FIRST WAVE
BY WILL DOWD
In response to the funding crisis triggered by voters’ July 8 rejection of MBTA Communities Act zoning requirements, the Select Board sent a formal letter
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Town leaders appeal to Gov. Healey and the AG, as millions in grants disappear. Page 1.
2 A Democrat, who identifies as trans, is challenging Congressman Seth Moulton for his seat. Page 2.
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July 15 to Gov. Maura Healey and Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities Edward Augustus requesting exemption from compliance requirements. The letter comes as Massachusetts Attorney General
Andrea Campbell issued her most direct warning yet about financial consequences facing noncompliant communities. Marblehead will definitively lose access to more than $4.6 million in state grants
following the referendum defeat, according to Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer. Healey, asked last week whether she had reviewed Marblehead’s request, told MASSterList she had not
BY WILL DOWD
Marblehead resident Joanne StoneLibon stood near the harbor at State Street Landing last July 17, holding a cardboard tombstone and recounting the story of Nevaeh Crain — an 18-year-old Texas woman who died during a miscarriage after being denied medical care. “She was six months pregnant. She couldn’t get the treatment,” Stone-Libon said. “Doctors in certain states like Texas … they’re afraid, because if they do any type of intervention, they could … go to jail. So they sent her home.”
She added, “And on the third
time, they did two ultrasounds to determine the fetus’s viability, and they found that the fetus was no longer alive.”
Stone-Libon was among about 15 mostly black-clad participants who formed a silent circle at the waterfront, each holding a cardboard gravestone marked with a right, institution or value they believe is being buried under current political conditions and the Trump administration. In total, roughly 100 Marblehead residents either joined or observed the demonstration — some to show solidarity, others to express quiet dissent.
BY LEIGH BLANDER
The trash strike impacting Marblehead and 13 other communities across the North Shore entered its third week Monday with no new negotiations planned. Marblehead’s Board of Health was expected to meet Tuesday night to discuss the strike. Visit
The 30-minute event, billed as a symbolic “funeral for democracy,” was Marblehead’s contribution to the nationwide “Good Trouble Lives On” day of action. The coordinated movement marked five years since the death of civil rights leader and congressman John Lewis and aimed to honor his call to make “good trouble, necessary trouble” in defense of democracy.
From 2:15 to 2:45 p.m., people took turns stepping into the center of the circle to deliver emotional eulogies for what they described as casualties
MarbleheadCurrent.org to learn the latest.
The Teamsters Local 25 union walked off the job at Republic Services on July 1 and, as of Monday afternoon, negotiations had fallen apart. Republic’s replacement workers have been collecting trash in town, but many residents report spotty pick-up Six communities, including
yet seen the letter. But she reiterated her broader stance on the state’s housing emergency: “The single greatest crisis we face as a state right now, and
RIDE OF A LIFETIME
Town teen navigates Italy’s iconic Mille Miglia race
BY WILL DOWD
Dante Genovesi, 18, of Marblehead, was at the mall last fall when his 2025 summer plans changed in an instant. At the same time, his mom, owner of Roses and Thistle on Pleasant Street, was chatting with family friend Jeff Gault about the iconic Italian car race Mille Miglia.
Midconversation, Gault — a longtime racer in the event who also lives in Marblehead— made a snap decision.
“Why don’t I just bring Dante this year? He can be our intern,” said Genovesi, seated at Mookie’s and reflecting on the moment that set everything in motion.
When his mom shared the news, “I had to, like, sit down,” he said. “I just couldn’t believe it.”
So the Marblehead High School Class of
Beverly and Peabody, went to Salem Superior Court, asking for an injunction to force Republic to fulfill its contract and pick up trash. Marblehead is not part of that action.
Marblehead Public Health Director Andrew Petty urges residents to bring their trash and recycling to the Transfer Station, which is open Monday-Saturday,
7:30 a.m.-3:25 p.m. (and closed for lunch from 12-1 p.m.). The Transfer Station is open to all residents during the strike. Petty also encourages people to put out their trash (not recycling) on their regular pick-up day and leave the barrel there until it gets picked up. Report missed collections to the Health Department at 781-631-0212.
