HARBOR HIGHLIGHTS It’s Race Week and the Current is on board Page 9
SERIOUS SETBACK
Local couple plans comeback from loss of lobster boat Page 3
NEWS FOR PEOPLE, NOT FOR PROFIT.
HAZY DAYS
Orange you glad that wildfire smoke is gone? Page 6
HOLDING THE FORT
BY ALEKA KROITZSH
Glover’s Regiment and their friends transported visitors to the Revolutionary era during their annual reenactment of an 18th-century military camp at Fort Sewall Saturday.
Around 100 people wearing 18th-century garb chatted with visitors and flitted between tents and tables. Cannons and muskets were fired during battle reenactments, children partook in a military drill, and members of Glover’s Regiment demonstrated 18th-century craftsmanship, including butter churning, candle making, blacksmithery, laundry and weaving.
“Just about every battle is like a big family reunion,” said Bob Deisle, who has participated in reenactments for 60 years and joined Saturday’s festivities from central New Jersey as part of the 25th Continental Regiment.
Long-time Marblehead residents Katie and Tim Sullivan echoed this sentiment, saying that the best part of the event is spending time with family.
Katie Sullivan, who gave visitors samples of her hand-churned butter at the reenactment, said she first became involved with Glover’s Regiment when she brought her father to the encampment 15 years ago as a birthday gift. Since then, they have returned year after year with their three children, sleeping over in the tents and participating in the festivities.
Now, Katie’s father, Raymond Sullivan, a retired general surgeon, is Glover’s Regiment’s camp surgeon.
“I love the excitement from the crowd,” Tim Sullivan said, adding that the music he heard at the reenactments inspired him to take fiddle lessons.
Around 600 people visited the encampment throughout the day, hailing from all over New England. Lynn Dixon, who attended the event, said she was visiting the area from Florida and stayed an extra day to check it out.
» “The Indispensables” author puts human face on history. Page 7
Patrons participated in guided tours through the camp to learn about 18th-century ways of life, including medicine from camp surgeon Raymond Glover and candlemaking from Kathleen Pondelli.
Pondelli, from Somerville, joined the Glover Regiment nine years ago and annually demonstrates candlemaking. Marblehead resident Pam Crowell, who had attended
the event for years, said she loved Pondelli’s handmade candles and had bought a “lifetime supply.”
Katey Corrigan from Beverly demonstrated 18th-century laundry practices at the encampment. One of the major diseases at the time spread through fleas, she said, so women who joined the soldiers to do their laundry played a crucial role.
Corrigan’s table included a bucket hanging from a wooden stand, representing how women would boil
BY LEIGH BLANDER
Less than three months after Town Meeting approved changes to Marblehead’s accessory dwelling unit bylaw to comply with a new state law, town officials are still working to determine exactly how the regulations should be implemented.
Learning the process
The Affordable Homes Act, signed into law in 2024, allows one accessory dwelling unit, or ADU, by right on most residential lots across Massachusetts. While municipalities may adopt reasonable regulations, they cannot require a special permit for qualifying ADUs.
“The Planning Board really can’t deny the ADU,” Community Development and Planning Director Brendan Callahan said. Marblehead adopted its own ADU bylaw before the state law took effect. This spring, Town Meeting approved amendments intended to bring the local bylaw into compliance while preserving local oversight through Planning Board site plan review. At a July 14 Housing Committee meeting, Callahan acknowledged that town staff, Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals are still working through the new approval process.
“We’re all learning right now,” he added. ADUs created within an existing home’s footprint have generally been straightforward to review, according to Callahan. More complex proposals involving additions often require zoning relief before receiving Planning Board approval, raising questions about the proper sequence of reviews.
Callahan said the town is revising its online ADU application to make the approval process clearer for homeowners. Callahan is also considering updating the town website and creating educational materials to explain the new rules.
The town’s website contains outdated information from the previous bylaw, Callahan said, including an obsolete maximum ADU size. The amendments approved by Town Meeting are still awaiting review by the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.
Housing Committee members said the process needs more clarity and public education.
“I think it’s just a matter of getting people in the same room, making sure that there’s alignment around the application process
BY LEIGH BLANDER
Marblehead has announced its new town planner, Jacinta Williams.
Williams worked most recently as town planner in Amherst and Pittsfield. She previously worked as an energy and land use planner for the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission in Springfield.
Williams earned her graduate degree in urban and regional planning from UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs and has
been practicing regional and urban planning in Massachusetts since 2021.
Williams said she accepted the position of Marblehead’s town planner earlier this year, while awaiting approval of the town’s fiscal 2027 budget.
“Since arriving in Marblehead, I have been spending my time learning about the community and meeting the people I will have the privilege of working with,” Williams wrote to the Current. “One experience that
immediately stood out was a tour of Marblehead with Community Development & Planning Director Brendan Callahan. Growing up, you hear about the coastal charm of Massachusetts and see it portrayed in movies, but experiencing Marblehead in person was something entirely different. I was genuinely struck by its beauty, history and unique character.”
Williams added, “I am incredibly excited to serve
Marblehead as its town planner. For me, Marblehead is both breathtaking and iconic, and I feel humbled and honored to have the opportunity to work with the community, learn from its residents and leaders, and help support the town’s future while preserving the qualities that make it so special.”
Marblehead’s previous town planner, Alex Eitler, stepped down last December, after about a year on the job.
The Marblehead Current Board of Directors is pleased to announce its newest member, Jaki Fishkin. Fishkin is a Marblehead native who recently moved back to town with her husband and two dogs.
BY LEIGH BLANDER
The Current welcomes 150- to 200-word submissions to News in Brief. Send them to info@ marbleheadnews.org.
Town receives millions in local aid, earmarks
Marblehead is receiving more than $8.9 million in local aid in the state’s new budget, an increase of about 5.5% over last year, according to state Rep. Jenny Armini.
In addition, Marblehead will receive $40,000 to replace the boiler at the fire station and $50,000 to refurbish the Glover School playground.
Marblehead also received $678,731 in state bond funding for transportation infrastructure, including municipal roads and bridges. The Current asked DPW Superintendent Amy McHugh and Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer multiple times how that money will be spent, with no response.
Survey says…
The town of Marblehead is partnering with FlashVote, a public survey platform that helps local governments gather timely resident feedback. The goal is to help inform municipal decision-making. Registration takes less than one minute at flashvote.com/marbleheadma. Each survey takes about a minute to complete and remains open for 48 hours. After a survey closes, participants automatically receive a summary of the overall results and can compare their responses with those of other Marblehead residents.
All responses are anonymous. Personal and demographic information provided during registration is never shared with the town or any third party.
The Marblehead Board of Assessors is conducting site inspections of properties that have recently been offered for sale or are part of the town’s ongoing property valuation review process.
According to the town, the inspections are intended to verify and update property information used to determine fair and equitable assessed values. Accurate property data is essential to maintaining a consistent assessment system for all taxpayers, officials said.
A complete inspection may include both an exterior
She works as an attorney, with experience representing students, schools and agencies in special education disputes. She is also a real estate agent. Fishkin graduated from
Marblehead High School in 2006, and then received degrees from Connecticut College, Boston College Graduate School of Social Work and Northeastern University School of Law.
and interior review. Interior inspections are generally brief and involve viewing areas such as the basement and living spaces to confirm property characteristics and features.
The Board of Assessors has contracted with Catalis to assist with the inspection process. Representatives from the company will conduct inspections on behalf of the Assessors Office.
If no one is home or if a homeowner declines an interior inspection, the representative will complete an exterior inspection, including measuring buildings on the property.
Residents with questions may contact the Assessors Office at 781-631-0236.
Preventing falls practical steps for safer aging
Falls are one of the leading causes of injury among older adults, but many are preventable with the right knowledge and preparation. On Thursday, July 23, at 2 p.m., come to Abbot Library for an expert-led lecture with geriatrician Dr. Nakeisha Rodgers to better understand fall risks and how to reduce them. You’ll explore the medical and financial impact of falls, common conditions that increase risk and how geriatric specialists assess fall risk during routine care. Rodgers will also share clear, actionable strategies to help you “fall-proof” your home and support safer, more confident aging — for yourself or a loved one.
A viewing of the online lecture will be held in the library’s Event Center followed by a discussion session. Registration is required and limited to 35. abbotlibrary. org.
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.
“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 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.
Registration open for Jimmy Fund Walk
Registration is open for the 2026 Jimmy Fund Walk for Dana-Farber. Scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 4, the walk raises funds to support all forms of adult and pediatric care and cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
This year’s event aims to raise $10 million in support of Dana-Farber’s mission to defy cancer by leading the way in groundbreaking research and lifesaving patient care.
More info at danafarber. jimmyfund.org. Look for the link “Jimmy Fund Walk for Dana-Farber.”
Vigil for ICE victims Saturday
In conjunction with a nationwide day of action in response to the killings by Immigration and Customs
Enforcement agents of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston and Johan Sebastian Guerrero in Biddeford, Maine, there will be a vigil at Glabicky Field at the intersection of Lafayette and Maple streets in Marblehead on Saturday, July 25, 4-5:30 p.m.
North Shore Indivisible holds weekly standouts at Glabicky Field, but this one will have a special theme, according to organizers.
“Both men were beloved members of their communities, killed on their way to work,” organizers said. “Join us for a vigil to demand justice for Lorenzo, justice for Johan, justice for all. ICE Out.”
Organizers of the nationwide Disappeared In America effort urged all who intend to participate to adhere to their commitment to nonviolent action.
“We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events,” they said.
Marblehead Little Theatre, 12 School St., will hold non-equity auditions for “Medea,” the Greek tragedy.
