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Current Events on page 11
Finance director’s departure leaves town searching for two
BY LEIGH BLANDER
The announcement Friday that Marblehead Finance Director Aleesha Benjamin is leaving means the town’s top two budget officials will depart within four months of each other — not long after June’s vote to approve a $17.3 million tax override package to fund school and municipal operations. Benjamin, who came to Marblehead in 2023, will leave in August after accepting a position as chief financial officer for the town of Nantucket. Her departure comes just weeks after Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer announced he will retire at the end of the year.
“The decision to leave was
top administrators
incredibly difficult and one that I did not make lightly,” Benjamin told the Current on Saturday. “My choice is not a reflection of my commitment to public service or my affection for Marblehead. Rather, it is an opportunity that enables me to better provide for my family while continuing the work I am deeply passionate about in
public service.”
In a statement Friday, Kezer praised Benjamin for her impact on the town’s finances.
“Since joining Marblehead, Benjamin has played a pivotal role in modernizing the town’s financial operations and strengthening its long-term financial planning,” Kezer wrote. “Her leadership has helped position the town with stronger financial management tools, greater transparency and improved organizational effectiveness while helping the town successfully navigate a period of significant fiscal challenges.”
CELEBRATING A CENTURY 100-year-old Bullis’ simple secret: ‘Just get up and out of bed’
BY LEIGH BLANDER
When Edmund “Ned” Bullis was asked Thursday his secret to living to 100, he didn’t point to a special diet, exercise routine or miracle cure.
Instead, he smiled and offered a bit of understated wisdom.
“Just get up and out of bed in the morning.”
Bullis celebrated his 100th birthday at The Mariner July 9, surrounded by family and friends.
Select Board member Moses Grader was there, too, delivering a proclamation honoring Bullis as an
PHOTO /
Select Board member Moses Grader, left, hands Bullis a proclamation honoring him as an “honorable centenarian of the town of Marblehead.”
“honorable centenarian of the town of Marblehead” and celebrating a life devoted to family, public service and lifelong learning.
Born on July 9, 1926, Bullis entered a world that looked vastly different
CENTURY, P. 3
Finance Committee Chair
LIVING HISTORY
Town
to relive
Revolutionary role with encampment, author visit
BY LEIGH BLANDER
The sights and sounds of the American Revolution will return to Marblehead this weekend as soldiers march through Fort Sewall, muskets fire across the harbor and one of the nation’s leading Revolutionary War historians visits town to tell the story of Marblehead’s outsized role in America’s founding.
Glover’s Regiment will hold its annual summer encampment at Fort Sewall on Saturday, July 18, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., transforming the historic fort into an 18th-century military camp. Visitors can watch battle demonstrations between Continental soldiers and British regulars, meet colonial-era craftspeople and experience daily military life during the Revolution.
The encampment will feature a children’s military drill, demonstrations by a colonial blacksmith and gunsmith, candle-making demonstrations and exhibits highlighting the equipment and supplies carried by Revolutionary War soldiers.
The day’s events begin with a battle reenactment at Gas House Beach at 9 a.m.
The celebration continues Sunday, July 19, when bestselling author Patrick K. O’Donnell will speak at Abbot Hall about his 2021 book, “The Indispensables.” The book tells the story of Marblehead’s fishermen and sailors, whose courage and maritime skill proved instrumental to the Continental Army during the American Revolution.
The weekend’s events are part of Marblehead’s continuing commemoration of the nation’s 250th anniversary and the town’s central role in the fight for American independence.
CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER
Ned Bullis turned 100 years old on July 9. He celebrated with his family at The Mariner.
CURRENT
LEIGH BLANDER
BENJAMIN, P. 6
MMLD: Despite heatwave outage, heavy demand, system is strong
BY LEIGH BLANDER
A week after a record-breaking heatwave knocked out power to about 1,000 Marblehead customers, the leader of the town’s electric utility says the outage exposed a single weak point — not a failing grid — and accelerated work already underway to strengthen the system.
During a tour of the Marblehead Municipal Light Department’s Village 13 substation along the Rail Trail, General Manager Jon Blair said extraordinary demand caused a quarter-mile stretch of distribution line to overheat and fail, an event unlike anything local crews had previously encountered.
The outage also underscored how the department is adapting to steadily rising electricity use as more homes add air conditioning, electric vehicles and electric heating while continuing a long-term capital program to modernize the town’s substations, transformers and distribution lines, according to Blair.
“[The demand] exceeded the rating of the cable,” Blair said. “It basically melted down onto the ground.”
The failure occurred on the Lafayette circuit, one of 22 distribution circuits that serve the town. As temperatures climbed into the upper 90s and residents relied heavily on air conditioning, electricity demand approached Marblehead’s all-time peak of 34 megawatts, set during last summer’s heatwave.
The conductor became so hot from the electrical current flowing through it that it melted through the plastic supports holding it in place. Blair said crews initially responded after receiving reports of a low-hanging wire.
“It was a very dangerous situation initially,” Blair said, noting that the energized line posed risks of electrocution and starting a fire until crews secured it.
Unlike a typical isolated wire failure, this outage destroyed about 1,600 feet of cable.
“Nobody in our shop or the mutual aid crews had ever seen 12 sections — about a quarter-mile — all down like that,” Blair said.
Sixteen hours of repairs
MMLD crews, aided by neighboring municipal utilities, worked through the night to restore service.
At one point, six bucket trucks lined up bumper to bumper as approximately 16 lineworkers replaced the damaged infrastructure section by section.
“We rebuilt the whole thing,”
BY LEIGH BLANDER
Blair said. The last mutual-aid crews left around 4 a.m. after working roughly 16 hours in sweltering conditions.
While most customers regained power, crews also responded to several smaller outages caused by overloaded neighborhood transformers. In those cases, restoring service required more than simply replacing blown fuses. Some transformers had to be upgraded because they were undersized for current demand.
A system under
growing pressure
Although last week’s outage was dramatic, it does not indicate that Marblehead’s electrical system is failing, Blair said.
Instead, he described a utility that continually replaces and upgrades equipment as electricity consumption steadily increases.
MMLD maintains four substations, roughly 1,000 distribution transformers and an estimated 80 miles of distribution
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Damage leads to Crocker Park dock removal
One of Marblehead’s most popular swimming spots, the dock at Crocker Park, has been removed after suffering damage during a heavy rainstorm.
A flotation log beneath the dock broke late July 7, according to Harbormaster Mark Souza. “We are in the process of assessing the extent of the damage and how long it will take to make repairs,” Souza said.
Tax bills contain land area display error
The town is notifying residents that FY2027 preliminary tax bills contain an error in the land area listed for properties. But officials stressed the mistake does not affect assessed values or the amount of tax owed.
lines across Marblehead’s 4.5 square miles. About 85% of the system remains overhead, while newer neighborhoods have underground wires.
The department invests between $1 million and $2 million annually in infrastructure improvements, funded through federally required reinvestment of the utility’s assets.
Much of the recent focus has been rebuilding the Village 13 substation, one of the town’s most significant infrastructure projects. Once that work is completed later this month, Blair said the department will shift its attention to rebuilding the Clifton substation, which is more than 60 years old.
The work also includes replacing poles, upgrading transformers and installing larger-capacity electrical lines where demand has outgrown existing equipment.
More electricity, more demand
Blair said the utility is seeing steady increases in electricity use as residents add air conditioning, electric vehicles, heat pumps and other electrically powered devices.
“The load just continues to creep up,” he said.
Peak demand during the hottest summer days has climbed by roughly 10-15%, placing greater stress on the electric system during short periods of extreme heat.
In many cases, the system performs well until an extreme weather event exposes a weak point.
“You might upgrade 95% of a circuit,” Blair said. “But if there’s a couple sections of wire that remain or there’s a single transformer, those are going to be
“It has come to our attention that the land area displayed on FY2027 preliminary tax bills is incorrect,” Treasurer Cammi Ianelli said in a statement. “As this is the town’s first billing
CHAIR AND PRESIDENT Bob Peck
exposed when you get the higher demand.”
MMLD has encouraged residents to conserve electricity during peak-demand periods, particularly by delaying electric vehicle charging until overnight hours.
Blair emphasized those requests are voluntary.
“We’re not going to mandate that anybody does anything,” he said. “We’re going to try to educate, inform and engage our customers and look for their cooperation.”
No rate increase planned
Despite the extensive infrastructure work ahead, Blair said residents should not expect a rate increase tied to these projects.
“Based on the stuff that we need to do, the upgrades we need to make, there’s no need for a rate increase at this point,” he said.
The utility already has funding available through its capital improvement program.
“We have the funds, and it’s part of our plan,” Blair said. “We just need to execute.”
Looking back on last week’s outage, Blair acknowledged the frustration residents experienced during one of the hottest stretches of the summer but praised both utility crews and the community.
“We’re not perfect,” he said. “But we’re here for the community. We’re here to serve the load, and when issues arise, we try to fix them as quickly as we can.”
He added that residents stopping to thank lineworkers and offer water during the repairs helped sustain crews through the long night.
“That’s honestly what keeps us going,” Blair said.
cycle using the new collection system, we are working closely with our implementation team to resolve the issue.”
According to the town, the new billing software displayed acreage information from the assessing system as square footage. Officials said the problem is a display error only and does not affect property valuations or tax bills.
The town recently transitioned its tax collection operations from Patriot Software’s CollectPro system to the Tyler Munis collection system. As part of the transition, the mailing address for tax payments has changed. Residents with questions about the land area shown on their bills should contact the Assessor’s Office at assessors@ marbleheadma.gov.
Town seeks Planning Board member
The Select Board is accepting letters of interest from residents interested in serving on the Planning Board.
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PHOTOS / LEIGH BLANDER
Marblehead Municipal Light Department General Manager Jon Blair stands outside the Village 13 substation along the Rail Trail.
It was this circuit that overheated and melted during the record heatwave in Marblehead earlier this month. Crews worked through the night to restore power to about 1,000 customers.
COURTESY PHOTO / MARK SOUZA
A flotation log broke free from the Crocker Park dock late July 7, according to Harbormaster Mark Souza.
Marblehead’s own Tartan Army loses a Scottish soldier
BY RHOD SHARP
Noel Young, who has died at home in Ayrshire, Scotland, at the age of 86, would have been all over the exploits of Scotland’s Tartan Army of football supporters in Boston.
In 25 years in Marblehead, this dyed-in-the-wool tabloid journalist never missed a story that he could sell to his editors back home and this was a banger. The thought of men in kilts marauding through the North End putting traffic cones on statues would have tickled his infinite fancy.
A long and distinguished career as a journalist in Scotland culminated in his editorship of the Scottish Sunday Mail newspaper from 1988-91. During that time, in the halcyon days of British journalism, he built its circulation to almost 900,000, a record for any Scottish weekend paper. And then he moved to Marblehead.
Noel’s Oct. 31, 1999, story for the Sunday Mail began as follows:
“The women’s breasts and thighs bulge from black costumes. Men in cloaks grasp spears and swords, locking hands and muttering dark incantations. Around them, scattered on the floor, are the sinister ornaments of their rituals — candles, daggers, drums… These are the witches of Wicca, bringing down energy for Samhain, which is the most important day in their calendar. We call it Halloween.” Its byline, From NOEL
YOUNG in Salem, USA, tells us all we need to know about the international image of our next door neighbors, which could never have been too racy or spicy for Noel, who lived otherwise quietly with his second wife Jan (formerly as latterly Young) in Lincoln Park, off Lincoln Avenue in Marblehead.
Noel’s own view of his finest hour journalistically came with his exclusive about Richard Reid. Reid was the Brit known to all as “the shoe bomber” for his exploit of failing to explode a small amount of plastic explosive in his sneaker at 30,000 feet over the Atlantic on an American Airlines plane which then landed at Logan
from today’s. Calvin Coolidge was president, the United States was enjoying the prosperity of the Roaring Twenties, commercial aviation was in its infancy, and television had yet to reach American homes. Route 66 had not been built, the Great Depression was still three years away, and Babe Ruth was in the prime of his legendary baseball career.
