sophomore Charlotte Crawford, sophomore Phoebe Crawford, sophomore Grace Gill, senior captain Alexis Hallisey, senior captain Courtney Hoguet, freshman Amelia Jaffe, sophomore Maja Luedicke, freshman Chantal Plauche, junior Josef Reers, sophomore Eden Slavet and freshman Maggie Svencer.

FROM THE MAT

Black & Blue wrestlers get together for team banquet, awards

BY JOE MCCONNELL On Thursday, March 13, at the Gerry 5, the Marblehead Black & Blue co-op wrestling team officially wrapped up the season with the annual awards banquet.

Head Coach Mike Stamison presided over the festivities.

Stamison has headed the program throughout the past decade after serving as an assistant coach for six years.

This past season, Stamison’s team compiled a winning record of 10-8. They had wins against Pentucket/Newburyport, Plymouth South, Danvers, Lynn, Salem/Hamilton-Wenham, Billerica, Great Lawrence Tech, Pelham, York, Maine and Essex Tech/Masconomet.

The team also placed ninth out of 15 squads in the Anthony Lisitiano Memorial Tournament at Wakefield High School. They were fifth out of 14 teams in the Sharon Lombardo Tournament at Rhode Island’s Mt. Hope School, and came in 10th out of 21 schools in the Pentucket Holiday Tournament. The Black & Blue wrestlers were number one at Pelham, New Hampshire’s Daniel Gionet Memorial Tournament after defeating 13 other clubs to secure the top spot. It was their first triumph there since 2018.

The Black & Blue boys finished sixth out of 10 teams in the CAL/ TEC Tournament at Triton, which began the postseason. They then ended up eighth out of 13 teams in the Division 2 North state sectional tournament at Woburn High, before tying for 24th during the Division 2 state tournament in the coed division out of 46 teams at Salem. The Marblehead co-op girls were 28th out of 31 teams.

For the 20th straight year, Stamison’s crew earned the NEC Sportsmanship Award.

The team is graduating 10 seniors this year, but will still return essentially a full lineup that has a ton of experience, led by captains Liam O’Brien and Colin Hart, according to Stamison.

During the banquet, Stamison thanked many for their support to help the team end up with a winning record. “First and foremost, I want to thank my assistant coaches that include Rob Hopkins, Jeff Hinshaw, Andrew

COURTESY PHOTO

The Marblehead/Swampscott Black & Blue co-op wrestling team officially wrapped up another season with the annual awards banquet on March 13 at the Gerry 5. Following the festivities, they posed for a group shot, and are, from left, first row, Soren Lorenz, Kenny Drolette, Walden MartinEpstein, Greg Podstrelov, Ilan Hod, Gary Podstrelov, Liam O’Brien, Jaymes Carey, Ryan Herald, Nolan Glass, Andrew Delisle, Alejandro Haven and Emmanuel Hernandez. Second row, Jayvery Monegro, Colin Hart, Lorenza Guadioso, Phineas Jakious, Gavin Lepler, Gavin Ferretti, Xavier Tejada, Clive Connolly, Devin DiBarri, John Walker, Eva Goodman, Maya Alix, Mason Hinshaw and Justin Gonzalez. Third row, head coach Mike Stamison, and assistant coaches Eli Smith, Andrew Norton, Jimmy Luscombe, Jeff Hinshaw, Chris Thomas and Rob Hopkins.

Norton, Eli Smith, Chris Thomas, Jimmy Luscombe and Igor Babushkin,” he said.

“While Jimmy and Igor weren’t around too much this season, due to their growing families and work commitments, they were still ultra helpful when they did show up to help out.

“Chris (Thomas) joined our staff midway through the season as the heavyweight coach, all the way from his home in Salem, N.H. He was instrumental in developing Justin Gonzalez, Jayvery Monegro and Xavier Tejada.

“Eli (Smith) was invaluable to us as a technical coach. He was also a great sparring partner for the kids.

Andrew Norton, one of my former teammates, was also an invaluable member of the coaching staff. He came to a ton of practices and matches, and was a great resource.

“Jeff (Hinshaw) has just completed his third year with us.

He runs excellent conditioning practices, and scares me just how much he knows about opposing wrestlers.

“Also, in his third year as an assistant coach and 12 years altogether in the program, Rob (Hopkins) continues to be a tremendous asset to the team for his passion for the sport.”

Stamison also recognized the team’s parents and boosters, saying, “The season doesn’t run as smoothly without (them). Special thanks to booster club president Julie O’Brien and Kristin DiBarri and Milena Connolly, who were the masterminds behind this

banquet.”

The veteran coach also thanked his friend Steve Lewis of Smokey Lab Barbecue. They were together on the Marblehead High football staff for three seasons, which also included the 2021 Division 3 Super Bowl year. But this time, Stamison praised him for his culinary skills.

“He absolutely crushed it with tonight’s dinner.”

Stamison also thanked Marblehead High Athletic Director Kent Wheeler, Assistant Athletic Director Mark Tarmey, trainer Maddie Rowe and Swampscott High AD Kelly Wolff for their support, not to mention Juan Garcia, who not only doubled as Justin Gonzalez’s personal coach, but was also the team photographer.

And now here’s a listing of the team’s individual awards for this year:

Rookie of the Year: Gary Podstrelov “Never ever having wrestled before and entering a new sport as a senior middleweight, this was going to be an uphill battle,” said Stamison, “but he always answered the bell for us, winning big matches, while stepping up when needed at different weight classes.

He ended up 14-10, while taking to the sport so naturally. We’re just sorry that he wasn’t with us all four years.”

Coach Pat Cook Fire Award: Nolan Glass “This kid, also never wrestled

before, but he is an eighth grader, who has the work ethic of a veteran,” said Stamison. “He’s a fearless competitor, and I can’t wait to watch him wrestle next season, and also play football. If he brings his current attitude to high school, he will be a force as a Marblehead athlete for years to come. He picked a great time to win his first varsity match, when he pinned his Pelham opponent.

Without that pin, we lose that dual meet.”

Coach Jeff Greenberg Toughness Award: Captain Clive Connolly Named after the current Marblehead firefighter and former national guardsmen, this year’s award goes to a four-year starter, who had won numerous tournaments this past season, plus 50 career matches,” said Stamison. “Clive was a two-year captain, and was a captain in every sense of that word. Leading by example, he persevered through injury, including most of this season with bruised ribs. He truly personified this award with his tough, respectful and hardworking approach to the sport. He is heading to Trinity College in the fall, and I’m confident he will continue to succeed.”