Betrayed by her husband, the Greek hero Jason, the sorceress Medea is humiliated and driven to violence in Euripides’ classic tale of a woman scorned. Far from home and thrown into exile, she must plot not only her escape but also her revenge on those who have wronged her. Auditions are on Sunday, Aug. 2, 3-6 p.m., and Monday, Aug. 3, 6-9 p.m. with callbacks on Wednesday, Aug. 5, at 7 p.m. Video submissions will be accepted no later than Aug. 3.
Those auditioning should prepare two short monologues, one classical and one contemporary. Actors may perform them in either order, and they do not need to contrast in tone. There will be 12 performances from Oct. 2-18.
BY LEIGH BLANDER
When Marblehead lobsterman Paul Burns got a call on July 7 that his lobster boat was sinking at its mooring off The Barnacle Restaurant, he rushed to the harbor. But by the time he arrived, only the tip of the bow remained above the water.
Heavy rain and wind apparently caused the bilge pump aboard Gail Force to fail, allowing the 19-foot yellow Seaway lobster boat to fill with water. Heavy swells eventually pulled the vessel under.
For Burns, losing the boat meant far more than losing a vessel. It meant losing the foundation of the lobstering business he had just started building.
“This has been like a dream for me,” he said about fishing. “It’s just what I love to do.” Burns, 34, took over his grandfather John’s commercial lobster license in February 2025 and purchased Gail Force three months later. The boat was his first as an independent lobsterman after years of fishing alongside his father, Jack Burns, a well-known Marblehead fisherman.
“I loved that boat,” he said about Gail Force. “We had just spent the Fourth of July on the mooring watching fireworks.” The timing is especially tough.
“This is the (peak) season,” Burns said. “It couldn’t have happened at a worse time.”
The family’s primary source of income comes from lobstering. During the winter, Burns supplements that income with snow plowing and construction work, but summer is when he relies on the lobster fishery.
Without Gail Force, Burns has returned to hauling lobster traps by hand from his father’s 14-foot Lund skiff. The sinking also claimed much of his fishing equipment, including his striped bass gear.
Because Gail Force was Burns’ first boat and he was just starting his business, it was not insured for this type of loss.
“My wife and I are just starting out,” Burns said.
Abby Burns described the emotional toll in a GoFundMe campaign
launched July 8.
“Following heavy rainfall, an electrical failure caused Gail Force to flood and sink,” she wrote. “In a matter of hours, the lobster boat Paul relied on to provide for our family was gone.”
She said the boat represented far more than transportation.
“To many, it may be just a lobster boat,” she wrote. “To us, Gail Force was our livelihood, our future and the continuation of a three-generation family tradition.”
She added that owning
Gail Force marked the beginning of Burns’ own fishing business after years of working alongside his father.
“For years, Paul has worked side-by-side with his father, Jack Burns, a well-known and respected fisherman,” Abby Burns wrote. “Together, this father-and-son duo have spent countless mornings on the water, with Jack passing down the knowledge, values and traditions that have shaped generations of Burns fishermen.”
The family is now
hoping to raise enough money to purchase a replacement used lobster boat and the equipment needed to return to work. Depending on the vessel, Burns estimates a replacement could cost anywhere from $15,000 to $100,000.
“We’re looking to see what it is,” Burns said.
“Looking to score a boat.
Whatever we have to do to get it is our goal.”
Despite the setback, Burns isn’t giving up.
The third-generation fisherman said carrying on his family’s legacy remains his goal, especially for his 5-year-old daughter, who already loves joining him on the water.
“We’ll do whatever we have to do,” he said.
There but for the grace of God go we.
That is how we cannot help but feel about the ongoing lack of a reporter shield law in Massachusetts.
Thankfully, we at the Current have not yet faced the time and expense of going to court over a subpoena or to fight contempt charges over a refusal to reveal a source.
But given our commitment to tell the stories that need to be told — no matter whom they might offend or whose power they might threaten — we know that could change any time.
As a result, we wholeheartedly approve of the message in the editorial below shared by the New England Newspaper and Press Association with its members.
We hope its message is heard on Beacon Hill.
Marblehead state Rep. Jenny Armini tells us she does not need any convincing.
“When historians write about this moment in American life, professional journalists — along with lawyers — will be viewed as the guardians of democracy,” she says. “That’s why protecting their sources from government interference makes infinite sense.”
We hope her colleagues agree.
When a government whistleblower risks a career to expose corruption to a journalist, the first question is always the same: Will my name be kept out of it? The same is true when a hospital employee reveals a cover-up, when a church insider exposes abuse, or when a corporate source provides evidence that a company has concealed the dangers of its products.
In 41 states and the District of Columbia, a journalist can answer that question with the weight of law behind the promise. In Massachusetts, a journalist cannot.
That is unacceptable for a commonwealth that calls itself the cradle of American liberty and a birthplace of the free press. And it is also dangerous, especially now, at a moment when journalists face escalating hostility, when federal officials openly threaten and demean the press, and when the legal protections that make independent journalism possible are under assault from multiple directions.
Two bills pending on Beacon Hill would remedy that. House Bill 4638 and Senate Bill 1253, both titled “An Act Relative to the Free Flow of Information,” would establish a statutory reporter’s privilege in Massachusetts, protecting journalists from being compelled to disclose confidential sources or unpublished information except in narrowly defined circumstances involving national security, imminent violence or a defendant’s constitutional right to a fair trial.
Last fall, both the House and Senate members of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary gave these bills a favorable report — marking the first time a shield law bill has ever cleared committee in Massachusetts. Since then, however, the bills have languished.
Now, their fate is down to the wire. The formal legislative session ends July 31. If both chambers do not bring these bills to a floor vote by then, the legislation dies, and the entire effort has to start over in the next session. We urge House Speaker Ronald Mariano, Senate President Karen Spilka, and the leadership of both chambers to ensure that a shield law goes to a vote before time runs out.
The need is more urgent than ever. Earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene in the case of Catherine Herridge, a veteran investigative reporter facing daily fines of $800 for refusing to reveal a confidential source. Herridge’s case arose in federal court, where no shield law applies. But Massachusetts journalists face a similar vulnerability in state court, where judges apply a discretionary balancing test that has produced inconsistent and unjust outcomes.
In the Ayash v. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute case, a reporter and his newspaper were held in contempt for refusing to identify a confidential source — even though the underlying claims were ultimately dismissed. In Commonwealth v. Karen Read, the trial court reversed its own ruling on a reporter’s claim of privilege, underscoring the current standard’s unpredictability.
This legal uncertainty has real-world consequences. Sources with information the public should know — about government misconduct, about institutional abuse, about threats to public health and safety — are reluctant to come forward. Reporters at small and local newspapers like the Marblehead Current, the very outlets that cover town halls and school committees and police departments, face the prospect of costly court battles they cannot afford every time a subpoena lands on an editor’s desk. A statutory shield law would replace that uncertainty with clearly defined protections, replacing individual judges’ unguided discretion with an unambiguous legal standard on which everyone could rely.
The commonwealth’s outlier status grows more conspicuous each year. In March 2025, Idaho became the latest state to enact a shield law, with its Republican-led legislature approving the law unanimously. There is no reason for Massachusetts not to follow suit. This legislation carries no fiscal cost. It has no formal opposition. It has the support of every major news and press organization in the state, as well as of the ACLU of Massachusetts and Common Cause. What it needs now is a vote. The people of Massachusetts deserve the same protections for a free and vigorous press that citizens in the vast majority of states already enjoy. The Legislature has just days to act. It should not let this historic opportunity slip away.
BY DONALD ORNE
Editor’s note: Donald Orne, 84, is a lifelong Marblehead resident whose family has been part of the town for generations. His father, Bud Orne, owned the barber shop at 120 Pleasant St., where the family also lived. Bud Orne also started Marblehead Youth Hockey and served as Rec & Parks commissioner.
This series shares Don’s memories of growing up in Marblehead during the 1940s, ’50s and’‘60s.
I was born at 4:40 a.m. on Aug. 8, 1942, at the old Mary Alley Hospital to Muriel and Bud Orne in Marblehead. My mother’s friend, nurse Betty Goodwin, delivered me.
It was 1945 and World War II, and my father was serving in the Navy. My mother was my sole caretaker at our home on Sewall Street. We lit a candle every night until my dad came home.
On my third birthday, my appendix burst. My mother had no car and took me by bus to Salem Hospital. The doctor said she got me there just in time and absolutely saved my young life. My father, Bud Orne, came home from the war and returned to his barber shop, originally located where Starbucks is today. My father, along with the other returning men, realized it was the women who were the glue that held everything together, keeping things safe at home during the war. In Bud’s case, Muriel kept his barber shop operating so he would have a business when he returned from World War II.
Our first home was at 9 Sewall St., purchased with a $3,000 GI loan. The house needed a lot of work, but Bud had six friends who had learned building trades during the war and were willing to lend a hand. They agreed to help each other renovate their homes, saving thousands of dollars in the process. Those savings allowed each family to own a home that would grow in value for years to come.
Meanwhile, Muriel and her
women friends encouraged the men with daily lunches, snacks and beverages while they tackled the hard manual labor, day after day and month after month, until each home was finished. When the work was done, the men were ready to begin full- or part-time jobs in the public sector. They all agreed that working as a team, with fun, love and pride, was the way to begin the next part of their lives.
Marblehead was a small town growing by leaps and bounds in the late 1940s and needed more
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
To the editor: My sincere thanks to our community for the unprecedented turnout at the 60th Marblehead Festival of Arts. The energy throughout the four-day celebration was inspiring to everyone who attended and visited our beautiful town.
A heartfelt thank you goes to the hundreds of volunteers who gave their time and talents to make the Festival a success. You are the backbone of this event, and it simply would not happen without your dedication, enthusiasm and countless hours of service.