Over the next century, Bullis would witness nearly every defining chapter of modern American history — from World War II and the moon landing to the birth of the internet — while building a life centered on family, community and simple pleasures.
Bullis, the first resident to celebrate a 100th birthday at The Mariner, was dressed for the occasion in a navy bow tie adorned with tiny sailboats. His grandson, Eric, picked out the bow tie and tied it for him before the celebration.
Bullis grew up in Port Washington, New York. After graduating from high school, he attended Yale University before serving two years in Japan during the Allied occupation following World War II. Returning home, he completed his economics degree at Yale in 1950.
His career took him from the Mohawk Carpet Company to Marriott’s Hot Shoppes before he moved to Boston to work in banking and later spent decades consulting on employee benefit
airport in December, 2001.
Reid pleaded guilty to terrorist offenses, was sentenced to three sentences of life without parole and consigned to the notorious supermax prison in Colorado where he remains to this day, refusing media interviews. But when Noel Young of Marblehead mailed him a politely worded questionnaire, Reid’s response, a handwritten six-page letter, arrived a week later and the story all but wrote itself. Noel dined out on that one.
And then there was Captain Kidd, the Scottish-American pirate whose reputation Noel campaigned to retrieve more than three centuries after his execution in London — wrongly convicted
programs. He married his wife, Anne, in 1959, and the couple settled in Marblehead the following year, where they raised their family.
Bullis was also skilled with his hands, from tinkering on his boats to weaving a rug from an old job sheet to woodworking in his barn workshop.
A lifelong sailor, Bullis learned to sail on Long Island Sound before making Marblehead Harbor his home waters. He owned a succession of sailboats named Lyric, cruising the Maine coast, the Elizabeth Islands and beyond. He also remained an avid skier well into his 90s, making annual trips to New Hampshire and later Utah with friends.
Music has always been another passion. Bullis plays
of piracy, in Young’s opinion, when in fact he was capturing treasure ships on a warrant signed by the King. Noel’s attempts to have a statue of the man erected in his hometown of Dundee have yet to come to anything. But if there was one, doubtless some Scotland supporter would put a traffic cone on it.
Bereft by the death of Jan, Noel was amply supported by a knot of close friends, many of whom he had encouraged to come together in the “Marblehead Media Group” which persists to this day. His decision to go back to Scotland in 2024 was supported by his children, Nicola, Gordon and Susan. Gordon, publisher of the international marketing ‘zine The Drum, credits his father for instilling a love of the craft as he watched him work at their
both the clarinet and piano and enjoys classical music and Broadway show tunes, especially from “Annie Get Your Gun.” These days, he still enjoys taking walks and listening to live music performed by Marblehead High School students at The Mariner. His commitment to Marblehead matched his many hobbies. According to the proclamation, Bullis served on the Planning Board, was president of the Marblehead Historical Society and rarely missed a Town Meeting. At the Eastern Yacht Club, where he has been a member since 1966, he served on numerous committees, helped digitize the club’s historical records and received the Barker Distinguished Service Award for
kitchen table.
“He taught me almost everything I know about journalism,” Gordon writes.
Marblehead neighbors Tony and Robin Jonaitis visited him several times at his new home in Largs, Ayrshire, and together with local author (and Current sailing reporter) Laurie Fullerton were present at celebrations for his marriage to his third wife, Linda, whom he met after his return.
“He enjoyed spirited conversation, a glass of red wine and a beautiful girl at his side,” remembers Tony Jonaitis. “His many Marblehead friends will be telling ‘Noel Stories’ for years to come.”
Rhod Sharp is a longtime journalist with the BBC who lives in Marblehead.
his contributions.
His son, David Bullis, said his father’s greatest lessons had little to do with accomplishments.
“He taught me to live in the moment and not get too far ahead of yourself,” David said. His father also advised him to stay connected to other people, David added.
Those connections filled the room Thursday as family members shared stories and laughter with the guest of honor.
For someone who has experienced a century of extraordinary change, Bullis is most content with life’s ordinary moments — a walk, a favorite song, time with family and friends.
YELLOW
COURTESY PHOTOS Noel Young, who lived in Marblehead for years, has died in his native Scotland.
Tony and Robin Jonaitis at the Marblehead Yacht Club with Noel Young, center, at Young’s farewell party in June 2022.
EDITORIAL
A stress test for what comes next
Marblehead’s finances did not get sicker the moment Thatcher Kezer and Aleesha Benjamin announced they’re leaving. If anything, the record they’re handing off is stronger than many residents may realize.
The town’s audited financial statements for the year ended June 30 show a 16th consecutive AAA bond rating from Standard & Poor’s — the highest rating a municipality can hold — and the town’s outside auditors gave its books a clean bill of health — no red flags, no disputed numbers. The general fund’s total reserves sit at roughly 19% of annual expenditures, comfortably above the 15% threshold rating agencies treat as a sign of real financial cushion. Revenues beat forecast last year by $4.1 million; spending came in $6.8 million under budget. That is not a snapshot of a town in crisis.
But timing matters, and here it works against Marblehead. Voters approved the $15 million operating override on June 9 by 4,278 to 3,594 — a real majority, but not a landslide — on the strength of a detailed, multi-tier financial plan and a specific list of promises: restored library and police staffing, four new firefighters, full-day kindergarten, quarterly public financial reviews, a written accountability plan. Kezer and Benjamin built that framework.
Days after the vote, Kezer told the Select Board he was retiring at year’s end. Weeks later, Benjamin announced she’s leaving in August to become Nantucket’s chief financial officer. Both departures appear to be genuine career moves rather than a retreat from trouble — Kezer has said the decision predated the override outcome, and Benjamin is moving into a bigger job, not fleeing to a smaller one. Neither is a red flag by itself.
Here is the part that should concern residents, and it isn’t solvency. The first post-override quarterly financial review isn’t scheduled until early October. Benjamin will already be gone by then, several weeks into her new job in Nantucket. Kezer will technically still be in the building, but with roughly 10 weeks left on the clock and a successor search underway around him. The finance director who built the override’s financial model will not be present for its first public checkup, and the town administrator who negotiated the 28 commitments behind it will be finishing his own transition out the door at the same time. That is not a hypothetical risk. It is a scheduling fact, sitting in plain view on the calendar.
There’s a second, smaller flag worth naming plainly rather than burying: the town’s outside auditors, in their June 24 exit conference, identified “material weaknesses” in the cash and bank reconciliation process and in the receivables reconciliation process.
In isolation, findings like these are common in municipal audits and are not evidence of fraud or misused funds — the town’s overall opinion was still clean. But they are exactly the kind of unglamorous, process-level problem that a departing finance director should be expected to close out before leaving, instead of leaving it to an incoming one to diagnose from scratch. Combined with $49.8 million in unfunded pension liability and $145.3 million in unfunded retiree health benefits — both improving, but both enormous — the town’s next finance director inherits real technical complexity, not a blank slate.
None of this amounts to a disaster. It amounts to a transition that the Select Board needs to manage with unusual deliberateness, precisely because the stakes — a freshly passed, politically hard-won tax increase that residents will be watching closely for results — are higher than in an ordinary personnel change. We’d urge three things.
First, and most immediately actionable, the Select Board should name an interim finance leader now and set a public, dated timeline for both permanent hires — residents deserve to know the plan is being executed, not improvised.
Second, the town should require a written transition record from Benjamin before she leaves in August: the assumptions behind the override’s financial model, the status of the reconciliation fixes flagged in June’s audit, and anything else a successor would otherwise have to reconstruct from scratch. That’s a realistic request of a departing employee, and one the public should be able to see.
Third, and most important, the board should treat the commitments made during the override campaign — the quarterly reviews, the written accountability plan, the communication strategy promised at a June 10 meeting — as binding regardless of who occupies which office. Those promises were made to voters, not to two individuals, and turnover is not an excuse to let them slide into the “pending” column indefinitely.
Marblehead is not in the position it was in mid-2022, when Kezer inherited a town hall that had cycled through several administrators in a few years, was carrying key vacancies, and was facing rising alarm about long-term finances. The finances are sound, the bond rating is intact, and the people leaving deserve credit for that.
But a town that just asked its residents for one of the largest tax increases in state history owes those same residents proof that the machinery behind it survives a change in who’s running it. The next few months are that proof. We’ll be watching, and we’d encourage the Select Board to make sure there’s something worth seeing.
A kid-friendly guide to AI (or for those of us born before 1975!)
BY STEPHEN BACH
Artificial intelligence, often called AI, is showing up everywhere. It helps answer questions, suggest videos, sort email, translate languages and even create pictures or stories. AI can sound complicated, but the basic ideas are not hard to understand. Here are 10 important AI terms explained in plain language.
1. Artificial intelligence, or AI
Artificial intelligence is when a computer does things that usually require human thinking. It can answer questions, sort information, recognize patterns and help make decisions. AI is used in voice assistants, search tools, spam filters, maps, games and many apps people use every day. For example, when you ask Siri or Alexa a question and it answers you, that is AI.
2. Machine learning
Machine learning is a way for a computer to learn from lots of examples. Instead of being told every single step, the computer looks for patterns in information. Over time, it can get better at making guesses or suggestions. For example, when Netflix suggests shows based on what you watched before, that is machine learning.
3. Deep learning
Deep learning is a special kind of machine learning. It helps computers find patterns in pictures, sounds, words and other complicated information. It uses many layers of computer processing to help solve harder problems, such as recognizing faces or understanding speech. For example, when a phone unlocks by looking at your face, deep learning may be helping it recognize you.
4. Generative AI
Generative AI creates new things. It can help write stories,
make pictures, create music, summarize information or help write computer code. It works by learning from many examples and then producing something new based on the instructions it receives. For example, an AI art tool can make a picture of a dragon flying through space from just a few words.
5. Natural language processing
Natural language processing, sometimes called NLP, helps computers understand human language. It allows computers to read, write, listen, translate and reply in ways people can understand. NLP is used in translators, chatbots, spelling tools and grammar helpers. For example, when Google Translate changes English into Spanish, that is natural language processing.
6. Large language model
A large language model is a computer system trained on a very large amount of text. It learns how words, sentences and ideas often fit together. This helps it answer questions, explain topics, summarize information, and write in a human-like way. For example, when ChatGPT helps someone draft a paragraph, that is a large language model in action.
7. Neural network
A neural network is a computer system made of connected math parts that work together. It is loosely inspired by how the brain connects ideas, although it is much simpler than a real brain. Neural networks help computers recognize images, sounds, speech and patterns. For example, a selfdriving car using cameras to spot lanes, people and stop signs may
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Climate education for all
To the editor: Last February, I joined more than 250 high school students from across Massachusetts at the State House for a Youth Climate Advocacy Day. I spent the day talking to my legislators about climate education. Massachusetts is a national leader in environmental policy. We set the bar. I am so grateful to have grown up in this state, but there is still more that we can do. There are far too many students who get to high school without ever sitting through a lesson on climate change. It wasn’t until my junior year when I enrolled in AP environmental science that I received any formal climate education at all. That course isn’t offered everywhere. A student’s understanding of the world’s most urgent crisis should not
be dependent on whether an advanced elective is offered at their school.
That is the core problem with how we handle climate education. It is unequal and inconsistent. Wealthier districts with more resources can fund these specialized courses and extracurriculars concerning climate change. Students in underfunded districts get next to nothing.
I’m a member of Mass Audubon’s Northshore Youth Climate Leadership Program, and we host annual summits to teach students about climate change and local solutions. But as the years have gone by, attendance has been declining, and our target audience isn’t being met. The students who need the education the most are not there. Voluntary programs and electives are not enough. Climate education needs to be woven into
use neural networks.