COURTESY PHOTO
Dante Genovesi enjoying a moment on the Italian coast during his trip for the Mille Miglia.
CURRENT PHOTO / WILL DOWD
Kathleen Leonardson holds a fake tombstone marked “RIP Due Process” while delivering a dramatic first-person eulogy during a “funeral for democracy” protest July 17 at State Street Landing. About 15 participants formed a silent circle to mourn what they called losses to American rights and institutions.
CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER
Agender software engineer announces run against Moulton
Andres-Beck: ‘Trans people aren’t political props — we’re leaders
BY LEIGH BLANDER
Congressman Seth Moulton, a Democrat who grew up in Marblehead and lives in Salem, has a primary challenger for the 6th District next year. Software engineer and Middleton resident Beth Andres-Beck, who identifies as “agender,” announced their run for office Thursday morning.
“I believe America is worth fighting for,” said Andres-Beck.
“This is a moment of rapid change, from AI to climate to the rule of law. Shaping our future will require leaders with courage, creativity and the ability to understand the technology they are regulating.” They added: “Americans deserve a government that works for them, one that knows what it’s doing, not a regime of would-be kings. Voters want the option to reject corruption and crony capitalism, and I intend to deliver.”
Andres-Beck has had a 20-year career in software and served on Middleton’s Housing Trust and
BY WILL DOWD
The Current welcomes submissions (150-200 words) to the news in brief. Send yours to wdowd@marbleheadnews.org.
Moulton joins protest Congressman Seth Moulton joined fellow lawmakers and mental health advocates on Capitol Hill July 17 to protest the Trump administration’s elimination of the LGBTQ+ line of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. The LGBTQ+ line went that same day.
“Letting kids die is not government reform—it’s cruelty,” Moulton said. “When your child is in crisis, the last thing on your mind should be politics. But Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have made mental health a political target, and vulnerable kids are paying the price.” Moulton, who led the bipartisan effort to establish the 988 lifeline in Congress back in 2020, noted that the LGBTQ+ youth-specific line has helped more than 2,000 young people every day. The service provided 24/7 access to trained counselors for LGBTQ+ individuals under 25, a group disproportionately at risk for suicide and mental health emergencies. “In my home state of Massachusetts, over 40% of LGBTQ+ youth have seriously considered suicide,” said Moulton. “We created 988 because we knew it would save lives. And it has.”
Decision on new MMLD leader expected after finalist interviews
The Marblehead Municipal Light Commission planned to select its next general manager Tuesday, July 22, from three finalists after deciding not to renew General Manager Joseph Kowalik’s contract, which expires April 7, 2026.
The finalists were Salem resident Mary Usovicz, current general manager of Merrimac Municipal Light Department; Gloucester resident Jonathan Blair, a senior managing consultant at Energy and Environmental Economics who previously served as general manager of Ipswich Electric Light Department; and Arlington, Virginia, resident Nathan Mitchell, a professional engineer with more than 30 years of electric utility experience. More than 90 people applied for the position. A five-member screening subcommittee reviewed
Master Plan Committee.
“I’m agender, trans, queer and proudly Unitarian-Universalist,” Andres-Beck writes on their website. “I sing tenor in my church choir, mentor young people and serve on multiple town committees. I’ve built a life rooted in mutual aid, public service and showing up for the people around me.”
Moulton came under fire last November for comments that some people considered transphobic.
“I have two little girls, I don’t want them getting run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete, but as a Democrat I’m supposed to be afraid to say that,” Moulton said in an interview after President Trump’s election.
MassEquality Executive Director Tanya Neslusan was among several LGBTQ+ community leaders who met with Moulton after his remarks.
applicants and selected the three finalists, who were interviewed in July.
The new general manager will oversee a utility experiencing significant infrastructure improvements. The department recently completed installation of the Village 13 Substation upgrade, which required massive switchgear deliveries and temporary parking restrictions in July. The utility continues exploring potential sites for a fivemegawatt battery storage facility to reduce peak demand costs and provide resilience during outages.