I am deeply grateful to the Select Board and Administrative Aid Kyle Wiley for granting the use of town property, and to Police Chief Dennis King for approving the race route and helping coordinate the logistics of our events. And the Fire Department EMTs for their constant readiness and help. Thanks also goes to the
Recreation and Parks Department and the School Department for all of their help during the festival.
And a special thanks to all the churches and the Marblehead Arts Association for once again having us as guests to show off the art of Essex County.
Special thanks also to Bill Smalley and his hardworking facilities team, who somehow managed the constant juggling of tents,tables, chairs and countless other details throughout the Festival — and then tackled the cleanup afterward.
Our 60th festival introduced several exciting new events that were met with tremendous enthusiasm. Meghan Perlow’s Speed Puzzling Competition was an instant success, while the iPhone Photography and iPad Design classes, along with Tom Saltzman’s presentation on his famous Halloween displays, coordinated by Jim Murphy, all sold out.
The festival officially kicked off with the 5K/10K Road Race, co-chaired by Stacey Faris, Joan Klemm and Kathy Wilder. The
than a two-man barber shop to serve the many men who needed regular haircuts.
My father started looking around Pleasant Street. It was a busy downtown with a movie theater, grocery stores, bars, doctors’ offices, dry cleaners and other businesses. When he saw a large three-story Victorian building with a big backyard, he saw his future before him. He walked inside and found only one person: an elderly woman named Mrs. Reed. To be continued...
kickoff continued with a recordsetting Champagne Reception the following weekend. My thanks to Chris Buchanan and his team for hosting such a wonderful evening.
Our exhibits, chaired by Meghan Perlow, enjoyed record-breaking attendance and artwork sales. My sincere thanks to all of the exhibit chairs and volunteers who worked tirelessly to set up, judge, staff and dismantle these events.
The Artisans’ Marketplace, co-chaired by Susan Schrader and Sally Marcy, welcomed more artists than ever before and successfully expanded to a three-day event. The participating artists were thrilled with both the attendance and their sales.
Performing Arts @ Crocker Park, led by Brian Wheeler, drew record crowds who enjoyed an outstanding lineup of performers. Thank you to Brian and his entire team for creating such memorable evenings by the harbor, and it was a treat to see Brian perform on stage.
The Literary Festival expanded
BY VIRGINIA BUCKINGHAM
I coveted it since I was a little girl, but until recently it had mostly served as the holder of discarded clothing we were too tired or lazy to hang up right away.
My mother had stored her grandmother’s rocking chair, clear of collected household debris, in my brothers’ childhood bedroom, long after they’d left home. It sat there, unused, next to the oldfashioned metal rocking horse set atop squeaky springs. Those two relics keeping company but rocking no more.
“Can I have it some day?” I asked my mother when I was maybe 9 or 10 — referring to the rocking chair not the horse. I felt, even then, it was meant to be mine, without being able to articulate why. She had
had it “re-caned” she told me. I knew, given how short on money we were, that the chair must have been special to her to have invested so dearly in it.
The wood frame was stained dark brown and it glowed, worn on the arms, with an obvious repair to the front of the seat where a piece had broken off. Did she tell me then it was her grandmother’s? She must have.
But we rarely talked about Mary Danisavage, my great grandmother. I knew she had raised my mother after she was abandoned, literally, by her own mother, and that my parents had lived with her when they were first married. I can’t ask my mother, gone almost 10 years, all the questions I have now.
(Dear readers, if you still have your parents, or lucky you, your grandparents, ask, ask, ask until you run out of breath and they
run out of answers.)
Notes from my brother, the family genealogist, filled in a few more facts about Mary. She was born in Lithuania in about 1860 with the maiden name of Limontavage and married my great grandfather Joseph in 1880 in Waterbury, Connecticut. She lived there, raising her nine children, having lost the 10th shortly after birth. She died in 1955, 10 years before I was born.
I remember meeting some of my mother’s aunts over the years, all gone now, but the only remaining tie to my great grandmother besides the rocking chair is a black-andwhite picture of her sitting in it. She is on her porch in a house dress, a light sweater over it, a hand resting in her lap. She is looking down at my mother, perhaps 7 or 8 years old, kneeling at a table nearby, who is reading or perhaps drawing,
the faded picture-of-a-picture texted by my brother too unclear to know.
There’s so much I won’t ever know of the missing pieces of Mary’s long life that began in Eastern Europe and spanned two world wars and remarkable technological change.
But I feel her. In the rocking chair I now keep free of all but a small pillow, imagining Mary
with many outstanding new programs under the leadership of Margo Steiner and her committee, and the Film Festival made a successful return thanks to Terry Steimer. We are especially grateful to the Warwick Theater for generously hosting this year’s Film Festival. Live theater was brought back this year with the production of Brian Friel’s “Afterplay.” All three of these events were also very well attended.
The Children’s Festival welcomed more than 400 attendees and was beautifully organized by first-year chair, Jessica Norton.
Doug Park and Russ Wells also did an outstanding job leading the boat building and regatta, which earned rave reviews from participants and spectators alike.
Other popular events that took place were Silent Book Reading, with co-chairs Alessandra Donovan and Xhazzi Kindle, and Festival Fitness sponsored by Form 01945 that had 90 attendees!
Thanks to the Chamber Music Players under the direction of Julie Earp, who entertained us throughout the festival with some wonderful ‘artistic’ music to go along with the magnificent art displayed.
Thanks to Barbara Dillingham who seamlessly managed the Info Booth and Paula Reynolds and Caron Weiner who co-chaired the Logo Store. The Cod and Whale auction was a big success this year as well as the auction of donated framed logos in honor of Dr. Edward Joseph Robinson who was an avid fan of the festival.
And a special thanks to Jessica Briggs, chair of creative services who designed the new 60th program book and logo poster.
We are sorry that we had to cancel the Street Festival, chaired by Dave Kinney and Kiki Taron Kinney, but we felt that we needed to protect the health and safety of the performers and volunteers due to the heat. The Street Festival looks forward to returning next year.
As I reflect on this milestone 60th festival, I am filled with gratitude that everything came together so beautifully. Thank you to our remarkable board and backend contributors whose dedication, teamwork, creativity and countless volunteer hours contributed to make
this festival possible. I truly could not have managed the enormous undertaking that is the Marblehead Festival of Arts without them by my side. If you see them around town, please give them a well-deserved high five.
» Jim Murphy – vice president
» Joe Tavano – vice president, marketing, communications & fundraising
Susan Summers – secretary
» Kathy Hempel – treasurer
» Bill Smalley – Facilities, logo contest & premiere
Meghan Perlow – Arts & exhibits
Chris Buchanan –Champagne Reception
» Ed Lewis – IT & technical support
» Ellen Garvey – IT & technical support
Roger Cowles – IT & technical support
» Jessica Briggs – Creative services
With heartfelt gratitude and appreciation, Cynda Rohmer President, Marblehead Festival of Arts Overlook Road
‘One more automated process putting people out of work’
To the editor:
I was driving home from the Council on Aging and ended up behind a garbage truck. I noticed that the garbage man still hung off the back, hopped down and unloaded the trash barrels by hand like he always had. I pulled over and called out to him saying I wanted to ask him a question. He seemed a bit aggravated but came over to my car. When I queried him about why he was still emptying them himself, he begrudgingly said the new trucks wouldn’t be ready until next month. I told him that not all the people in town were in favor of the new system and I personally was concerned that it was one more automated process putting people out of work.
With great frustration, he said, “I’m losing my job next month.” I told him how sorry I was, how unfair it was, but he couldn’t say more because he had to go back to work and jumped on the truck. I drove away wanting to cry.
Here I was an old white woman, living in a supposedly wealthy town, telling a Black man, probably in his 30s,
probably with a family to feed, that I was sorry. The words felt empty to me, and they probably landed on him the same way. Life is unfair, but in the present, it’s being particularly unfair to people of color and immigrants. We can’t help the people losing their jobs now but looking to the future, since we have our own dump, I wondered if there was any way we could own and operate our own trash disposal service rather than paying a large outside company and needing to adhere to their process. Just a thought.
Sincerely,
Ginny O’Brien Garden Road
To the editor:
Voting: Our system is so corrupt, does it really matter if we vote?
As much as we would love to throw our hands in the air, cry out, “They are all crooked,” and stay home on voting day, please don’t. Voting will not heal all wounds, but, despite Citizens United, it does make a difference.
One of the darker chapters in American history is when WWI veterans, profoundly scarred by the Great Depression, hopped freight trains, drove dilapidated jalopies or hitchhiked their way to Washington D.C. to ask for $1000 bonus payment that the government had promised them. They began arriving in May and occupied empty buildings along Pennsylvania Avenue, and as their numbers grew, created their own Hooverville by the Anacostia River. These were primarily men (90%) who had served our nation in combat, and now, due to the depression, had no employment and could no longer afford homes or even food for their loved ones.
President Hoover claimed that The Great Depression had nothing to do with him or the federal government and was weary of the daily demonstrations and peaceful marches past the White House. When a couple of the Bonus Marchers threw some rocks at police officers, he saw his opportunity and sent an extremely zealous Gen. MacArthur, to clear them out. Four people were killed: two veterans and two babies, one of which was abandoned after succumbing to gas inhalation that was blanketed on the
protesters.
Hoover and MacArthur, throughout their lives, both clung stubbornly to the claim that subversive elements bent on destroying capitalism were behind the veterans. There were no facts to support these claims.
Does this scenario remind you of anything occurring contemporarily? It should, since this present federal administration has tagged protesters, whether they are defending immigrants, the environment or international law, as domestic terrorists and called for their arrest and imprisonment. The week of June 24 saw eight of the Prairieland Detention Center (ICE facility) protesters sentenced to a combined 450 years in prison!
“The sentences handed down today make clear that Antifa terrorists who attack law enforcement and federal facilities will face swift and uncompromising justice,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche in a statement.
