Local man makes national headlines after calling out new zoning law Page 3
DUCK HUNT
Willa’s quack-tastic duck hunt. Page 7
SAILING
A big race is returning to Marblehead Harbor Page 9
BY LEIGH BLANDER
To help residents better understand the tiered override ($9 million, $12 million or $15 million) approved at Town Meeting and heading to a townwide vote June 9, the Select Board and School Committee
plan to hold eight information sessions before the vote. Several residents asked questions at similar sessions in the days before Town Meeting.
The first two sessions were held Monday, May 11.
The remaining meetings will be held at Abbot Hall, 9-10 a.m.
and 5:30-6:30 p.m., each of the following days: Tuesday, May 19 Wednesday May 27 Tuesday, June 2
There is another forum on Thursday, May 21, 1 p.m., at the Council on Aging, 10 Humphrey St., regarding the new senior tax assistance programs for Marblehead.
The override tiers are meant to give voters a choice of whether they want to partially restore cuts, build some town programs and invest in capital projects. The financial impacts of each tier are shown in the accompanying graphic.
COMMUNITY & PEACE
BY GREY COLLINS
Over the weekend, Devereux Beach was transformed by colorful, flashing lights; the sound of music and laughter; and the unmistakable smell of fried dough and cotton candy as crowds gathered for the annual carnival. The annual event once again brought thousands of residents together for one of Marblehead’s most beloved spring traditions. Friday drew the largest crowds of the weekend, with local families and groups of friends filling the
Dozens join Mother’s Day Walk for Peace
BY JULIE FLYNN
More than 80 residents walked silently in single file along neighborhood sidewalks Sunday morning during a Mother’s Day Walk for Peace. Organizers said the 3.2-mile walk was intended to embody peace through quiet reflection and community participation. Inspired by a 2025 journey undertaken by Buddhist monks who walked 2,300 miles from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., this local walk honors their quiet, steadfast devotion to peace. Aside from the sound of footsteps along the roadway, little could be heard.
The free, community-led event invited participants to step away from the noise of daily life and unite in a shared intention for peace — both within their own lives and for the world at large.
Community members gathered at Stramski Park for the afternoon walk.
Lead organizer Ellen Petersen greeted everyone by asking participants to turn inward and think about what peace means
carnival
CURRENT PHOTOS / GREY COLLINS
Carnival-goers brave the casino ride at Devereux Beach Friday evening.
Brody Foley enjoys a candy apple with his mom at the carnival Friday afternoon.
CURRENT PHOTO / JULIE FLYNN
More than 80 people gathered at Stramski Park for a Mother’s Day Peace Walk in Marblehead. CARNIVAL, P. 6
WALK, P. 7
BY LEIGH BLANDER
Democratic candidates seeking to succeed U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton in Massachusetts’ 6th Congressional District discussed a wide range of issues at a tritown forum in Swampscott on Thursday evening, sponsored by the Marblehead, Swampscott and Nahant Democratic committees.
The six Democratic candidates are software engineer Beth Andres-Black of Middleton, business owner John Beccia of Lynnfield, former White House aide Dan Koh of Andover, Salem veterinarian Dr. Mariah Lancaster, state Rep. Tram Nguyen of Andover and former state Rep. Jamie Zahlaway Belsito of Topsfield.
The candidates voiced similar positions on Congress’ responsibility to check President Donald Trump, supporting local communities amid federal funding cuts and U.S. aid to Israel. Candidates also repeatedly returned to themes of transparency, constituent services
and restoring public trust in government.
Campaign finance
One of the first questions posed to the panel was whether candidates would refuse donations from special interest groups and whether they would release copies of their personal income tax returns.
The candidates agreed to share their tax returns, with several joking that the documents would not be impressive.
“I’ll show you my tax returns, and you’ll cry because I’m broke,” Belsito said.
She went on to argue that “Congressional seats are for sale” and criticized the growing influence of “AI money, big tech money and Anthropic money” in campaigns. (Anthropic is an artificial intelligence company.)
Belsito added: “I’m not taking PAC money. I’m not taking this outside influence, because this district is not going to be bought and paid for from outside influences.”
Nguyen said, “We need money out of politics if we really want to truly represent the people,” while noting that more than 83% of her donations had come from within Massachusetts and nearly 30% from within the district.
She called for overturning Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, banning members of Congress from profiting from office and increasing accountability.
Lancaster said every contribution to her campaign had come from individuals rather than PACs or corporations.
“There is no higher priority to restore our democracy than to have aggressive campaign finance reform,” she said.
Koh said he would reject corporate PAC money “in the primary, in the general, and if I am fortunate enough to be elected to Congress,” while also advocating for publicly financed elections, ranked-choice voting and a ban on congressional stock trading.
Federal funding cuts
The candidates were asked how they would advocate for the 6th District amid federal funding cuts to housing, healthcare, education and other programs.
They repeatedly warned that smaller communities are struggling to implement state and federal priorities because of staffing shortages, aging infrastructure and shrinking federal support.
Citing PFAS contamination in her town’s water supply, Belsito argued that communities are increasingly forced to rely on property taxes because federal investments have been reduced.
“We need to be putting money into our education system so that towns like Swampscott are not paying for these things on the property tax alone,” she said.
Lancaster, who described herself as “the only public health professional in this race,” said smaller communities are often burdened by unfunded federal
Pulitzer-winning journalist Shribman speaks
BY LEIGH BLANDER
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Shribman delivered a sweeping and deeply personal talk May 6 in Marblehead about antisemitism, political polarization, journalism and the enduring importance of community alliances in confronting hatred. Shribman grew up in Swampscott and has family in Marblehead.
Speaking before about 130 people at the high school alongside Marblehead Rabbi David Meyer, Shribman reflected at length on the 2018 massacre at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue, where 11 worshippers were killed in what he called “the most serious antisemitic episode in American history.”
Shribman, former executive editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, recalled receiving a phone call while exercising at the gym that morning from a friend who said, “I just saw a bunch of policemen walking backwards out of the Tree of Life with guns.”
He rushed to the newsroom, where staff members — many of whom lived in Pittsburgh’s heavily Jewish Squirrel Hill neighborhood — had already begun arriving. The attack, he said, profoundly affected the newspaper staff personally as well as professionally. He described beginning each day after the shooting by gathering staff in a semicircle and reminding them of their responsibility not only to report on Pittsburgh but also to represent it.
“Our job was to speak to Pittsburgh but also to speak for Pittsburgh, because the nation’s eyes were on us for seven or eight days,” Shribman said.
Shribman also recounted the decision to publish the newspaper with a Hebrew headline after the massacre — an editorial choice that drew international attention. The gesture, he said, was intended to show solidarity with victims and families.
“I wanted to make an expression that our entire community … was united and in solidarity with the families and the victims,” Shribman said. “That what was our tragedy was everybody’s tragedy.”
Throughout the evening, Shribman warned that antisemitism remains a growing danger in the United States and abroad. He described antisemitism as cyclical, saying each generation falsely believes old hatreds have disappeared.
“Each generation is tempted to believe that it has outgrown the old hatreds, and each generation, sooner or later, is confronted with evidence that it has not,” he said.
Asked what may have prompted the latest spike in antisemitism, Shribman said, “There was grave concern about (Israeli) Prime Minister Netanyahu’s extremely aggressive attack on civilians. That didn’t help.”
Going to extremes
Shribman argued that modern political polarization has deepened divisions in American life, though he suggested the country’s elected leaders are often more
ideologically extreme than the public itself.
“The leaders are Bernie Sanders and AOC and Donald Trump,” he said. “And I think the public is more with Bill Clinton and Mitt Romney.”
He lamented the disappearance of moderate Republicans and conservative Democrats in Congress.
“Now, there are no liberal Republicans and no conservative Democrats anymore, and that’s a huge problem,” he said.
Shribman also criticized what he called the use of antisemitism as a “pretext” to attack colleges and universities, though he said he did not doubt the sincerity of efforts to combat antisemitism itself.
The evening repeatedly returned to the importance of alliances across communities. Shribman praised cooperation among Jewish, Black, Christian and Muslim communities following the Tree of Life shooting.
“One of our friends in Pittsburgh was the Islamic Center,” he said. “They were one of the first to rush to the scene and offer all kinds of help.”
Discussing a Super Bowl advertisement funded by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft that depicted a Black student defending a Jewish classmate from bullying, Shribman said he viewed the ad as an important symbol of solidarity.
“I thought that was a discussion of something that was really quite great, that Blacks and Jews were in this fight together,” he said. “And I wish that more Blacks and more Jews were in this fight together.”
‘The last believers’
Shribman also defended the role of journalism in democracy, describing reporting
as both a public service and a vocation.
“We regard ourselves as having a sacred mission,” he said. “And the mission is to inform the people.”
He rejected claims that mainstream journalism intentionally fabricates stories.
“In my 50-plus years in journalism … I’ve never participated in and never witnessed the fabrication of a story, of a paragraph, a sentence, or a syllable,” Shribman said.
He acknowledged widespread distrust of the media but argued that journalists continue to believe deeply in democratic institutions.
“We are the last believers,” he said. “We believe in the system, we believe in truth, while the rest of the country doesn’t believe in anything.”
Asked what message he would offer younger generations, Shribman called the United States “the greatest country on Earth” while acknowledging the nation’s historical sins of slavery and genocide against Native Americans.
“This country’s tradition is to expand rather than to retract rights,” he said. “The great moments in American history have been moments when leaders have had the vision to imagine a country that gave comfort to the uncomfortable.”
He closed by urging listeners to continue engaging with one another across lines of difference.
“I think alliances, listening to our neighbors, understanding the pain of others — that is the richness of our country,” Shribman said.
Shribman’s appearance was sponsored by Marblehead Public Schools, Police, Ministerial Association and the Task Force Against Discrimination.
CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER Joined by Rabbi David Meyer, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Shribman, right, speaks about tolerance, antisemitism, politics and the media in Marblehead May 6.
Viral speaker: ‘We should all be vocal’
BY LEIGH BLANDER
David Modica didn’t realize his remarks at Town Meeting had gone viral until his phone started blowing up the next day.
His comments — questioning Marblehead’s plan to comply with the MBTA Communities Act by zoning the Tedesco Country Club golf course for multifamily housing — struck a chord with residents in town and far beyond.
The proposal, approved by Town Meeting, designates the golf course (along with Broughton Road) as part of the town’s 3A zoning district. Critics, including Modica, say that decision makes it less likely that meaningful housing will actually be built.
“The dishonesty and the amount of bad faith is toxic,” Modica told the Current on May 6. “This isn’t Democrats versus Republicans. It’s 2,000 of our neighbors sitting there lying to ourselves and to the state. We’re bulls—ing” each other.”
Modica, who grew up in Marblehead and remains a resident, works as an internet entrepreneur. His Town Meeting comments spread across the internet, ultimately making it to Boston and even national media.
‘Are we kinda being pricks?’
As Town Meeting moved toward approving the plan Monday night, Modica stood and delivered remarks that quickly spread online.
“So, this is a way to comply
with 3A without doing any of the 3A stuff? Are we trying to do nothing? Because it seems like we’re doing nothing,” he said.
He continued: “So, when we’re preserving, like, the character of Marblehead, it’s like, it’s bad — we’re selfish. We’re doing a bad thing. We’re not doing any housing. Are we kinda being pricks?”
By Wednesday, Modica said he understood why the moment resonated.
“It’s important to say what we’re doing out loud,” he said. “We’re pretending we can’t do anything about housing — as a town, as a country — that our hands are tied. But it’s just us” making the decision.
He also questioned the state’s acceptance of the plan, which he views as compliance on paper rather than in practice.
“We shouldn’t be signing our name to a lie, and the state shouldn’t let us get away with it,” he said.
On state funding tied to compliance, he added, “We don’t f—ing deserve it. It’s just not the right thing to do.”
A broader housing debate
Modica said he hopes the attention leads to more honest conversations — and ultimately, more action.
“What would be better is if people built some f’ing housing,” he said. “People a lot smarter than me have been talking about it for years. People aren’t confused. They just don’t want more housing.”
He said speaking up matters, especially in a town where consensus can be assumed too easily.
“We should all be vocal,” he said. “Otherwise, we think we’ve reached a consensus that we haven’t. When we speak out, we give permission to others to speak out.”
BY KRIS OLSON
With their vote under Article 4 on May 4, Town Meeting voters amended the town’s zoning bylaw to adopt a multifamily overlay district designed to meet the town’s obligations under the MBTA Communities Law (G.L.c. 40A, §3A). But Marblehead is not yet technically “compliant” from the state’s perspective.
Marblehead can achieve “interim compliance” with the law by submitting a complete application package for review to the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, a spokesperson for the office explained. That package will include the town’s newly adopted zoning text and map certified by the town clerk.
Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer told the Current that the town would be waiting to submit its application package until the period to call for a referendum to challenge Town Meeting’s vote had expired. As seen last year, a special law, Chapter 405 of the Acts of 1954 requires the Select Board to hold such an election upon receipt of a petition signed by at least 300 registered voters within “five days, exclusive of Sundays and holidays, from the dissolution” of Town Meeting, which would be May 11 this year.