8. Prompt engineering
Prompt engineering means giving clear instructions to AI. The words you type into an AI tool are called a prompt. A better prompt usually gives you a better answer. It is a little like learning how to ask a smart helper the right question. For example, typing “Write three easy facts about sharks for sixth graders” is a prompt.
9. Data Data is the information computers use to learn. Data can be words, numbers, photos, videos, sounds or measurements. AI systems use data to find patterns and make better guesses. For example, a fitness watch counting your steps each day is collecting data.
10. AI ethics
AI ethics is about making sure artificial intelligence is used in ways that are fair, safe, honest and helpful. This matters because AI can affect school, work, shopping, news, privacy and daily life. People need to ask whether AI tools are treating people fairly and whether their answers can be trusted. For example, checking that an AI tool does not treat one group of students unfairly is part of AI ethics.
The big idea
AI is not magic. It is technology that uses information, patterns and instructions to help computers do useful things. The most important thing to remember is this: AI can be a helpful tool, but people still need to think carefully, ask good questions, check the answers and use it responsibly.
Are you interested in learning more? Want to know how to use simple AI tools to use in your everyday life or business? Send me an email at doc@ thedigitaldocs.com, and I’ll send you a free, six-page, easy-tounderstand guide. Until next time: stay safe out there!
Stephen Bach is the owner and chief of surgery at The Digital Docs in Marblehead.
the fabric of our education system from an early age, across subjects, in every school, regardless of its zip code.
Civics is required because we believe informed voters matter. Climate education deserves that same treatment. The students in classrooms today will be creating policy, casting votes, running businesses, and engineering the technology of tomorrow in a world that climate change is actively reshaping. They deserve to understand what they are inheriting.
The Interdisciplinary Climate Education Bill (H.560/S.391) would make that a reality. It would integrate climate education across grade levels and subjects statewide, so that learning about our environment isn’t a privilege reserved for students in wellresourced schools or those who
How to season with anchovies and capers
BY LINDA BASSETT
I like to keep my refrigerator door shelves orderly. Nothing irks me like sticky bottles and jars of condiments and pickles haphazardly arranged. I keep a single shelf for “fixings” for burgers, hot dogs or sandwiches — mustard, relish, ketchup, mayo, pickles, olives. I group jams, jellies, etc. with similar ingredients. On another shelf, I keep soft drinks and bubbly water. No bottled salad dressings: I create mine on the spot. And space for my Diet Coke.
Some orphan jars and bottles get pushed to corners — e.g. bottles with a few anchovies in cloudy oil, or capers in brine. I’m always on the lookout for recipes that can benefit from their umami, that nebulous ingredient that gives food extra richness.
An anchovy is the secret ingredient in mozzarella in carozza, a mozzarella sandwich pan-fried in olive oil. Tuck an anchovy deep into the center before closing the sandwich. (Capers work here, too.) I make them in miniature, cutting the crusts off the bread, then cutting into triangles. Great with a Limoncello spritz.
In another use of these stray ingredients, I often heighten the flavor of lemon chicken with anchovies and capers.
MOZZARELLA IN CAROZZA.
MAKE AS MANY AS YOU CAN UNTIL THE ANCHOVIES RUN OUT.
Scout the cheese section of the grocery for a ball of mozzarella. Place cheese in the freezer for 15 minutes before slicing thinly.
These taste best when hot.
` Thinly sliced, fresh mozzarella
` 4 to 8 slices of dense-textured bread, crusts removed, 2 slices per full sandwich (If cut into small triangles or rounds, the recipe can yield 2 to 4 bite-size sandwiches per 2 slices of bread.)
` 2 to 3 eggs, beaten with 1/2 teaspoon water per egg
` Flour seasoned with salt and pepper
` Olive oil, 100%, not extra-virgin
` Anchovies (from a jar) and/or salted capers, rinsed
` Put egg wash in a bowl, seasoned flour in another.
Cut cheese to fit between 2 slices of bread. Tuck an anchovy and/or caper or two in the center of each sandwich.
Dip sandwiches in egg mixture.
can participate in climate-related extracurriculars or electives.
The bill is currently stalled in the Ways and Means Committee. If you believe the next generation deserves the tools to face the challenges ahead, I urge you to support this bill and ask your state legislators to do the same. The students are already showing up. It’s time for the system to meet them.
Jesslyn Roemer Taft Street
MFoA Performing Arts Committee says ‘thank you’
To the editor: The Marblehead Festival of Arts Performing Arts Committee would like to thank the many people and community members that helped us present Performing Arts Concerts @ Crocker Park during our historic 60th Festival of Arts Concerts @ Crocker Park. As always, our lineup required an incredible amount of assistance, and we’d like to acknowledge the tremendous support received this year. Thanks to: All of the performers who were great to work with and really gave us their all for these tremendous shows! To the festival volunteers who always enthusiastically do their part, specifically the sound and lights crew without whom we could not do the gig, including: Matt Furman, Tyson Miller, Claude Richardson, Todd Rocco, Cory Monahan, Alex Burke, Eva Burke, Lawrence Habin, Jacob Szalawicz Eric Shaeffer,
Stephanie Haller, Ken Steadman, Ben LeBrecqe, Abby Wheeler and Joey Smith. There are also our in-house pros Brody Pazol, Amber Wilson and Patrick Gilbert from Canvas Audio Entertainment for making it all look and sound so good! To our Internship Program coordinator John Krivit and our amazing 2026 student interns continuing the 26-year tradition of education, very hard work and lots of laughs! Special thanks to Michael Dynice & WRG for wonderful lighting design! Our deepest gratitude goes to the following local restaurants for their donations to feed our performers. As always, we invite you to visit these giving members of our community and when you do, thank them for their donations to this year’s festival: The Landing (Rob), Three Cod Tavern (Chip), Evan’s Deli (Evan), Marblehead House of Pizza (Tom), Manhattan Sandwich Shoppe (Mike & Kaitlin), Spitfire Tacos (Ryan & Kathleen), Café Vesuvius (Kegrin), Amore Kitchen (Enrique) and The Beacon (Johnny & Edgar).
Thanks also to Ralph Khouri for gracing our stage with the beautiful Oriental rug! Thanks to the Select Board and staff for their support. And to town officials for providing access to historic Crocker Park, one of the most beautiful concert venues in the world! Thanks also to retired Peter James and the Rec & Parks Department for helping us keep the park clean and safe. Thanks also to Rick Macomber of Macomber Electricians for his annual efforts to keep the “juice” flowing. Thanks to this years’ festival president Cynda Rohmer, Bill Smalley,
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LEMON CHICKEN WITH ANCHOVIES & CAPERS 4 SERVINGS.
` 1¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, about 4 to 5.
` 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
` Freshly ground black pepper
` 1 garlic clove, minded
` 2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
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Joe Tavano, Treasurer Kathy Hemple and 2026 festival Board of Directors, along with so many others for supporting our efforts.
Thanks to the Crocker Park neighbors and Mariner’s Lane Association. Hope your weekend was a great one.
Finally, thank you to our beloved town of Marblehead and our incredible community for the forum to entertain and for being there to enjoy it all.. It is so gratifying to see neighbors all together and to hear such positive feedback! It’s worth every minute of the time we put in to provide incredible performances to such a supportive audience! We are already working on our 61st festival and invite YOU to be part of the fun. Simply visit marbleheadfestival.org to join us or visit the festival Facebook page for the latest updates and to post/share your festival photos! How lucky are we to share this great gift of performing arts with all of you? We never take it or your support for granted… A final thanks goes to you ALL!
Brian Wheeler
MFoA Performing Arts chairperson/producer Concerts @ Crocker Park Literary Festival chair also sends thanks
To the editor:
As chair of the 2026 Marblehead Festival of Arts Literary Festival I would like to take this opportunity to thank all who attended our events, as well as the presenters and workshop leaders who willingly shared a variety of content to multiple audiences, and the volunteers
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who so willingly assisted us.
Further, I would like to extend particular thanks to Marblehead’s Unitarian Universalist Church. Days before the festival, when we learned that our announced location would no longer be available to us, the church stepped up and gave us a place to host our numerous events. Thank you.
In particular, though, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Maile Black, Norman Birnbach, Tom Connolly and Will Dowd. They composed this year’s Literary Festival committee, and it was their vision, creativity and hard work that made its events the successes they were.
Margo Steiner Washington Street
Greetings and ‘thank you’ from UK
To the editor:
In response to Ann McGreevy’s wonderful letter, “Aye! The Tartan Army Was Here,” I thought I’d add our own wee adventure — proof that even when Scotland doesn’t win trophies, we still manage to win hearts, laundry rooms and the occasional dog.
When Lucy and I planned our World Cup trip, we were simply looking for a stopover before heading to Miami. Marblehead was just a dot on the map — the sort of place you pick because your finger lands there after three pints and a spin of the globe. But what a discovery it turned out to be.
Arriving from Boston, we found narrow streets, colonial houses and the kind of charm that makes you wonder if you’ve
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Using potholders, return skillet to stovetop; remove chicken; add ½ lemon (juice and rind). Cook on medium high, scraping browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Return chicken to the pan to heat. Discard lemon rind. Transfer to a serving platter. Squeeze the second lemon half over the chicken; shower with the chopped parsley.
Linda Bassett lived in Marblehead for years and has worked as a cook, trained up-andcoming chefs, studied food history and led food tours. Her book, “From Apple Pie to Pad Thai,” is about local cooks and cooking.
wandered into a historical drama. Then fate intervened in the most Scottish way possible: we met Ann in the laundrette. Only the Tartan Army could travel thousands of miles and end up bonding with someone over a washing machine.
Ann didn’t just welcome us — she adopted us. She whisked us around town like a proud tour guide, filling our heads with Marblehead’s history and our hearts with its spirit. The museums were shut, but that didn’t stop us. We wandered the Jeremiah Lee Gardens, Old Burial Hill, Fort Sewall and Crocker Park (where we left our mark), soaking up stories of independence while trying not to look too much like lost tourists. Our base camp, the Harbor Light Inn, was a delight — comfy rooms, friendly staff, home-made granola and freshly baked cookies that nearly derailed our onward travel plans. Locals were keen to hear about our Tartan Army escapades, and we were chuffed to discover that Americans seem to enjoy Scots almost as much as we enjoy being enjoyed. We even met Rugby, a dog named after our hometown, which felt like destiny or at least very good marketing.
If a town’s identity is shaped by its people, then Marblehead is in safe hands for the next 250 years. Thank you for the kindness, the laughs and the hospitality. We came for a stopover — we left with a story. John and Lucy Green Rugby, England
The Greens point out that they are second generation Scots living in England.
COURTESY PHOTO
Current food columnist Linda Bassett shares creative recipes with anchovies and capers.
Housing density, open space debated for Coffin School reuse
BY LEIGH BLANDER
After nearly a year of studying redevelopment possibilities for the former Coffin School property, the Select Board on Wednesday began shaping the request for proposals that will determine the site’s future.
The board did not issue an RFP Wednesday but instead directed Brendan Callahan, who leads the town’s Community Development and Planning Department, to prepare a draft for review at its first meeting in August after members debated how much guidance developers should receive on housing, open space and other community priorities.
“The goal was to get the green light and move on the RFP,” Callahan told the board. “I think I got a lot of good feedback and input from the board.”
Months of planning
Callahan outlined the work the town has completed since fall 2025 to better understand potential reuse of the roughly 3-acre property.
Town departments were first invited to submit expressions of interest. Ideas included cemetery expansion, affordable housing from the Marblehead Housing Authority, a dog park
from the Recreation and Parks Department and battery storage from the Marblehead Municipal Light Department. Nonprofit developer Harborlight Homes also submitted a concept for a 42-unit affordable housing development.
The town then held community engagement meetings, where residents expressed concerns about the scale and density of redevelopment, traffic impacts and preserving neighborhood character while also supporting senior, workforce and affordable housing.
The town also evaluated environmental conditions at the site, including asbestosand lead-containing materials.