Alex Carew Coach’s Award for Leadership: Captain Justin Gonzalez “Named after the longtime Black & Blue head coach, this award goes to someone who’s just like Alex, a thoughtful person, who leads by example,” said Stamison. “Justin stepped up big when we needed him most this year. At the Gionet Tournament, he had to win his final match for us to secure the overall win, and he did it. Against Pelham in the Tri-State Cup, he needed to pin his opponent to force a tie, which he did. It ultimately resulted in us winning that match via the tie breaking rules. He also needed a win to earn a spot in the All-States as an alternate.

Facing off against his Shepherd Hill opponent, who defeated him four times in the past three seasons, including eliminating him from last year’s Division 2 state tournament, he was able to return the favor to secure the win

with a 4-3 decision. He was 28-11 this year. He also placed in every tournament. He also won his final high school match, something many can’t say.

Most Improved Wrestler: Alejandro Haven Over three seasons, the last two as a starter, Haven grew into his role as a varsity wrestler. From going 3-6 as a sophomore to 12-15 last season to a great 23-11 record this year, he definitely showed his work ethic. “This was an easy pick for me,” said Stamison. “I hope he continues to find his way to the wrestling room at whichever college he chooses.”

Outstanding Wrestler, Lower Weights: Captain Liam O’Brien “This two-year 132-pound junior captain was credited with a 41-7 record this year, and was the sectional champ, before finishing fifth in the state meet. He was undefeated during the regular season,” said Stamison. “He also won the CAL / NEC, Pentucket Holiday and Gionet tournaments, and was third at the Lisitano and second at the Lombardo. He went a solid month and a half — Dec. 22 to Feb. 4 — unbeaten after losing in the finals at the Lombardo, 3-2. A 13-12 loss to Winchester snapped that streak. He’s now our all-time Black & Blue leader in wins with 142 with one more year to go.”

Outstanding Wrestler, Upper Weights: Senior Captain Mason Hinshaw Hinshaw, who wrestled in the 157-pound weight class, had a 40-8 record this year, and was second in the sectionals and sixth in the state. He’s second on the all-time Black & Blue list for wins with 139. Here’s just a few of his career tournament wins: Three-time All-State qualifier, two-time CAL/ NEC champion (2023, 2025), 2024 Lombardo and Pentucket Holiday tournament champ and three-time Gionet Tournament champion from 2023-2025.

“I can’t wait to see what this young man accomplishes, but we will definitely miss him and his work ethic, toughness and leadership next year,” said Stamison.

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CURRENT EVENTS

Marblehead’s best bets 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

Rock out at The Landing Thursday, March 27, 7-10 p.m.

Come rock out with the band Halfway Rock at The Landing Restaurant’s pub. 8 Front St.

Doris Kearns Goodwin talks politics Thursday, April 3, 2-3 p.m.

Renowned historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning Boston author Doris Kearns Goodwin draws from her book “Leadership: In Turbulent Times” to discuss the current state of affairs in the context of American history. At a pivotal moment in our nation’s history, as we confront a cascade of crises — concerns about the fragility of our democracy and a deepening political polarization unmatched since the Civil War — Kearns Goodwin offers critical historical context.

Maeve Hartney, chief program officer of Massachusetts Road Scholar Programs, will lead a viewing of the online lecture at Abbot Public Library, followed by a discussion session. Register at tinyurl.com/leadership-lecture. Can’t attend in person? Email wsueker@noblenet.org to be put on the list to receive a recording of the lecture, accessible for two weeks after the program.

Concert in the courtyard Saturday, April 5, 11 a.m.-noon

Back in time Sunday, April 6, 4-5:30 p.m.

Temple Sinai, 1 Community Road, is hosting a screening of the new documentary, “Chelsea: The Jewish Years” produced by the Jewish Chelsea Museum and the Chelsea Gateway Project. The screening is free. Register at susan.templesinai@gmail.com.

Enjoy a concert in the courtyard (or inside if the weather is poor) at Abbot Library, with nationally touring folk musician Marc Berger. Based out of New York, Berger has performed at Austin’s South X Southwest Music Festival and the Kerrville Folk Festival, and has opened shows for Bob Dylan and other national acts. Berger’s most recent music CD, “RIDE,” is a collection of songs all having to do with the romance of the American West and has received national airplay and critical acclaim.

Coffee at the library

Fridays, April 4, 11, 18 and 25, 9:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Stop in to Abbot Public Library, 235 Pleasant St., on Friday mornings to relax with a cup of coffee or tea. Find your next great read, chat with your neighbors or just enjoy a quiet morning. Locally brewed Atomic Coffee from Marblehead’s Blue Canoe Cafe will be provided as well as coffee fixings and a selection of tea.

Bringing your own mug is encouraged.

SPRING MUSICAL

MHS to take mysterious, bluesy journey to the underworld

BY LEIGH BLANDER It’s been called a “hell-raising journey to the underworld and back” and it’s coming to town next month.

Marblehead High School students are preparing to present the Tony Awardwinning musical, “Hadestown: Teen Edition,” the weekend of April 11 at the Veterans School Performing Arts Center.

The show is a retelling of the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, set against a background inspired by the New Orleans jazz bar scene in the 1920s-30s. It intertwines two love stories — that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and King Hades and his wife Persephone.

MHS senior Anya Kane plays Eurydice.

“My favorite parts of the show are the music, which is incredible, that’s all I can say, it’s incredible,” she said. “I’m also really enjoying the raw emotion in the show … sweet moments of tenderness, as well as beautiful depictions of death, grief and longing. It’s incredible to go through these emotions,” she said.

“My friend Brady Weed and I saw this performance of “Hadestown” in Boston in freshman year and I’ve been obsessed with it ever since,” Kane added. “I have the posters all over the room. I love the bluesy, jazzy music.”

Weed plays Hermes in the MHS production.

MHS junior Lucas Rosen is co-stage manager and lighting

COURTESY PHOTOS / AVA GENOVESI

MHS student Brady Weed playing Hermes and the ensemble cast during a recent rehearsal. “Hadestown: Teen Edition” opens April 11.

Theo Hains and Anya Kane rehearse as Hades and Eurydice.