Marblehead Municipal Light Department serves about 10,000 customers and operates independently under Chapter 164 of Massachusetts General Laws. In 2024, the department’s power portfolio reached 65% carbon-free electricity, while maintaining some of the lowest residential electric rates in Massachusetts. The utility operates with an annual budget of approximately $20 million.
Police supervisors complete active threat training
Marblehead Police Lts. David Ostrovitz and Jason Conrad successfully completed the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Active Attack Integrated Response course July 9-10 in Salem.
The 16-hour course enhances coordination among police, fire, EMS and dispatch during active shooter and attack incidents. Participants, including personnel from Salem police, fire and dispatch and Cataldo Ambulance, trained together using the Rescue Task Force model, a collaborative response approach designed to
“The (trans) community is really struggling right now; it is not the time to further ‘other’ it,” she said at the time. “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”
In January, Moulton joined most Democrats in Congress to vote against a bill banning trans athletes in school athletics programs designated for female students.
Andres-Beck’s campaign spokesperson Mischa Smith told the Current that Moulton’s comments were the “tipping point” for Andres-Beck’s decision to run.
“When we beat Seth Moulton, we’ll prove what should’ve been obvious all along: trans people aren’t political props - we’re leaders,” the candidate said in a statement.
Moulton’s office declined to comment on his new challenger. Will Dowd contributed reporting to this article.
improve victim survivability.
Training included hands-on scenarios where officers worked with emergency personnel to clear buildings, neutralize threats and provide medical aid using tools such as tourniquets. All Marblehead officers are equipped with tourniquets to respond to crises or medical emergencies.
Police to host Coffee with a Cop
In the Jacobi Community Center, 10 Humphrey St., the Marblehead Police Department will host Coffee with a Cop at 9 a.m. on Fridays. While it is Chief King’s priority to join, a representative from the MPD will be present to discuss community concerns or just life in Marblehead.
Armini to hold office hours
State Rep. Jenny Armini will hold office hours at the Jacobi Community Center, 10 Humphrey St., on Monday, Aug. 11. She will be available from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
Marblehead seeks ConCom member
The Select Board is accepting letters of interest and resumes for an open position on the Conservation Commission.
The deadline for submissions is Friday, Aug. 8. Interested parties can submit their information to the Select Board at Abbot Hall, 188 Washington St., or via email to wileyk@marbleheadma.gov.
New officers sworn in, two promoted at police ceremony
The Marblehead Police Department held a swearing-in ceremony July 9 at Abbot Hall.
Two new officers, Taylor Nolasco and Christian Hennigar, were officially welcomed. Both recently completed their field training and are assigned to the Patrol Division. In addition, two promotions were recognized. Andrew Dimare was promoted to sergeant, and Eric Osattin advanced to lieutenant.
Marblehead Conservancy president to speak
Richard French, president of the Marblehead Conservancy, will speak at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 14, at the Council on Aging, 10 Humphrey St. French will give an overview of the organization and what it does for the town and its residents. Attendees are invited to learn what a valuable asset the conservancy is and are encouraged to bring their questions, ideas and personal thoughts to share.
To register and ensure a seat, call the Council on Aging office at 781-631-6225.
Bocce courts, walkway dedication A celebration for the dedication of the Bocce Courts & Founders Walkway at the Jacobi Community Center, 10 Humphrey St., will be held at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 20. Refreshments will be served at the event.
Knight to discuss internet safety
Eric Knight will give a talk titled “An Introduction to Safety on the Internet” at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 6, at the COA. The 90-minute discussion will cover basic threats to personal data and security from bad actors on the internet. Knight will also discuss steps individuals can take to protect themselves.
To register, call 781-631-6225.
Registration is requested to ensure a seat.