Callahan said demolishing the former school’s annex is estimated to cost between $340,000 and $460,000, while demolishing the entire building would cost about $1.2 million.
This winter and spring, the town partnered with the University of Connecticut to evaluate feasible redevelopment options, including site planning, landscaping and permitting constraints.
Callahan said zoning will be one of the most important considerations moving forward.
The property is in a singleresidence district. Duplex housing could require incentive zoning, while multifamily housing would require zoning relief and Planning Board approvals.
“We should be realistic,” O’Brien said. “There are different permitting paths.”
He encouraged early coordination with the Planning Board.
Rather than seek a single redevelopment concept, Callahan recommended an RFP that encourages multiple approaches, including adaptive reuse of the existing building, redevelopment or even retaining
portions of the property under town ownership.
One concept studied would reuse the main school building for housing while constructing duplexes along Turner Road, preserving approximately 10,000 square feet of open space and parking. That concept would include no more than 22 housing units.
“I’m prepared to draft an RFP,” Callahan said, adding that he envisions proposals focused on workforce housing, employee housing and senior living rather than large-scale development.
Housing versus open space
The discussion centered on
how specific the RFP should be in directing developers.
“I think the broader the RFP is for proposals, the better,” said Select Board member Rossana Ferrante. “There might be something we haven’t even thought of yet.”
Several board members argued that the town should clearly prioritize both housing and public open space.
“There are some priority criteria that kind of set the stage for a productive RFP,” said member Moses Grader, who advocated for preserving space for uses such as a park or playground.
Fox countered that the town has an opportunity to address one of its greatest needs.
“We have a chance to solve one of the biggest problems in this town,” he said. “One of the biggest problems in this town is a lack of housing for seniors, for veterans, for the workforce.”
Select Board member Erin Noonan agreed that the board should avoid carving out land before understanding how it could best be used.
“I don’t know how we can carve off a certain part without
Molly Teets also praised Benjamin’s work.
“Under her leadership, the town has made significant strides in improving transparency and modernizing financial processes and technology, and she is leaving the town’s fiscal health stronger than she found
it,” Teets wrote to the Current. “Her leadership will be missed, but her departure alongside the town administrator’s now gives us a chance to step back and be thoughtful about how we structure town leadership going forward and to bring in the right team to build on the strong foundation they established.”
Select Board Chair Dan Fox sought to reassure
residents about the simultaneous departures.
“Marblehead has a strong foundation of employees and systems that have been solidified over the past few years,” Fox said. “That combination will allow us to continue to operate in an efficient and stable manner. I see this as an opportunity to find new leadership in Marblehead that can come in and build on that strong core and add value in a variety of different areas in our town.”
Kezer said Benjamin will work with town leadership over the coming weeks to ensure a smooth
CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER
Members of the Rec & Parks Commission make their pitch to hold on to some of the land at the former Coffin School site, possibly for a new dog park.
CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER
Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer, far left, and Aleesha Benjamin, seated to his right, at a Select Board meeting in March.
Moulton, Markey spar in first Democratic Senate primary debate
BY LEIGH BLANDER
On July 8, Marblehead native
U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton faced U.S. Sen. Ed Markey in their first debate as both pursue the Democratic nomination for Markey’s U.S. Senate seat.
The debate, hosted by WWLP in Chicopee on July 8, largely centered on Moulton’s argument that Democrats need a new generation of leadership and Markey’s defense of his decadeslong record in Congress.
Moulton argued repeatedly that Democrats need “a new playbook” after recent electoral setbacks and should invest in younger leaders.
“We need someone who is going to change the playbook, invest in a new generation of leaders and start making Democrats win again,” Moulton said.
Markey rejected the notion that age should define the race.
mutual funds, adding that anyone can invest in those.
The candidates also clashed over health care. Markey reaffirmed his support for Medicare for All, while Moulton said he supports universal health coverage but questioned whether a single-payer system is politically achievable in the current Congress.
Transgender Bill of Rights. Transportation funding also surfaced during the debate.
Markey pointed to his role in securing more than $150 million in federal funding for the WestEast Rail project, arguing that his seniority has delivered results for Massachusetts.
Moulton countered that the state needs effective leadership rather than longevity in office.
“It’s not your age; it’s the age of your ideas,” Markey said. “In this race, I’m the youngest guy.”
rejected the criticism, saying his investments comply with congressional ethics rules.
One of the debate’s sharpest exchanges focused on Moulton’s financial disclosures. Markey accused the congressman of profiting from investments in private companies with defense-sector ties while serving on the House Armed Services Committee. Moulton
Moulton accused Markey of investing in 14 companies that have appeared before the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, on which Markey sat.
Markey countered that all his investments were in public
The candidates also revisited Moulton’s past comments on transgender athletes. Markey accused Moulton of targeting vulnerable young people, referencing Moulton’s 2024 comment that he would not want his own daughters playing sports against trans girl athletes.
Moulton responded that Democrats should be willing to engage in difficult conversations on the issue rather than avoid them. He also noted his support for LGBTQ+ rights, including voting for federal nondiscrimination legislation and co-sponsoring the
Despite their disagreements, the candidates found common ground on several issues, including support for protecting Haitian immigrants with Temporary Protected Status and opposition to many Trump administration policies. They also shared disappointment over the Boston Celtics’ trade of Jaylen Brown.
Two additional Democratic primary debates are scheduled for Aug. 3 and Aug. 20 before the Sept. 1 primary. The winner will advance to the November general election.
Housing Authority acknowledges error in convening executive session
Wrong rationale cited for private meeting about Broughton Road project
BY LEIGH BLANDER
The Marblehead Housing Authority has acknowledged that it cited the wrong legal justification for meeting in executive (private) session May 18 to discuss a land use agreement with WinnDevelopment, which is planning a $67 million redevelopment of the Broughton Road public housing area. Winn’s proposal includes construction of a four-story,
In Brief
Letters are due by July 17 and should be addressed to the Select Board, Abbot Hall, 188 Washington St., or emailed to wileyk@marbleheadma.
gov. More information is available at marbleheadma.gov/ town-planning-board.
According to the town website, “It is the responsibility of the Planning Board to approve different types of development including divisions of land to create new lots, all new nonresidential buildings over 700 square feet and all new residential construction and additions that are over 500 square feet within the shoreline and harbor front districts.”
60-unit building for seniors near Humphrey Street, along with rehabilitation and replacement of existing family townhouses.
Salem resident Judith Reilly filed an Open Meeting Law complaint on May 1, alleging that the MHA posted an invalid reason for entering executive session at its May 18 meeting.
MHA cited the exemption that allows a public body to conduct bargaining sessions or contract negotiations with nonunion personnel.
Dollars for Scholars awards scholarships
At its annual awards ceremony on May 30, Marblehead Dollars for Scholars honored 17 high school seniors with scholarships totaling $66,000. Over the summer, the local nonprofit organization will award an additional $177,000 to rising college sophomores, juniors and seniors, who must reapply for their scholarships each year.
Major contributors to the awards distribution amount are the Harold and Elizabeth Shattuck Memorial Foundation and Old North Church.
Members of the Class of 2026 and the endowed scholarships they received in parenthesis include, front row, from left: Lucia Possidente (Robert & Nancy Graves), Audrey Bathurst
identified an “extreme lack of affordable homes” and shortage of housing other than singlefamily residences.
knowing what the use of the open space would be,” she said, adding that Marblehead also needs new property tax revenue and “diversity of housing options.”
Kezer suggested the RFP could reward proposals that successfully balance both priorities.
“You can set up the RFP… and give higher scores if you provide more housing and if you provide more open space,” he said. “Tell us creative ways that we can optimize both.”
Board members also cited Marblehead’s 2021 Housing Production Plan, which
The board asked Callahan to return with a draft RFP and preliminary evaluation criteria in August. Members also agreed the Planning Board should be involved early because some proposals could require zoning amendments or potentially Chapter 40B permitting.
Recreation & Parks seeks public land Later in the meeting, Recreation and Parks officials urged the board to permanently reserve about 37,000 square feet — just under an acre — of the Coffin School property for public recreation.
In a response dated July 6, a MHA attorney agreed that the board relied on the wrong exemption. Instead, the attorney wrote, the authority should have cited the Open Meeting Law provision allowing a public body to meet in executive session “to consider the purchase, exchange, lease or value of real property,” provided the chair declares that an open meeting could have a detrimental effect on the public body’s negotiating position.
To resolve the matter, MHA
said it will hold a new executive session that complies with the law. According to the attorney’s response, the board will issue a new 48-hour meeting notice identifying “purpose 6” as the basis for the executive session, specifying the property to be discussed and stating that discussing the matter in open session could harm the authority’s negotiating position. The authority also said it will review Open Meeting Law requirements with legal counsel
(Karl Johnson), Lillian Reddy (Capt. Richard Bridgeo), Quinn Harris (F. Reed Cutting), Sara Beane (Linda LoConte).
Back row, from left: Ariana Ruiz (Twin Towers and Old North Church), Quinn
“Open space under Recreation and Parks allows for flexibility,”
Recreation & Parks Chair Karin Ernst said. “Once you sell it, you lose control.”
The department currently maintains the athletic field on the property and wants the land to remain under its jurisdiction for future recreational uses.
Ernst said survey results show residents are interested in open green space, community gardens and a dog park in addition to housing.
The commission’s immediate concern is the town’s existing dog park, which has become increasingly difficult to access after nearby development eliminated vehicle access. Today, visitors can reach it only by a narrow path from Reynolds
Scheib (Jean Howe), Mollie Farber (H. Alden Johnson Jr.), William Pelliciotti (Standley Goodwin), Adam Loughlin (Harold & Elizabeth Shattuck), Sebastian Mellen-Bloom (Old North Church), Abdullah Al
Field.
“It makes it challenging for people to use it,” Ernst said.
The commission proposed eventually creating a temporaryto-permanent dog park on part of the Coffin School property. Ernst estimated fencing alone would cost about $30,000.
“If you’re thinking about keeping some of this property, we would start the process” by speaking with neighbors, she said.
Noonan questioned whether establishing a temporary dog park before redevelopment plans are finalized would put “the cart before the horse.”
No action was taken on the request.
to help ensure future compliance. Housing Authority Executive Director Cathy Sheehan did not respond to a question from the Current about whether there are new terms for the Broughton Road deal.
“The purpose of the meeting was to discuss a land use agreement as it was stated in the original meeting notice,” she wrote in an email. “We will hold another meeting in executive session soon. The date has yet to be determined.”
Janabi (Bradley C. Sheridan), JJ Downey (Howard Hunter Craig IV), Luna Velandry (Doug MacLean Go Giver), Sasha Ganezer (Joseph Despres) and Joy Meshulam (Emily Foster). Missing from the photo is Viktoriia Usenko, who received the Ira and Betty Dyer scholarship.
The presentation of scholarships at the annual awards ceremony is the fulfillment of the organization’s mission to support deserving high school graduates in their pursuit of higher education, Marblehead Dollars for Scholars President Jac Bentley said.
“We are very proud of their achievements, and we wish them continued success in college,” he said.
Other business
The board began the search for Marblehead’s next town administrator. Members agreed to seek proposals from executive search firms through the town’s procurement office, with the goal of hiring a successor by October to allow time for a transition before Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer retires at the end of the year.
The search is expected to cost approximately $15,000.
The board also approved a license for Maria Torres, the new owner of the Driftwood Restaurant, which will be open 6 a.m.-9 p.m. Torres promised to keep Driftwood’s popular fried dough on the menu and add her popular muffins.
COURTESY PHOTO
Marblehead native Congressman Seth Moulton, right, shares the stage with Sen. Ed Markey in their first Democratic Senate primary debate July 8.
Student film ‘Gilded Lily’ premiers at the Warwick
BY GREY COLLINS
On the evening of July 6, a small crowd gathered on the sidewalk outside of the Warwick Theater, buzzing with excitement and anticipation before the premier of the student-made feature film “Gilded Lily.” Then, more than two dozen teens who helped make the movie walked down a red carpet to cheers, camera flashes and clapping from the crowd.