Anya Kane plays Eurydice, with Sadie Newberg, Scarlett Kindle,and Lucy Key as the Fates.

designer on the show.

“The very cool technical thing about ‘Hadestown’ is that it has a rotating stage, so we’re renting a turntable from Bourne High School, and we’re very excited to have that as part of our show,” Rosen said.

He added, “The lighting is

different from other shows. This is more of a tragedy, so it’s dark.

Rather than with shows like ‘The Prom’ or ‘Legally Blonde,’ we want to keep this dark and mysterious to invoke a certain emotion in the audience. We also need lighting that shows the happiness of other moments in

the show.”

“Hadestown” won the Tony for Best Musical in 2019. It is not an easy production to stage.

“It’s a beast of a show,” said MHS teacher and musical director Andrew Scoglio. “It’s really a folk opera; there’s a ton of music. We’re already doing so well with it because the students are so familiar with it.”

MHS English teacher and “Hadestown” director Ashley Skeffington said the show will defy people’s expectations.

“This is one of those musicals for people who think they don’t like musicals,” she said. “There

are no flashy tapdance numbers.

It’s heavily blues-influenced.”

Kane’s mother, Sylvia, who volunteers with the Marblehead Friends of the Performing Arts, hopes lots of people will check out “Hadestown: Teen Edition.”

“I am so excited for this show because there’s a level of passion and commitment from the kids,” Sylvia said. “They work incredibly hard — long hours, long months. And you have a level of talent from these kids .. many are going on to study theater in college.”

For showtimes and tickets, visit ticketstage.com/T/MHSCHOOLS.

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FOOD 101

Muffins bring warmth to rainy afternoons

BY LINDA BASSETT

toothpick: it should be clean.

Muffins. Long ago, I let them slip from our home cooking repertoire. Is there ever time for baking? With an hour or so, on a rainy weekend, and all the ingredients on hand, you can slide a batch into the oven and send warm aromas through the house.

I’m talking about “afternoon” muffins, not the perfect ones we grab on a swing by Maria’s (on Atlantic or Pleasant) heading to a meeting or to work. Mine aren’t so beautiful. They turn out lumpy, or slightly caved in, but nice all the same.

Baking muffins can stave off kids’ boredom. Well, baking anything might do that, but muffins give a more immediate result, not much oven time.

Great for parent-child bonding.

Or a playgroup new activity.

Keep in mind that it will be messier than a solo trip to the kitchen.

Muffins, once out of the oven, never urge you to hurry. A basket on the kitchen table signals “feet up” time.

I don’t particularly like baking.

Too scientific. Too precise. But, turning out a batch of muffins is just a matter of matching up two mixtures — one wet and one dry – from separate bowls. Stir them together and spoon the results into greased muffin cups. Grease them very, very well to prevent sticking. (Or use paper liners.)

If you own more than one muffin pan (not many of us

CORN AND BUTTERMILK MINI-MUFFINS MAKES ABOUT 2 DOZEN MINI MUFFINS.

CURRENT PHOTO / LINDA BASSETT

Homemade muffins bring comfort and warmth to rainy afternoons, requiring just an hour of baking time, according to columnist Linda Bassett.

do), you can bake several dozen at once. Wrap a few for the morning or for after school snacks. You know they contain wholesome ingredients, so no conscience qualms.

I’ve included some minis for the tea table or kids with tiny appetites.

ORANGE-WALNUT MUFFINS MAKES 16 MUFFINS.

These muffins, fragrant with orange, are at their best when still warm. Make them a day ahead and treat them to a warm oven a few minutes before breakfast. » 2 large seedless oranges » 2 eggs » ½ cup sugar » 1 stick unsalted butter, melted (cooled) » 2 cups all-purpose flour » 2 teaspoons baking powder » ½ teaspoon baking soda » ½ teaspoon salt

» ½ cup chopped walnuts » Preheat the oven to 400F.

Grease the muffin tins. » Zest the colored portion

from the outside of the oranges. Set aside. Trim off the white pith that was under the zest. Pulse the oranges with the zest in a food processor. It should yield about 1 cup. Set aside. » Lightly whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Stir in sugar and the cooled melted butter. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. » Stir the pulsed orange mixture and flour mixture into the egg/sugar/butter mixture until blended. Fold in the walnuts. » Fill muffin cups to about two-thirds to three-quarters with the batter. Bake for 15 minutes. Pierce the top with a

Cool the butter in each of these recipes so it doesn’t scramble the eggs when mixed. » 1-/2 cups flour » ¼ cup cornmeal » ½ cup granulated sugar » 4 teaspoons baking powder » 1 teaspoon salt » 2 eggs, lightly beaten » 3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled » 1 cup buttermilk » Preheat the oven to 400F. » Whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Stir in the eggs, melted (cooled) butter and buttermilk. » Fill muffin cups about twothirds to three-quarters of the way up. (You may need a few more.) » Bake 10 to 12 minutes.

Pierce the tops with a toothpick: it should be clean.

BANANA MUFFINS WITH STREUSEL TOPPING MAKES 12.

Great with an afternoon tea or coffee, these muffins are fine at room temperature, better warm from the oven.

Streusel topping:

¼ cup all-purpose flour » ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts » ½ cup shredded coconut » 2 ½ tablespoons light brown sugar » ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg »

2 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted » Toss together all dry ingredients except butter until mixed. Pour in the melted butter, stirring until mixture is moist. » 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour » 2 teaspoons baking powder » ¼ teaspoon baking soda » Pinch salt » 1 tablespoon ground ginger » ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg » ½ cup light brown sugar » 2 eggs 1 cup sour cream » Tablespoon unsalted butter melted and cooled » 3 ripe bananas, diced » Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease muffin tins. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg and brown sugar into a bowl. Make a well in the center. » In a separate beat together eggs, sour cream, melted butter. Pour this mixture into the well of dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Stir in the bananas, mashing slightly, as you go. Be careful not to overmix the batter. » Fill muffin cups about 2/3 to 3/4 of the way up. Sprinkle streusel topping over each one. Bake, 25 to 30 minutes, until tops are lightly browned. Pierce the tops with a toothpick: it should be clean.

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. »

FROM THE VAULT

Marblehead’s Kodak moment

BY JARRETT ZEMAN Fred Litchman used this Kodak glass plate camera to document Marblehead and its colorful citizens in the late 19th century.