Local attorney John DiPiano, who led last year’s petition drive, had previously told the Current that he had no plans to challenge Town Meeting’s vote this year, and the Current had not learned of any attempt to gather signatures as of press time.
Once the EOHLC receives Marblehead’s application package, it will review its submission and determine whether the adopted zoning complies with the law based on the criteria set forth in the law itself and a related set of regulations, found at 760 CMR 72.00, according to the spokesperson.
Late last year, the town submitted to EOHLC a pre-adoption review
application and received an initial response on Jan. 8 that outlined six technical issues that, if not addressed, might have affected the district’s ability to achieve compliance with §3A.
By Feb. 5, Marblehead had addressed those six issues to EOHLC’s satisfaction.
“Adoption of the proposed District will put Marblehead in a good position for compliance,” EOHLC noted in a follow-up letter.
EOHLC cautioned, however, “Please note
that this pre-adoption review is limited to the specific issues identified at this stage of review and is based on materials provided by the Town of Marblehead. It does not constitute a representation that resolution of the identified issues would result in a compliant zoning district.”
The town was urged to “review its existing zoning carefully to make sure there are no provisions that would affect the proposed overlay zoning district.”
In response to an inquiry
from the Current, the EOHLC spokesperson did not directly address any potential impact from the uproar resident David Modica created with his Town Meeting comments, which went viral on social media and spawned coverage in the Wall Street Journal and the Boston Globe, including a Globe editorial noting that Modica had “captured a generation’s housing angst.”
“We will continue
working with communities through the compliance process to ensure local zoning meets the law’s requirements and supports the broader goal of making housing more affordable,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
The spokesperson also touted the “real, measurable results” the MBTA Communities Law is producing, including 9,000 new multifamily homes already in the pipeline.
The spokesperson noted that 94% of MBTA communities have adopted new zoning, and nearly 90% have been determined to be fully or conditionally compliant.
“The MBTA Communities Law is one of many tools Massachusetts is using to increase housing production, create more reasonably priced homes and lower costs for residents across the state,” the spokesperson said.
CURRENT PHOTO / GREY COLLINS
“Are we being pricks?” Resident David Modica questioned whether Marblehead’s new 3A plan was merely paper compliance.
Opinion
EDITORIAL
Upon further review, Town Meeting and its bumpy
aftermath
Unpacking last week’s Town Meeting, Marblehead’s 377th exercise in local governance
What a difference a year makes, right? One night instead of three. Three-plus hours, not 10 or more, of mostly civil discourse. Virtually all articles and amendments passed handily, including Article 29, leading to June’s Prop 2 1/2 override vote (more on that later).
All that plus another impressive turnout, along with an end — perhaps — to Marblehead’s noncompliance with the MBTA Communities Act. Voters have approved new zoning districts that allow for, but do not guarantee, construction of multifamily housing along Broughton Road and Tedesco Country Club.
Matter settled? All parties satisfied? Not exactly.
But let’s begin with props to everyone who showed up. And even more to town officials who worked long and hard to craft and present a long list of numbers-heavy budget items.
Shout outs, too, to Select Board chair Dan Fox, School Committee member Melissa Clucas and DPW Director Amy McHugh, among others, for guiding voters through the number crunching, and to Charter Commission chair Amy Drinker for honoring her late colleague Sean Casey as “our Thomas Jefferson.”
And now, some lingering thoughts, concerns and questions: Will voters weighing Prop 2 1/2 override options come to the polls committed, confused — or both?
Marblehead is in uncharted waters here, having never faced a general override vote offering multiple options. It’s therefore incumbent on town officials — and yes, news outlets like the Current — to provide clear explanations about what each tier entails and how marked ballots can and should reflect a voter’s true intent.
That may not be so easy. However, town officials and groups like 4MHD have promised a rigorous information campaign between now and June 9. We trust them — and us — to meet the moment. We’ll have more to say about what choice or choices we endorse in a later editorial.
OK, which side ultimately prevailed on the 3A issue?
Good question, and one most pointedly asked by attendee David Modica, whose “are we kinda being pricks?” remark quickly went viral on social media, garnering millions of views. His larger point — that the redrawn map may satisfy the letter of the law but not its spirit, and that it seems unlikely to result in any actual housing being built — has fueled criticism that Marblehead, as a recent Boston Globe editorial put it, has become an archetype of “a wealthy community trying to keep out people under the guise of ‘preserving the character’ of the town.”
A couple of points worth making among the widespread media coverage of what might be called Modica’s Moment: Our earlier endorsement of a “yes” vote on Article 4 doesn’t mean we are unsupportive of Marblehead creating more housing options. In fact, we urge the town’s housing coalition to explore any and all viable options.
Last year, Marblehead passed a perfectly reasonable zoning plan that was shot down, in our opinion, by a combination of misinformation and fearmongering (i.e., Marblehead becoming “the next Wonderland”). Would it have triggered the same backlash we’re seeing now? Doubtful. Meanwhile, 3A opponents seem conspicuously silent. Yet they own this, too.
The state’s final seal of approval on Marblehead’s nowinfamous plan — if and when it comes — should not be the end of a healthy and long-overdue discussion about how to boost the tax base and thoughtfully create additional housing opportunities in town.
A show of hands: Who prefers clickers?
Opinion remains divided in this shop over whether “peer pressure” discouraged “no” voting on key budget items, or whether the time saved by show-of-hands voting (after debate) on, for instance, 11 separate budget items was worth it.
We’ll note there are valid arguments on both sides. In general, however, we favor using clicker technology as a routine matter, even if it’s more time consuming. Voters should feel confident that issues are being settled by the book, so to speak, and not according to some hidden agenda or forced expediency.
Town Meeting ended on a positive note — albeit with its only negative vote
Article 40, the last voted on, was an affirmation of Marblehead’s adherence to principles set down in the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution. A proposed amendment went further, calling out President Trump by name while listing many of his administration’s most egregious transgressions. We happen to agree with much of what the amendment writer spelled out. However, as one editorial board member noted, “I still think there’s something to celebrate in the idea that Town Meeting wanted to live somewhere other than the extremely polarized realm of national politics.”
He added, “Not to make too much of it, but that’s in part why the Current exists, to remind people that we’re neighbors with common interests and challenges first, even if we are aligned with different camps in the national political wars.”
A good note to end on, that.
MONEY MATTERS
Preparing graduates for financial independence
BY EMILY PATIENCE
Graduation season is fully upon us. Whether your child is graduating from high school or college, it marks the beginning of a new chapter filled with independence, responsibility and important financial decisions.
While every family’s situation is different, this transition presents an opportunity to help your child build habits that can positively shape their future for decades to come.
Here are a few practical tips to help set graduates up for success.
For high school graduates heading to college Teach basic budgeting early. For many students, college is the first time they have meaningful access to money. Debit cards, Venmo, online shopping and food delivery apps can make spending feel effortless.
Before students head off to school, families should discuss basic budgeting concepts: • Understanding needs versus wants.
• Avoiding unnecessary credit card debt.
• Managing discretionary spending.
• Learning that money is a finite resource. The goal is not perfection. It is helping students begin to develop healthy financial habits and awareness early. Starbucks once a week may fit in the budget, everyday would be excessive.
Don’t overfund spending accounts. One of the biggest mistakes families can make is giving students unlimited access to money without structure or guidance. While parents naturally want to support their children, part of college is learning responsibility.
Providing reasonable spending boundaries can help students better understand financial decision-making and prepare them for life after graduation. Providing too much financial support while in college, can lead to your children staying on your “payroll” for years (maybe even decades) post graduation.
Put basic legal documents in place. One often overlooked item for families with children over the age of 18 is basic legal planning.
Once a child becomes a legal adult, parents no longer automatically have access to medical information or the authority to make healthcare decisions during an emergency. Before sending children away to college, families should consider having simple healthcare proxy and durable power
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Learn more about overrides, senior tax breaks at upcoming forums
To the editor:
We are a bit too young to have been born at the Mary Alley Hospital, but we both grew up in Marblehead and are proud to have parents who are true “townies.” We chose to raise our children here so that they can have the same wonderful Marblehead adventures we experienced.
After sharing in conversations with different generations of Marblehead family and friends about the current and future state of our town, we understand that a general override is not something to take lightly. Life is only getting more expensive and many residents are on fixed incomes. We would like to highlight the upcoming information session about senior tax assistance programs on May 21 at 1 p.m, at the Jacobi Community Center.
Additionally, we hear that people are concerned about
of attorney documents prepared.
While these are documents families hope they never need, having them in place can provide peace of mind during unexpected situations.
For college graduates entering the workforce
Start saving immediately. One of the most valuable financial advantages young professionals have is time.
For graduates beginning their careers, one of the best habits they can establish immediately is contributing to their employer retirement plan as soon as they are eligible, at minimum, enough to receive the full company match. Preferably saving 10% of income.
Too often, retirement savings are delayed because retirement feels far away. However, starting early allows compounding to work in their favor over decades. Even modest contributions early in life can grow significantly over time.
Avoid lifestyle inflation. The first full-time paycheck can feel exciting, particularly after years of being a student.
However, one of the biggest financial traps for young professionals is increasing spending as quickly as income rises.
Building wealth is often less about how much someone earns and more about how much they are able to save and invest consistently over time.
Establishing disciplined habits early can create flexibility and financial confidence later in life.
Focus on career growth, not just salary
While compensation matters, the first job after graduation should not be evaluated on salary alone. Opportunities for mentorship, skill development, professional growth and long-term trajectory often matter just as much, if not more, early in a career. Strong habits, professionalism and consistency tend to compound over time, both financially and personally. Graduation is not just an academic milestone. It is the beginning of financial independence and adulthood.
The conversations families have during these transitional years can shape financial behaviors and perspectives that last a lifetime.
Emily Promise, CEO and financial advisor at ShorePoint Advisory Group (formerly Blakely Financial), is a Marblehead native and the financial columnist for the Current.
ELECTION LETTERS
In accordance with the Current’s policy, the last edition to include election-related letters will be May 27, which means the deadline is May 22.
historical fiscal responsibility, transparency, and general competency of our leaders. We were concerned about that, too, until we took the time to get informed. We urge that you do the same by joining one of the community information sessions or office hours with our town leaders. Our town boards and committees are collaborating on complex issues that do not have quick or easy fixes. They are working extremely hard to bring creative solutions to our community so that voters can choose the kind of Marblehead we want to live in.
Like many young families, we budget carefully to prioritize expenses and maintain financial stability. Voting for this general override and paying increased taxes will not be easy — but it is a path forward that we fully support. Investing in our schools, parks and recreation,
library, DPW and the Council on Aging, is vital to our children, parents, grandparents, friends, neighbors and the entire community. To preserve what makes Marblehead special, we need to invest in it now. Please join us in voting ‘yes’ for Marblehead Connor and Jessica Carey Lucia Road
Don’t
let
Marblehead’s legacy erode; vote ‘yes’
To the editor:
For the past 20 years, Marblehead has managed without a Proposition 2 ½ override — a remarkable feat of fiscal discipline. As a former Finance Committee chair and School Committee member with more than 30 years in the municipal bond market, I can attest that this success was built on conservative revenue estimating, strong fiscal controls, ample reserves and prudent debt management. These practices earned Marblehead a coveted
Why waiting feels harder than it used to
BY MARGARET BACON
Waiting used to be part of life. Now it feels like a glitch. There was a time when waiting was simply built in. You waited for letters. You waited for harvests. You waited for news. If someone was late, you assumed weather or traffic, not a character flaw.
Waiting was not an interruption. It was normal.
A spinning wheel on a screen can raise the pulse. A delayed text can feel like a verdict on your character. A package that arrives in three days instead of one inspires quiet indignation.
We live in a world where groceries can be summoned, directions recalculated and entertainment delivered instantly. When something does not comply, we experience it as resistance.
The problem is not delay. It is contrast.
Modern life has trained us to expect response. We press a button and something happens.
We swipe and something appears. We search and something answers. The world responds on command.
Our nervous systems do not.
They were built for urgency. If something moved in the bushes, you reacted. If food appeared, you secured it. If a storm gathered, you prepared. Delay
once carried consequences.
That wiring did not disappear when broadband arrived.
When we wait for medical results, a job decision, a reply or even a traffic light, the same alert system activates. The body does not distinguish between rustling grass and an unanswered message. It only knows that something unresolved might matter.
We have also eliminated boredom with ruthless efficiency. In line, we scroll. In elevators, we check. At red lights, we glance down when we should not. The idle moments that once trained patience have been filled with stimulus.
We did not intend to abolish patience. We simply removed its
Meet G’Lean Well Being
BY MELISSA STACEY
The following is an interview with Cathy Crist, founder/ owner/instructor of G’Lean Well Being, conducted by Discover Marblehead. G’Lean Well Being offers a community-focused approach to wellness, blending fitness, recovery, and nutrition into one supportive space. With small-group classes, advanced recovery tools like an infrared sauna and personalized tracking through body composition technology, G’Lean is designed to help members build strength, improve overall health and feel their best at every stage of life. To learn more about their services, go to gleanwb.com.