Library to host summer reading wrap-up with prizes, treats Abbot Public Library, 236 Pleasant St., will celebrate the end of its 2025 Summer Reading Program with a drop-in party from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22, in the Killam Children’s Room. Participants can submit final reading logs, pick out a free book and enjoy an ice cream treat.
Congressman Seth Moulton, who grew up in Marblehead and lives in Salem, has served the 6th District since 2015.
COURTESY PHOTOS Democrat Beth Andres-Beck has announced a run against Congressman Seth Moulton.
COURTESY PHOTO / MARBLEHEAD POLICE DEPARTMENT
Marblehead Police Officers Taylor Nolasco and Christian Hennigar stand with promoted officers Sgt. Andrew Dimare and Lt. Eric Osattin, joined by town officials and loved ones following a swearing-in ceremony held July 9 at Abbot Hall. Nolasco and Hennigar joined the Patrol Division, while Dimare and Osattin were recognized for their promotions.
2025 graduate went from throwing his graduation cap in the air to navigating 1,000 miles of Italian countryside two weeks later as an intern for Team Gault’s 1953 Lincoln Capri in the legendary Mille Miglia rally.
The Mille Miglia began in 1927 as an open-road race but was halted in 1957 over safety concerns.
Revived in the 1970s as a rally for vintage cars, Genovesi said today’s event tests precision, not speed. In this year’s race, the Gault team placed what Genovesi said was an impressive 93rd out of about 403 finishers (about 30 started but didn’t finish) — a strong result, especially given their 1953 Lincoln scored lower than older models.
“That was a very big accomplishment. Everyone was super excited about that. The big goal was to place under 100,” Genovesi said.
The whirlwind fiveday race took him from northern Italy’s limestone hills to Rome and back, passing through Bologna,
vineyards to sunbaked hills and the humid Adriatic coast. Racing through small villages, Genovesi was struck by how relaxed local police were. At one point, their rental car hit an unmarked speed bump at 90 mph on a downhill curve — yet officers routinely shut off speed cameras and looked the other way.
cars stems from his father, a Mercedes technician who always kept a revolving door of classic-car projects.
the Apennines, the Adriatic coast and Parma’s farmlands.
Genovesi’s role as navigator proved more challenging than expected as he guided the support cars through mountain passes and medieval towns using detailed road books.
“The whole time I was interning. Basically the way it was explained to me before I got there, it was like, ‘You’re gonna be working with a team manager who’s Nicole. She’s gonna tell you what to do. You do whatever she says. It could be anything,’” he said.
The terrain changed daily — from alpine
“This car slaps the ground, and it goes flying up. There’s like a visible air gap under all four tires,” Genovesi said. “We go flying through the air, over the speed bump.”
He said official Mille Miglia stickers on support vehicles served as unofficial licenses for creative driving.
The grueling schedule meant starting at 5 a.m. each day and working until 11 p.m., surviving largely on McDonald’s espresso during brief stops.
“I had more McDonald’s in the first week in Italy than I may have had in my life in America,” Genovesi said.
His passion for vintage
“From when I was young, he would always, usually have some sort of old muscle car project in the garage,” said Genovesi.
“I’d always see what he was working on and work with him. I just loved it.”
The race deepened his appreciation for classic automobiles as he watched museum-quality cars tackle demanding road conditions. The 2025 Mille Miglia attracted vintage cars from 29 countries, including 127 pre-war models and 78 original racers from the event’s golden age between 1927 and 1957.
The international field featured automotive royalty with 17 Ferraris, 18 Alfa Romeos, 10 Bugattis, eight Bentleys, an Aston
Martin DB3 and two Porsche 550 Spyder RS models driving through Italy’s winding roads alongside Gault’s modified Lincoln.
“Seeing so many of these cars — ones I’d only ever seen in museums, photographs or magazines — actually out on the road, just crushing it, gave me an even deeper respect for them,” Genovesi said.
Now awaiting admission results for an electrician apprenticeship program,
Genovesi extended his stay in Italy to explore more of the country, spending additional weeks experiencing Italian culture beyond the highspeed world of vintage racing.