Taking a glass plate photograph was much harder than tapping an iPhone. First, Litchtman coated a 5-by-7-inch glass plate with an emulsion made of silver bromide, chloride and iodide, known as a “wet plate.”

He then set the camera on a tripod, inserted the glass plate, composed the shot by looking through a viewfinder and pressed a button to open the shutter. He repeated this process for every photograph and returned to his darkroom to develop

Fred Litchman’s assistants pop their heads out the window of 15 State St. while film negatives are exposed to sunlight beside them.

each photograph while the plates were still wet.

Lichtman’s studio could take photographs

Town of Marblehead, Massachusetts INVITATION TO BID The Town of Marblehead, in accordance with M. G. L. Chapter 30, § 39M procedure and acting through its Select Board will receive bids for the following project: 2025-005 CLEANING OF STORMWATER CATCH BASINS. The project includes cleaning of catch basins town-wide in accordance with the contract documents and/or as directed. All Bids received will be accepted electronically (E-Bid), by Projectdog at www.projectdog.com with bid deadline of April 11, 2025, at 10:00 AM. The bidding requirements and Contract Documents will be available on Projectdog at www.projectdog.com, Project code # 867798 on or after March 27, 2025. This project is being Electronically Bid (E-Bid). All bids shall be submitted online at www.projectdog.com. Hard copy bids will not be accepted by the Awarding Authority. Tutorials and Instructions are available online at www.Projectdog.com. For assistance, contact Projectdog, Inc. at 978-499-9014. Bid documents are available to all bidders in electronic form at no cost. Neither Owner nor Engineer shall be responsible for full or partial sets of Bid documents, including Addenda, if any, obtained from sources other than Projectdog, Inc. Bids shall be submitted in accordance with the Instructions to Bidders and shall be accompanied by a Bid Security in form of a bid bond, cash, certified check, treasurer’s or cashier’s check, or security bond in the amount of not less than five (5%) percent of bidder’s maximum price, which shall be forfeited and become the property of the Town of Marblehead on failure of the successful bidder to execute a contract within fifteen (15) days after notice of acceptance. The successful bidder will be required to furnish payment bond or other form acceptable to the Town in an amount equal to 50% of the contract price.

Attention is called to the fact that all bids are subject to the provisions of M.G.L. Chapter 149, Section 44 A-J. Wages are subject to minimum wage rates determined by the Massachusetts Department of Labor and Industries pursuant to M.G.L. Chapter 149, Sec. 26 to 27H. Complete instructions for filing Bids are included in the Instructions to Bidders.

Attention is called to the fact that this is a one-year contract and the Awarding Authority reserves the right to extend the contract for four (4) additional options years.

The Select Board is the awarding authority for this contract. The Town will award the contract to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. The Town reserves the right, in its absolute and sole discretion, to waive any informality in or reject any or all Bids, or any part of such bid, if it is in the best interest of the Town.

Town of Marblehead

of “interiors, buildings, animals, yachts, etc. at short notice” along with traditional family portraits. Litchman’s first studio was located at 84 Front St., and in 1898 he moved to 15 State St., the current home of Maddie’s Sail Loft. Fred opened his final studio at 157 Washington St., the future home of the Lee Mansion Brick Kitchen, in 1914.

In 1888, Kodak

founder George Eastman introduced the snapshot camera. Marketed with the slogan “You press the button, we do the rest” the camera and its film revolutionized photography by allowing amateurs to take photographs with no formal training. Lichtman began to use the snapshot camera, especially when he traveled, but he continued using glass plates into the 1930s.

In the early days of snapshot photography, having a local studio was crucial for getting your photos quickly. The Kodak Company could develop photos taken with their cameras, but the process was laborious: a shutterbug had to mail their camera and film to the Eastman Studio in Rochester, New York, where technicians developed the photos and send them back along with the camera, which they loaded with a fresh roll of film. This $10 service had the benefit of “free” film,

SITE PLAN APPROVAL PUBLIC HEARING MARBLEHEAD PLANNING BOARD The Marblehead Planning Board will hold a public hearing on the application of Heather & Brett Rosenbaum for a site plan approval special permit for a house addition and garage addition to a single-family residence located at 363 Ocean Avenue within an Expanded Single Residence and Shoreline Expanded Single Residence District. This public hearing will be held under Section 200-37 of the Marblehead Zoning Bylaw on Tuesday April 8, 2025, at 7:00 pm in Abbot Hall at 88 Washington Street, Marblehead. Project materials are available for download at the Town of Marblehead website Planning Board page https://www.marblehead.org/planning-board under the date of meeting link. Interested persons may attend and participate at the meeting or submit comments in writing electronically and sent to engineers@marblehead.org . Comments will be read aloud and entered into the record. .

Robert Schaeffner Chairman

COURTESY PHOTOS / MARBLEHEAD MUSEUM

Fred Litchman used this Kodak glass plate camera to photograph Marblehead in the late 1800s.

but it was more expensive and took longer than going to a local photographer.

Lichtman trained a group of young men to develop photographs, and they honed their craft under his watchful eye.

The Marblehead Museum has just opened part two of its “Marblehead Snapshots” exhibition, which will run until September.

The exhibition features 40 photographs of

Marblehead taken by Litchman from the 1890s to World War I. The exhibition is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Jarrett Zeman is the assistant director of the Marblehead Museum. From the Vault is a monthly segment highlighting an item from Marblehead Museum’s collection of over 60,000 artifacts.

Learn more and explore at marbleheadmuseum.org.

SITE PLAN APPROVAL PUBLIC HEARING MARBLEHEAD PLANNING BOARD The Marblehead Planning Board will hold a public hearing on the application of Michael Kaufman for a site plan approval special permit for the demolition of an existing garage, the construction of a new garage structure, and exterior landscaping work at a single-family residence located at 421 – 423 Ocean Avenue within the Shoreline Expanded Single Residence District. This public hearing will be held under Section 200-37 of the Marblehead Zoning Bylaw on Tuesday April 8, 2025, at 7:30 pm in Abbot Hall at 88 Washington Street, Marblehead. Project materials are available for download at the Town of Marblehead website Planning Board page https://www.marblehead.org/planning-board under the date of meeting link. Interested persons may attend and participate at the meeting or submit comments in writing electronically and sent to engineers@marblehead.org . Comments will be read aloud and entered into the record.