Tell us about your business, why you started it, and how you help your clients. I truly stumbled into this journey. As a lifelong dancer and interior designer, I was always active, but in 2019, at age 55, I had a moment of clarity. I realized I needed to take control of my health and my future so I
could stay strong and mobile for myself and my family. With determination as my guide, I began what has now evolved into G’lean, an oasis for women, especially those over 40 and 50, who are serious about reclaiming their health. I strongly believe that every woman over 50 should be doing this work.
What makes G’lean different from any other fitness studio is its supportive, welcoming environment where self-doubt, fear and self-consciousness fade away. G’lean’s programming is intentionally diverse, meant for women seeking options beyond a single-style gym: strength training, barre, yoga and Pilates, along with TRX and BOSU workouts. I offer small-group classes capped at eight people,
consider the long-term health of our community and do the same. James Dearborn Summer Street
AAA bond rating from Standard and Poor’s, placing us among the most fiscally stable communities in the Commonwealth.
Like your credit score, the town’s bond rating determines how much we pay (in interest costs) to access capital markets for major infrastructure projects. Our top rating means that Marblehead pays, comparatively, very low interest costs on our bonds.
But today, we are at a crossroads. S&P has placed our long-held AAA rating on a negative outlook, citing “recent budgetary stress” and the potential for depleted reserves if we cannot manage rising costs. The town government — our Select Board, Finance Committee and professional staff — has done everything possible to delay this moment, but we can no longer “manage” our way out of structural deficits caused by rising fixed costs.
If we allow our bond rating to fall, we are essentially choosing to pay more in borrowing costs for years to come. Voting “yes” on the override is an investment in Marblehead’s financial stability. We have spent decades building a town that future generations would be proud to inherit. Let’s not let that legacy erode now. I will be voting in favor of the override on Tuesday, June 9, and I hope you will
Are we being pricks?
To the editor: Well, are we? Being pricks, that is. Normally a gulf exists, here as elsewhere, between those who agonize about every little thing that’s wrong with our human condition and those who tend more to Rhett Butler’s frankly my dear… perspective.
Yet David Modica’s question at one of our best Town Meetings for years is strangely unifying. Yes David, as the Planning Board’s Marc Liebman explained, “We tried the other way but it was rejected.”
Politics being the art of the possible, Marblehead has threaded the needle with the camel of 3A and come up with an answer that most importantly restores our eligibility for future state grants. Last year, at the ballot box, we all lost $4 million which was to be used in part for seawall remediation before the next big storm and it’s not coming back. Let’s not agonize over a “better” answer to 3A. Let us all put on big boy pants and, when asked, vote for a generous override on June 9. To those tempted to strike this one down, David Modica will have a word for it.
Rhod
Sharp Franklin Street
habitat. Expectations shifted along the way. When communication moved slowly, delay was normal.
Now silence feels deliberate.
The tools that connect us have quietly raised the emotional stakes of response time.
The clock hasn’t slowed down.
Our tolerance has.
None of this means we are weaker than those who came before us. It means we live in a system engineered for speed while carrying brains engineered for vigilance.
The two are not aligned.
If you find yourself refreshing a page, checking the clock or interpreting silence as meaning, it may help to remember that the discomfort is not evidence of
crisis. It is an echo.
You are reacting to delay the way your ancestors reacted to uncertainty.
On a good day, when the light remains red or the message remains unanswered, you may feel the familiar surge.
And you may let it pass.
Margaret Bacon is the founder and senior editor of VeryCoolFacts. com and Safe Harbor Media Group, a scalable educational media platform built around verified, insight-driven storytelling. Her work explores history, science, culture and the enduring patterns of human behavior that shape how we think and act today. She is based in Marblehead.
providing personalized attention and a variety of modalities. This allows coaches to modify workouts and reduce the fear of injury, a concern I often hear from women over 40, those rehabbing surgeries, or easing back into regular activity.
The studio also uses SHAPESCALE, a scanning system that provides a threedimensional image of the body along with detailed composition measurements that can be compared over time.
What is the best piece of business advice you’ve ever received? Be authentic. Be the best. I love what I do because it is more than a business; it is fulfilling work that truly impacts lives.
What is your favorite spot in Marblehead, and why? The walking trails. It’s peaceful, grounding and a reminder of how important it is to keep moving and take time for yourself, something I encourage all my clients to do.
Town leaders have worked hard to build trust
To the editor:
Last week at Town Meeting, Marbleheaders came together, as we have for nearly four centuries, to cast important votes on town matters. Our collective effort mirrored the collaboration exhibited over the past few months by our elected officials, town and school administrators, and department heads. They made difficult decisions to address years of structural deficits and presented a framework to address revenue shortfalls that was approved by Town Meeting voters. Now it’s up to Marblehead voters to balance their individual finances with a shared love for our great town when we vote on the override on Tuesday, June 9. An important component of the override is the proposed memo of understanding that codifies and continues the spirit of collaboration and trust that was established through months of deliberation. This MOU, approved by the Select Board, the School Committee and the Finance Committee, and their respective administrative leaders, pledges NOT to seek an additional general override during the next three years if one is approved on June 9. The MOU states a commitment to provide quarterly joint
What is something people would be surprised to learn about you? Before starting G’lean, I enjoyed a 14+ year career as a flight attendant, as well as working in internal training and management for American Airlines. That experience taught me so much about people, service and adaptability, all of which I bring into my business today.
financial reviews of the town and school budgets, to re-build our stabilization fund (a true “rainy day” fund for real emergencies) to 5% of our overall operating budget, and to continue the fiscal accountability and transparency that has been evident throughout the FY27 deliberations. This MOU and passing an override put us on a path to fiscal sustainability. And for those who say that an MOU has no teeth, I posit that any candidate for office who ignores it does so at their own peril.
On Tuesday, June 9, please join me in voting ‘yes’ on questions 1, 2 and 3 (three three override tiers). Our town leaders have worked hard to build trust — with each other and with all of us — and in return we must continue the spirit of collective commitment to support what makes Marblehead special, whether we use and enjoy each of those services individually or because we know that others depend on them. That’s what binds us together as a community.
Dave Weber Cliff Street
Marblehead’s unwavering commitment to nation’s founding principles
To the editor: The citizens of Marblehead
The business spotlight is a weekly feature published in partnership with Discover Marblehead. Discover Marblehead is dedicated to the promotion of Marblehead. Its mission is to highlight local businesses, tourism, community events and attractions through social media, email marketing and community outreach. To learn more, visit discovermhd.com.
unanimously asserted our unwavering commitment to our nation’s founding principles and documents. In doing so at our Town Meeting, we followed in the footsteps of the citizen-led movements that helped ignite the American Revolution — the Committees of Correspondence, the Sons and Daughters of Liberty and the other civic alliances that challenged tyranny and demanded self-governance. It was not distant elites who first resisted oppression. It was the engaged citizens in small towns like Marblehead who organized boycotts, protests, demonstrations, and acts of defiance that ultimately gave rise to armed rebellion and American independence. Their courage illustrated that democracy can be defended by ordinary people willing to speak, organize, and act. Words matter. Publicly affirming our shared constitutional values strengthens the foundation of our republic on its 250th anniversary and reminds future generations what this country was built upon: liberty, civic responsibility, and resistance to authoritarian power.
Marblehead has always taken pride in its history. This resolution does not merely honor that legacy — it continues it.
First in Revolution. Still defending freedom today. Lynn Nadeau Surf Street
COURTESY PHOTO
Cathy Crist is the founder/owner/instructor at G’Lean Well Being.
Marblehead Museum leader moving on
BY LEIGH BLANDER
Marblehead Museum Executive Director Lauren McCormack is resigning effective June 30. She has been at the museum since 2018.
“As much as I love the museum, I just can’t do the three-hour round trip commute everyday anymore (I live in central Mass). I have accepted
a position as executive director of Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area and start there in early July,” McCormack wrote in an email to the Current. She added about the Marblehead Museum: “We are in the process of hiring a new ED. The job has been posted on NEMA Jobs and HireCulture, the go-to sites for museum professionals looking for jobs.”
Marblehead has several events planned for America’s 250th birthday, some of which have already happened. McCormack has been key in that planning. McCormack has been a highly effective director, securing grants, developing the new Brick Kitchen at the Jeremiah Lee Mansion and expanding Marblehead’s look at its Black and Indigenous history.
From P. 1
grounds. Long lines formed at regular favorite rides like the ferris wheel, the cliffhanger and the zero-gravity ride, and the game booths buzzed with activity as children competed for stuffed animal and toy prizes.
The atmosphere reflected a sense of celebration, as Marblehead residents spent the evening outside in the warm weather with friends and family, a massive relief from the harsh weather and heavy snowfall that kept them indoors much of the winter.
“The carnival was so much fun,” said Addison Rotigliano, a high school student who attended the carnival on Friday evening. “I would definitely go next year, I had a great experience with my friends.”
The weekend wasn’t without its challenges; in this case, it was the New England spring weather. Heavy rain all day on Saturday forced Cushing Amusements to cancel the carnival for the day, continuing a streak of rain cancellations that have impacted carnivalgoers for the last three years. But the next day, the carnival opened for Sunday afternoon, ending the weekend on a positive note.
Charlie Marshal rides the mechanical bull at the Devereux Beach Carnival Friday night. Millie White rides the mechanical bull at the carnival Friday afternoon.
The perfect weather on Friday drew big crowds of kids to the annual Devereux Beach Carnival.
CURRENT PHOTOS / GREY COLLINS
Jimmy Dolce and Reeves Fullerton scream as they endure the cliffhanger ride.
COURTESY PHOTO
Marblehead Museum Executive Director Lauren McCormack
Willa’s quack-tastic win: Girl, 9, wins Kindle after duck hunt
BY LEIGH BLANDER
Nine-year-old Willa Barry recently learned a little about duck hunting — but not in the way you might think.
The Tower School third grader is the winner of Abbot Library’s Great Marblehead Yellow Duckie Search that ran April 21-May 4.
The event was organized by the Friends of Abbot Public Library as a community activity.
Fifty small yellow ducks were tucked into spots all around town, waiting to be discovered by eager participants who then returned them to the library. They could then pick out a free book and enter a raffle for a big prize.
According to Abbot Executive Director Kimberly Grad, 23 of the 50 ducks were found over the course of the contest.
Willa was the most successful “duck hunter” in town. She and her family explored Marblehead during the contest dates and
mandates and emphasized coalition-building in Congress.
“Representatives need to start advocating for each other’s projects,” she said.
Nguyen said local governments are already feeling the effects of “harmful disinvestment from the federal government,” while Beccia described local budgeting as a “whack-a-mole” exercise as municipalities try to fill gaps left by federal cuts.
Experience and skills
The candidates each highlighted the personal and professional experiences they said make them best suited for Congress.
Beccia emphasized privatesector leadership and experience regulating cryptocurrency and financial services, arguing Congress needs members who understand artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
“We need people who are mature, who have that sense of understanding, who have done it before, and have worked with all different types of people from all different sides of the aisle to get things done,” he said.
Belsito — who runs a national nonprofit focused on maternal mental health — highlighted nearly three decades of policy and government work dating back to an internship in former Congressman Joe Moakley’s office.
“I’ve helped pass appropriated money for the past five congresses since 2015,” she said. “I know people down there, but here’s the best thing — they know me.” Lancaster pointed to her experience as a congressional staffer and federal civil servant, saying her familiarity with the “big, complicated machine” of Congress would allow her to be
ended up finding two of the hidden ducks — one at the historic Jeremiah Lee Mansion and another nearby, close to the sign for St. Michael’s Episcopal
Church.
“I got home from school and my parents said, ‘Do you want to go duck hunting?’ and I said, ‘Sure!’” Willa said. “We were
walking around Marblehead and finally found one at the Jeremiah Lee Mansion, and I also found one near the post down the street.”
Willa’s lucky streak carried through to the raffle drawing, where she was selected as the
to their own lives, but also in the lives of our friends, families, community and the greater world. Walkers made a 30-minute stop at Abbot Hall for rest, reflection and a brief ceremony. Resident and organizer James Ashton led participants in a blessing, an affirmation, a minute of silence and the ringing of a bell.
Another organizer, Pat Chase, said, “I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to walk in silence with others carrying the intention
winner of a
The Friends of
Library said the goal of the event was simply to get families outside, exploring town landmarks and engaging with the library in a playful way during National Library Week.
effective immediately.
She also cited her work as a veterinarian, saying it helped her understand “the working realities of ordinary families.”
Koh said the political moment requires experienced leadership prepared to challenge Trump immediately.
“This is not a time to send someone to Congress to learn another job,” said Koh, who has been endorsed by his former boss, President Joe Biden.
Nguyen pointed to her legislative record in Massachusetts, saying she had passed bipartisan legislation and helped constituents through unemployment, food insecurity and other crises.
“That’s the type of leadership that’s needed right now,” Nguyen said.
Congress’ role
Koh said Congress must reclaim its role as a “co-equal branch of government” and use oversight powers aggressively.