“I learned that damn it — I love a road trip. And also — if need be — I really don’t need that much sleep,” he said. “In a heartbeat” would he do it again, already planning future Italian road trips to explore the country’s southern regions.
This is the 1953 Lincoln Capri that Dante Genovesi helped navigate as an intern during the Mille Miglia rally.
Dante Genovesi sits in Mookie’s in Marblehead, reviewing Mille Miglia
reflecting on his summer racing through Italy.
Opinion
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Support striking trash workers, recognize their contribution
To the editor:
I would like to weigh in on the Marblehead trash collection strike from a different aspect. It has to do with unexpressed thoughts and feelings for the striking trash collectors. What they do is physically hard, dirty, smelly, unsanitary and thankless work. If that is questioned, on some steaming hot or frigid cold icy days, or any day, see them doing their work. Often running, to lift and dump heavy, many times over filled, barrels, recycle bins and other allowed items. Unfortunately, in business economics, nepotism excluded, supply and demand mostly dictate a worker’s pay. There are no considerations for the unpleasantness of the job. Unless there is undisclosed information, given the situation, the unfair pay and the strike, is on Republic Services. There is no shade to cast elsewhere.
I vote to give the workers their raise, and if the cost gets passed on to us, so be it. And, the next time you see trash collection is action, give a wave, smile, thumbs up and thank you to the workers.
Jody
Magee Guernsey Street
House passes voting documentation requirements
To the editor: How quickly could you find your birth certificate? If you have a passport, you probably know where it is, but 50% of American citizens don’t have one. If you’re a woman who changed your name when you got married, as almost 80% of women have, how long would it take you to find your marriage license? It’s not even clear at this point if that document is sufficient. A real
LETTERS POLICY
The Current welcomes letters to the editor and strives to represent a range of viewpoints on our opinion pages.
Generally, letters should not exceed 500 words. Letters over the word limit may be returned to the writer for editing.
Writers may be given more leeway to criticize national political candidates and other public figures. However, in all cases, letter writers should refrain from name calling and personal attacks and instead focus on the substance of matters of public concern.
Letter writers may be asked to substantiate claims that do not relate to information previously published in the Current.
While we will make every effort to let writers have their say, we reserve the right not to publish letters.
Letters must include:
The author’s name.
Unsigned letters and
ID driver’s license won’t serve the purpose. Only five states indicate citizenship on their licenses. If you were born in another country, but are a U.S. citizen, where do you securely keep your naturalization papers?
What if you want to register to vote because you are or will be 18 by the next election? What if you are a newly naturalized citizen who isn’t yet registered to vote? What if you’ve finally decided to register to vote after sitting out many elections?
What if you have to re-register to vote because you’ve moved or changed your name or your party affiliation?
How would you prove that you’re an American citizen?
The House of Representatives has narrowly (220-208) passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, commonly known as the SAVE Act. It now, as of this writing, sits in the Senate, waiting to be passed and signed into law by the president. It needs 60 votes in favor to pass.
It was introduced to combat voter fraud, especially to prevent noncitizens from voting.
It is a proposed law to solve a problem that doesn’t exist.
After the 2016 election, the Brennan Center for Justice, which advocates for voting rights, surveyed local election officials in 42 jurisdictions with high immigrant populations and found just 30 cases of suspected noncitizens voting out of 23.5 million votes cast, or 0.0001%.
To register to vote if the Save Act were to pass would require applicants to present their documentation in person, a great hardship for many people. It would eliminate the hard-fought ways we’ve earned by patient and persistent work over many decades to enact or change laws to make registering to vote accessible to all who are eligible. They’re the routes most people take to register to vote: “Motor Voter” registration, mail-in registration, Voter Registration Drives. Chip Roy (R-Texas), who introduced the bill, said in a statement that the legislation
form letters will not be published.
» The name of the street on which the author lives in Marblehead. Only the street name will be published next to the author’s name – not their full address. The author’s daytime/ cell phone number for verification purposes (not publication).