Robert Schaeffner Chairman

FINAL-18 CP_MBHC_20250326_1_A13 Mon, Mar 24, 2025 4:12:12 PM

marbleheadcurrent.org

Marblehead Current Wednesday, March 26, 2025 A13

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

They’re still here: Marblehead’s longest-standing businesses

BY JEWEL FARRIN Marblehead’s historic downtown is home to several businesses that have stood the test of time, serving generations of locals and visitors alike. The Arnould Gallery and Framery, Bus Stop, Tory’s Jewelry and O’Ramas have each been part of the community for more than 40 years, adapting to change while maintaining their small-town charm.

Marblehead Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Katherine Koch says these businesses have contributed a lot to the community.

“They’re family,” Koch said.

Over the next several weeks, the Current will feature owners of longtime businesses that have become part of the landscape here in Marblehead. This week: Kathy Bruin, owner of The Bus Stop.

The Bus Stop, at 85 Washington St., is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

Owner Kathy Bruin opened the store and still runs it. She picked the name because it was the spot where people literally used to wait for the bus.

Marriage brought Bruin to the area after three years of teaching in Rochester, New York, and her son grew up just steps from her store.

“It’s a beautiful place,” she said.

Describe your businesses’ story from foundation to today.

Bruin: The space was half the size, and I was married at the time. My husband and I had friends who were artists.

We lived on State Street next to where the King’s Rook was, and this was closed off with a “for rent” sign in the window, and he said, “Let’s rent it.”

That’s how it started. It was a lot of consignment then from different artists. I had my sewing machine in here and made baby things, hats and quilts. It was all handmade by different people, and I did a lot of the sewing. At some point my sister lived upstairs, and we made a lot of sundresses.

It gradually grew. Around 1980, I started going to New York to buy things because it was difficult to sustain with handmade items. You just never got your money back for your effort, and my circumstances changed so I needed more income. I started buying more around ‘86. My landlord wanted to renovate, and he asked if I wanted the whole space. I did.

There was a long period of renovation, moving to that side [gestures] then to this side.

How has your business changed over the years?

Bruin: Well, my merchandise has changed. It was a lot hippier. I had Grateful Dead T-shirts, which I never liked, but they were fun to sell. They were all along the wall up here.

I think it’s probably aged along

with the store. I just have an older clientele now. But a crossover; it’s a style as much as an age, I think. And I have customers that I’ve known through the years that I’ve kind of observed their history and they’ve observed mine, so there’s a lot of connection with people. Which is what a small business generally is about. It’s the people and connection.

What’s your individual specialty/passion, favorite items, or personal achievements?

Bruin: I have a company, Cut Loose, that I’ve carried for 40 years. They’re based and still made in San Francisco. They’ve gotten pricier because of that, so people are kind of price shocked. That would be one of my favorites. Some of my things that I’ve worn for years and still wear are from that company. I really liked the idea of things made in the United States. But a lot of companies couldn’t afford that, so they’ve gone out of the country.

I also think just being here this long, the fact that it’s evolved and still is interesting.

I would say one of my passions is fabric. I love fabric. I think it’s reflected in bags and hats.

When I was a kid, I played with paper dolls with my best friend. We designed clothes.

And then, when I was in high school, I thought about going to art school or design school but ended up being a school teacher.

Kathy Bruin’s shop, The Bus Stop, is celebrating 50 years in business.

CURRENT PHOTOS / JEWEL FARRIN

How have your family, friends, and local community played a part in your story?

Bruin: It’s been very supportive. I think people shopped locally more years ago.

There were a lot more businesses that you had to be in every day or every couple days. Not just a store you might go into once a summer or something. But that’s kind of gone away. There used to be a drugstore down here and a sandwich shop here that was wonderful. Just brought people every single day. When my son was little, there were a couple laundromats up there and utilitarian businesses. I just like it.

What are some favorite moments that have stood out?

What challenges have you faced?

Bruin: I think back to 2008.

There was a big recession starting, and I remember I could just feel it and being nervous and thinking, “I’ve got to stop thinking about business.” That’s when I started doing yoga, and I finally got the idea of what yoga is about mentally. I think about that, and I still do it. I did it this morning. So, that was like a good thing in a way. And COVID was really unique. I had a lot of banners made that I put out in front of

Kathy Bruin shows off her collection of past newspaper ads, direct mail and other Bus Stop marketing materials — even the print for the first “I Heart Marblehead” T-shirt.

the store. I’d hook them up, encouraging kinds of things, and would come and change the windows a lot. The store wasn’t open, but people were walking, and they’d contact me. “I saw this in your window, and could I get it?” They could go online and look on the website.

And also coming back gradually out of that time.

Those masks, and I made masks. Ooh, I hated making masks. It was just weird, strange. I still go to yoga classes.

What advice would you give aspiring business owners/entrepreneurs?

Bruin: Be flexible, be open,

and I definitely think you have to be interested in people to have a small business in a small town. Maybe not in a bigger environment. I’ve always always tried to keep a certain price range. Because If something’s way out of whack, expensive, it doesn’t sell easily, and I wanted quality for a price. But at a certain price, not too much, not too little.

What else should people know about you and your business? Why visit?

Bruin: I’d say it’s unique. And the chances of coming in and seeing something that appeals to you, that’s unique, are still good. I think our service is good.

How do you view success? What’s next?

Bruin: At this point, it feels like this is what I could do, and it’s gone well. And I’m pleased with that. I could have stayed teaching, but I didn’t want to.

It’s kind of amazing to me that it’s evolved and gone this long.

I own the building, so I have options with it. I would consider that part of the success. I was able to buy it in 2005, and that actually feels really powerful to me. For some reason, I love this little building. And I like to think it’s part of history. Because it’s been here since 18 something, and Bus Stop’s been part of it.

Jewel Farrin is a student at Endicott College studying journalism.