“We need to fight fire with fire with this president,” he said.
“This is not the time to play patty-cake with MAGA.”
He called for investigations into administration officials and corporate allies of Trump while advocating for policies including
of peace in my heart. Mother’s Day provides the perfect occasion to reflect on and honor the roles of mothers in our own families throughout history.”
Participants also reflected on the meaning of the walk, which organizers hope will become an annual event. Petersen, who’s lived in Marblehead for 36 years said, “I believe we all hold the seeds of peace within ourselves. Having an outward manifestation of what peace means in our community is a beautiful thing.”
Chase added: “We are all connected, sharing the same planet. World peace is possible
Medicare for All and restoring cuts to housing and health programs.
Lancaster argued Republicans in Congress have “abdicated” their responsibilities.
“Congress has the power of the purse,” she said. “Every dollar administered by this administration is supposed to be authorized and given permission by Congress to be spent, and Congress is responsible for holding the executive to account, and they are not doing it.”
Several candidates called for structural reforms, including campaign finance reform, changes to the Supreme Court and stronger civil rights protections.
Andres-Black argued that “the Supreme Court just restored Jim Crow (by reinterpreting the Voting Rights Act), and Congress has done nothing,” while advocating expanding the court and limiting its jurisdiction.
Belsito said Democrats need an action plan.
“Stop patting each other on each other’s backs, stop raising the same money from the same bazillionaires, and actually do something,” she said. “I want a three-to-five-point plan that leadership is going to do, like we’re actually going to codify Roe.”
with understanding, acceptance and love.”
Another participant, Maryellen Solomon-Auger said, “I am the better for having walked for peace in our own community and with others. I hope the spirit of peace shared throughout the 3.2mile walk radiates out into our community and across the world wherever it’s needed most.”
Reverend Patricia Long said, “Perhaps our churches are emptying — nonetheless, today’s Walk for Peace assures us that spiritual energy is very much alive!”
‘Illegal wars,’ foreign aid and Israel
Candidates also debated U.S. support for Israel and the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and the war in Gaza.
Koh said Israel “certainly” has a right to defend itself but argued the conflict ultimately requires “a two-state solution” and renewed diplomacy.
Several others sharply criticized Netanyahu and questioned continued U.S. aid.
“There is no excuse for genocide,” Andres-Black said, adding that Americans need to realize that U.S. technology is “picking targets out of a hat” in these wars — and often missing the mark.
Lancaster, who previously worked at the State Department administering foreign aid programs, said existing U.S. law already requires human rights vetting for aid recipients.
“Now, we are bankrolling a supposed ally in a completely unjustified genocide,” Lancaster said.
Koh, who described the issue as “very personal” as an Arab American and Lebanese American with family in the region, said “it will be a very
happy day in the Middle East when Bibi Netanyahu is no longer in power.”
He called for humanitarian aid to Gaza while also warning that criticism of the Israeli government should not fuel antisemitism.
“We need to stand with our Jewish-American neighbors. We need to stand with our ArabAmerican neighbors,” Koh said.
Belsito, who said she still has family in Syria, criticized the scale of U.S. aid to Israel while Americans struggle with housing, health care and education costs.
Nguyen, who said she comes from “a war-torn country,” called the suffering in Gaza “morally unacceptable” and argued Netanyahu “should be tried as a war criminal.”
She also emphasized separating criticism of governments from prejudice against religious or ethnic groups, citing her work combating antisemitism and discrimination against Muslim communities.
The Democratic primary is Sept. 1.
There is also one Republican in the 6th District race: attorney Micah Jones.
CURRENT
PHOTO / JULIE FLYNN
More than 80 people joined Marblehead’s first Walk for Peace on Mother’s Day.
Kindle Paperwhite.
Abbot Public
CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER
The Democratic candidates for the 6th Congressional District seat participate in a forum Thursday night sponsored by the Marblehead, Swampscott and Nahant Democratic committees.
Friends of the Abbot Public Library hid 50 duckies around town to celebrate National Library Week.
COURTESY PHOTOS
Willa Barry is shown outside the Lee Mansion where she found a duck in Abbot Library’s Great Yellow Duckie Search.
BY LEIGH BLANDER
Stay informed with new town alerts
MarbleheadAlerts is the town’s new mass notification system for “alerts about severe weather, boil water orders
and other public safety issues,” according to a press release. Residents can choose to receive notifications by text, email or phone call.
MarbleheadAlerts is powered by Regroup, which replaces CodeRed, and supports translations of text and email messages into
most languages. You can also sign up to receive nonemergency notifications, including elections and major town events. Sign up at https:// loom.ly/OEYzSok. Anyone with questions regarding AlertMarblehead can contact MarbleheadAlerts@ MarbleheadMA.gov. Veterans School recognized The New England League of Middle Schools has named Marblehead’s Veterans School a “spotlight school,” for implementing highquality, research-based practices. Spotlight schools are “models of excellence, demonstrating effective teaching, strong curriculum and a supportive environment,” according to NELMS.
Sports
Coveted Marblehead tradition returns with PHRF New England Championship
BY LAURIE FULLERTON
This coming June 12-14, the Boston Yacht Club will be hosting the PHRF New England Championship, an event with a long history in Marblehead. The PHRF New Englands was — for decades — the premier big-boat event of the summer. In 2004, 145 boats raced under its banner, with Marblehead’s three major yacht clubs sharing the workload. When participation dipped, the event suffered under new management and was eventually discontinued.
However, the PHRF organization has continued to grow throughout North America — issuing roughly 1,000 certificates per year.
Marblehead resident and yacht broker for New Wave Yachts Robert “Bump” Wilcox and others felt it was time to bring back the New Englands.
The event was formerly held in August, but the decision to move it to June will bring better sailing conditions and selected this premier spot on the yacht racing calendar.
Current sailing reporter Laurie Fullerton caught up with Bump Wilcox recently to talk more about the return of this coveted racing event.
Fullerton: Can you describe what is special about bringing this race back to town?
Wilcox: This regatta has deep roots. It started in 1982 as the Mass Bay Sailing Championship, a
Monday-through-Friday affair that the Boston Globe and the Boston Herald covered all week long with stories and pictures every day of this event. I won that inaugural 1982 event in my division by sailing a Yamaha 33, and I went on to win seven championships in six different boats since. I always looked forward to it — and it was always well run, well attended and stacked with Marblehead’s deep bench of top sailors.
Fullerton: What is your ideal number of competitors and how do you attract the teams?
Wilcox: We are aiming for about 50 entries this year. The event is new to many boats, but Marblehead knows how to run an exciting race — and how
to throw an excellent after-race party, with drink sponsors, food, and a band. Sunday is a built-in no-race day so visiting owners can deliver their boats home, and Marblehead has the moorings and hospitality to welcome out-of-town fleets.
Fullerton: What is it to you that is special about a regatta like this one?
Wilcox: Sailing is one of the few sports where you can line up against the best in the world, and this event has always offered that. When the regatta used to run the third week of August — it often featured a stretch of notorious light air or nonexistent wind. Early June should deliver far better sailing.
Fullerton: Can you tell us more about the styles of racing that will be used?
Wilcox: Both fully crewed and doublehanded divisions will compete. We have trimmed the event from three days to two, with one day dedicated to a pursuit race, always a crowd favorite. The pursuit race adds real drama: fast boats start last and chase down the slower ones, and it gets thrilling when the fleet converges at the finish. We have also added doublehanded classes — boats limited to just two people — to make it easier for owners who cannot always wrangle a full crew.
Fullerton: As you are in the marine industry yourself, what are your thoughts on the options for boat owners and participants alike? Do the newer boats need fewer crew members and why is that important?
Wilcox: BW: Modern boats are faster, but PHRF recognizes this and they get rated accordingly. It is hard to beat this system since PHRF can adjust your rating at any time for better or worse to equal the finishers. In general, yacht racing is evolving. Big boat racing does require a lot of crew members. To solve this problem, we have promoted doublehanded racing classes. You are only allowed two people on the boat. We will have fully crewed and double handed classes.
Fullerton: What do you see as some of the growth areas in sailing, and some areas that need more attention? In other words, it is more difficult currently for people to take the weekend for a two-day event, but why do you feel a big, friendly regatta is important now?
Wilcox: I see this as the return of a momentous event. Times change and racing needs to change with it. PHRF offers pursuit racing, where fast boats start last and must catch the slower boats. It gets extremely exciting at the finish when everyone comes together. BYC has experience running big events and does not get overwhelmed. Sunday is a no race day so owners who have traveled can get their boats back home. Marblehead can also accommodate boats from out of town.
The Boston Yacht Club and PHRFNE are working together to bring the best big boat regatta of the season. Going forward it will only get better.
The Marblehead High baseball team (8-7) is still on the plus side in terms of wins and losses, despite losing two out of three last week. These Magicians lost twice to Gloucester (10-3, May 4; 7-3, May 8), but between those two games they were able to shutout host Peabody, 6-0 on May 6.
In the first game of the homeand-home series against the Fishermen, both teams battled for four innings, with host Gloucester holding a slim 3-2 lead. But then, they were able to take advantage of some key Marblehead mistakes in the fifth to score four times to secure the victory, before adding three more runs in the sixth for good measure.
Junior Greyson Leventhal had half of his team’s six hits to pace the attack. The starting shortstop collected a single, double and triple to account for two RBI. Sophomore designated hitter Will Dephillips
supplied added power with his first varsity homerun. Ethan Harwood and Sawyer Adams each singled once.
Back at Seaside last Friday, the Fishermen completed the sweep after Marblehead failed to convert in the clutch.
“We missed too many big opportunities to score early,” said coach Mike Giardi. “We only got two runs, despite loading the bases twice.”
The home team was credited with nine hits. Senior catcher E.J. Wyman was its offensive leader with three singles. Tim Wales came through with two singles and one RBI. Leventhal also had two base hits, while walking once. James Machado and Owen Coyne chipped in with one single apiece.
Sophomore Collin Allen (5.2-innings, 8 hits, 1 walk, 7 runs, 3 earned, 5 strikeouts) started the game on the mound. Coyne (1.1-innings, 2 hits, 1 strikeout) finished up.
But it was a different story against the Tanners. Sophomore Yanzel Fuentes (7 innings, 4 hits, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts) pitched a complete game shutout to lead
his teammates to victory.
The Magicians broke the game open late with three runs in the seventh. “It was a cold, wet day, but we still had some timely hitting. and also took the extra base, when necessary (to extend rallies),” said Giardi.
The Marblehead boys accounted for eight hits. Coyne led the way with a single and a triple. He knocked in one run, and scored twice. Leventhal and Wales collected two singles and one RBI apiece. Harwood and Adams each singled once.
Softball team explodes past Peabody
Coach Johnny Gold’s girls softball team (9-6) is moving right along to its intended destination – a berth in the Division 2 state tournament – after blowing out visiting Peabody, 13-1 on May 6. But two days later, they lost a 1-0 heartbreaker to host Gloucester. Senior captain Tessa Andriano led the way at the plate against the Tanners. going 2-for-3 with three RBI. Her twin sister
NOTEBOOK, P. 10
COURTESY PHOTO / LUANN GABEL
Marblehead High girls tennis senior captain Caroline Bruett, playing first doubles, hits the ball back to her Saugus opponent during a recent match.
MHS track teams fall to perennial rival Masco with plenty of individual highlights
BY JOE MCCONNELL
The Marblehead High boys spring track team has a 7-1 record to date, while the girls are 5-3. In a recent meet against Masco, both teams were on the short end of the scoreboard. The boys dropped a 72-64 decision to the Chieftains, while the girls fell, 101-35. But there were still plenty of highlights to go around individually.
Sprints
It was a fast day on the track for Nate Selby (11.53, personal best), who sped to a first-place finish in the 100. As impressive as that was, Selby (23.38) also set another personal best in the 200 to win that event, as well.
“(His winning time in the 200) will certainly qualify him for the state championship,” said coach Nolan Raimo. “Nate put in countless hours in the offseason leading up to winter track this year, but the results he had hoped for weren’t showing up. But to his credit, he continued to work tirelessly, and is now reaping the rewards of his training. He is now one of the top sprinters in the conference, who will make some noise at the state championship meet.”
Notebook
From P. 9
Kate drove in two more, along with catcher Nora Mahan, who singled once. Hailey Schmitt and Grace Dow also had big hits that knocked in runs.
Pitcher Tessa Francis, returning from an ankle injury, didn’t miss a beat in the circle, scattering four hits in this mercy rule shortened sixth inning game. She fanned six. Francis remained sharp against the Fishermen, but unfortunately the offense struggled to sustain any attack. Gloucester did not get any hits off her. The lone run of the game was scored on a fielder’s choice.
Ashley Mortensen and Schmitt were credited with the only hits in the game, albeit in a losing effort.