The premier of the 90-minute film attracted dozens of family and friends of the cast and crew who turned out to see the students’ work on the big screen. For the creators of “Gilded Lily,” the premier represented the conclusion of a grueling, threeyear effort to write, film and edit the movie.
“Apart from being really nervous, it was awesome,” said writer and co-director Matías Watts Cruz after the premier. “It’s just totally different to see it at the Warwick. It was very gratifying. I started to really settle in and it was just great to see. So many cool shots.”
For the filmmakers, the premiere was certainly a welldeserved victory lap. They worked for over a year writing and editing on a 98-page script, then spent a grueling summer filming more than 80 scenes around Marblehead and the North Shore, before spending their whole senior year editing the film.
The film was directed by Watts Cruz and Cam Gibson, but dozens of Marblehead High School students and recent graduates worked to make it happen. Gibson and Watts Cruz walked down the red carpet last, to wild applause, before the
photography, and Nic Flores who composed an original score for the film.
“My people have told me that the story got across and that the story was engaging, which I love to hear,” said Watts Cruz.
“And the ending is amazing. Nick Flores did such a good job with the music for it, and the music does so much for the ending. It really hits you emotionally.”
For the actors, watching the movie play on the big screen gave them a chance to reflect on the experience of putting it together over the last several years.
“It wasn’t as intimidating or crazy as I thought it would be. Every scene, I remember what we were doing when we were filming, and it’s just a whole bunch of memories,” said Max Kane, who starred in the film. “The experience was just so fun and full of life.”
The second screening of Gilded Lily, open to the public, will be on July 13. Tickets are available to purchase at https:// warwickcinemas.com/.
group filed into the theater to watch the movie.
The film, starring Brady Weed, Max Kane, Izzy Scogland and
Anya Kane, depicts a group of young filmmakers who try to film a short film set in the 1890s in Salem, when one filmmaker’s
ambition derails the project. The core team included Watts Cruz and Gibson, along with Lucas Rosen as main editor, Quinn Scheib as the director of
CURRENT PHOTOS / GREY COLLINS
The student moviemakers lined up outside of the Warwick Theater before they watched their movie, “Gilded Lily.”
Anya Kane, Max Kane and Brady Weed sign a “Gilded Lily” poster at the Warwick after the premier of the student film.
HILIGHT
Sports
Race Week 2026 preview: ‘Nothing between you and the wind’
BY GREY COLLINS
For more than a century, Marblehead Harbor has transformed into one of New England’s premier sailing venues. This July, that tradition continues as sailors of all ages prepare for the 137th annual Race Week, with hundreds of competitors from Marblehead and across New England set to fill the waters off the town’s coast for its signature sailing event.
First established in 1889, Marblehead Race Week has long served as the centerpiece of the local sailing calendar and has been part of Marblehead’s sailing community for generations. This year, Race Week will be hosted by the Corinthian Yacht Club. The week begins with Junior Race Week, July 20-22. The three-day regatta, hosted jointly by the Pleon Yacht Club and the Eastern Yacht Club, features racing for Optimists, Club 420s and Lasers, giving sailors ages 8-18 a chance to compete before the senior fleet takes over.
Registration closes July 17. Pleon Commodore Thomas Svencer, who grew up learning to sail at Pleon and graduated from Marblehead High School in June, is helping organize and run Junior Race Week.
“I’m really looking forward
IN
THE SWING OF IT
to seeing the Pleon sailors that I’ve worked with and coached, and seeing them compete and succeed,” said Svencer, who will be on the race committee boat during the regatta to help supervise the races.
When the junior racing concludes, attention shifts to Race Week, where more than 200 boats are expected to
compete across multiple classes during four days of racing. Competition begins July 23 and concludes July 26. Traditionally, Race Week is held during the last full week of July.
Among those returning to the starting line is longtime International One Design sailor Greg Mancusi Ungaro, who will race aboard his International
One Design sloop, Viking. He placed third in his class at last year’s Race Week.
“Race Week is the highlight of the summer,” he said. “It’s the centerpiece of the summer, and we get a chance to sail four days in a row, which is very exciting for us.”
Mancusi Ungaro has been sailing his whole life and said the
appeal of Race Week extends far beyond competition.
“It’s one of those few places where you can actually get rid of all the filters between existing and really experiencing,” he said. “There’s nothing in between you and the wind, there’s nothing in between you and the sea. It’s a pure, almost spiritual activity for me.”
Seasiders ready for playoff push
BY GREY COLLINS
As they cheerfully jogged out to take their positions under the warm lights of the baseball fields at the Swampscott Middle School last week, the Marblehead Seasiders were more optimistic than ever. After years of slow starts, they finally have the momentum on their side. At just over halfway through the
A few generations of former Marblehead harriers met at the high school in the early morning on Friday, July 3 for the inaugural MHS Cross Country Alumni Run. The gathering was organized by long-time boys cross-country coach Brian Heenan, who is going into his 26th year of coaching cross country this fall.
More than 20 MHS grads came out to run together around the Neck and reflect on what the program meant to them. Anyone who was in the program and wants to stay connected should contact Will Herlihy at will.rh18@gmail.com.
North Shore Baseball League season, the Seasiders are at 7-7-1, and in sixth place in the standings, more than doubling the number of wins they typically have at this stage in the season.
Crediting a deeper roster, good leadership and excellent team chemistry for their success, Coach Joe McKane and his Seasiders believe they
are ready to make a run for the postseason.
“We’ve recruited more guys this season than past seasons, and it just felt like we were able to get off to a hotter start,” said captain and Seasiders centerfielder Trey Blackmer before a game against the Swampscott Sox on Thursday.
“We’ve had a lot of great pitching, a lot of great fielding,
really clean games. You can look at the scoreboard for most of our games. They’re all tight.
They’re all competitive.”
The Seasiders opened the season undefeated for the first few games, before hitting a fourgame losing streak in late June.
Last week, they snapped the losing streak with a victory over the North Shore Storm, where they collected nine hits. Now,
the team feels that they have some momentum they need as they head into the final stretch.
“Getting off that losing streak and getting back in the win column was awesome,” Blackmer said. Last year, the team finished in eighth place in the division, but after their strong start to this season, McKane
SEASIDERS, P. 12
COURTESY PHOTO / WILL HERLIHY
Participants in the first MHS Cross Country Alumni Run included, front row, from left, Nate Assa (‘25), Will Cruikshank (‘26), Will Cerrutti (‘25), AJ Ernst (‘16), Oliver Jacob (‘17), Will Herlihy (‘11), Chris Rodts (‘14); back row, from left, Henrik Adams (‘26), Zach Pike (‘26), Will Cronin (‘24), Gabe Bayramian (‘23), Isaac Gross (‘24), Chris King (‘21), Josh Berg (‘21), Caleb Evanter (‘05), Adam Linsky (‘16), Zach Jordan (‘19), Austin Lavender (‘20), Nick Carr (‘14) and Tyson Miller (‘11).
CURRENT PHOTO / GREY COLLINS
Marblehead’s Junior Race Week starts Monday, July 20.
Community World Cup final watch party and youth soccer drive
Soccer fans from across the North Shore are invited to gather for a Community FIFA World Cup Final Watch Party on Sunday, July 19, at 2:30 p.m. at The Rip Tide Lounge, 116 Pleasant St.
Hosted by Marblehead Football Club, the event is open to the public, with a suggested $10 donation at the door. Event proceeds will benefit the club’s nonprofit mission: growing the game and expanding access to youth soccer opportunities throughout the greater North Shore.
As part of the event, MHD FC has organized a youth soccer gear drive. Guests are
encouraged to donate gently used soccer equipment, including cleats, shin guards, soccer balls, goalkeeper gloves and uniforms. This much-needed equipment will help more young athletes participate in Lynn Youth Soccer, a communitybased organization offering both competitive and recreational soccer programs to local children.
Founded in January as a nonprofit, Marblehead Football Club is dedicated to expanding access to soccer throughout the North Shore. Through scholarships, equipment donations, partnerships with local youth soccer
organizations and community fundraising, MHD FC works to eliminate financial barriers and create opportunities for more young people to experience the sport.
“The Rip Tide Lounge has always been about bringing people together, and there’s no better occasion than the FIFA World Cup Final when we can support young athletes.,” said John Kaetzer, owner of The Rip Tide Lounge. “We’re proud to partner with Marblehead Football Club on an event that celebrates soccer while giving back to local youth, and we look forward to welcoming fans from across the North Shore.”
“The FIFA World Cup is one of the few events that brings people from every corner of the globe together through a shared love of the game,” said Al Wilson, president of Marblehead Football Club.
“We’re excited to celebrate the final with our community while supporting the next generation of players. We hope soccer fans, families, and friends from across the North Shore will join us for what promises to be a memorable afternoon.”
For more information, visit MHDFC.org or follow Marblehead Football Club on social media.
MHS 2026 grads Kai Rozinsky, Ryan Angilly receive Sterny’s Way Scholarships
BY JOE MCCONNELL
In recognition of excellence in athletics and arts among the MHS student body, the Sterny’s Way scholarship committee awarded 2026 graduates Kai Rozinsky and Ryan Angilly with the coveted annual awards. These scholarships honor the memory of David Stern, a former Marblehead Youth Sports coaching legend, who was also a strong supporter of the arts. Stern passed away in 2010, and nine years later in 2019 these scholarships were established as a lasting legacy in his name.
And the winner is for the Arts: Kai Rozinsky Rozinsky, an accomplished graphic designer and freelance photographer whose work has been on display at the Marblehead Arts Association, was awarded the Sterny’s Way Arts Scholarship.
One of Rozinsky’s most notable and rewarding experiences occurred when he was asked by his photography teacher to take photos of special needs students for the MHS yearbook. This project helped him strengthen existing relationships, while forging new ones with many of his classmates.
Kai is a communityminded individual, who has a variety of interests. He volunteered for the Rick Jakious’ 6th Congressional District Campaign, and also served as a camp counselor with East Coast
Stand Up Paddle Boarding for children.
Rozinsky graduated with a 3.75 GPA after being on the honor roll as a freshman and sophomore, before achieving high honors the last two years as a junior and senior.
He was also on the boys hockey, baseball, crosscountry and track teams.
Kai is now getting ready to attend the University of Vermont in the fall, where he plans to major in Parks, Recreation and Tourism with a minor in Photography.
Angilly captures Sterny’s Way sports scholarship
As a dedicated studentathlete, Ryan played four sports during his high school career, and was a captain of Mike Giardi’s baseball squad this past spring, where he was the starting first baseman.
Ryan earned several accolades over the past four years, including the Mark Tarmey Perseverance, Dedication and Leadership Award (hockey); William A. Gillis Coaches Award (football); MHS Wellness Award in his sophomore and junior years; and JV hockey Team MVP award during the 2024-25 campaign.
Angilly combined his love of sports and
community by serving as a volunteer coach at the Magicians baseball and softball clinic, as well as the Marblehead Youth Baseball Winter Clinic and Marblehead Youth Football Camp for students in Grades 3-8. He also helped prepare and maintain the fields at Gatchell’s Park as part of his senior project.
Angilly was a consistent honor roll student all four years, and graduated with a 3.6 GPA. For his academic efforts, he will attend the University of New Hampshire this fall, majoring in Business.
The Sterny’s Way committee once again greatly appreciates the Marblehead community’s continued support to help fund the annual scholarships of $2,500 each to worthy MHS graduates over the years, who have shown dedication to the Arts, while also participating in either the Marblehead Youth Softball or Marblehead Youth Baseball programs.
COURTESY PHOTOS
MHS graduate Kai Rozinsky earns this year’s Sterny’s Way Arts Scholarship for $2,500.
MHS graduate Ryan Angilly is the recipient of the 2026 Sterny’s Way Sports Scholarship for $2,500.
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
Rock out with Code Blue
Friday, July 17, 9 p.m.