Let it be noted that ANTIFA (anti-fascist/anti-racist) is a philosophy, not an organized party, cell or organization. The philosophy has birthed a highly decentralized array of political activism, including protests, speeches, flyer campaigns, mutual aid and some utilizing non-violent civil disobedience.
All legal forms of education and protest.
When Hoover ran for a second term, he was decisively beaten by FDR. Imperfect as our system is, we must get out and vote. It can make a huge difference.
Judith Black Prospect Street
To the editor:
Last Thursday, my wife and I were bringing our power boat from its winter quarters in Buzzards Bay back to its mooring in Marblehead. We had some mechanical issues along the way and noticed increasingly slow performance despite apparently healthy engines. The boat seemed stern-heavy, but knowing the hull had never leaked, we thought something must be wrong with the jet drive system. When we reached our mooring at 6 p.m., it was quite clear we had a major issue when we opened up access ports under the stern seat and saw a great deal of water swirling around. Totally unexpected, to say the least. Were we sinking? This was
resting on it while she watches over me.
Virginia Buckingham is the former president of the Marblehead Current’s Board of Directors, former chief executive officer of the Massachusetts Port Authority, chief of staff to two Massachusetts governors, deputy editorial page editor for the Boston Herald and author of “On My Watch: A Memoir.”
an emergency.
We immediately called the harbormaster on Channel 16 for help. It was dinnertime; would they respond? They did, and we asked them to bring a powerful pump. We knew that our boat’s bilge pumps could not possibly handle the quantity of water in our bilge, and that if water was continuing to come into the boat, we could easily sink. They said they would come right away. Mild panic. We looked at one another and wondered whether to call BoatUS as a stop-gap. Our effort to reach them by phone was unsuccessful. But only a few minutes passed before we saw the harbormaster boat approaching. They tied up alongside, and within only a couple of minutes they passed us the end of the large hose. Into the bilge it went, and they started the pump. Water began to be gulped out at a great rate. How many gallons they removed is only a guess, but maybe 200, maybe more.
Without their quick response and professional assistance, our boat might have gone to the bottom. Instead, when almost all of the water had been pumped out, we were soon able to determine that there was no water intrusion while the boat was at rest, that the source of all that water had to do with running the engines while underway. Maybe we were safe for the night.
As true professionals, Rick and Tyler offered to go back to their base and return with a portable bilge pump and battery to leave with us overnight, just in case. Once that second trip of theirs was over and we had a back-up pump, we thanked them heartily for their great work, quick response and patience. They left us safe and almost dry. Without their capable help, we might have lost our boat. And so, a grateful salute to Rick and Tyler!
The following day, the harbormaster boat came by, this time with two others aboard, and asked if we were any longer in danger. No, was the answer, and we smiled and thanked them once again.
The following day we traced the issue to a saltwater leak while running at speed, a problem which we will soon address.
Our busy harbor has true friends, and lifesavers, in the harbormaster team. Thank you, all!
Ridge White Washington Street
BY LEIGH BLANDER
The Board of Health is encouraging residents to take precautions against cyclosporiasis, the foodborne parasitic infection linked to contaminated produce, as health officials continue investigating cases reported across the country.
In a statement released July 15, the board said cyclosporiasis is caused by consuming food — most commonly fresh produce — contaminated with feces or by drinking untreated water. Personto-person transmission is unlikely.
The illness can affect people of all ages. According to the board,
the most common symptoms include sudden, frequent watery diarrhea, bloating, nausea and fatigue. Symptoms may appear two to 14 days after consuming contaminated food and can come and go for several days to a month or longer.
Cases of cyclosporiasis typically increase each year between May and August.
“As of July 15, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health reports 18 cases in Massachusetts,” the BOH statement reads.
“The [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] reports 141 hospitalizations and zero deaths from cyclosporiasis nationally.”
There is no data for Essex County or Marblehead specifically.
While several states have confirmed cases,
investigators have not identified a single source of the outbreak.
Preliminary investigations are focusing on lettuce and packaged salad greens.
The Board of Health said residents can reduce their risk of infection by following basic food safety practices, including:
» Washing hands thoroughly before handling and preparing produce.
» Washing fresh fruits and vegetables under running water before eating, cutting or cooking them.
Refrigerating cut, peeled or cooked produce within two hours.
» Consider avoiding bagged and boxed salads from grocery stores and restaurants until more information is available.
» Cooking foods to an
internal temperature of 158 degrees when appropriate, especially for people who are immunocompromised.
Symptoms can be severe and may lead to dehydration, particularly in young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems, although the illness is rarely life-threatening.
“Residents who develop persistent watery diarrhea — particularly if it lasts more than a few days, is severe or is accompanied by dehydration — should contact their health care
provider,” according to the Board of Health.
“Diagnosis requires a stool test, and antibiotic treatment is available when appropriate.”
The Board of Health added that it is closely monitoring this situation and will continue to share updates from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the CDC as additional information becomes available. For more information, visit websites for the CDC or Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
BY ALEKA KROITZSH
Marblehead teen Oscar Galante appeared in Lynn Juvenile Court July 17 for a compliance and election hearing connected to the August 2025 crash that killed 13-year-old Savanah Gatchell.
At the hearing, the prosecution informed the court that they were still gathering evidence.
Assistant District Attorney Kaitlyn Bastarache said she had requested an entire lab file and a partial download of Galante’s mobile phone. She also informed the court that the
outstanding collision analysis and reconstruction of the crash would be completed soon.
Christine Gatchell, Savanah’s mother, sat in the benches behind the prosecution wearing a knee-length dress and a headband.
Galante, who is charged as a youthful offender with motor vehicle homicide by reckless operation, wore a suit and salmon-colored tie. In the courtroom, he sat alongside defense attorney Joseph Dever and his parents. Several other people attended in support of the defense.
After the hearing, Sharyn Lubas, the Essex County DA’s chief of staff, explained that the requested lab file could relate to the State Police Crime Lab or the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, depending on whether Bastarache is seeking forensic evidence or autopsy and toxicology reports.
Dever said he was uncertain about the specifics of the lab files that the prosecution had requested, including whether the labs were connected to Gatchell or Galante. He added that the events of the hearing were “routine.”
The “compliance” portion of the hearing refers to the prosecution’s obligation to share all their evidence with the defense.
Dever said that he expected to have the evidence from the prosecution before the next compliance and election hearing, which is set for Sept. 17.
On that date, the Commonwealth will confirm whether the prosecution has met its discovery obligations, and the defense will decide on their next steps, including whether to waive its right to a jury trial.
In advance of the hearing,
Christine Gatchell cried in the waiting room alongside an advocate. She declined to comment on the events of the hearing.
At his arraignment in January, Galante pleaded “not a youthful offender,” the equivalent of “not guilty” in adult court, after being indicted as a youthful offender in connection to the Aug. 19 crash near 352 Atlantic Ave. Galante is currently under house arrest with a GPS monitoring and has also been ordered not to contact Gatchell’s family and witnesses involved in the case.
BY JORDAN HOROWITZ
Anyone who has grown up in Marblehead has heard the story of our town’s pivotal role in the Revolutionary War countless times. This repetition may lead locals to think that we know the whole story, that any retelling of it will just be old hat.
At Abbot Hall on July 19, historian and author Patrick K. O’Donnell gave a talk on Marblehead’s Revolutionary War history that demonstrated that there is always more to learn. By poring through archives, examining newly discovered artifacts and providing new forms of analysis, historians like O’Donnell constantly shed new light on our past by uncovering previously unknown stories and perspectives.
O’Donnell is the author of “The Indispensables: The Diverse Soldier-Mariners Who Shaped the Country, Formed the Navy, and Rowed Washington Across the Delaware,” a New York Times bestseller about the Marbleheaders in Gen. John Glover’s Regiment whose perseverance, dedication and military know-how played decisive roles in the patriots’
defeat of the British and, by extension, the establishment of American independence.
The story of Glover’s Regiment is often told as if the only role Glover and his men played in the establishment of American independence was by engaging in direct combat with the British. But in his lecture, O’Donnell laid out a much richer and more fascinating narrative that held the packed audience in rapt attention.
Seeming to side more with Marblehead in its longstanding dispute with Beverly over which town is the true birthplace of the American Navy, O’Donnell explained that the creation of any navy is more than a matter of which harbor the first naval vessel sailed from. According to O’Donnell, there are much larger considerations that need to be addressed in forming a navy, such as creating a structure of hierarchical command, developing a system of signals to communicate between vessels and finding creditors who can provide the funds necessary for building ships.
Glover’s Regiment pioneered all of these essential steps, which were in turn crucial to the
for laundry and would wash for around 10 soldiers.
country’s founding.
“We were moving closer and closer to independence with a navy,” O’Donnell said. “If you have a navy, you are an independent country.”
O’Donnell also focused on the more human elements of the country’s founding, which often get lost in dry historical retellings that are little more than lists of battles. He
the soldier’s clothes to remove dirt and sterilize them. In a wooden basin, she demonstrated hand washing a shirt in soapy water and then beating it with a wooden paddle instead of scrubbing, which preserved the integrity of the hand-woven fabric of the time.
“There are roles for everyone,” Corrigan said, adding that women would charge soldiers about a quarter of their wages
because it seems like there might be some confusion around the application process itself that is slowing that process down,” member Nisha Austin said.
Committee members also discussed educating residents through outreach, informational flyers and future community discussions.
Applications raise questions
The Planning Board’s July 14 meeting illustrated the challenges of implementing the new bylaw, with two ADU applications remaining unresolved.