Girls lacrosse smokes conference foes
The girls lacrosse team (5-5 in the NEC, 6-8 overall) climbed closer to the .500 mark after beating Northeastern Conference foes Danvers and Gloucester by identical 16-4 scores last week. But they closed out the week losing to nonleague host Bishop Fenwick on
On the girls side, Lucy Flynn continued her winning ways. After the Chieftains meet, she remains undefeated in the 100 (12.58) and 200 (26.60). “Lucy positions herself as the top sprinter in the conference and a contender to win the state championship in both events,” said Raimo.
The boys meet somewhat came down to the 200, where Clark Roszell (23.94), Colin Burke (24.24) and Selby put together a great performance that was matched by Masco.”
In the 4x100 relays, the boys put in a great effort, but struggled on the final exchange, which was an attempt to keep the race within striking distance, according to Raimo.
The girls team of Cora Gerson, Isabella Gonzalez, Meghan O’Leary and Charlotte Hodgkinson combined to run 55.67, but not enough to beat Masco. “This was a strong showing for a group that includes three freshmen,” said Raimo.
The Masco boys won the mile relay, even though Vouencenzo Vorn, Jack Franklin, Nate Bentley and Colin Hart (3:36.20) put together one of the “gutsiest performances” this year. “This was the fifth fastest time in modern
Saturday, May 9, 11-7.
Against the host Falcons on May 5, these Magicians led from beginning to end, including at halftime, 14-1.
Addie Co-Peeps (2 goals), Emma Ryan (2 goals), Zoe Dwyer (5 goals, 2 assists), Maggie Svencer (1 goal, 2 assists), Sammy Walker (2 goals, 1 assist), Anna Rausch (3 goals) and Sydney Moniz (1 goal, 1 assist) contributed to the offense. Molly Bullard came up with 10 saves to seal the deal in net.
“This was a great win,” coach
Annie Madden simply said after the game.
The Marblehead girls remained on the road two days later to slam the Fishermen to secure their sixth win of the season.
They led at halftime, 13-2.
Co-Peeps (3 goals), Ryan (2 assists), Dwyer (5 goals, 3 assists), Svencer (2 goals, 1 assist), Walker (2 goals), Gwen Potter (1 goal), Avery Barbeau (1 goal), Claire Burke (1 goal) and Sydney Palmers (1 goal) played pivotal roles in this win. Bullard did her part to frustrate Gloucester with 13 saves.
The game against Fenwick was close throughout. At halftime, Madden’s crew was trailing by just two, 6-4.
Dwyer paced the offensive
OVERLINE: VARSITY SCHEDULE
Wednesday, May 13
4 p.m., girls tennis vs. Beverly at Beverly High
4 p.m., boys tennis vs. Beverly at Marblehead High
4:30 p.m., boys baseball vs. Beverly at Seaside Park
5 p.m., girls softball vs. Beverly at Beverly High
6 p.m., girls lacrosse vs. Masconomet at Masconomet, Boxford
7 p.m., boys lacrosse vs. Masconomet at MHS Piper Field
Thursday, May 14
4 p.m., girls tennis vs. Danvers at Danvers High
4 p.m., boys tennis vs. Danvers at Marblehead High
4:30 p.m., boys baseball vs. Danvers at Seaside Park
5 p.m., girls softball vs. Danvers at Tiggle Field, Danvers
Saturday, May 16
9:30 a.m., boys and girls track at MSTCA Metro Coaches
school history,” added Raimo. Distance events
Senior captain Zach Pike (4:51) and junior Filip Grubor (4:53.48) took first and second in the mile. “After coming up as second and third against Masco indoors, these two were eager for a chance at redemption, and they got it with a well-executed race plan,” said assistant coach Will Herlihy. “Both runners were patient during the first 1200 meters, before locking down on the last lap to secure a huge eight points for the team at the time.”
Senior captain Henrik Adams (10:36.46) turned in a valiant effort in the two-mile against two of the best distance runners in the conference to finish second.
Senior captain Will Cruikshank (2:04.83) and freshman Nate Bentley (2:08.12) continued to impress with second and third place finishes in the 800.
On the girls side, junior captain Sarah Munroe (5:33.19) just missed finishing first in the mile by a meager 0.04 seconds. “Sarah led the majority of the race after setting an ambitious pace, and was neck and neck with a Masco runner throughout
attack with three goals. Svencer and Walker chipped in with two apiece. Bullard made seven saves to keep things close on the scoreboard.
“This was a tough game,” said Madden. “We are getting better, but we just need to put the ball in the back of the net (more often). It is now time to dig deep in the final (four regular season) games (to make that run to the state tournament).”
Boys tennis keeps on rolling to record 10th win
The boys tennis team (10-2) extended its winning streak to five after sweeping three more opponents last week. They defeated Malden Catholic twice in a home-and-home series by identical 5-0 scores. They also dominated visiting Salem, 4-1 on May 7.
The Magicians were at home in their first match against the Lancers on May 5. Ty Cooper got things going right away by beating Jack Burgess in first singles, 6-0, 6-2. T.J. Kelly then topped Veer Garard in second singles, 6-1, 6-1. Caleb Sidman was credited with a forfeited win in third singles.
The first doubles team of Adam Loughlin and Alex Boehning defeated Matteo
the final 100 meters, only to be edged out of first (in the end),” said Herlihy. Freshman Eleanor Morgan (5:40.92) followed her across the finish line in third place.
Sophomore Norah Walsh (2:36.29) ended up third in the 800, and that helped her senior teammate Courtney Hitscherich run a quality time of 2:38.70, while making her debut in this event. She finished just behind Walsh in fourth place.
Hurdles
Colin Hart (59.76) and Nate Jendrysik (1:04.55) once again dominated the 400-meter hurdles to first and second, respectively.
In a similar herculean effort, Brady Leveroni (22.15) stepped up in the 110-meter hurdles to capture third, just behind Jendrysik (16.33), who finished second.
In the girls meet, Isabella Anaya Lanzillo (1:21.46) led the way for the locals in the 400meter hurdles to come in fourth overall.
Arianna Leahy (18.25, personal best) and Isabella Gonzalez (18.87, personal best) continued to score points in the 110meter high hurdles with second
Peledge and Paul Harrington, 6-2, 7-5. Cordt Menzler and Filip Wabno took care of Jordan Chan and Weiqi Wang in second doubles, 6-1, 3-6, 10-5.
Coach Karl Tenenholtz’s team followed up that win by beating the Witches, also at home. Cooper once again set the tone with a shutout triumph over Rylan Workman, 6-0, 6-0. Kelly maintained the trend in second singles by beating Eden McClain, 6-0, 6-1. But Sidman lost a competitive third singles marathon to Finn Hangar, 6-3, 3-6, 6-10.
Loughlin and Boehning teamed up to shut down Kelvin Smith and Adrian Marin in first doubles, 6-0, 6-0. Menzler and Wabno were victorious over Wyn Sterick and Immanuel Kimeru in second doubles, 6-1, 6-1.
The Magicians then boarded the bus for Malden to face the Lancers in the rematch on May 8 that ended up with similar results.
Cooper took care of Burgess again in first singles, 7-5, 6-1. Kelly blew away Wang in second singles, 6-0, 6-0. Sidman was able to survive this third singles marathon session, beating Drew Rynak, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3.
For the second time in three days, Loughlin and Boehning
VARSITY SCOREBOARD
Monday, May 4
Invitational, Lexington High
11 a.m., girls lacrosse vs. Tewksbury at John F. Ryan Elementary School Doucette Field, Tewksbury
Monday, May 18
4 p.m., girls tennis vs. Winthrop at Marblehead High
4:15 p.m., boys lacrosse vs. Melrose at Melrose High Green Stadium
4:30 p.m., boys tennis vs. Winthrop at Winthrop High
4:30 p.m., boys baseball vs. Winthrop at Winthrop High
4:30 p.m., girls softball vs. Winthrop at Marblehead Veterans Middle School
Tuesday, May 19
4 p.m., girls tennis vs. Lynnfield at Marblehead High
4 p.m., boys tennis vs. Swampscott at Seaside Park tennis courts
4 p.m., girls lacrosse vs. Winthrop at MHS Piper Field
Wednesday, May 20
4 p.m., boys
tennis vs. Manchester-Essex at Manchester Memorial School
4 p.m., boys baseball vs. Manchester-Essex at Essex Center
Memorial Park Small Diamond
4 p.m., girls tennis vs. Winchester at Marblehead High
4:30 p.m., boys lacrosse vs. Winthrop at Winthrop High
Thursday, May 21
1 p.m., co-ed sailing, Massachusetts state championships, MIT, Cambridge
4:30 p.m., girls softball vs. Newburyport at Marblehead Veterans Middle School
7 p.m., boys lacrosse vs. Wakefield at MHS Piper Field
Friday, May 22
4 p.m., boys and girls track at NEC
Championship Meet, Danvers
High Morse Field
Thursday, May 28
TBA, boys and girls track at Bridgewater State University
and third place finishes. Faith Apostolopoulos (20.01, personal best) came in fifth.
Colin Burke (19-05) led the way in the long jump with a firstplace finish. Alex Humphreys (18-6.5) took second. Noah Jackson (36-6, personal best) was right him in second place. Making only his second career triple jump, Chafik Khelladi (352.5) ended up fourth, just behind Jackson (36-6) in third.
Isabella Gonzalez (12-11) finished third in the long jump. and second in the triple jump after leaping 30-feet even.
Clark Roszell (5-8) and Colin Burke (5-8) topped the ticket in the high jump.
Charlotte Hodgkinson (4-4), making her debut in the high jump, tied for second.
Throwing events
Logan McRae-Hughes (124-0, personal best) won the discus. Graham Firestone (114-8) was third.
Phineas Jakious (141-5, personal best) took on an elite Masco javelin squad, and as a result ended up second.
Sophie Bacon (58-10) and Julia Betz (57-2) accounted for third and fourth place finishes in the javelin. Betz (21-8.5) came in fourth in the shotput.
defeated Peledge and Harrington in first doubles, 6-1, 6-3. Menzler and Wabno wasted little time to dispatch Julian Cuper and Harry Brown in second doubles, 6-1, 6-3.
Winning streak ends at seven vs. Newburyport
The girls tennis team (7-4) had its winning streak snapped at seven, when host Newburyport shut them out, 5-0 on May 9. The loss followed the shutout win over visiting Salem the day before, 5-0.
“That was a solid win against Salem,” said coach Tracy Ackerman. “They are an improved team with a new coach. But going forward, we are now gearing up for some tough matches against the likes of Swampscott, Lynnfield and Winchester. They will all be good tests for us, as the regular season winds down.”
First singles player Samara Dosch defeated her Salem counterpart in straight sets, 6-4, 6-1. Callie Gilmore kept the good news coming with a 6-1, 6-1 second singles triumph. Not to be denied, Sophie Li came out on top in third singles, 6-0, 6-1. The first doubles team of Emily Levine and Annie Tucker was also victorious, 6-2, 6-3.
Salem 0
Boys baseball: Gloucester 10, Marblehead 3
Tuesday, May 5
Boys tennis: Marblehead 5, Malden
Catholic 0
Boys lacrosse: Danvers 16, Marblehead 13
Girls lacrosse: Marblehead 16, Danvers 4
Wednesday, May 6
Boys baseball: Marblehead 6, Peabody 0
Girls tennis vs. Swampscott, ppd
Girls softball: Marblehead 13, Peabody 1
Thursday, May 7
Boys tennis: Marblehead 4, Salem 1
Boys lacrosse: Marblehead 15, Gloucester 3
Girls lacrosse: Marblehead 16, Gloucester 4
Friday, May 8
Boys tennis: Marblehead 5, Malden
Catholic 0
Girls tennis: Marblehead 5,
Girls softball: Gloucester 1, Marblehead 0
Boys baseball: Gloucester 7, Marblehead 3
Saturday, May 9
Girls tennis: Newburyport 5, Marblehead 0
Boys lacrosse: Marblehead 9, Lexington 6
Girls lacrosse: Bishop Fenwick 11, Marblehead 7
TEAM RECORDS, MIAA RANKINGS
(THROUGH MAY 10)
Boys baseball, 8-7 (No. 28 in Div. 2)
Girls softball, 9-6 (No. 13 in Div. 2)
Boys lacrosse, 10-3 (No. 22 in Div. 2)
Girls lacrosse, 6-8 (No. 29 in Div. 2)
Boys tennis, 10-2 (No. 3 in Div. 2)
Girls tennis, 7-4 (No. 14 in Div. 2)
Top 32 power-rated teams qualify for the tournament, regardless of record.
Marblehead’s best bets
Current Events spotlights notable happenings in the coming week. If you’d like to contribute a listing, please email info@marbleheadnews.org.
By Julia Rockler
Student Spring Art Exhibit
Thursday, May 14, 4:30–7:00 p.m.
Explore an impressive range of student artworkwork at the annual Spring Art Exhibit by Veterans School and Marblehead High students at Abbot Hall. The opening reception is May 14. The exhibit will remain on view through May 27.
Celebrate the 250th with live music, dinner
Saturday, May 16, 6 p.m.
Celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary with live music by the Harmony Rocks band, hors d’oeuvres, a buffet dinner and a cash bar. The party is at the UU Church, 28 Mugford St. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $20.