Start your weekend with live music from Code Blue at The Beacon Restaurant. 123 Pleasant St.
Jazz in the Garden
Sunday, July 19, 2-4 p.m.
Come enjoy Jazz in the Garden with Allan Chase’s Jazz Impression of Brazil.
Tickets at $25-$35. Book by sending a check with “Jazz Event’’ with number of people in your party and chosen dates to: Margi Flint, 10 Central St., Marblehead MA 01945.
10.-10:45 a.m. Come play at The Power of Speech, 40 Tioga Way. Children 5 and under are invited to their sensory space for a small group open play with Community Outreach Coordinator Kevin Merrigan. There will be obstacle courses, racetracks and more. $10 each. Register at thepowerofspeech.us.
Yoga by the Sea
Saturday, July 18, 8a.m-noon
The group Mabel of Marblehead is partnering with yoga instructor Ali DeFrancesco for a morning flow as you listen to the waves crash. Stay after for refreshments and mingling.
$40. Register at mabelofmarblehead.com. The exact location will then be sent to you.
Local attorney, Governor’s Council candidate appears in Apple TV series
BY GREY COLLINS
Most days, Diann Slavit Baylis can be found practicing immigration law or speaking with voters on the campaign trail during her run for Governor’s Council. But every so often, she trades the courtroom for a movie set.
In June 2025, that took the longtime Marblehead resident to Stage Fort Park in Gloucester, where she spent the day watching actor Matthew Rhys fend off an attack from a terrifying sea hag in an episode of the Apple TV series “Widow’s Bay.”
Slavit Baylis appears as an extra in Season 1, Episode 3 of “Widow’s Bay,” which aired in early May. The horror-comedy series recently was renewed for a second season and received 19 Emmy Award nominations. Filmed around the North Shore, including Gloucester and Rockport, the show follows the mayor of an island off the New England coast as he tries to break a centuries-old curse to boost the town’s tourism industry.
The opportunity to appear as an extra in the third episode gave Slavit Baylis a chance to step into a world far removed from immigration law and politics.
“Everything is just so serious with the immigration law office
and the campaign,” she said. “So it’s just so fun to do something like that. Everything can’t be serious. You have to shake it up a little.”
She was among a group of extras assembled for the mayor’s ceremonial beach swim, in which Rhys’ character swims out to a buoy to reopen the town beach and prove there are no monsters in the water. There are, in fact, many monsters in the water — and everywhere else, for that matter. Unbeknownst to the mayor, a frightening sea hag lurks beneath the surface, ready to strike and
chase him back to shore. As the nervous mayor walks toward the water, Slavit Baylis can be seen just a few feet to his right. When the episode premiered, she got the chance to spot herself on screen in what quickly became one of her favorite shows.
“It was so exciting because I love acting, and this show interested me from the start,” said Slavit Baylis. “It was great to be a small part of something that is getting so much viewer interest, including Emmy nominations.”
Slavit Baylis also got a chance to see how the frightening
on-screen moments were created and to get a behind-thescenes look at one of the year’s most popular shows.
“We spent like an hour watching Matthew Rhys drowning again and again,” Slavit Baylis said with a laugh. “I thought it was so much fun. But my favorite thing was watching the scary thing they’re trying to make happen, and being behind the scenes and seeing what really happens.”
This was not Slavit Baylis’ first time on a film set. She has appeared as an extra in several productions, including the 2009 film “The Proposal,” which
filmed at Beverly Airport.
She also was selected to participate in the 2020 PBS Boston reality series “Divided We Fall,” in which a dozen liberals and conservatives spent a weekend together in western Massachusetts learning to understand one another’s perspectives. The filmmakers aimed to show how people with different political views can have productive conversations.
“We were really interested in the same stuff, like family and friends and community, but we just have different ways of going about it,” said Slavit Baylis.
“Now I’m actually still friends with some of the people on the show, even the Trumpers.”
As her campaign to unseat the incumbent and represent Massachusetts’ 6th Governor’s Council District enters its final stretch, Slavit Baylis is spending much of her time shaking hands at events throughout the district and speaking with as many voters as possible.
“I just like being in the community because I want to be that approachable candidate,” said Slavit Baylis.
But she also hopes to return to the set of “Widow’s Bay” someday — and perhaps earn a little more screen time on her favorite show.
Diann Slavit Baylis, second from left, watches the mayor walk down the beach during a scene in “Widow’s Bay.”
Live music with Jim Trick
Marblehead Arts Association awards scholarship to MHS 2026 graduate
BY LEIGH BLANDER
The Marblehead Arts Association has awarded its annual Liz Larrabee Art Scholarship to Marblehead High School Class of 2026 graduate Serena Nyberg.
Nyberg, who will attend Tufts University this fall, received the $1,000 scholarship, which is presented each year to a high school senior from Marblehead who demonstrates exceptional artistic talent and a strong commitment to the arts.
“Serena has enjoyed art from an early age and credits the start of her love for oil painting to the Acorn Gallery in Marblehead,” according to a Marblehead Arts Association news release. “Ever since then, she’s been dedicated to her passion for art and developing her artistic talents, more recently mentored by MHS art teacher, Shirley Huller White, who encouraged creative ideas that told a story.”
At Tufts, Nyberg plans to pursue a dual degree in fine arts and psychology.
“Art is such an amazing creative process, and channeling who I am as a person into a painting is an amazing experience to express my thoughts and ideas,” Nyberg said. “I want to use my art to
Seasiders
From P. 9
believes they have the potential to do a lot better. According to McKane, strong leadership and good clubhouse chemistry has been a driving force behind the team’s success.
“Trey Blackmer is our captain and really our catalyst,” McKane said. “He’s a big part of our success. But overall they’re good guys. They have a good time.” Before their game last Thursday, Blackmer, who graduated from Marblehead High in 2014 and has played on the Seasiders since the team’s creation 11 years ago, spoke about how team chemistry has been the essential ingredient for their success this season.
“It’s great,” Blackmer said. “We’ve got new guys, we’ve got old guys, we’ve got guys that have been here for multiple years. It’s just a lot of fun. There’s a lot of hype, and there’s just a lot of positive energy on the team. We all lift each other up.”
The roster has grown to 27 players, all from the North
create meaning and change in the world.”
Nyberg said she is deeply concerned about the isolation caused by excessive technology use and its effects on people’s mental and physical health. Through her artwork, she hopes to “spread awareness about our connection to technology and how that’s separating us from the natural world around us.”
“I looked within myself and was struggling with these issues myself, being addicted to technology,” she said. “We should be outside enjoying nature — and we live by the ocean!”
The Liz Larrabee Art Scholarship was established by longtime Marblehead Arts Association supporters Michele Martin and her sister, Nancy, in memory of their mother, an artist. The scholarship aims to encourage young artists to continue their artistic pursuits and arts education through college and beyond.
Shore, giving the Seasiders more depth than in previous seasons. But McKane says one of the team’s biggest challenges is making sure they can get enough players to the games.
“We have more talent this
year,” McKane said. “Like any year, the key is getting the guys to the game. They all have jobs, they have wives. Baseball doesn’t always come first.”
The Seasiders are coming off an encouraging 3-2 win against
the North Shore Phillies on Sunday night, bringing their record to 7-7-1. With the top eight teams qualifying for the North Shore Baseball League playoffs, Marblehead is currently in postseason position. The
Seasiders’ next game is Saturday, July 18, at 2 p.m. at Seaside Park. The Seasiders have six regularseason games remaining, and aim to get some more wins, and hold onto their spot in the playoffs.
MHS Class of 2026 graduate Serena Nyberg is the recipient of a scholarship from the Marblehead Arts Association.
COURTESY PHOTOS Serena Nyberg has been creating art since childhood.
Seasiders players take some swings before batting against the Swampscott Sox at the start of the third inning last Thursday.
Seasider David Melindez dives back into first base during a pick-off attempt by the Swampscott Sox.
CURRENT PHOTOS / GREY COLLINS
Seasider high-fives Joe Raymond and David Stephon after pitching a shutout inning against the Swampscott Sox last Thursday.
Best friends’ home interiors store starts new chapter with a move
BY MARIELLE SABBAG
Opening Clover last October fulfilled a longtime dream for best friends Kyle Donovan and Julie Pitt. Less than a year later, the Marblehead entrepreneurs are beginning a new chapter — relocating their home interiors store to a larger, more visible storefront at 9 Pleasant St.
The Marblehead natives spent two years planning the business before combining Donovan’s background in real estate with Pitt’s interior design expertise to create Clover, a store featuring furniture, lighting, rugs and décor inspired by the town’s coastal character.
“We wanted people to walk in the door and say, ‘I can see that in my home,’” Pitt said. “We wanted a full range of everything.”
According to the owners, the most important part of Clover is that it is a full-service experience — including interior design.
A team member visits a customer’s home to get a taste of style. After that, Clover recommends materials.
“When we work with clients on projects, we like to find out the design style that is meant for their home,” Pitt said. “We want their home to feel like a home.”
The opportunity for Clover’s next chapter came when the former Hunt & Gather clothing store on Pleasant Street became available. Donovan and Pitt decided the larger space was the right fit for Clover’s growing business.
With help from local high school and college interns, they moved everything from their Washington Street location into the new storefront, which offers roughly four times the space and improved parking.
After renovations that included fresh paint, new carpeting and custom carpentry completed by Pitt’s husband, Clover reopened in its new home.
The move has already paid dividends, Donovan said.
“Moving helped us rebrand ourselves,” she said. “The move rebirthed the vision we had.”
The new location has also introduced Clover to more customers, many of whom stop in while shopping downtown.
“People are happy there’s something like this here,” Pitt said.
As they look ahead, Donovan and Pitt hope to continue growing the business and expanding their reach into surrounding communities.
“The best part is that it’s a dream realized,” Donovan said.
Meet the new owner of Satori Sailing Marblehead
BY MELISSA STACEY
The following is an interview with Graham Sharp, the new owner and chief instructor of Satori Sailing Marblehead, conducted by Discover Marblehead. Offering certified sailing and powerboat instruction, private charters, sunset cruises and adventures on scenic Salem Sound, Satori Sailing’s experienced instructors help sailors of all levels gain confidence while enjoying one of New England’s premier sailing destinations. To learn more, go to sailsatori.com
Graham, tell us about Satori Sailing and the services you provide. Satori Sailing offers adult (12+) sailing and powerboat lessons, c and charters in Marblehead and the surrounding area. Our mission is to share the joy of sailing with others. We teach from beginner through to advanced sailing skills to the highest standards, offering bareboat certification,
mile-building charters and relaxed private sailing adventures on Salem Sound for those who just want to sit back and enjoy.
What inspired you to buy Satori Sailing from Captain James Ashton? I turned my lifetime hobby into a retirement job, mainly to stay active, but also because I love teaching — it’s a fantastically rewarding experience.
What are you most excited about with Satori Sailing this year? Hopefully we will build on our excellent reputation
established by James, by adding more specialist courses, such as diesel engine and marine electronics, as well as longer cruising and Caribbean flotilla opportunities.
What do you love most about Marblehead? Marblehead is the perfect place to run a sailing and boating School — it’s full of sailors, boats and people that want to learn more. It’s boating to its core.
What is something people would be surprised to learn about you? Having been in the Boston area for 20 years, most people don’t know that I was born in Boston England, where the original pilgrim fathers came from and that is where I learned to sail. Also, we lived in Newbury, England, before we moved and now,we live in Newburyport, so living here is like being in England, all the names are the same. The business spotlight is a
COURTESY PHOTO Graham Sharp is the new owner of Satori Sailing Marblehead.
COURTESY PHOTOS
Clover owners and best friends Kyle Donovan, left, and Julie Pitt in their new store location on Pleasant Street.
The home interiors store Clover, owned by Marblehead best friends, has moved to Pleasant Street.