Letters must be received by our newsroom directly from their writers (for special circumstances, contact the newsroom). Email submissions to info@marbleheadnews. org or use the submission form found at marbleheadcurrent.org/ letters.
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Letters must be received by noon on Friday in order to be printed in the following week’s print edition.
provided “myriad ways for people to prove citizenship and explicitly directs States to establish a process for individuals to register to vote if there are discrepancies.”
We’ve seen that the states are not always interested in equal voting rights for all eligible voters. We’ve seen what happens when voter lists are purged hastily, often just before an election. Voters aren’t notified they’ve been removed from the voting list or not informed about what documentation they need to be reinstated.
“They are trying to take something that we all agree on — that only U.S. citizens should vote in U.S. elections — and use that to make it harder for millions of eligible citizens to cast their vote,” Michigan Democratic secretary of state Jocelyn Benson said.
Our history is of Congress expanding the right to vote, not restricting it.
Dare we use what seems to have become somewhat of an obscenity rather than an accolade — the “b” word — to suggest that Congress could act in a bipartisan manner?
Members have at least two other choices for truly fair elections and voting rights: The Freedom to Vote Act and the timely John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act.
In the history of our country, the right to vote often includes the fight to vote.
Shari Pressman McKinley Road
What happens next after rejecting 3A plan
To the editor:
Could someone who voted no for our 3A plan now please tell us how you think this is all going to end? Do you think that the state is going to say, OK Marblehead, you no longer need to comply with the 3A law now that you have voted to violate it.
Since we have now given up our right to create our own 3A zoning plan with this no vote,
COFFEE MEETS KEYBOARD:
we can only hope that when a special master is assigned to develop our plan for us, that the plan will essentially be the same thoughtful and comprehensive plan as the one we created and not a plan consisting of one district with 890 units. Pat Fried Hillside Avenue
Don’t let free
after-school and summer programs disappear
To the editor:
If you believe kids deserve safe spaces to learn, grow and explore outside the school day — this matters to you.
Right now, free after-school and summer programs for more than 1,200 North Shore underserved students in Lynn, Salem, Peabody and Gloucester are at serious risk. Just one week before summer programs were set to begin, the federal government froze funding for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers — the backbone of these programs. While Massachusetts was able to scramble and cover summer costs, funding for the upcoming school year is on the chopping block. What’s at stake? A lot.
These are proven programs that help students with homework, boost grades, build confidence, spark new interests like robotics or art and keep kids safe in the hours when juvenile crime typically spikes. They’re free to families and essential for many working parents who rely on them for childcare. Without this support, some parents could be forced to reduce hours or even leave jobs.
Locally, LEAP for Education, Camp Fire North Shore and the Salem YMCA, in partnership with the local school districts in Lynn and Salem, are three organizations that have been filling this gap in Lynn and Salem for elementary and middle school youth. Together,
they serve more than 750 students every year in these funded programs. They create welcoming spaces for kids to build friendships, find support and stay engaged in learning — all at no cost to families. But with 50–75% of their 21CCLC funding for these programs now frozen, these programs face major disruption.
This isn’t just a funding issue — it’s a community issue. If we don’t step in, the ripple effects will be felt in classrooms, households, and neighborhoods across the North Shore.
Here’s how you can help: Tell Congress: Sign the national letter supporting these programs here: bit.ly/ SaveAfterSchool
Give if you can: Donations help bridge the funding gap: leap4ed.org
Let’s not wait until these programs are gone to speak up. Help us protect what works — for kids, for families, and for our communities.
Lydia Smyers Phillips Street
The letter writer serves as the secretary for the Board of Directors of Leap for Education in Salem.
A poem: ‘By Now’
To the editor:
July 17th
Another John Lewis Day, Has come and gone. And what would your Mother your Grandfather your Childhood Friend, Someone you once respected and loved, What would they say? “Creating, laughing and joking about Alligator Alcatraz, is Unacceptable Behavior in the USA.
You surrender your Humanity and your Country.”