100th anniversary with the Marblehead Garden Club
Saturday, May 16, 8:30-11 a.m.
The Marblehead Garden Club is turning 100 this year. Swing by their annual plant sale at the Jeremiah Lee Mansion. 161 Washington St.
‘Chasing the Print’ exhibit
Sunday, May 17, 11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Join the opening reception for the art show “Chasing the Print’’ at Cloister Gallery at St. Andrew’s Church.
Photographer Jeffrey R. Dykes shares his work exploring modern digital techniques and darkroom printing. The collection features imagery captured across New England’s backyard, including everything from changing landscapes to the industrial grit of yacht yards.135 Lafayette St.
Celebrate Earth Day with the Conservancy
Sunday, May 17, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Roll up your sleeves and help plant shrubs, trees, perennials and grasses for native pollinators during the Marblehead Conservancy’s annual Earth Day planting at the Leak Mills native wildflower meadow. Just show up, everything is provided.
Learn About ticks
Monday, May 18, 6:30 - 8 p.m.
Come chat with Jennifer Crystal, who was diagnosed with Lyme in her mid-20s. She will talk about her book, “One Tick Stopped the Clock.” Register online at abbotlibrary.org.
‘It is not scary to get older’
Tuesday, May 19, 7 p.m.
If you’re worried about getting older, join Nancy and Julianne, functional medicine nurse practitioners with a strong knowledge of menopause. Build a stronger future by attending at G’Lean Well-Being for $15. Call 781-7754371 to be added to the list.
Underwater education
Wednesday, May 20, 78:30 p.m.
Sign up for a lecture with Alex Borreil, an educator at Salem Sound Coastwatch’s School to Sea Program. Get to know more about the ocean and how to protect our coastlines. You can attend in-person or on Zoom. abbotlibrary.org
The Landing with True North
Thursday, May 21, 7 p.m.
Start your weekend with True North playing at The Landing Restaurant on Front Street. True North, formed in 2020, plays classic rock around Boston.
Local reporter shares in Pulitzer win
BY LEIGH BLANDER
Nate Raymond of Marblehead is part of the Reuters reporting team that won the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for national reporting for its series, “The Revenge of Donald Trump.”
The series, produced by a staff of 17 reporters, documented “President Trump’s historic campaign of vengeance,” Raymond told the Current. The series examined the growing threats judges face amid heated political rhetoric. (You can read it at reuters.com/ investigates/section/ trump-retribution/.)
“You can see Elon Musk on Twitter criticizing judges,” he said. “Trump called for a judge to be impeached. That sort of rhetoric fuels actual threats.”
Raymond has been a legal affairs correspondent for Reuters since 2012, starting in New York City. He and his wife moved to Marblehead in 2023.
Raymond said the project was the largest investigative effort he has
worked on since joining Reuters.
He learned about the Pulitzer while commuting home from a court hearing in Boston.
“I missed a phone call where some announcement about this was made, but people started messaging me:
‘Did you know your name was just mentioned as a Pulitzer winner?’ I said, ‘What?’”
Raymond and his wife are raising their two daughters, ages 6 and 3.
Asked how he celebrated after learning he had won the prize, Raymond said, “My wife and I went to Town Meeting.”
COURTESY PHOTO Nate Raymond of Marblehead has won the Pulitzer Prize for ntational reporting.
Emerging trends: From online therapy to ChatGPT and prescriptions by mail
BY PAMELA WHEATON SHORR
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, but if you think you know what therapy looks like today, you might be in for a surprise. Forget Sigmund Freud, a box of tissues and a couch. Mental health care has gotten a refresh.
Mental Health ‘2.0’
Until the 1960s, most therapists were men, but in the 1980s, according to the American Psychological Association, women outnumbered men earning PhDs in psychology. Today, about eight out of 10therapists and mental health counselors in the U.S. are female. The couch is out the window for many patients, as well. During COVID, researchers saw a huge surge in online treatment options. By 2022, APA notes that nearly all psychologists offered online therapy; by 2023, 89% of psychologists used telehealth (online therapy), and about seven out of 10 worked in a hybrid practice.
“Absolutely, telehealth is here to stay,” says Marie Ouellette, LICSW, who has been a therapist at Marblehead Counseling Center for more than 20 years, and in practice for more than three decades. Ouellette says online options offer clients unique ways to connect with professionals, both individually and in small groups. Telehealth is flexible for both the communities being served and the therapists who
treat them. “MCC has seen a surge in online therapy in the past two or three years, which we offer in hybrid as well as fully remote models,” she said. She added that group therapy over online platforms is also growing.
“Many MCC clients, about eight out of 10, have engaged in some type of online therapy, utilizing telehealth and hybrid approaches, even if only on an occasional basis.” Mental Health
America estimates 122 million Americans live in areas that are underserved by mental health care providers, making online one of the only sources of care. Online therapy is particularly promising for older clients who might be housebound or have trouble getting to appointments in person, too. The National Council on Aging reports nearly 15% of adults age 50 and up have some type of mental health disorder, Ouellette says, and that number is expected to double by the year 2030. “As America ages and becomes less mobile, we need to be sure that we can continue to offer mental health services where needed.”
Online drug therapy Teleprescribing also took off in response to the COVID pandemic, when the Drug Enforcement Administration loosened remote prescribing restrictions for some controlled substances. The policy change, which has been extended through December 2026, allows health care providers to issue clinically
“As America ages and becomes less mobile, we need to be sure that we can continue to offer mental health services where needed.”
appropriate controlled substances prescriptions via telehealth without first conducting an in-person medical evaluation.
A nationwide shortage of local, in-person clinicians who can prescribe for conditions such as anxiety, depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder has kept this policy change intact, and gives people with mental health conditions who cannot meet with a clinician better treatment options. Over the past two years, telehealth and online pharmacy startups that offer quick, convenient access to pharmaceutical treatment have become increasingly popular nationwide.
“In theory, this is an important step to getting much needed medications to patients who might otherwise not have access,” says Dawn Williamson, DNP, RN, and a board member at Marblehead Counseling Center. Williamson is licensed to prescribe for mental health patients in her role as a psychiatric clinical nurse specialist. According
to the Department of Health and Human Services, more than 7,000,000 prescriptions for controlled medications were issued via telemedicine without a prior in-person visit in 2024.
Though it fills a void, Williamson has concerns that shortform evaluations may not uncover underlying conditions, nor include a comprehensive psychiatric history, and that a lack of oversight, regular monitoring and potentially missed side effects, or over-prescribing could cause serious harm.
“In-person mental health providers have to follow strict regulatory procedures around prescribing,” she notes. “Teleprescribing is still relatively new. We don’t know yet what additional rules we should have in place. As clinicians, we also strive to take a more individualized approach to treatment.”
AI in the therapy room
Another growing trend in the rapidly
changing mental health landscape is therapy via artificial intelligence.
Harvard Business Review reports that going online for therapy and companionship is the most popular use of generative artificial intelligence tools today. The good news is that AI can instantly access a wide range of data for coping with mental health issues, including cutting-edge research and expertise from around the world. It is available where there are shortages of qualified mental health experts, and offers instant access to people who are struggling.
But a number of high profile cases — including suicides by young people who were involved in extended conversations about their mental health with chatbots — are giving people pause.
Critics note that the $500-billion mental health industry is growing and worry it’s increasingly being ‘financialized’, with Wall Street and Big Tech hoping to cash in. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook and Meta founder, has publicly stated that he thinks most people should have a therapist, and he thinks AI is the perfect solution.
Risk factors
All this leaves many in-real-life therapists feeling queasy. In March of this year, more than 2,000 Kaiser Permanente mental health therapists in California held a oneday strike to protest the increasing use of AI in therapy. They argue that Kaiser is replacing professionals who perform the critical job of patient intake, assessment and triage with both AI bots and untrained, unlicensed lay operators who simply read from scripts when they ‘assess’ the mental health needs of new clients.
therapy session minutes each week. They’re used in two ways: for billing and creating electronic records, and to offer therapists real-time therapeutic recommendations on responding to clients while in session — in effect, allowing bots to advise professional therapists on how to counsel clients as they’re in the middle of a session.
Some argue that AI chatbots may not be ready to tell anyone what to do, period.
Researchers from Brown University, working with mental health professionals, found bots showed repeated patterns of problematic behavior, mishandled crisis situations, and their responses reinforced harmful beliefs about users or others. Bots used language that created the appearance of empathy — called deceptive empathy — without genuine understanding. Even when instructed to use established psychotherapy approaches, the systems consistently failed to meet professional ethics standards set by organizations such as the American Psychological Association. Analysts say they uncovered 15 distinct risk groups with AI counseling, including everything from lack of crisis management to unfair biases, steering the conversations too forcefully and overlooking the client’s unique background and answering in generic terms.
will be posted on the meeting agenda at least 48-hours prior to the meeting. The agenda can be found on the following link: https://marbleheadma.gov/ W. Lewis Barlow IV Secretary TOWN OF MARBLEHEAD ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS The Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing on Tuesday May 26, 2026 at 8:15 PM on the request of Debra S Williams, Trustee of the Marblehead Property Realty Trust to vary the application of the present Zoning-By Law by allowing a Special Permit to demolish the preexisting, non-conforming single-family residential dwelling with less than required rear and side yard setback on a Lot having less than required lot area, lot width, and tandem parking at 21 PRESTON BEACH ROAD in the SINGLE RESIDENCE DISTRICT The proposed construction will exceed the 10% expansion limits for a non-conforming building. The hearing is held in accordance with the provisions of the Marblehead Zoning By-Law and Chapter 40A of the General Laws as amended and Pursuant to Governor Baker ’s Order allowing suspension of Certain Provisions of the Open Meeting Law G.L. c. 30A, §18. This hearing will be held remotely in accordance with Governor Baker ’s March 12, 2020 Order superseding certain provisions of the Open Meeting Law G.L. c. 30A, section 18 and the Governor ’s March 15, 2020 Order imposing strict limitations on the number of people that may gather in one place. Request to make an appointment to review plans and information by E-mailing: lyonsl@marbleheadma.gov For any questions, please call 617-693-1559. Details on how to access the hearing remotely via the internet will be posted on the meeting agenda at least 48-hours prior to the meeting. The agenda and Zoom link for the meeting can be found at: https://marbleheadma.gov/ W. Lewis Barlow IV Secretary
SCHOOL CHOICE FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR 2026-2027 Thursday, May 21 ,2026
Marblehead High School, 2 Humphrey Street, Marblehead, MA MHS Library 6:00 pm
The Marblehead School Committee will hold a Public Hearing on Thursday May 21st, 2026, on the topic of School Choice for the School Year 2026-2027, according to Chapter 76, Section 12b, of the Massachusetts General Laws. All interested persons shall be given an opportunity to be heard. The Public Hearings will be followed by a regular School Committee meeting. This notice will also be available on the Marblehead Public Schools website: https://www.marbleheadschools.org
TOWN OF MARBLEHEAD ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
The Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing on Tuesday May 26, 2026 at 7:45 PM on the request of Nathaniel Walton to vary the application of the present Zoning By-Law by allowing a Special Permit for the demolition of an existing non-conforming single-family home on a non-conforming lot and to construct in its place a 2.5 story single-family home located at 340 OCEAN AVENUE in the EXPANDED SINGLE RESIDENCE DISTRICT The newly constructed home will have less than the required Lot Area and encroach into the Side and Rear Yard Setbacks. The hearing is held in accordance with the provisions of the Marblehead Zoning By-Law and Chapter 40A of the General Laws as amended and Pursuant to Governor Baker ’s
Those scripts are another concern. Danny Freed, CEO of the therapist enablement platform Blueprint says that six months after launching AI Notetaker in 2024, the company was processing millions of
Here to stay In response to the growth of online therapy, the APA put out a firstever publication called Guidelines for the Practice of Teletherapy. Number one in the guide: Competence of the therapist. Ouellette and Williamson wholeheartedly agree that whatever or whomever a client consults, it’s critical to seek competence.
“There are a lot of pros to new forms of therapy and
Dr. Barbara Carter Moore, 100
Dr. Barbara Carter Moore, 100, of Marblehead and Swampscott, died Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at her home in The Residence at Vinnin Square.
She was born in 1925, the daughter of John and Rhena (Tomlin) Carter. She grew up in Massachusetts and Missouri. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Bates College and an M.D.
Barbara Catherine (Prosper) Kulevich, 91
Barbara Catherine (Prosper) Kulevich, 91, of Marblehead, passed away peacefully, surrounded by the love of her husband, children and family after a brief illness. Her life was defined by faith, compassion, devotion to family and an unwavering commitment to caring for others.
Barbara was born in Concord, and graduated from Maynard High School in 1952, where she excelled both academically and athletically. She proudly served as captain of the varsity field hockey team, played on the varsity basketball team and was elected vice president of her class.
Even at a young age, Barbara’s warmth, leadership and ability to make others feel valued naturally drew people to her.