REAL ESTATE TRANSFERS Buyer(s)

Seller(s)

Address

Date

Price

Samantha Lerner and Cody Ross

Howard S. and Joan P. Gross

3 Wallingford Road

March 3

$2,547,000

Dennis and Morgan Condon

Jason and Sarah I. Fenwick

6 Brookhouse Drive

March 3

$999,000

Debra L. Lawlor

16 Endicott Ave.

March 3

$770,000

John Kanarski Michael Flaherty and KD Macdonald

17 Lindsey Street RT and Martha F. Walsh

17 Lindsey St.

March 7

$650,000

Melissa A. Porrazzo and Jeffrey M. Taylor

Alan E. Petersen and Marie C. Petersen

35 Maverick St.

March 4

$805,000

Richard F. Regan

37 Baldwin Road

March 7

$699,000

Kathleen B. and Kevin M. Lane

Nancy L. Farrell QPRT and Charles F. O’Connell

50 Beacon St.

March 3

$1,275,000

Andrew P. and Deena M. Flaherty

S Jill Martuza 2006 T and S J Martuza

246 Ocean Ave.

March 7

$1,700,000

Jay Carey

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A14 Wednesday, March 26, 2025 Marblehead Current

OBITUARY

Kevin Condon, of Swampscott, 85 It is with great sadness that we share the passing of our brother, Kevin Condon, at his beloved seaside home in Swampscott on March 13.

William Kevin Condon was born on Aug. 23, 1939, to Thomas W. and Marguerite M. (Welch) Condon. Born in Beverly, he spent most of his life in Swampscott and Marblehead., Kevin loved the outdoors and was a rugged enthusiast of land or sea adventures. At age 13, he was lost overnight during a Boy Scout hike on Mt. Monadnock when a sudden overnight blizzard occurred.

Rescued the following day by searchers, he had survived the night by building a lean-to from pine branches. Subsequent forays were much less dramatic!

A 1957 graduate of Swampscott High, he received his bachelor’s degree from Springfield College in 1961. Awarded a fellowship from the Mayo Clinic, Kevin went on to become a registered therapist.

Kevin also held master’s degrees in physical education and public health from Northeastern University where he was on the faculty.

Early in his career, Kevin was on the faculty of Williams College and Exeter Academy. He also spent time with the

Boston Bruins and Boston Red Sox as an athletic trainer.

Kevin spent several years living in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he provided physical therapy services to students at the Pohukaina School. Upon returning home, he established a private physical therapy practice on the North Shore. He also spent many years providing services to students in the Lynn Public School system until his retirement.

A true believer in sports and exercise, Kevin loved walking, biking, tennis, kayaking and ice hockey. He continued to skate until age 80 and he could be seen swimming in the ocean almost every day!

He had a love of the ocean and sailing, owning a two-masted yawl, the Ostera, in which he took many adventures along the New England coast. Kevin enjoyed camping and kayaking on the beaches of St. John, Virgin Islands, and Vinalhaven, Maine.

He traveled to and explored many far away destinations as well as places in the United States.

Assisting those who needed his professional care was his greatest joy. No

matter what the age group or physical challenges faced, his gentle care provided restoration of abilities or palliative relief.

His patients loved him and his expertise was highly regarded amongst the health care community.

Kevin leaves his sisters, Mary Babin and her husband, David, of Lynn; Susan DePaolo of Nahant, his brother Brian and his wife, Joan, of Rock Harbor, Cape Cod; as well as several nieces and nephews.

At his direction, there will be no service.

A family celebration of life will be held this spring.

Kevin understood — Keep your stick on the ice!

Kevin’s family wishes to thank the staff from All Care resources as well as Care Dimensions for the exceptional care provided to Kevin, which allowed him to fulfill his wish to remain in his home.

Memorial contributions may be made to Care Dimension Hospice, Danvers, 75 Sylvan St., suite B-102, Danvers, 10923, caredimensions.org/giving or All Care VNA, c/o Development Office, 210 Market St., Lynn 01901.

POLICE LOG

Officers respond to bar incident, multiple fraud cases Excerpts from the Marblehead police log for March 1-12.

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.

March 1

11:11 p.m. — Police responded to a disturbance at a bar on Pleasant Street. Sgt. Timothy Morley and Officer Andrew DiMare arrived to find patrons allegedly refusing to leave when asked by staff.

Officers escorted two males and two females outside after a staff member reported one male had been aggressive toward females in the establishment. Outside, one intoxicated male, described as disorderly and non-compliant, initially refused to provide identification, claiming he “took criminal justice classes in college and knew his rights.” After officers advised him he could be arrested for trespassing, his companion retrieved his ID. Sgt. Morley issued verbal no-trespass orders to both males. The group eventually departed on foot after multiple requests from officers to leave the area.

March 2

11:51 a.m. — Officer Christian Hennigar met with a resident at the police station regarding a concerning letter. The woman reported allegedly receiving mail from a Jehovah’s witness church in Lynn that contained biblical verses she perceived as threatening due to her same-sex marriage.

Hennigar documented her concerns and advised monitoring her credit since she had recently lost her wallet, which she believed might be connected to the letter.

March 3

Update: Detective Theresa Dulong contacted the church and spoke with a representative who explained they use public information sources for

recruitment mailings. The representative denied any targeting and agreed to remove the resident from future correspondence.

11:53 a.m. — Officer Andrew Clark spoke with an Uber driver who came to the station to report a potential threatening situation.

The driver explained she had found a passenger’s iPhone after allegedly dropping her at the airport. When attempting to arrange the return of the phone, the passenger became upset and threatened to call the police.

Following Uber Support’s advice, the driver brought the phone to the police department. Sgt. Sean Brady contacted the phone’s owner and arranged to return the device.

March 6

5:09 p.m. — Officer Dean Peralta responded to a report of a computer scam on Orne Street.

An elderly resident reported that someone claiming to be tech support gained access to her computer after claiming it was compromised. The scammer allegedly obtained her bank account information and Social Security number, instructing her to drain her account in the morning. Peralta advised the resident to freeze her account immediately and contact the three major credit bureaus to flag her accounts for potential fraud.

The resident was able to confirm her funds were still intact at the time of the report.

6:15 p.m. — Officer Dean Peralta took a report at the station from a resident concerned about trespassing. The man

showed police video footage captured at his Kenneth Road property showing an unknown male wearing a red baseball hat walking a golden retriever up his driveway at approximately 9:42 a.m. The video showed the man looking into vehicles parked in the driveway. The resident stated he had never seen the individual or dog in the neighborhood before. Peralta advised him to call police immediately if the person returned.

7:32 p.m. — Officer Dennis DeFelice met with a resident at the police station reporting he was scammed while attempting to purchase Celtics tickets through Facebook Marketplace.

The alleged victim stated he communicated through Messenger and text before paying for tickets through Apple Pay. After sending payment, he discovered he had been blocked by the seller, who used what appears to be a fictitious name and contact information.