Man wanders into mud room; unexpected chum buckets dropped on Overlook Road
Thursday, June 18
» Alarms: 1
» Building/property checks: 6
» Abandoned 911 calls: 2
» Vehicle stops, citations: 0
» Vehicle stops, verbal warnings: 0
9:38 a.m. A lost skiff or dinghy was reported on Redstone Lane.
9:50 a.m. A general complaint was made on West Shore Drive.
3:56 p.m. A man came into the police station to report what he believed was a case of fraud. However, as he was beginning to tell an officer about how he had transferred $7,000 to purchase a car, his phone rang, and it turned out to be the car salesman calling him back. The man then reported that everything was OK and went on his way.
5:36 p.m. An officer investigated a report of a tree or branch down on Stramski Way.
5:52 p.m. An officer assisted with an issue related to utilities on Gerry Street.
9:54 p.m. An officer investigated a general complaint on West Shore Drive. The issue could not be located.
Friday, June 19
» Alarms: 3
» Building/property checks: 3
» Abandoned 911 calls: 0
» Vehicle stops, citations: 1
» Vehicle stops, verbal warnings: 1
8:13 a.m. An officer spoke in the police station lobby with a man whose wife’s Delta credit card had been “hacked.” The man explained that someone had used her accumulated points to book a flight, which had departed at 5 p.m. the day before. The person did not show up for the flight, and the ticket was cancelled. In conjunction with the booking of the ticket, someone had also made a charge of $5.60 to a Visa credit card, but the man was unsure as to whether the credit card belonged to his family or the fraudster. The officer planned to share the report with detectives.
8:17 a.m. An officer investigated a general complaint on Brookhouse Drive.
8:29 a.m. A possible violation of a non-criminal town bylaw was reported on Alden Road.
8:55 a.m. A general complaint was made on Pleasant and Village streets. The issue could not be located.
9:13 a.m. An officer investigated a report of a possible violation of a noncriminal town bylaw on Ocean Avenue and Risley Road. The alleged offender could not be located.
9:42 a.m. An officer rendered services after a general complaint on Oak Circle.
9:44 a.m. An officer assisted a citizen on Hawkes Street.
11:28 a.m. Services were rendered after the report of a possible violation of a non-criminal town bylaw on Eisenhower Road and Atlantic Avenue.
11:44 a.m. An officer rendered services after a general complaint on Bassett Street.
1:03 p.m. Officers investigated a general complaint on School Street.
1:33 p.m. An officer investigated a general complaint on Pleasant Street.
3 p.m. Solicitors were reported on Washington and Pleasant streets.
4:21 p.m. Officers investigated a report of a disturbance on Fort Sewall Lane. The issue could not be located.
5:17 p.m. An officer responded to the scene of a vehicle crash on Atlantic Avenue and Commercial Street.
6:20 p.m. An officer
investigated a report of loud music on Broughton Road that proved to be unfounded.
7:09 p.m. Officers investigated a complaint about a moving vehicle on Humphrey and Lafayette streets. The vehicle could not be located.
9:51 p.m. An officer investigated a general complaint on Brook Road, which proved to be unfounded.
10:06 p.m. Officers investigated a general complaint on Kenneth Road.
10:07 p.m. Officers restored the peace after the report of a disturbance on Clifton Avenue. An officer returned to Clifton Avenue at 10:52 p.m.
10:14 p.m. Officers rendered services after the report of a disturbance on Pleasant Street. They were called back to Pleasant Street at 10:33 p.m.
10:59 p.m. Officers investigated the report of a disturbance on Naugus Avenue.
11:31 p.m. Officers investigated the report of suspicious activity reported on Prince Street. The issue could not be located.
Saturday, June 20
» Alarms: 0
» Building/property checks: 4
» Abandoned 911 calls: 1
» Vehicle stops, citations: 0 » Vehicle stops, verbal warnings: 0
12:47 a.m. Officers investigated a general complaint on Broughton Road.
4:50 a.m. Police were notified about a sunrise wedding on Ocean Avenue.
8:19 a.m. Property was returned on Jefferson Street.
1:25 p.m. An officer investigated the report of a vehicle crash on Front Street.
1:49 p.m. An officer investigated a report of a possible violation of a noncriminal town bylaw that proved to be unfounded on Prospect and Commercial streets.
4:15 p.m. An officer investigated a report of a tree or branch down on Cypress and Maple streets.
4:17 p.m. An officer investigated a general complaint on Broughton Road.
4:53 p.m. An officer assisted with a disabled vehicle on Atlantic and Ocean avenues. The vehicle was towed.
7:39 p.m. Officers investigated a general complaint on Pleasant Street.
Sunday, June 21
» Alarms: 1 » Building/property checks: 10
» Abandoned 911 calls: 1
» Vehicle stops, citations: 0
» Vehicle stops, verbal warnings: 2
3:17 a.m. Officers investigated the report of a car alarm sounding in the area of Village Street. The vehicle could not be located.
9:40 a.m. Police received a report about a car that may have been keyed on West Shore Drive.
11:12 a.m. An officer rendered services after a traffic stop on West Shore Drive and Pequot Road.
2:11 p.m. An officer assisted a citizen on Gerry Street.
7:47 p.m. Officers investigated a general complaint on Pilgrim Road and Humphrey Street.
9:55 p.m. Officers investigated a complaint about a moving vehicle on Atlantic and Seaview avenues.
Monday, June 22
» Alarms: 0
» Building/property checks: 6
» Abandoned 911 calls: 0
» Vehicle stops, citations: 0
» Vehicle stops,
verbal warnings: 2
7:45 a.m. An officer investigated a report of larceny, forgery or fraud on Rockaway Street.
8:58 a.m. An officer investigated a report of ladders in the roadway on Front and Merritt streets.
10 a.m. An officer investigated a general complaint on Stevens Road.
10:47 a.m. An officer investigated a report of a tenant doing unauthorized work on Curtis Street.
12:03 p.m. An officer investigated a neighbor complaint on Broughton Road. Upon his arrival, he was met by a juvenile male who explained that he had gone to the address to visit his sister. He had knocked on the door, and the resident had come to the door and then turned around and locked it. The officer asked the juvenile if he lived at the residence, and he said that he did not. The officer asked him if he was OK and needed further assistance, and he said that everything was OK and apologized for calling the police. He said that his sister and the person she was with had since left the area.
12:45 p.m. Police received a request to park overnight on Stramski Way.
1:10 p.m. An officer rendered services after a general complaint on Washington and Essex streets.
1:47 p.m. A caller reported that the traffic light at Lafayette and Maple streets was not functioning.
1:55 p.m. An officer investigated a general complaint on Broughton Road.
2:20 p.m. Services were rendered after a general complaint on Tedesco and Maple streets.
3:30 p.m. A vehicle was towed after a general complaint on Ocean Avenue.
4:47 p.m. Officers assisted at the scene of a vehicle crash on Harbor Avenue.
Tuesday, June 23
» Alarms: 1
» Building/property checks: 4
» Abandoned 911 calls: 1
» Vehicle stops, citations: 1
» Vehicle stops, verbal warnings: 2
1:52 a.m. Officers assisted another agency on Nicholson Street.
9:38 a.m. An officer assisted a citizen on Everett Paine Boulevard.
11:30 a.m. Officers were alerted to an active incident involving stolen identity and the delivery of a package containing a phone to a Marblehead address. A woman reported that her identity was stolen, and the unknown fraudster managed to get her T-Mobile cell phone turned off before ordering a new phone to be delivered to an address in Marblehead to which the victim had no connection. FedEx showed that the package was in transit and had an estimated delivery time of 1:55 p.m. One officer went to the home where the phone was to be delivered and determined that it had not yet been delivered, and there was no further evidence of any suspicious activity. Another
officer had the victim gather as much information as she could about the incident. The woman explained that she had learned from a T-Mobile representative that someone had used her stolen identity and personal information to successfully file an insurance claim regarding the victim’s phone, which prompted the new phone to be shipped. In the meantime, FedEx was contacted, and the shipment was successfully rerouted to a secure facility. The victim indicated that she believed that the insurer had an email address from the scammer. Both FedEx and the insurance company told the officer he would have to contact their legal departments to gain that information. The woman was advised to remain vigilant for other signs of fraudulent activity related to her personal information.
12:07 p.m. An officer assisted a citizen in Lincoln Park.
1:29 p.m. An officer assisted with a disabled vehicle on Lafayette and Maple streets. The vehicle was towed.
4:47 p.m. A general complaint was made on Brook Road.
5:21 p.m. An officer assisted a citizen on Intrepid Circle.
6:58 p.m. Another agency was assisted on Drumlin Road.
8:11 p.m. An officer investigated a complaint about a moving vehicle on West Shore Drive and Thomas Circle.
10:10 p.m. Officers and firefighters assisted with an issue related to utilities on Ocean Avenue.
10:58 p.m. Another agency was assisted on Abbot Street.
Wednesday, June 24
» Alarms: 1
» Building/property checks: 4
» Abandoned 911 calls: 1
» Vehicle stops, citations: 0
» Vehicle stops, verbal warnings: 1
9:46 a.m. An issue related to utilities was reported on Atlantic Avenue.
9:46 a.m. An officer investigated a complaint about a moving vehicle on Ocean Avenue.
1:20 p.m. An officer investigated the possible violation of a non-criminal town bylaw on Stevens Road. The alleged scofflaw could not be located.
3 p.m. Solicitors were reported on Green Street and Alexander Circle.
3:07 p.m. An officer assisted a citizen on Village Street.
3:35 p.m. An issue related to utilities was reported on Lafayette and Maple streets.
6:07 p.m. General information was provided on Green Street.
6:10 p.m. An officer assisted at the scene of a vehicle crash on Atlantic Avenue.
8:12 p.m. Officers investigated a general complaint on Gingerbread Hill Road.
9:20 p.m. Officers investigated a complaint about a moving vehicle on Village and Pleasant streets.
9:23 p.m. An officer investigated a complaint about a moving vehicle on Atlantic Avenue.
9:58 p.m. A citizen was assisted on Pleasant Street.
Thursday, June 25
» Alarms: 1
» Building/property checks: 2
» Abandoned 911 calls: 1
» Vehicle stops, citations: 0
» Vehicle stops, verbal warnings: 0
12:13 a.m. An issue related to utilities reported on Mariners Lane was referred to another agency.
1:08 a.m. Services were
rendered after a general complaint on Atlantic Avenue.
9:06 a.m. Officers investigated a general complaint on Pleasant Street.
9:20 a.m. A citizen was assisted on Gingerbread Hill Road.
12:34 p.m. An officer investigated the possible violation of a non-criminal town bylaw on Beacon Street.
12:48 p.m. Services were rendered after a general complaint on Smith Street.
1:38 p.m. An officer rendered services after a general complaint on Brookhouse Drive.
2:44 p.m. An officer investigated a report of annoying phone calls on Bassett Street.
3:18 p.m. An officer spoke in the police station lobby whose business account had been hacked and used to order an Apple iPad, which was shipped to East Longmeadow. The woman said that she had the transaction flagged and had also notified East Longmeadow Police about the incident. The officer advised her to monitor the account that had been hacked into and requested that she send him the receipts of the fraudulent transaction.
4:10 p.m. Officers and firefighters were dispatched to Ocean Avenue, where an unknown man had just walked into the mudroom of a home before taking off. One officer canvassed the neighborhood while another officer spoke with the homeowner who explained that she had woken up from a nap on her couch to find a man approximately 50 years old with gray hair and a gray T-shirt in the mudroom. The man then went back out through the door. The woman was not expecting anyone at the house and did not recognize the man. The two did not exchange any words before the man left, as the woman only noticed him for a couple of seconds before he left. The woman said that she did not believe anything was missing from the house. The front door to the house had also been unlocked before the man entered. The man was not found during a search of the area.
4:18 p.m. Services were rendered after a complaint about a boat on Marblehead Harbor.
6:41 p.m. An officer investigated a general complaint on Amherst Road.