The application for 6 Broadmere Way was continued after attorney Matthew Wolverton, representing Richard and Elaine Spenceley,
Robert Keenan from central New Jersey, who is part of the 25th Centennial Regiment, makes the buttons that read “25” on his authentic uniform himself by using his grill to melt down lead scraps. Keenan said he planned to make buttons for his fellow soldiers once the weather is cooler, as many of them had contributed lead mugs and scraps to be melted down.
Thirty years ago, Keenan went to a battle reenactment in western Massachusetts.
requested that the required site plan review and ADU approval be consolidated into a single public hearing. The board voted unanimously to continue the matter.
A proposal at 9 Maple Circle generated significantly more discussion and highlighted many of the procedural questions town officials are still trying to answer. Representing 9 Maple Circle LLC, Wolverton said the proposal had been revised since its June hearing. Architect Craig Bosworth told the board the driveway had been widened from 12 to 15 feet at the fire chief’s request, the building’s elevation had been lowered, a retaining wall had been reduced to 2 to 3 feet and moved farther from the property line, and a stormwater infiltration system had been added.
Wolverton also argued the proposal complies with
After the battle, he knocked on the door of the group’s trailer, and a respectable-looking man answered the door and said, “Ah, a recruit.” Ever since, he and his wife, Kathy, have been dedicated members.
Representing the British, Capt. John Langan, commanding officer of the 16th Queen’s Light Dragoons highlighted the importance of reenactor’s uniforms. The dragoons’ red coats and bear-fir-topped hats are authentic pieces that they receive permission from the British government to wear.
dimensional requirements and that state law does not require additional off-street parking because the property is within one-half mile of a bus stop.
Several abutters remained unconvinced.
Dorothy Nicholas of 16 Maple Circle said a roughly 10-foot choke point at the driveway entrance would require vehicles to encroach on neighboring property. Justin Bradbury of 6 Old Salem Road argued the proposal does not meet state fire code requirements because the ADU would sit behind the primary structure. Mark Fulton of 6 Maple Circle questioned the long-term maintenance of the drainage system and whether emergency vehicles could safely access the site during winter.
The board voted unanimously to continue the application to its next scheduled meeting, directing the applicant to
explained that in his research for “The Indispensables,” a book he described as a “true labor of love,” he went through the Glover’s Regiment muster rolls and “dug into the archives to sketch autobiographies of each of the men.”
What he found was a fascinating cast of characters, each with his own story to tell.
O’Donnell spoke of
“I’m so happy to be in Marblehead. It’s a beautiful town,” Langan said. He began reenacting at 14 after attending one for the first time as a child. He thought the British “looked so great,” but his Irish mother was skeptical. Eventually, she allowed him to join.
“The greatest part about being an American is that all that history belongs to you, no matter your origins… It doesn’t matter if you became a citizen yesterday,” he said.
Father and son Simon and
provide additional information about the zoning restrictions, the building’s location relative to the primary residence and guidance from the fire chief on emergency access.
Town lacks ADU data
The Current repeatedly requested data on how many ADUs exist in Marblehead and how many applications have been submitted and approved over the past two years.
As of publication, the town had not provided the requested information.
Callahan acknowledged on July 14 that the town has not consistently tracked ADU activity but said he plans to work with the building commissioner to develop a better database.
“I think it would be helpful to have baseline data around what’s being approved,” Austin said, suggesting the town also
Marblehead’s youngest contributors to the war effort: drummer boys who kept up morale by providing a steady, driving beat. He talked about the diversity of the regiment, having among its ranks several African Americans, two Spaniards and even a Jewish soldier.
A particularly poignant moment came when O’Donnell read a brief excerpt from George Washington’s diary in which the future first president is experiencing a crisis of selfconfidence, doubting his own ability to lead and wishing “there were a more experienced officer to ask for advice.”
At one point, the author and historian earned a huge round of applause by relaying an anecdote about the time he referred to a World War II veteran as a member of the “Greatest Generation,” only to have that man correct him. The true greatest generation were those who fought the War for Independence, the man insisted. O’Donnell conceded that point and now sees his task as a historian to show people just why “the boys of ‘76” were the greatest Americans in our nation’s history.
Dylan Brown joined Langan as trooper and corporal of the 16th Queen’s Light Dragoons. Simon officially began reacting at 10, after a chance encounter with a reenactment group during a visit to Boston with his mother.
“It all kind of spiralled from there,” Dylan Brown recalled with a laugh.
The journey through history continued on Sunday at Abbot Hall, where bestselling author Patrick K. O’Donnell spoke about his 2021 book, “The Indispensables.”
track how often applications are continued, what conditions are imposed and whether the permitting process is working as intended.
Callahan estimated the Planning Board has reviewed about one ADU application per meeting in recent months but said he wanted to verify the figures. Planning Board Director Marc Liebman said he did not have that information.
Numbers from MarbleheadData.org
With the help of MarbleheadData.org, the website launched by Marblehead resident Andrew Baber, a review of Planning Board meeting minutes by revealed the following: ADUs approved since 2024: 3 ADU applications still pending: 4
» ADU applications with no findings in meeting minutes: 4
BY LEIGH BLANDER
For three days, Marblehead Harbor has belonged to the next generation of sailors. Beginning Thursday, the spotlight shifts to the region’s top racers as the 137th annual Marblehead Race Week gets underway.
More than 200 boats from Marblehead and across New England are expected to compete in four days of racing through Sunday. Hosted this year by the Corinthian Yacht Club, Race Week remains the town’s signature sailing event and one of New England’s premier regattas.
Wednesday marks the final day of Junior Race Week, the three-day regatta jointly hosted by the Pleon Yacht Club and the Eastern Yacht Club. (Visit MarbleheadCurrent.org for up-to-the-minute coverage of Junior Race Week.)
First established in 1889, Marblehead Race Week has long served as the centerpiece of the
local sailing calendar and has been part of the town’s sailing tradition for generations. The
regatta is traditionally 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.”
BY JOE MCCONNELL
The Marblehead High School football team enjoyed another winning season last year, ending up with an 8-3 record that included going 1-1 in the Division 4 Super Bowl playoffs. It was a senior-laden team, but for those who are returning this year, they are anxious to show what they can do to maintain the program’s winning tradition under the direction of coach Jim Rudloff.
Seniors like Tim Wales, Pete Rhodes and Owen Coyne have been out there every day leading the underclassmen on the practice field and in the weight room. And they don’t take Sundays off either with scheduled 7-on-7 games against other eastern Massachusetts schools on tap every week.
“We have been playing local teams like Salem, Swampscott, Winthrop, Manchester-Essex and St. Mary’s of Lynn so far, and our expectations are always to win,” said Wales, whose brother Colt was a 2024 team captain. “Our team has improved a lot since the beginning of the summer. We are starting to put some
missing pieces together in our offense and defense.”
Wales understands what a team does in the summer could have an effect on what happens in the fall.
“A typical daily workout for us is competitive, and it starts at six in the morning,” he said. “We push each other to better each other, whether we are doing conditioning or lifting.”
There will definitely be a lot of new faces in this year’s starting lineups on both offense and defense.
“Many of our key components from last year have long since graduated, and as a result, we know we have a lot to work on,” Wales said. “We are still trying to figure out where everything’s going to fit, but we are getting better every day.”
Through the summer grind, Wales said that this year’s team has already forged “an unbreakable bond.”
Rhodes echoed Wales’ sentiments on the team’s work ethic.
“Over the past couple of months, our team has been working very hard competing against some of the top teams in the state,” he said. “Many of our
playmakers from last year have graduated, but with that being said, many of our rising juniors and seniors have stepped up.”
The Marblehead senior mentioned a couple of underclassmen who have looked good — juniors Madden Lyons and Trent Brown — adding, “I have also been proud of our entire rising sophomore class. They have shown up this summer to learn the plays and the value of hard work.”
Rhodes also singled out junior lineman Quinn Maguire and Isiah Byron-Samara for their hard work.
The 2026 Magicians headed off to Maine this past Sunday after the Current’s press deadline to play in another 7-on-7 tournament that they won just one year ago.
But until the first day of official practice begins on Aug. 24, it’s all about putting in the work nearly every day for these Magicians.
“We just have to get out on the field as much as possible on our own for daily workouts, and play more 7-on-7s every Sunday at home to get ready for the season,” said Wales.
Soccer fans gathered Sunday to watch the tournament finale, and benefit local youth soccer
BY GREY COLLINS
On Sunday evening, as the FIFA World Cup Final game between Spain and Argentina got underway, about 50 soccer fans wearing soccer jerseys packed into the Riptide Bar, cheering for their teams and sipping pints of Guinness.
Throughout the close game, the packed bar was filled with cheers and groans from the excited fans. The Marblehead Football Club watch party also served as a fundraiser to help North Shore Youth Soccer players access competitive soccer opportunities.
The event was organized by Marblehead FC, a men’s soccer club made up of local players who compete in pickup matches across Massachusetts. The club recently expanded its mission beyond adult competition by also becoming a charitable organization focused on supporting young athletes.
“We’re raising money for youth players to give them access to more advanced coaching and team possibilities,” said Marblehead FC Treasurer Trip Frank. The funds raised from donations made during Sunday’s watch party will go towards funding scholarships for young players across the North Shore to join competitive teams, who might otherwise not be able to afford club soccer.
The watch party drew members of the local Marblehead soccer community of all ages to watch the game, along with many who just wanted to enjoy the championship match while supporting a local cause.
“The Riptide was a great partner, and I thought we had a great group of folks there, folks from the immediate soccer community, but also just some others,” said Frank. “So, I definitely think we got the word out to folks about what we’re trying to do. I thought the game was great and the vibe was good. Everybody was having a nice time.”
Frank, who was cheering for Spain, got to celebrate alongside much of the crowd as Spain scored the winning goal in extra time. The room, filled largely with Spain supporters, erupted with cheers when the ball flew past the goalkeeper and into the net, giving Spain a 1-0 lead.