March 10

4:54 p.m. — Officer Taylor Nolasco took a report from a resident regarding a series of suspicious events. The woman reported her rear license plate cover was allegedly missing, her garage door had been left open when she was certain she had closed it, and a lemon soda can in her center console had been cut open with a picture of her cat placed inside. The woman also expressed concern her phone might be hacked. Nolasco assisted with installing her new license plate and advised her to document any other suspicious activity.

March 11

10:08 a.m. — Officer Christian Hennigar spoke with a resident by phone regarding a property dispute. The caller reported ongoing issues with a neighbor who had allegedly placed a planter with a camera facing toward her driveway, which she

believed was over the property line. Hennigar advised her to have a surveyor mark the exact property boundaries when she has her driveway repaved soon, and to contact the station if additional issues arise.

4:20 p.m. — Officer Robert Picariello met with a local property owner at the station regarding threatening text messages. The man owns an apartment building in East Boston and received messages from an unknown number accusing him of speeding and renting to “illegals.” The sender allegedly threatened to “beat the f— out of you” and claimed to be “above the police.” A database search of the phone number yielded no results.

Picariello advised the property owner to return if the situation escalated and to contact Boston police if anything happened at his property there.

7:52 p.m. — Officer Taylor Nolasco met with a tenant at the station regarding a landlord dispute. The woman reported issues with her landlord, stating that her internet access had been cut off despite it being included in her living agreement.

She planned to obtain her own internet service the following day but wanted the situation documented. Nolasco advised her of restraining order options, which she declined at that time.

11:16 p.m. — Officer Neil Comeau spoke with a man at the station who reported being scammed out of $900. The victim explained he allegedly met a person at an auto shop in Lawrence who offered to sell him a tuner chip and software for his BMW. After paying $900 cash, the seller claimed the software would transfer within an hour, but the victim never received it. When confronted, the seller claimed to be with family, told the victim to stop harassing him, and hung up.

Comeau advised the victim to file a report with Lawrence Police since the crime occurred

in their jurisdiction.

March 12

9 a.m. — Officer Douglas Mills spoke with a resident in the lobby regarding a suspicious person.

The homeowner on Harbor Avenue reported an unknown male allegedly walking around his property and measuring things.

Mills and Officer Christian Sweeney responded but were unable to locate the individual in the area.

9 a.m. — Officer Douglas Mills met with a resident regarding a Microsoft support phishing scam. The man’s father had fallen victim to scammers who gained remote access to his computer after claiming he had won a $1 million prize. The scammers allegedly attempted to have the victim transfer money to receive his “winnings.”

The family intervened after noticing a $25,000 withdrawal and was able to recover those funds. However, investigation revealed five previous wire transfers totaling $18,000 had been sent to individuals in Florida. Mills advised the family to change phone numbers, monitor accounts and block the scammers’ calls. The case was forwarded to detectives for further investigation.

1:20 p.m. — Officer Christian Hennigar took a report from a resident regarding a potential health insurance scam. The woman stated an insurance agent from the National Enrollment Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, had allegedly sold her a fraudulent health insurance plan and charged her credit card multiple times without authorization. During a phone call when she confronted the agent, he disconnected the call and immediately charged her card an additional $1,900. The resident had since canceled her credit card. Hennigar advised her to monitor her credit with the three major credit bureaus and documented the incident.

COURT

Local man charged in high-profile prostitution case

BY LEIGH BLANDER A Marblehead resident is one of 28 men charged with paying for sex in a Cambridge brothel case.

According to court documents, Frederick G. Rosenthal is accused of hiring prostitutes for hundreds of dollars an hour on 26 occasions between Jan. and Nov.

2023. Prosecutors say cell phone records show he had 983 contacts (text messages) with the brothel.

Prosecutors also say a man resembling Rosenthal’s driver’s license photo was captured on surveillance video at one brothel location.

The alleged prostitution ring operated out of

expensive apartments in Cambridge and Watertown.

Cambridge City Councilor Paul Toner is among the 28 suspects.

The feds broke up the alleged sex-for-hire ring in 2023. Rosenthal, 75, did not respond to a request for comment. He is scheduled for arraignment in Cambridge District Court on May 9.

COURTESY PHOTO / SORA SHIMAZAKI

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Marblehead Current Wednesday, March 26, 2025 A15

Headlight

Shining a light on the news you care about!

Written by the students of Marblehead High School for our school and community 2024 - 2025 Issue

www.mhsheadlight.com

Opinion: New MHS rules – helping or hurting?

Benji Boyd, Editor-in-Chief, Senior

Since the November teacher strike, this school year has felt anything but normal.

After attending rallies, sleeping late, and waiting until 6 PM each night to see if the strike would go on, many MHS students found that returning to a regular routine was almost as jarring as being taken out of it in the first place.When we returned to school, teachers were not allowed to speak about the strike, or wear their MEA gear for a predetermined amount of days. But ignoring the elephant in the room will not make it go away, just like the impacts of the strike are still being felt by students and teachers alike.

Since that initial week back in the classroom, the general feeling is that the school year has been on a downhill slide. The complete loss of momentum at the end of the first quarter has led to a chaotic second one, forcing teachers to re-format and cut down their curriculum and throw grading policies out the window. For students, the extension of the second quarter and axing of February and April breaks have made the winter months feel longer than ever, and morale in classrooms is at an all time low.

The strike exacerbated the long-term issues of low student engagement, high rates of absenteeism, and disorganized behavior, leaving the administration with a lot to deal with.

However, many of their solutions have proven incredibly unpopular with students and frustrating to teachers. Take February break. Many students already had vacations planned, so the administration decided that absences would not be counted and teachers would not be allowed to hold any assessments. Naturally, the resulting absentee rates far exceeded the proportion of students actually on vacation, and by Friday the attendance rate was something

close to 20%. Those who were present are in no hurry to repeat a week of pointless busy work and empty classrooms, indicating that this fiasco will repeat itself in April. The teachers, of course, are blameless for the rules they’re forced to follow, but they, unlike their students, can’t just play hooky when the schedule doesn’t suit them.