7:18 p.m. A 47-year-old Marblehead man was arrested and charged with a second offense of driving under the influence of alcohol and reckless driving after officers investigated a complaint about a moving vehicle on Susan Road and Green Street.
8:37 p.m. An officer restored the peace after a disturbance was reported on Vine Street.
Friday, June 26
» Alarms: 2 » Building/property checks: 5 » Abandoned 911 calls: 0
» Vehicle stops, citations: 1 » Vehicle stops, verbal warnings: 0
7:45 a.m. An officer rendered services after investigating the possible violation of a noncriminal town bylaw on Beringer Way.
9:49 a.m. An officer investigated an issue related to utilities on Elm and Green streets and referred it to another agency.
11:38 a.m. An officer investigated a general complaint that proved to be unfounded on West Shore Drive.
11:43 a.m. An officer rendered
David J. Hill, 77
David James Hill, 77, passed away on July 7, 2026, of complications from Parkinson’s disease.
David was born in Olean, New York, to R. James Hill and Marion Cushman Hill. He attended Georgetown University before getting his J.D. from Harvard Law School. He is predeceased by his parents and his younger sister, Patricia Bjornsti. He is survived by his wife Louise (Blanchard) Hill of Marblehead; two sons, Matthew
Nancy Noyes Foss, 76
Nancy Foss, a longtime resident of Marblehead, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Wednesday, July 8.
Nancy was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, the daughter of Edward MacArthur Noyes II and Winifred McAleer Noyes. Nancy was a 1967 graduate of Wyoming High School in Wyoming, Ohio, and Yale University in 1971. She moved to Marblehead after college and worked for Hood Foam and the Berringer Corporation before becoming an
Charles
‘Chuck’ Adams, 83
Charles “Chuck” Adams March 9, 1943 – July 9, 2026
Charles “Chuck” Adams, 83, of Marblehead, passed away on July 9, 2026. Born on March 9, 1943, in Northfield, Vermont, he was a man of boundless curiosity, generous spirit and skilled hands who left his mark on everyone fortunate enough to know him. Chuck grew up in Seabrook, New Hampshire, where some of his happiest early memories were made: great friends, a tworoom schoolhouse and the kind of freedom that saw a boy of 12 driving his mother’s car around their field. From as far back as age 3, he was captivated by hot rods and anything with an engine. When his family moved briefly to Cincinnati at age 13, Chuck found himself in a new city where he did not know anyone. His solution was
Hill and Warren Hill; and his sister, Carole Lopez of Dayton, Ohio.
While studying at Harvard, David met his wife, Louise, and moved to Washington,
accountant for the Marblehead school system, where she worked until her retirement in 2006.
Nancy leaves behind two brothers, Edward MacArthur “Mac” Noyes III and his
characteristically his own: he took his bicycle apart and put it back together, again and again, until the family moved on to Glastonbury, Connecticut. It was the first glimpse of a lifelong instinct: when in doubt, build something.
Chuck attended Suffield Academy before going on to Colgate University, graduating in 1966. He then moved to Boston, where he joined the training program at State Street Bank and where he met the love of his life, Sally Burns. On their wedding day in 1969, Chuck and Sally drove straight to Marblehead and never looked
D.C. to work at the Federal Trade Commission. He then entered private practice at Pierson, Semmes & Bemis in Georgetown before beginning a long tenure at Skadden Arps, where he represented major electric utilities and natural gas pipelines. He was strongly dedicated to his pro bono work and was a fierce advocate for his clients from the Innocence Project.
David and Louise had fond memories of their 12 years living in Glover Park, Washington, D.C., where they shared many neighborhood block parties and sports events with their two boys growing
wife, Cheryl, of Indianola, Washington, and James McAleer “Jamie” Noyes and his wife, Beverly, of Marblehead. She was the devoted “Aunt Nance” to six nieces and nephews, Adam, Whitney, Brian, Michael, Gregory and Sarah; their spouses, Karen, James, Mackenzie, Amanda, Lucy and Tom; and six grandnieces and grandnephews.
Nancy’s “happy place” was her family summer home on Squirrel Island off the coast of Boothbay Harbor, Maine, where she spent time during every summer of her life. More recently, she had become a full seasonal resident
back.
Over the next 30 years, Chuck built a career in banking and later office furniture sales, but it was what came next that truly suited him. He left the corporate world to follow his calling: becoming his own boss and serving the community he loved as a light construction craftsman. Chuck was a man of diverse knowledge and talents. He was also an avid reader, with a curiosity that extended as naturally to books as it did to the machines and projects that fascinated him. A gifted woodworker and skilled mechanic, he approached every job with the same quiet craftsmanship and was known, more often than not, to finish a job beautifully and then never send the bill.
He was, by any measure, the most generous, kind and caring tradesman any Marbleheader could have had the good fortune to know. Cars were Chuck’s lifelong passion. He owned three Porsches over the years and, in what became a beloved piece of family legend, once
The Marblehead Current publishes obituaries online for free and in its print edition for a flat fee of $300.
Submissions or inquiries should be sent to notices@ marbleheadnews.org.
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up. During his many business travels to New Orleans, David acquired a passion for Cajun food and would bring home a cooler of crawfish to cook recipes from Paul Prudhomme’s cookbook. David was known for his hard work ethic, his compassionate outlook and steadfast support for his family. He was an avid reader who loved spy novels and the New York Times crossword. He enjoyed photography and developed photos in his own darkroom. While presenting a serious demeanor, he had a dry sense of humor, his jokes often flying over everyone’s head. He will
there and was proudly part of the “dead-enders” club of seasonal island residents who were reluctant to leave at the end of the summer season until forced off the island when the water and power were shut off at their cottages!
Nancy was a prolific reader, collecting volumes of mystery novels and was known for her crossword puzzle and trivia prowess, often completing the New York Times Sunday puzzle before most could solve their first clues. She loved gardening, painting or just sitting on her porch watching the world go by. She will be missed by her family,
installed a Porsche engine into Sally’s Volkswagen Bug. His heart, however, belonged to hot rods. He lovingly restored a 1928 Model A roadster pickup truck, then swapped it for a ‘32 Ford two-door sedan, and finally found his dream in the much rarer ‘32 Ford Victoria body, which he still owned at the time of his passing. Through the Mass Street Rods and Strokers Hot Rod clubs, Chuck found a brotherhood of like-minded enthusiasts, and some of his closest and most treasured friendships grew from those shared afternoons. Life in Marblehead also brought Chuck to the water. He embraced sailing with the same enthusiasm he brought to everything he loved: daily sails, extended cruises, the Figawi Race, the Bermuda Race, races to Maine and Eastern Yacht Club cruises. He served on the EYC admissions and house committees, giving back to the club that gave him so much. And at home, one of his greatest joys was cooking with and for a house full of his kids
be greatly missed.
David’s family expressed their gratitude to The Residence at Vinnin Square, Compassionate Care Hospice, and Patriarch Healthcare for their tireless and loving care for David and his family.
A visitation will be held on Friday, July 24 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Eustis & Cornell, 142 Elm St., Marblehead. Donations to the Parkinson’s Foundation or Innocence Project would be greatly appreciated.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy for David’s family may be shared at eustisandcornellfuneralhome. com.
her Wednesday coffee group, her Friday lunch club at the Three Cod, and all those lucky enough to have known her.
A private family service will be held later this summer. In lieu of flowers, donations in Nancy’s name may be made to the Squirrel Island Preservation Foundation and mailed to: Nina Garrison, treasurer, 3 Clacton Way, South Portland, ME 04106. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy for Nancy’s loved ones may be shared at eustisandcornellfuneralhome. com.
and their friends, a beloved tradition they affectionately knew as Uncle Charlie’s Kitchen.
Chuck Adams was the kind of man a community is lucky to have and deeply feels the loss of. He fixed things. He built things. He showed up. And he did it all with a generosity of spirit that could not be taught, only lived. Chuck is survived by his beloved wife of 57 years, Sally Burns Adams of Marblehead; their son, Tyler Adams and his wife Sharon of East Falmouth; their stepchildren, Cameron Panepinto and his wife Amanda, and Alexa Rocci and her husband Ryan; their great grandson, Logan; and his sister, Debbie Keogh of Lancaster. He was predeceased by their daughter, Betsy Adams.
Family and friends are invited to a celebration of life at the Eastern Yacht Club on July 27, from 12-2:30pm. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his name to Care Dimensions, 75 Sylvan Street, Suite B-102, Danvers, MA 01923 or online at caredimensions.org/donate.
for a person to contact, in case we have any questions about the obituary.
Photos, preferably in JPEG format, are welcome. Photos should be of high enough quality to reproduce well in print. Generally, an image file created by a digital camera or smartphone will be fine; images copied from websites will not.
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services after investigating the possible violation of a noncriminal town bylaw on Gallison Avenue.
12:09 p.m. An officer assisted at the scene of a vehicle crash reported on Washington Street.
12:28 p.m. An officer investigated the report of a vehicle crash on Prospect and Pleasant streets.
2:11 p.m. An officer investigated the report of a vehicle crash on Orne Street and Fountain Inn Lane.
4:10 p.m. An officer investigated a disturbance reported on Creesy Street.
4:32 p.m. A vehicle was towed after an officer investigated a complaint about a moving vehicle on Norman Street.
5:05 p.m. An officer assisted a citizen on Wyman Road.
Saturday, June 27
» Alarms: 1
» Building/property checks: 6
» Abandoned 911 calls: 4
» Vehicle stops, citations: 0
» Vehicle stops, verbal warnings: 0
6:16 a.m. An officer investigated a general complaint on Fort Beach Lane.
8:55 a.m. An officer investigated a possible violation of a non-criminal town bylaw on Arrowhead Road. The officer returned to Arrowhead Road at 9:32 a.m. for the same reason.
9:56 a.m. A nonfunctioning crosswalk light was reported on Ocean and Atlantic avenues.
9:58 a.m. A citizen was given assistance on Hawthorn Road.
11:52 a.m. An officer investigated a report of a tree or branch down on Maverick Street.
11:58 a.m. Officers investigated a general complaint on Creesy Street.
1:15 p.m. Officers investigated a neighbor issue on Canterbury Road.
1:43 p.m. An officer assisted a citizen on Sagamore Road.
2:57 p.m. An officer investigated a general complaint on the railroad right-of-way.
3:38 p.m. An officer investigated a general complaint on Farrell Court.
5:51 p.m. An officer
investigated a general complaint on Countryside Lane that proved to be unfounded.
6:38 p.m. Officers investigated a general complaint on Prospect Street.
7:54 p.m. An officer went to Overlook Road to investigate a report that some bottles or jugs that smelled like fish had been delivered to the home. The officer spoke to the resident who explained that at 6:45 a.m. her Ring camera showed that a truck had backed into her driveway and delivered two milk crates with plastic bottles or jugs in them, which she was not expecting. Upon inspection, the woman detected a strong fish odor coming from the bottles, which the officer confirmed. Upon further investigation, the
officer found that the bottles were filled with fish bait or chum. The resident did not order any bait or chum nor did she know anyone living nearby who might have ordered it. The officer concluded that it must have been misdelivered.
8:13 p.m. Officers investigated a general complaint on West Shore Drive.
8:26 p.m. An issue related to utilities was reported on Ballast Lane.
9:23 p.m. A general complaint was made on West Shore Drive.
9:41 p.m. Officers investigated a general complaint on Washington Street.
11:04 p.m. Officers investigated a general complaint on Front Street.
Marblehead sailor, photographer and Current contributor Bruce Durkee snapped these shots of the Tall Ships visit to Boston July 11.
STANDING TALL
Individual requests for financial assistance must be referredthrough athirdparty for consideration
We urge you to contact our partners listed below, or speak to your local clergy to request assistance from Marblehead Female Humane Society:
Marblehead Counseling Center 781-631-8273
Marblehead Housing Authority 781-631-2580
Marblehead Council on Aging 781-631-6225
Marblehead Food Pantry