“Spain was controlling the entire game,” said Frank.
“And then they went a man up because there was a red card on
Argentina, so eventually, they were able to break Argentina down.”
For Marblehead FC, however, the final score was only a small
part of the day’s success. With more than $1,000 raised and about 50 supporters attending, the event is just the
BY JOE MCCONNELL
The Marblehead Youth Soccer
G6 Boys Marauders turned in one of the most memorable seasons in recent town history. They finished up the regular season with a 7-1 record. Their only loss occurred in the very last game, when they had already clinched the division and were also missing a handful of regulars, who were playing in a youth baseball tournament game.
The Marauders were then on their way to the state playoffs as the top seed in the Essex County Youth Soccer Association district tournament. They earned a first-round bye as a result of being first in the county, before dominating the Danvers Dynamos, 5-1, in the semifinal round.
That win set up an unforgettable Father’s Day championship game. Earlier that morning, five of the players participated in a Cal Ripken
state baseball playoff game in Winchester. They then had to rush to Pingree for the soccer final.
After taking an early lead and waiting out a long rain delay, the Marblehead boys
found themselves in a tie with Wilmington, 2-2, which forced a shootout. They stayed calm throughout the process to secure the 4-2 victory and the ECYSA title, which guaranteed them a berth in the Massachusetts
Tournament of Champions.
Once there, the Marauders battled through a tough pool. They tied Marshfield, 2-2, but then narrowly lost to Amherst, 2-1, followed by another loss, this time to Natick, the eventual
champs.
As disappointing as it was to get eliminated in pool play, the Marblehead boys can still stake a claim that they are among the top 12 teams in the state for 2026.
“This is really a special group of players that have been playing and growing together for several years now,” said coach Mark Philip. “But this year, they outdid themselves by winning the county title, which meant that they had the opportunity to represent Marblehead in the state tournament, which is an incredibly rare accomplishment. Each and every player should be proud of what they had won as a team, not to mention on how they did it. Representing Marblehead in the state tournament is something that these boys will carry with them forever, but they earned that opportunity through hard work and heart. The whole town should be proud of how they represented them.”
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
Wednesday, July 22, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
The word ‘decoupage’ comes from the French verb decouper which means “to cut out.”
In this class you will learn how this simple, decorative technique can turn everyday items into works of art. Class is limited to eight participants at Marblehead Arts Association, 8 Hooper St. Members are $25, non-members $30.Register at tickettailor.com/events/ marbleheadarts/2288738.
Wedsnday, July 29, 7:15 - 8:15 p.m.
Practice yoga under the light of the full moon at the Jeremiah Lee Gardens. Led by instructor Gurdeep Bhogal. $25. Sign up at theyogaloft.com.
Saturday, July 25, 4 p.m
Come learn at this first in a series of free public talks held at Goldthwait Beach, presented by the Goldthwait Reservation. Robert Booth will speak about “The Four Glover Brothers Before and During the Revolutionary War.” The event is the first in a series of free public talks at Goldthwait Beach. Booth’s presentation focuses on the adventures of a family of rebel Patriot entrepreneurs — brothers Jonathan, Samuel, John and Daniel Glover — in colonial Marblehead in the years leading into the Revolutionary War. Please bring your own chair.
Friday, July 31, 2:45-3:30 p.m.
Kids between ages 3-8 are welcome to explore shell patterns at Abbot Library with Salem Sound Coastwatch using clay. Spots are limited and a registration is required. abbotlibrary.org
Saturday, Aug, 1, 7:30 p.m.
North Shore improv comedy troupe Accidentally on Purpose brings its hilarity to Marblehead Little Theatre. AOP’s comedy style is similar to the TV show “Whose Line is It Anyway?” The evening requires interaction with the audience with scene suggestions and volunteer opportunities. Tickets start at $30. mltlive.ludus.com.
BY LEIGH BLANDER
The Marblehead Museum is planning a series of historical walking tours on Thursday afternoons in July and August. Each tour is led by Jarrett Zeman, the museum’s associate director.
Check out the following tours: Abbot Hall, Women’s History, Slavery to Freedom, Road to Independence, Sports & Leisure and Sick and Tired (health care history).
Each tour is $15 per person and follows routes through downtown Marblehead.The tour schedule will begin with the Abbot Hall Tour on Thursday, July 23, and concludes with the Sick and Tired Tour on Thursday, Aug. 27. Additional dates may be added in September and October based on public demand. Tickets for each tour are available on the museum’s website at marbleheadmuseum.org or by calling the museum at 781-631-1768. All tour revenue supports the museum’s educational programming.
Grey Guy One and Grey Guy Two were found after being dumped in carriers at a construction site. They have now had an “extended stay” at the Marblehead Animal Shelter, which volunteers do not fully understand, as each would make a great addition to a home, they say.
While Grey Guy Two is more outgoing, Grey Guy One prefers to hang back and survey the situation, according to volunteers.
“He is shy, but he is a sucker for treats, especially ‘Party
Mix,’” they say. Give him some, and he will be your best friend.
Volunteers believe Grey Guy 1 would do best in a home with an experienced, patient owner.
“He will need consistency and love,” they say. “His home should not be a busy household but one that is quiet and one where he will not be left alone for long periods of the day.”
Grey Guy Two is happy, playful and loves everyone.
“HIs other name could be Raggedy Andy as he just loves flopping over for attention,”
volunteers say. Initially, volunteers believe that this pair of brothers had to be kept together but have since learned that Grey Guy 2 seems like he wants to be the only feline in the home.
“Grey Guy Two just loves being around people, playing and getting attention,” volunteerssaid. “If you are looking for a fun kind of cat, Grey Guy Two will be perfect for you.”
Grey Guy One and Grey Guy Two are just two of about 20 cats the shelter currently has
Others include
and
Sunday, June 28
» Alarms: 1
» Building/property checks: 9
» Abandoned 911 calls: 1
» Vehicle stops, citations: 0
» Vehicle stops, verbal warnings: 0
12:23 a.m. An officer investigated a report of suspicious activity on Sunset Road.
1:18 p.m. A dead deer was reported on a ledge near Casino Road.
6:41 p.m. Officers investigated a general complaint on Fort Sewall Lane.
7:08 p.m. An officer observed a red electric motorcycle traveling at a high rate of speed on Ocean Avenue. Using radar, the officer confirmed that the e-motorcycle was traveling 42 mph, well above the town-wide speed limit of 25 mph. At one point, the officer observed a woman jogging stop and jump onto the shoulder to get out of the way of the e-motorcycle. The officer turned on his cruiser’s blue lights and began pursuing it but briefly lost sight of it due to its speed. He finally caught up to it in the Chandler Hovey parking lot and asked the rider for his license and registration. The rider explained that he believed that the vehicle did not need to be registered because it was an e-bike. The officer explained to the rider why he had been stopped and that his vehicle required motorcycle registration and insurance, given how fast it could go. The rider “remained polite but argumentative” with the first officer on scene as well as a second officer who arrived later as they debated the characteristics of the bike that required its registration. The officers eventually confiscated the e-motorcyle and issued the rider a citation. Over the course of the next two days, the officer spoke with the rider twice at the police station, once accompanied by his mother, regarding the status of his vehicle and how to retrieve it, as he had discovered that he could not register it because it was not street legal. The rider continued to argue that it was an e-bike and not subject to registration. Additionally, his mother claimed that they bought it online and received no warning that it could not be driven on the streetthough the manual that came with the bike indicated otherwise.
Monday, June 29
» Alarms: 3
» Building/property checks: 1
» Abandoned 911 calls: 2
» Vehicle stops, citations: 0
» Vehicle stops, verbal warnings: 9
4:13 a.m. Officers investigated a report of a large party on Kenneth Road.
10:18 a.m. Services were rendered after a call from an emergency phone in an elevator on Market Square.
10:25 a.m. An officer was dispatched to the lobby to speak with a young man who explained that someone had taken his professional-grade Canon camera and equipment valued at approximately $8,000 out of his vehicle, possibly while it was parked at the Eastern Yacht Club or somewhere on Bayview Road. The officer said he would document the information and report any follow-up information.
11:46 p.m. Officers investigated a noise disturbance reported on Kenneth Road. For one of the officers, it was a return trip to the area from the night before, when he investigated a
previous noise complaint. The officer arrived to find three cars in the driveway and another two parked on the street in front of the house. The officers spoke with the renter of the Airbnb, who stated that he would be leaving the property the following morning and would keep it down for the remainder of the night. The officer attempted to reach out to the owner of the property to apprise him of the situation but could not find a current number for him.
Tuesday, June 30
» Alarms: 3
» Building/property checks: 6
» Abandoned 911 calls: 0
» Vehicle stops, citations: 1
» Vehicle stops, verbal warnings: 1
6:57 a.m. An officer investigated a report of a tree or branch down Driftwood Road.
12:12 p.m. An officer attempted to assist a person on West Shore Drive and Green Street, but the person could not be located.
1:15 p.m. An officer spoke in the police station lobby with a man who had struck a deal on Facebook Marketplace to sell a laptop for $906 to a person allegedly in Sarasota, Florida. The man had been promised payment by Venmo and had shipped the laptop based on the promise of that payment, but it had yet to arrive. The officer did a Google Maps search of the address to which the laptop had been sent and determined that there appeared to be no real business there, just a large laptop. The officer twice tried calling the phone number associated with the alleged buyer but received no answer. The man did not believe his personal information had been leaked or compromised but was out the $906 he had been promised for the laptop. The officer said he would share his report with detectives and asked to be kept in the loop if the man later received payment.
6:12 p.m. Officers, firefighters and an ambulance crew responded to the scene of a vehicle crash on Tedesco Street and Leggs Hill Road.