After high school, Barbara pursued her calling in nursing at St. Elizabeth’s School of Nursing, earning her nursing diploma and becoming a registered nurse. While raising eight children and balancing the demands of family life, she continued her education, earning a bachelor of science in nursing from Salem State University and later a master of science in
from Syracuse University. She began a career in radiology with residency training at Temple University Medical Center.
nursing from Lesley University. Barbara dedicated much of her professional life to Salem Hospital, where she served as head nurse in the special care nursery. She cared for the most fragile newborns and comforted anxious parents while helping countless infants grow strong enough to go home. Toward the end of her career at Salem Hospital, Barbara founded the Welcome Home Program, through which she visited new mothers and babies in their homes.
Retiring after 38 years of service at Salem Hospital, Barbara continued working for another 15 years at All Care Visiting Nurse Association as a home health aide manager, where, once again, her compassion and leadership touched countless lives.
Barbara met the love of her life, Alexander “Alex” Kulevich Jr., during chemistry class in her junior year of high school. Their love story became the foundation of a remarkable
She became a prominent radiologist, serving at Roger Williams Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island, then, for many years, at Tufts Medical Center (formerly New England Medical Center). She was a pioneer in the use of CT scans, publishing at least 85 articles in peer-reviewed journals, as well as many book chapters. She was chief of ENT radiology at Tufts for decades. She was also a popular and skillful teacher, receiving the Teacher of the Year award 11 times at Tufts University School of Medicine. In 1960, she married Jeffery
67-year marriage after they wed on July 5, 1958. Together, they built a home filled with laughter, faith, unconditional love and unwavering support. To witness Barbara and Alex together was to witness a true partnership, a love rooted in loyalty, sacrifice and deep admiration for one another.
Although Barbara’s professional accomplishments were many, her greatest joy and proudest role was being a wife, mother, grandmother and greatgrandmother. Her family was the center of her world. She devoted herself wholeheartedly to her eight children, always making each one feel uniquely cherished, supported and deeply loved.
Her grandchildren and greatgrandchildren were among her greatest blessings. Barbara and Alex rarely missed a game, recital, graduation or milestone, traveling across the country and abroad to cheer on the people they loved most. Barbara was there proudly cheering from the sidelines with unmatched enthusiasm. Her grandchildren knew they could always count on “Grammy” for unconditional love, encouragement, wisdom and a listening ear. She made every child and grandchild feel like the most important person in the room.
Barbara also treasured the joy of friendship and adventure throughout her life. One of the most meaningful experiences of her life was traveling to Vatican City, where she attended a special Mass celebrated by the
Moore, M.D., who was also a prominent radiologist. They shared a loving marriage for nearly 50 years, until Jeff’s death in 2010. Together, they enjoyed sailing their 30-foot sailboat and traveling to many places around the world. They were actually able to visit all seven continents. Their friends and relatives always enjoyed their delightful stories of work and travels.
Survivors include seven nieces and nephews: Deborah Furlone and her husband Mark, Ruth Turner and her husband Brent, Stephen Carter and his wife
pope.
A deeply faithful woman, Barbara devoted much of her life to Star of the Sea Catholic Church. She served as a Eucharistic minister, volunteered in numerous parish ministries and dedicated decades to teaching CCD to the children of Marblehead, continuing until her retirement in 2023.
In recognition of their devotion to the church and community, Barbara and Alex were honored with the prestigious Cheverus Award from the Archdiocese of Boston.
Barbara was predeceased by her parents, Thomas and Beatrice Prosper; her sisters, Dorothy Otterson and Mary Crowley; and her brother-in-law, John P. Kulevich.
She is survived by her beloved husband, Alexander Kulevich Jr.; her children, MaryBeth (David) Perry, Tom (Patti) Kulevich, Jo-Mary (Doug) Koopman, Ann (Mike) Kane, Caren Downey, Alex (Lori) Kulevich, Peter (Laura) Kulevich and Gerard Kulevich and his partner Michelle.
Barbara is lovingly survived by her 20 cherished grandchildren: Alex Perry and his wife, Brittany, Deirdre Fallon and her husband William “LB” Fallon, Sara Fonseca and her husband Robert, Jake Kulevich, Emily Kulevich, Carly Kulevich, Georgia Kulevich, Ben Koopman and his wife Cecily, Tom Koopman, Kyle Koopman, Matt Koopman, Kim Kane, Megan Downey, John Downey, Olivia Kulevich,
Debbie, Jo Ellen Carter, Philip Carter and his wife Carol Heim, Nancy Atkinson and her husband Mike, and David Carter and his wife Mary Ellen. She will also be missed by numerous greatnieces and great-nephews, and by her caring and supportive health aide of the last five years, Yosary Altagracia.
A celebration of Barbara’s life will be held in Salem on Saturday, June 13 at 2 p.m. All who would like to attend are asked to email the family at celebratebarbara2026@gmail. com or call 413-345-1294 to receive location details.
Jackson Kulevich, Alexandra Kulevich, Caroline Kulevich, Gabby Kulevich and Elizabeth Kulevich.
She is also survived by her five adored great-grandchildren: Isla Perry, Evelyn Perry, Sheamus Fallon, Finnegan Fallon and Harper Koopman.
The family wishes to express heartfelt gratitude to the compassionate caregivers of All Care Hospice and All Care Visiting Nurses for the extraordinary care, dignity and comfort they provided Barbara and her family.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated on Thursday, May 14, at 10:30 a.m. at Star of the Sea Catholic Church, 85 Atlantic Ave. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Friends of the Alexander W. Kulevich Jr. Athletic Complex Fund c/o National Grand Bank in Marblehead and/or All Care Hospice.
Barbara’s life was a beautiful example of selfless love, quiet strength, unwavering faith and wholehearted devotion to family. She leaves behind a family who adored her, a community forever touched by her kindness and generations of lives made better simply because she was part of them. She will be deeply missed, endlessly loved, and forever remembered. For more information and online guestbook, please call Murphy Funeral Home at 978-744-0497 or visit murphyfuneralhome. com.
Remembering Turner’s sailing adventures in Marblehead
BY LEIGH BLANDER
The global legacy of media titan and sailing champion Ted Turner includes an exciting chapter right here in Marblehead. Turner, who founded CNN in 1980, died May 6 at age 87. Turner trained in Marblehead for the America’s Cup, which he won in 1977. Robbie Doyle (who founded Doyle Sailmakers in Marblehead) was part of Turner’s crew. The two first met in 1966.
“I was 17 years old, and we were both sailing in a regatta on Long Island,” Doyle told the Current last Wednesday, just after attending an online memorial service with Turner’s friends and close associates.
“We were dragging our boats up the beach. I was helping him and he was helping me and we got chatting. We went on to compete over the years,” Doyle said. Turner came to Marblehead in the 1970s to ask Doyle how he could win an America’s Cup. Skippering the boat, Courageous, Turner spent the early spring and summer of 1977 training and racing against Ted Hood’s boat, Independence, before advancing to the Cup. Doyle has fond memories from that time.
“In those days, you went to Maddie’s after sailing,” he said. “We’d go out as a crew, a group
of friends, and do what guys that age usually do. We were so much at the same level. He was one of the boys. And he maintained that until the end.”
Jud Smith — a competitive sailor who works at Doyle — was a teenager in the ’70s. He remembers seeing Turner at the Boston Yacht Club.
Robbie Doyle shared this news clipping from coverage of the America’s Cup win. Doyle, far left, is carrying Turner out of a press conference.
“He was a loud and boisterous guy,” Smith said. “He was very much a presence.” Smith also remembers seeing
Turner’s satellite truck and dish parked outside Little Harbor that summer. Turner launched CNN a couple years later.
Staying in touch
Doyle and the Courageous crew have met every five years since their victory.
“He was a creator,” Doyle said about Turner. “He would say outrageous things that would cross his mind at any time. He would test out outrageous ideas on the boat, and we’d all discuss them.”
Doyle said that when Turner traveled to Moscow to start
the Goodwill Games, the KGB assigned him a young chauffeur named Vladimir Putin. Turner also traveled to Cuba to hunt and fish with Fidel Castro.
“He was going to make Castro come into the fold and not be our enemy,” Doyle said.
“He would do anything for a crew member,” Doyle said.
“He wasn’t the world’s greatest sailor. He accomplished things by building great teams.”
Doyle last saw Turner in person at Turner’s birthday party in Atlanta two years ago. A few years before that, Turner came to Marblehead to present Doyle an award at the Eastern Yacht Club.
COURTESY PHOTO
Robbie Doyle shared this photo of Ted Turner after winning the America’s Cup. Doyle is shown at the far left.
COURTESY PHOTO / GUY RIBADEAU DUMAS / FACEBOOK
Ted Turner, left, and Ted Hood competed leading up to the 1977 World Cup.
Christine Coletti, 59
Christine Coletti, age 59, of Marblehead, died peacefully on Monday April 20, 2026 after a courageous battle with ALS. Christine was born in Lynn to Richard Coletti and the late Eileen Coletti and was a graduate of Marblehead High School Class of 1984. She went on to earn an associate degree in veterinarian science at the Essex Agricultural and Technical Institute. After graduation, she was proudly employed at the Marblehead Animal Hospital for 40 years, where she gained lifelong friendships.
Chris made her home in Marblehead and enjoyed many hobbies. If she wasn’t inside making delicious baked goods or fresh bread, she was outside gardening. She was an athlete, playing on a women’s softball team; an avid reader; and crossword enthusiast. She also enjoyed going hiking with her friends from the hospital or going out to eat and catching up with the softball crew.
Christine enjoyed traveling and visited many places with her father as her traveling companion. They went to dog shows together, where Chris was a handler for three of her
champion show dogs. They also took trips to Coast Guard functions all over the country. Chris also enjoyed her trips to Disney with her extended family. She loved her New England sports teams, especially her beloved Red Sox and Boston Bruins.
She is survived by her father Richard Coletti, twin brother John (Stephanie) Coletti, sister Kathleen( Shawn) Lankowski and her niece Megan Coletti and nephew Paul ( fiancé, MaryKate) Coletti.
Chris will be remembered for her loyalty, generosity and her love of family, friends and all animals.
Graveside services will take place at Waterside Cemetery in Marblehead on Saturday May 16, at 12 p.m. She will be laid to rest with her mother, Eileen. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to ALS Association Massachusetts,200 Friberg Pkwy #1000, Westborough, MA 01581 or to an animal shelter of your choice. For additional information or online guest book please call 978-744-0497 or visit MurphyFuneralHome. com.
Wednesday, April 15
» Alarms: 2
» Building/property checks: 3
» Abandoned 911 calls: 1
» Vehicle stops, citations: 0
» Vehicle stops, verbal warnings: 3
9:02 a.m. A complaint was made about a moving vehicle on Pleasant Street.
10:22 a.m. An officer
investigated a report of found or lost property on Gerry Street.
11:29 a.m. An officer investigated a report of vandalism on Arthur Avenue.
1:12 p.m. Assistance was given to a citizen on Roundhouse Road.
2:04 p.m. An officer investigated a report of annoying phone calls on Roundhouse Road.
3:20 p.m. An officer investigated a general complaint on Devereux Street.
5:35 p.m. Assistance was given to a citizen on Orchard and Phillips streets.
Thursday, April 16
» Alarms: 0
» Building/property checks: 3
» Abandoned 911 calls: 1
» Vehicle stops, citations: 0
» Vehicle stops, verbal warnings: 0
12:18 p.m. Annoying phone calls were reported on Russell Street.
1:13 p.m. Found or lost property was reported on Pickwick Road.
Friday, April 17
» Alarms: 0
» Building/property checks: 13
» Abandoned 911 calls: 1
» Vehicle stops, citations: 0
» Vehicle stops, verbal warnings: 1
12:42 p.m. An officer investigated a complaint about a moving vehicle on Lafayette Street and West Shore Drive. The vehicle could not be located.
1:31 p.m. An officer investigated a general complaint on Ocean Avenue.
2:27 p.m. An officer investigated a general complaint on Naugus Avenue.
6:27 p.m. Officers investigated a complaint about a moving vehicle on Ocean and Atlantic avenues. The vehicle could not be located.
8:43 p.m. Officers assisted with a disabled vehicle on Tedesco and Maple streets. The vehicle was towed.
9:07 p.m. Officers investigated a general complaint that proved
to be unfounded on Tioga Way.
Saturday, April 18
» Alarms: 1
» Building/property checks: 14
» Abandoned 911 calls: 0
» Vehicle stops, citations: 0
» Vehicle stops, verbal warnings: 3
12:16 a.m. An officer investigated a general complaint on Wyman Road.
11:02 a.m. An officer investigated a complaint regarding a moving vehicle on Pleasant Street and Ocean Avenue. The vehicle could not be located.
11:09 a.m. An officer investigated a general complaint on Treat Road.
11:16 a.m. Annoying phone calls were reported on Naugus Avenue.
10:27 p.m. Officers were dispatched to Orne Street to investigate a report of a loud group of kids. Upon their arrival, a resident told one of the officers that the group had also taken her “do not enter” sign from her driveway. The officers searched the area thoroughly and were unable to locate the group or the sign.
11:06 p.m. Officers rendered services after a traffic stop on Curtis and Elm streets.