This sense of cabin fever has made students antsy, and another set of new rules aren’t helping. Long gone are the days when seniors were given open campus privileges for their lunch period: as of this winter, students are no longer allowed to leave the cafeteria. Shortly after that order was passed, we were banned from travelling between classrooms during MAGIC block – a study period designed to allow students to consult with teachers for help. These most recent actions have only added to the list of student grievances this year, right on top of the school committee’s neglect of student opinions on the flag policy and the removal of the bathroom doors. Are we really such an unruly student body that our every move needs to be accounted for? Of course, every rule is in response to bad behavior. But for the majority of students who have no idea why these rules are being put in place, it feels like we’re just being punished.

Teenagers are famously moody and discontented, and enforcing rules that limit our movement and frustrate our educators will not solve our disengagement crisis. In fact, punishing the group for the actions of individuals and treating young adults like much younger children will only increase the distance between us and those who make our rules.

Listening to suggestions and complaints from those actually dealing with these issues – teachers and students – will always be the better option.

March 26, 2025

can get your adrenaline pumping which may improve performance slightly. When you're feeling extra stressed and doubting yourself, Nate believes that confidence is key. “When you erase all doubt and genuinely convince yourself that your ambitious goal is within reach, you unlock a level of performance that training alone can’t guarantee.” This level of confidence and security takes runners countless seasons and runs to build, but it is essential for beating nervousness and taking control of your race.

Do you have any specific routines the night before or on race day? The day before each meet, Nate cleans his room and packs his bag with his equipment. He explains having a routine like cleaning his room helps him mentally prepare for the race, and he can wake up in a clean environment to focus on running. According to him, “minimizing variables on race day can help keep your mental state in check.” Pre-race fuel is also important, and he thinks it’s best to figure out what your body needs before a race and stick with it. For morning races, he opts for light snacks such as bars or trail mix; if the race is in the afternoon, he prefers a more satiating breakfast with a snack at lunch.

When a race doesn’t go as planned, how do you move past it and refocus? Nate’s key to moving on from bad races is learning from mistakes. Some variables that can shake you up are out of your control, like heat and wind. Others are in your

control, like poor racing strategy and pacing. When something in your control messes up a race, it’s best to acknowledge what happened and how to prevent it in the future. “You can't let a bad race shake you; you just have to move forward with training and move past it mentally.”

I also heard that you have your pilot’s license, which is super cool. I imagine both flying and racing require a lot of attention to detail and preparation— how would you compare the two?

Do any of the skills from one help with the other? Something that many people may not know is that Nate has his pilot’s license and has 100 flying hours. When it comes to flying versus running, Nate says there’s a lot of overlap between the two. In flying, he says pilots “always aim to be two steps ahead of the airplane. One step ahead is fine, but I always aim for two.” He compares this to running and how you need to consciously take control of your race and training. A trap pilots and runners can fall into is what Nate calls ‘playing defense,’ where you're always trying to catch up with the plane.

“You never want to be ‘playing defense,’ repeatedly just reacting to whatever just happened.” Responding to changes and keeping your head clear is crucial to running and flying.

Nate Assa is a perfect example of how becoming a tremendously talented athlete goes beyond physical training. You need complete confidence and mental fortitude. Nate will graduate this year, but he hasn’t decided on where to go for college, where he will study aviation.

Interview with Nate Assa: All-American track star Anna Cruikshank, Freshman

On Thursday, March 13th, at The New Balance track in Boston, Nate Assa set out on the biggest race of his life: the Nationals five kilometer race.

Although he was seeded 10th, his unbelievable kick propelled him all the way to sixth place, with a fourteen-minute 5k. A local and now national superstar, I contacted him to find

out more about how he prepares for and manages his high-stakes races.

I’m really interested in hearing how you mentally and physically prepare for big races. How do you stay calm? Nate says pre-race nerves are something every high-caliber athlete struggles with, and they're nothing to be afraid of. In fact, they

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REPORTERS: Nathaniel Carper-Young, Anna Baughman, Anya Kane, Evan Eisen, Niko King, William Pelliciotti, Peter Sullivan, Nasira Warab, Grace Wolverton, Madalyn Gelb, Teagan Freedman, Samuel Jendrysik, Nicholas Jones, Arabella Pelekouda,, Anna Cruikshank

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MOVIE MAGIC

MHS filmmaker debuts at Salem Film Festival this weekend

BY LEIGH BLANDER It’s a big weekend for Marblehead High School senior Aoife Sullivan, whose short film will be presented as part of the Salem Film Festival.

Sullivan’s movie, “Making Magic in Marblehead,” focuses on local architect Tom Saltsman and his famous Halloween installations that make news around the world each year.

Her 10-minute movie was selected as part of the festival’s “Keeping it Reel” student documentary showcase.

Sullivan’s family is friendly with the Saltsmans, and she has “grown up with these sculptures for the past 10 years.”

“It’s always been such a production,” she said. “They start in August, and then all of

MHS senior Aoife Sullivan on set of her short film, “Making Magic in Marblehead,” about Tom Saltsman’s famous Halloween installations.

a sudden something will appear in their driveway. I wanted more people to know about it.”

The 17-year-old has taken TV production classes with MHS teacher Henry Christensen for

MHS senior Aoife Sullivan’s short movie, “Making Magic in Marblehead,” is showing at the Salem Film Festival this weekend.

four years. She described her reaction to being chosen for the festival.

“I was totally psyched. I had no idea that it would be as big of a deal as it has become. I’ve gotten a lot of congratulations,” Sullivan said. “By taking Mr. C’s classes, you can do this sort of thing. It’s been exciting!”

Sullivan will graduate this June and hopes to study media production and communications in college.

“Making Magic in Marblehead” can be seen on Saturday, March 29, 10:15 a.m., at the National Park Service Visitor Center, 2 New Liberty St., Salem. For more information, visit https://loom. ly/WZie8Qk. You can also view Sullivan’s film at https://loom.ly/ARhTeyQ.

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For over 200 years, Marblehead Female Humane Society has remained faithful to its original mission of quietly and respectfully helping Marblehead residents in need.

If you’re struggling to pay your bills or are experiencing a sudden and unexpected financial hardship, we’re here to help.

Individual requests for financial assistance must be referred through a third party for consideration.

We urge you to contact our partners listed below, or speak to your local clergy to request assistance from Marblehead Female Humane Society: Marblehead Counseling Center 781-631-8273 Marblehead Housing Authority 781-631-2580 Marblehead Council on Aging 781-631-6225 Marblehead Food Pantry 781-631-8340

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