6:29 p.m. While officers were still tied up with the vehicle crash on Tedesco Street and Leggs Hill Road, they received a report of a noise complaint and possible domestic incident in the vicinity of Doaks Lane. Two officers broke off and drove through heavy rain to the area of the domestic disturbance. After hearing nothing, they investigated further the area around the shanties adjacent to Fort Beach and Doaks lanes. They then spoke to the person who had reported the incident who said the noise had been coming from the area of the boatyard near the tug boat and gray shed. While one officer was surveying the area and waiting for the other officer to arrive, a young woman appeared. The officer asked if she had been yelling or had been in an argument, and she immediately became evasive, according to the officer’s report. He asked her name, and she refused. The other officer arrived, and the first officer told the woman she was not free to leave. He then went over to the shed and tried to locate somebody; however, nobody was in the area. A sergeant then arrived, and together they investigated the shed, which had what appeared to be living quarters with electricity and a cot. The woman remained uncooperative until the two officers had left,
but once they had, the sergeant, whom the woman recognized from the previous calls, was able to have a conversation with her and get more information from her.
7:11 p.m. Officers, firefighters and an ambulance crew responded to the scene of a vehicle crash on Lafayette Street and Carna Road.
8:29 p.m. Officers investigated a report of suspicious activity on Front Street.
10:10 p.m. Officers responded to the scene of a vehicle crash on Green Street and West Shore Drive. Upon his arrival, one of the officers observed a white Pontiac sedan facing the wrong direction on Green Street while parked half on the street and half on the sidewalk. Under the Pontiac was a knocked-over yield sign and post, still anchored in the pavement at its base. The front end of the Pontiac had fresh damage, and there was a debris field on the pavement directly in front of it. The driver was still sitting in the driver’s seat with the car running. Upon questioning, she claimed she was not injured but did not know how she ended up on the wrong side of the road. The officer also observed a white GMC Sierra parked in the travel lane of Green Street. The driver told the officer that he had been stopped at the yield sign, waiting to turn right, as the Pontiac approached Green Street from the left, on West Shore Drive. He said the Pontiac took the corner very wide, crossing the double yellow line, striking the man’s truck and then driving off the road, over the yield sign. The man said he was not injured, and his truck sustained minor damage. The officer returned to the Pontiac to speak with its driver again, who was still seated in her car. The officer asked her to exit the car so she could see the damage. The officer also explained that her car would need to be towed. The officer received authorization to drive the woman home after her car was towed, which he did, leaving after she was safely inside.
Wednesday, July 1
» Alarms: 3
» Building/property checks: 12
» Abandoned 911 calls: 4
» Vehicle stops, citations: 0
» Vehicle stops, verbal warnings: 0
7:54 a.m. A tree or branch was reported down on Haley Road.
11:25 a.m. An officer spoke with a Dennett Road resident who had received a suspicious letter originating from Charleston, West Virginia, which appeared to be from a man he did not know. The resident had Googled the man’s name and determined the name matched that of a man who had been arrested in 2016 following an investigation into a YouTube video he posted discussing inappropriate intentions toward a minor and subsequently sentenced to four to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to solicitation of a minor and possession of sexually explicit materials depicting minors. In the letter, the sender explained that he has a friend who goes to the church
in Marblehead and was reaching out to say hello. The letter went on to say something to the effect of God was wiping the United States off the earth, and we need to repent for our sins. In response to a question from the officer, the resident said he is not aware of having any enemies. He just asked that the incident be documented.
4:11 p.m. An officer investigated a report of a suspicious box on Tufts Street.
10:10 p.m. A caller reported that a sign had been twisted around on Washington and Pleasant streets.
10:18 p.m. A vehicle was towed after a traffic stop between Front and Crocker Park streets.
Thursday, July 2
» Alarms: 1
» Building/property checks: 6
» Abandoned 911 calls: 0
» Vehicle stops, citations: 0
» Vehicle stops, verbal warnings: 1
11:09 a.m. An officer was dispatched to Washington Street to investigate a report that a car had crashed into a fire hydrant. Upon his arrival, he observed a vehicle parked on the sidewalk with its front bumper on top of the hydrant, which was stuck underneath. The driver told the officer that he had been in a rush to drop some things off and did not notice the hydrant. He said he was not worried about the damage to his car but needed assistance with freeing his vehicle without damaging the hydrant. The officer called a tow company, which was able to lift the vehicle off the hydrant without causing additional damage. Soon thereafter, Water and Sewer conducted a pressure check on the hydrant.
11:23 a.m. An officer responded to Front and Circle streets to investigate a report that an MBTA bus had struck a rock wall, causing damage. Upon his arrival, the officer located the bus on Franklin Street and spoke with the driver. The driver explained that he thought he had enough room to make the swing and realized that he had collided with the rock wall, noting that he had already notified his supervisor and that an inspector was on the way to assess the bus. He said the MBTA was aware of the property damage.
2:29 p.m. Officers, firefighters and an ambulance crew responded to the scene of a vehicle crash on Atlantic Avenue and Washington Street.
2:37 p.m. Officers, firefighters and an ambulance crew responded to the scene of a vehicle crash on Lafayette and Maple streets.
9:31 p.m. Officers restored the peace after a general complaint on Front Street.
10:57 p.m. An officer investigated a disturbance reported on State Street.
11:22 p.m. Officers investigated a disturbance reported on Pleasant Street.
11:41 p.m. While on patrol on Beacon Street, an officer’s attention was drawn to a group of about 10 young adult men standing dangerously in the street at a blind corner next to the seawall railing for Grace Oliver’s Beach. He also observed a plastic cooler and three empty Miller Lite beer cans on the pavement near it. The officer parked his cruiser and asked whose cooler was in the roadway. A Vermont man claimed ownership of the cooler. The officer asked the man if he was 21 years old, and he admitted he was 20. The young man did not appear intoxicated
or impaired and was cooperative and respectful, according to the officer’s report. The group of men told me they were waiting for ride share services to come pick them up. The officer advised them to move along to a safer part of the street down by the beach entrance. The officer opened the young man’s cooler to discover six unopened Coors Light cans inside. The officer advised the young man he would be taking his cooler, disposing of the contents and that he could retrieve the cooler at the police station the following day. The young man came to the police station to retrieve his cooler and was given a “stern warning” about the liquor law violations.
Friday, July 3
» Alarms: 2
» Building/property checks: 8
» Abandoned 911 calls: 3
» Vehicle stops, citations: 1 » Vehicle stops, verbal warnings: 1
9:09 a.m. An officer investigated a disturbance on Pleasant Street.
9:38 a.m. An officer investigated the report of a disabled vehicle on Jersey Street and Colonial Court.
9:55 a.m. Officers assisted at the scene of a vehicle crash on West Shore Drive.
6:52 p.m. A 57-year-old Boston resident was arrested and charged with trespassing, disorderly conduct, assault and battery, and resisting arrest after officers investigated the report of a disturbance on Front Street. 10:40 p.m. Officers restored the peace after a general complaint on Front Street and Crocker Park Street.
Saturday, July 4
» Alarms: 1 » Building/property checks: 3 » Abandoned 911 calls: 3 » Vehicle stops, citations: 0
» Vehicle stops, verbal warnings: 2
10:39 a.m. An officer investigated a report of a possible motor vehicle hit-andrun on Lincoln Avenue. Upon his arrival, the officer met with a man who stated that he believed someone had hit his car, causing the rear windshield to shatter. He pointed out damage to the rear end of the car near the windshield, adding that he did not believe that damage had been there before. He stated that he had been parked in his spot for roughly five minutes and was not sure if a vehicle caused the damage or if it was a passerby on foot. The man said that he just wanted the incident documented.
1:21 p.m. To deter unruly behavior and curtail underage drinking, two officers conducted drone operations oover Harding Lane, Brown’s Island and the Little Harbor area between 11:45 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. They observed “significant amounts of underage and open consumption of alcohol, in addition to trespassing on private property, as hundreds of youth made their way to and from Brown’s Island,” where the Trustees of Reservations prohibits alcohol consumption. “What we observed was a massive, spring-break-style beach party with significant drinking, people urinating alongside the tree line at the edge of the beach and generally unruly behavior,” the officer’s report reads. On the private beach by Harding Lane, an officer observed multiple instances of young children playing on the beach or in the
The world — and the Knittle family — have lost a beautiful and gentle light.
Emma Catherine Knittle, of Marblehead and Allston, Massachusetts, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, July 13, 2026, at the age of 28. Born in Salem, Massachusetts, on March 11, 1998, Emma brought immeasurable joy to her family from the moment she arrived, completing the family alongside her two older brothers.
Emma possessed a radiant smile, a compassionate heart, and a gentle, sensitive spirit. She approached life with boundless energy, curiosity and a love of adventure. Fiercely committed to justice, Emma was a tireless advocate for those whose voices often went unheard. She
Bob died during the night of July 10-11 in his Marblehead home, after a day of yard work, preparing the boat, golfing and enjoying the sunset from the Corinthian porch. A day well lived that was one of many in a life well lived. He is survived by his loving wife, Elizabeth Haran, and his son, Scott Leslie.
Married for 45 years, Bob and Beth were truly devoted to one another. They especially enjoyed adventure travel, some of Bob’s favorites were biking in South Africa, sailing around Cape Horn, hiking in Patagonia and boating from the northern coast of Ireland through the islands off Scotland to Iceland and the Arctic Circle.
Bob’s love of boating may have begun at the age of 11 when he found an abandoned 10-foot dory in the Hampton River, fixed it up, set it on the water and in this newly discovered hobby found a lifelong interest.