4:37 p.m. An officer investigated a general complaint on Gerald Road.
Monday, April 20
» Alarms: 2
» Building/property checks: 12
» Abandoned 911 calls: 0
» Vehicle stops, citations: 1
» Vehicle stops, verbal warnings: 0
5:34 a.m. A Farrell Court resident reported that his or her Social Security card was lost or stolen.
12:02 p.m. An officer investigated a general complaint on Ferry Lane.
1:39 p.m. An officer spoke with an Atlantic Avenue business owner who was having issues with the owners of the building in which the business was located. According to the business owner, he had an agreement with the building
owners stating that he was allowed to operate his business until 11 p.m., yet one of the building owners had shown up on Saturday night at 10 p.m. in the business’ back parking lot and started yelling at kids and other patrons of the business to leave. The business owner stated that the building owner was not honoring their agreement, which was costing him money. He wanted the police to know in case the building owner lodged a complaint against his business in the 10 p.m. hour. The officer advised him that this was a civil matter but that his concerns would be documented.
2:44 p.m. A general complaint was made on Ferry Lane.
3:55 p.m. An officer spoke at the station with a man who had started receiving odd, harassing text messages from a man he had not heard from since giving him about $1,200 a year earlier to help the man pay his bills and for food. Earlier in the day, the man had texted, “I would appreciate it if you would not come NEAR me or my house after the way you behaved the other night. I have a lot of it on video, and if you do it again, I’ll take it to the Marblehead Police. I’ve already spoken to them without a name being given.” The recipient of the text was not even sure what the man was referring to. He wanted the incident documented. The officer explained to him the process for obtaining a harassment prevention order. The man said he would block the other man’s phone number and would come back to the station if any other incidents occurred.
5:55 p.m. Officers investigated a general complaint on Bridge Street.
6:23 p.m. An officer investigated a general complaint on Barnard Hawkes Court that proved to be unfounded.
8:22 p.m. Officers investigated a report of suspicious activity on Brown Street. The activity could not be located.
Tuesday, April 21
» Alarms: 4
» Building/property checks: 7
» Abandoned 911 calls: 2
» Vehicle stops, citations: 1
» Vehicle stops, verbal warnings: 5
11:50 a.m. An officer investigated a general complaint on Carol Road.
12:23 p.m. An officer spoke at the police station with a man whose work computer system had been hacked the week before and over
the weekend. The man believed the initial breach had occurred on his bookkeeper’s personal laptop while she was working from home in Beverly. The man was also notified of a fraudulent transaction attempt from his Amazon account. The man had hired the GeekSquad to service his computers after the hack. He had also changed all of his online passwords and planned to keep an eye on his bank accounts.
1:25 p.m. Solicitors were reported on Beacon Street.
1:51 p.m. An officer spoke with a woman regarding a suspicious incident that had taken place at her home on West Shore Drive. According to the woman, an unidentified woman had walked up to the front of her house and placed a plastic bag of trash at the front door steps. The woman was caught on camera doing so and could be seen taking a photograph of the plastic bag after she left it on the front door steps about 25 minutes earlier. The woman’s son had seen the woman place the plastic bag on the front door steps and thought it was a food delivery, only discovering that it contained miscellaneous trash when he went to grab the bag to bring inside. The officer went through the bag to see if he could find a receipt or piece of mail to identify the culprit but did not find anything helpful. The officer was called back to the home at the end of his shift, as the residents had since figured out that the woman’s husband had received an alert about a delivery of a SharkBite copper shut-off valve and a fastener that he had ordered from Home Depot around the same time the woman had left the bag of trash. He had paid approximately $30 for the items. The man had contacted Home Depot to cancel the order and report the incident, learning that the items had been picked up at the Salem Home Depot by an Uber driver and that the company’s records showed that the items had been delivered successfully.
2:18 p.m. A general complaint was made on Ocean Avenue.
2:24 p.m. A general complaint was made on Shetland Road.
3:33 p.m. An officer spoke in the police station lobby with a woman who had been scammed out of $13,000 by a caller claiming to be from the digital security company McAfee. The caller claimed to be alerting the woman that her information had been compromised. The woman
had given the scammers access to her computers and eventually wired them $13,000 from her phone from her Fidelity account. The officer advised the woman to have to have both her computer and her phone “cleaned” by computer professionals, to contact her credit agencies and to alert her banks of what happened. The officer also instructed the woman to not answer calls from anyone that she did not know and to block all numbers that could be scam related. The report was shared with detectives for further investigation.
4:50 p.m. An officer responded to the scene of a vehicle crash on Washington Street.
5:19 p.m. An officer investigated a complaint about a moving vehicle on Waterside Road and Green Street.
10:02 p.m. Officers investigated a report of suspicious activity on Londonderry Road.
Wednesday, April 22
» Alarms: 1 » Building/property checks: 3 » Abandoned 911 calls: 4 » Vehicle stops, citations: 0 » Vehicle stops, verbal warnings: 1 10:48 a.m. An officer took a report over the phone from a man who had been involved in a crypto scam. The man explained that, the day before, he had received a verification code text through the investment app Robinhood that he did not request. He called the customer support number and was told that his account was unsafe and someone else had access. He was then transferred to a “case manager” who had him transfer $5,000 from his Robinhood wallet using a USDC coin to a SafePal wallet. At this time, he got another text from an unknown number with a code and an address to send the Bitcoin to. The man said that, ever since, he has been unable to access this money, and it was stuck in this coin wallet. He said that the case manager then told him to transfer more money, which he found suspicious, so he hung up. The man said that he would email the officer photos of the emails and texts that he had received. The officer advised him not to answer anymore messages from the scammers’ numbers and to continue to monitor his accounts. The officer planned to share the information with detectives for further investigation.
Headlight
Ranking the Academy Awards
Picture nominees (1/2)
Nathaniel Carper-Young, Senior
The Academy Awards is one of the most prestigious events in entertainment, though with each passing year, people seem to care less about it, given its steady decline in viewership and in ratings over the last decade. I tend to make it a mission to watch all of the Best Picture nominees, so don’t feel bad if you missed them last year, as I’ve ranked them for you here.As such, here is a ranking of every film nominated for Best Picture at the 98th Academy Awards, from worst to best.
10. F1
FI, helmed by Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski, is the only film nominated this year that I was genuinely shocked by the inclusion of in this year’s ceremony. It is a totally flat, shiny-ugly film boasting very truthfully some of the most disconcertingly abrasive editing seen in a movie this side of the digital age. Brad Pitt can be described as no more than half-asleep. It is not good.
9. Frankenstein
I have never been much of a fan of the films of Guillermo Del Toro, which I am not even sure Frankenstein credibly qualifies as. It comes across as more a brainchild of Netflix than anybody else - it is mostly watchable but, like F1, one of the more sinfully ugly movies I’ve ever laid eyes on. Del Toro adds nothing to a story already told one thousand times over beyond an aesthetic that I can really only describe as “AI-generated.”
8. Hamnet
Chloe Zhao won Best Picture for her film Nomadland at the 2021 Academy Awards; I must say I am grateful the same mistake was not made twice. Hamnet is a frequently well-performed (on Jessie Buckley’s part, anyway) and indeed consistently watchable movie, but it feels thoroughly misguided as a piece of historical fiction, failing to ever figure out whether it is actually interested in the events that may or may have not guided Shakespeare’s career or in the trauma of his wife. Her feelings are “central” but mostly dismissed by the film in favor of her husband’s artistic struggles; in this capacity, it is one of the more misogynistic films to have been released last year.
7. Train Dreams
Train Dreams, directed by newcomer Clint Bentley, is an attractive-looking portrait of a bygone America, adapted from a novella of the same name. What is conveyed by it with the greatest efficiency and consistency, most regrettably, is a general feeling of tranquility, failing to interrogate any of the ethical questions that are asked of any artist dealing with an early 20th-century America. The white protagonist witnesses the death of a Chinese railroad worker at the beginning of the film, which certainly offers up some potential political and emotional complexity, but all the audience is prompted to feel is a vague sorrow for the protagonist and the guilt he feels about his implicit position in the violence being dealt to the people around him. I think that more intrigue ought to be expected out of a film nominated for such an award.
6. Sentimental Value
Director Joachim Trier is clearly infatuated with the likes of Ingmar Bergman and John Cassavetes, but what is produced from these interests is nothing more than a totally bog-standard, uber-static European drama that amounts to disappointingly little after nearly two and a half hours. It is extremely measured—in its performances, in its cinematography, in every formal choice—which I suppose is worth something, but this film mostly just feels safe, and sadly kind of boring.
Headlight Staff 2025 - 2026
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Grey Collins
Grey Collins, Editor-in-Chief, Senior
If you head over to the library or Starbucks this week, you’ll likely find groups of high school students hunched over their laptops and notebooks, feverishly studying for their AP exams. It’s no secret that springtime is one of the most stressful times of the year for high school students, and this year is no different. With AP testing season in full swing, sophomores, juniors, and seniors have been balancing difficult schedules, homework, and work, with studying for their AP exams.
In addition, seniors are also working on completing their senior projects this May, a program that allows seniors to spend the final quarter of the school year pursuing a project or internship of their choice away from the classrooms. Balancing studying for AP exams and learning in the classroom with working on their senior projects has been challenging to say the least. “It’s definitely a lot of work, so I’m excited to take the exam and be all done with it, and go fully into senior project,” said Avery Wysor, a senior, who is studying for two AP exams this week.
But the AP classes have added another layer of pressure for students at MHS. More than half of the sophomores, juniors, and seniors took one or more of the 22 AP exams offered by MHS last year, an increase from previous years. The most popular AP classes at MHS are AP US History, AP Government, AP Environmental, and AP English Seminar. If students pass the exams, they can receive college credit. Last year 926 AP tests were taken at MHS, and this year, several juniors and seniors are even taking as many as seven AP classes, completely filling their schedules. Many students and educators believe this pressure to take as many AP classes as possible is contributing to an overly competitive academic culture at MHS
“I definitely feel that kids feel pressure that they need to take more AP classes,” said Mr. Heenan, who teaches AP Biology at MHS. "Gone are the days of taking an AP class because it's something you’re genuinely interested in. Now it's become more of a race to see who can get the most AP classes on their transcripts.” In previous years, taking an AP class at MHS required an application process, or sometimes an entrance exam, which limited the number of students taking the classes. Heenan believes this system would reduce the unnecessary pressure and competition between students that we see today.
Nationally, participation in AP courses is also rising. According to the College Board, students across the country are taking more AP courses than ever, with a 7% rise in the number of exams taken in 2024 compared to 2023, and over 4.8 million AP exams taken in total in 2025. This increase reflects the rising pressure on students to take a challenging course load to succeed in the college admissions cycle.
AP exams are becoming a large part of student life at MHS, but they are also becoming a symbol of the pressure students feel. At the same time, many think that having these opportunities for students to challenge themselves academically is valuable, and a good lesson in the importance of not spreading yourself too thin. “I think everyone feels that they need to take as many as possible,” said Mrs. Shatford, the MHS Librarian and AP Coordinator. “But I think focusing on what you're passionate about is often the best way to mitigate your stress level.”
ASSISTANT EDITORS: Evan Eisen, Anna Cruikshank, Georgia Marshall
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER: Anna Baughman
REPORTERS: Jack Buckley, Nathaniel Carper-Young, Maximilian Kane, Sophie Li, Will Pelliciotti, London Perlow, Mary Prindiville Shining
Stay tuned until next week to read Nathaniel's top 5 Best Picture Nominees!
FACULTY ADVISOR: Mr. Higgins
BY RICK CUZNER
Spring is an excellent time to check out the local ponds and wetland habitats for all sorts of creatures. We have many different types of herons, turtles and frogs, in addition to the large variety of bird species. I was lucky enough to watch this green heron picking up a snack. The Marblehead Current is proud to partner with photographer Rick Cuzner, who has been photographing local wildlife for nearly 20 years.
therapeutic interventions; it can be more costeffective and offers access to people who simply don’t have in-person options,” Ouellette maintains. “And it’s not an all or nothing proposition. There are hybrid models that ameliorate some of the concerns.”
Williamson says that as more people seek mental health assistance online, practicing mental health professionals need to stay involved.
She refers to a list of client questions from the National Institute of Mental Health: Is it effective? Is it supported by scientific evidence that shows it works as well as traditional in-person methods? Does it have a limited audience? Does the app work equally well for all the people it is meant to help? What about privacy? How does the app maker guarantee users’ privacy, considering many apps deal with
sensitive personal information?
Williamson believes therapists and lawmakers have an important role to play, too. NIMH says we should be asking how people determine if an app is effective when there are not standards for evaluating quality? Who should regulate mental health technology, and the sensitive data that it generates? And is the technology overselling and overpromising, turning people away from more effective therapies? “The people who understand the mental health profession best are those of us in practice, and the people who regulate what we do provide further protections,” Williamson notes. “Our job has always been to care for and safeguard our clients, and that extends to all these new and emerging trends.”
Pamela Wheaton Shorr is a Board Member of Marblehead Counseling Center and a former print journalist.