From the seas to the streets, his interests broadened to cars, starting in his grandfather’s garage where he worked in the early 1960s, eventually becoming a skilled mechanic. He built his own stock car and raced it in the
Edward Michael McCarthy of Marblehead passed away on Monday, July 13, 2026. He was 87 years old. He was the devoted husband of Joan Carver McCarthy, who predeceased him. Edward grew up in Marblehead and was the son of the late John C. and Mary F. McCarthy. He was a graduate of St. John’s Preparatory School, Class of 1956, and received a bachelor’s degree from Villanova University in 1961.
Edward had an over-30year career as a regional sales and distribution manager for
volunteered for causes close to her heart, stood up against injustice, and believed deeply in the dignity and worth of every person.
Exceptionally intelligent and endlessly creative, Emma found joy in reading, writing, playing the guitar, composing music and singing. She loved sailing on the open sea, especially when the winds were strong, and cherished skiing the snowcovered slopes of Killington and Mont Tremblant. She was writing a novel, developing a
Dover, New Hampshire, races at age 15.
Beginning his studies at Cape Cod Community college in 1966, he graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 1969 with a degree in business management. He completed U.S. Navy flight training in Pensacola; however, a late-discovered spinal defect kept him from his Navy wings. Not being in the U.S. Navy Air Force was a major disappointment in his young life.
After a brief stint at the Amherst Record, Bob’s love of cars brought him back to Boston where he worked as a salesman at Foreign Motors. Two years later, in 1971, Bob was lured to the North Shore where he settled into his lifelong profession as a yacht broker working initially at Graves Yacht Yard in Marblehead, then for
Reader’s Digest magazine, covering the Northeast.
A lifelong athlete and sports enthusiast, Edward was a standout football and basketball player for St. John’s Prep. He was recruited as a quarterback
screenplay, and faithfully filling journals with her thoughts, observations and dreams. A gifted artist with a vivid imagination, Emma viewed the world through a uniquely creative lens.
Emma earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Salem State University in 2022 after graduating from Marblehead High School in 2016. She was a talented writer, an engaging public speaker and, for a time, an inspiring high school English teacher whose passion for literature left a lasting impression on her students. Just weeks before her passing, she delivered a heartfelt reading at her brother Brad’s wedding, a moment her family will forever treasure.
Those who knew Emma will remember not only her intelligence and creativity, but also her kindness, empathy and unwavering authenticity. She had a remarkable ability to make others feel seen, heard and
Sailboats Northeast. In 1985 Bob acquired the Marblehead office of Northrop and Johnson, which he managed for 22 years until he sold the company in 2007. He continued to work as a broker out of N and J’s Newport, Rhode Island, office.
In his career, spanning six decades, Bob was known for his professionalism, respected by his colleagues and in 1991 named Broker of the Year. He served as a president of the Yacht Architects and Brokers Association which later became the Yacht Brokers Association of America. He was also a part of the team that developed the criteria and the examination for the certified professional yacht broker, an honor reserved for brokers with an unblemished record who pass a written exam. Bob was an active member of the Corinthian Yacht Club as a sailor and most recently as the “Keeper of the Silver.” An avid ocean racer in the 1970s,1980s and 1990s, he participated in four Newport to Bermuda races, several SORC regattas and many Marblehead to Halifax races. He was a familiar figure on the foredeck of the Loose Goose, and his passion for the water was evident to all who sailed with him.
An accomplished alpine ski racer, Bob was in several race
to play football for Villanova and was later inducted into the St. John’s Prep Athletic Hall of Fame.
Edward proudly coached Marblehead Youth Football in the 1970s and led his Redskins team to win the league championships several times. For decades, he was a member and golfer at Beverly Golf & Tennis and in his elder years enjoyed playing bocce and curling at the Marblehead Council on Aging.
Edward is survived by his son, Stephen McCarthy of Charleston, South Carolina, and daughter Erin McCarthyFreiberger and her husband, Philip Freiberger, of Marblehead.
valued. Her beauty radiated not only from her appearance but from the generosity of her heart. Emma is survived by her devoted parents, Mimi and Marc Knittle of Marblehead; her beloved brother, Brad Knittle, and his wife, Adrienne (Ciccone) Knittle, also of Marblehead; her grandmothers, Jean Davis of Plymouth, Massachusetts, and Joyce Knittle of Cary, North Carolina; her aunts and uncles, Janine and Garrick Connelly of Barrington, Rhode Island; Tammy and Mark Bevan of Cary, North Carolina; Lois and Tony Greico of Williamsport, Pennsylvania; and Nancy and Howard Sawhill of Chapel Hill, North Carolina; along with many loving cousins, extended family members, and dear friends. She was predeceased by her beloved brother, Christopher Knittle; her grandfathers, Dr. Galal Ahmed and Daniel F. Knittle; her aunt Barbara Morrone and uncle Frank Morrone; and her
leagues in Mt. Washington Valley, most notably Mountain Meister’s, The Attitash Race league and USSA Masters. He was racing and skiing at the age of 80, delighted that the lift tickets were finally free! He was also an avid cyclist, riding his road bike around Cape Ann on a regular basis. Bob came full circle on his love of cars recently buying a red, 1951 MG TD coupe. He was in local shows and was excited about being accepted at the Misselwood Concourse d ‘Elegance, which sadly he won’t make.
Bob was a member of the Gerry 5 VFA, in Marblehead, where he was a regular at the club enjoying a spirited pool game while never failing to roast his opponents and getting it in return. Bob’s Friday afternoons were reserved for golf with his longtime golf league brothers. As with his pool buddies the roasting was nonstop.
Bob also had a passion for traditional jazz. While attending high school in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, he played string bass in a 12-piece jazz dance band, The Velvetones. He was later a member of The Cold Fusion Jazz Quartet which played numerous gigs in the Virginia and Washington D.C. area entertaining veterans at retired veterans’ communities.
He leaves grandchildren Ryan Freiberger and Sean Freiberger, as well as Megan Freiberger-Corbett, her husband Daniel Corbett and greatgranddaughter Renee Corbett. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Patricia Dzierazk McCarthy, and nieces and nephews, John McCarthy and his wife Dawn McCarthy, Kathy McCarthy Marino and her husband, Donald Marino, Mary Landry, Jane Winslow, Christopher Archbold and his wife, Tracy.
Edward was predeceased by his brother, John McCarthy, sisters Jane McCarthy, Jacqueline Archbold and husband John, and Marilyn Rodham and husband
step-grandfather, Marshall Davis. Emma’s family finds comfort in knowing that her love, compassion, creativity and courageous spirit will continue to live on in the countless lives she touched. Though her time with us was far too brief, the impact she made was immeasurable, and she will be deeply missed every day.
A funeral Mass was celebrated at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, 85 Atlantic Ave., Marblehead on Saturday, July 18. Burial followed at Waterside Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Emma’s name to the Salem Athenaeum, honoring her lifelong love of literature, learning, creativity and the written word.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy for Emma’s loved ones may be shared at eustisandcornellfunerlahome. com.
In addition to Beth and Scott, Bob leaves the Ryan cousins and their families, beloved family friends; and a long list of friends who loved the activities they shared together almost as much as they loved him. It was impossible not to enjoy his company, and he will be deeply missed.
Please enjoy a sunset, some time on the water, a bike ride, a hike, a ski run, a four-iron shot or a spirited ribbing with friends — and think of Bob.
A celebration of life will be held at the Corinthian Yacht Club, 1 Nahant St., Thursday, July 30, at a time to be announced on the funeral home’s website. Arrangements by the Conway Cahill- Brodeur Funeral Home, 82 Lynn St., Peabody, MA 01960. For online guestbook and directions please visit ccbfuneral.com.
If you would like to make a donation, a scholarship has been set up in his memory: The Robert D. Leslie, Helen and Francis Haran Scholarship, Salem State University. Contributions may be made online at https://participate. salemstate.edu/give or check payable to SSU Alumni Association and Foundation, mailed to Salem State University, Advancement Services, 352 Lafayette St., Salem MA 01970.
Edward.
Visiting hours will take place on Thursday, July 16 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Eustis & Cornell of Marblehead, 142 Elm St. His funeral Mass will be held on Friday, July 17 at noon at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, 85 Atlantic Ave., Marblehead. Following the Mass, burial will take place at Waterside Cemetery on West Shore Drive, Marblehead.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his honor to the Joslin Diabetes Center.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy for Edward’s family may be shared at eustisandcornellfuneralhome. com.
water who had to run away from groups of rowdy and unruly teenagers. “When neighbors and parents of the young children asked the groups to move along or quell their behavior, different groups repeatedly chastised the neighbors about being respectful of THEM!” the officer’s report
reads. In coordination with patrol units on Harding Lane and Beacon Street, the officers tried to quell the disturbance and move the groups along. One officer stopped or intercepted multiple individuals, all of whom were in possession of alcohol or hadtrespassed onto private property. With the assistance of other officers, the officer stopped and identified three young men who had backpacks full of booze, from whom they
confiscated significant amounts of alcohol. One of the young men was “generally uncooperative,” but another cooperated, admitting to having a fake ID, which he readily turned over. The officers also took possession of a few abandoned backpacks filled with booze and some abandoned tumblers with alcohol. Another individual yelled at the officer from several feet away about what he perceived as unjust enforcement
by the police. The officer could not get to him from his position on the seawall, but he repeatedly yelled and taunted the officer and the neighbors, saying the officer knew his father, a Nahant police sergeant. Marblehead officers should be ashamed of their actions, he said. With the help of an incoming tide, the officers were able to clear much of the illicit activity from the area, and many youths dispersed on foot throughout the town.
The confiscated booze was photographed and thrown into the Marblehead Police dumpster. 2:27 p.m. Officers investigated a disturbance on Harris Court. 2:50 p.m. An outside party was reported on Doaks Lane.
9:44 p.m. A disturbance was reported on Washington Street. 10:55 p.m. Officers investigated a disturbance on Pleasant Street. 11:53 p.m. An officer investigated a disturbance on Atlantic Avenue.