So,
Stand up and shout “NO”, even if it feels too late. Today is THE day. John Lewis lives on with You. Catherine Cunningham Derosier Hibbard Road
Quick moves after a laptop spill
BY STEPHEN BACH
The Digital Docs see at least ONE liquid spill every week! A single splash of coffee, soda or even plain water can knock out the nerve center of your digital life in seconds. The fix starts the moment the liquid lands. First, shut the machine down. Hold the power button until the screen goes dark, then yank the charger from the wall. Pull out every cord, drive, mouse and headphone jack. Electricity and liquid play a dangerous game, and you want to stop it before it begins. With the power off, flip the laptop like a tent. Open the lid as far as it will go and stand the computer in an upside-down V. Gravity will coax liquid back the way it came. Use a towel to dab — never wip e— the drips you can see. Pushing moisture across the keyboard only drives it deeper into the parts you can’t reach. Now place a hand on the
underside and feel for rising heat. A wet battery can short in minutes and may catch fire. If the case grows hot or you smell burning plastic, set the laptop on a fire-safe surface such as a metal tray or stone countertop. Keep a small fire extinguisher within reach and call 911 if flames appear. Better a singed gadget than a scorched living room. Many people reach for a hair dryer in panic. Don’t. Hot air warps keys and melts seals. Instead, aim a desk fan on low across the open shell to keep cool air moving.
Patience matters: wait at least a full day before even thinking about pressing the power button again. Sweet drinks take longer because sticky
residue clings to tiny copper lines and acts like a super glue for corrosion. Even after a careful dry-out, hidden minerals from tap water or soda keep eating away at metal tracks inside the case. That slow burn ruins chips and storage drives long after the spill looks dry. A quick trip to a trusted service shop gives your laptop a fighting chance. Experts can open the chassis, scrub away residue, test the battery and make sure no silent short is waiting to bite you later.
The spill-proof lifestyle is simple: park drinks an arm’s length from the keyboard, favor travel mugs with tight lids and make sure you are always backed up, so heartburn never follows a toppled cup. Spills happen even to careful hands. What separates a close call from a catastrophe is what you do in the next 60 seconds: power down, flip, dry and let pros finish the rescue. Your laptop — and your morning brew—will live to work another day. Until next time: stay safe and stay dry!
Stephen Bach is the owner of The Digital Docs in Marblehead.
Town’s outside workers power through as heat index reaches 107 degrees
BY WILL DOWD
The cramp hit landscaper
Stephen Martin’s leg like a vice grip, a sharp reminder that after 47 summers in landscaping, his body still demands respect.
“You’ll get some muscle aches, almost like a charley horse,” Martin said, describing the warning signs when he doesn’t drink enough water during Marblehead’s increasingly brutal heat.
Summer 2025 has brought relentless heat to Marblehead, with a triple-digit heat index in June and multiple 90-degree days in July, hitting outdoor workers, older adults and those without air conditioning hardest. The worst came June 23-25, when the National Weather Service issued an extreme heat warning, with the heat index — soaring from combined temperature and humidity — reaching 107 degrees. The heat persisted, with six July days above 90 degrees, peaking at 95 on July 16. The monthly average hit 76.2 degrees — 2.5 degrees above normal — making even typical days oppressive.
No shade, no pause
While Martin’s personal battle with the heat highlights the physical toll on workers, others across Marblehead face similar struggles under the relentless sun.
Marblehead Postmaster Chris King knows which of the town’s 29 postal routes prove most punishing for his 40 carriers.
“The ones that have no shade, the ones that are not on the water,” King said, describing the difference between delivering mail along Ocean Avenue, where sea breezes provide relief, versus trudging through the inland neighborhoods around Franklin Street, where colonial houses block any breeze and pavement radiates heat like a griddle.
Police Sgt. Timothy Morley knows that difference intimately.
Working seven to 10 traffic details monthly — often stationed at construction sites
with zero shade — he’s learned that mental focus becomes as challenging as physical endurance.
“You just get tired, and you just gotta battle that out,” Morley said while working a Pleasant Street detail. He described eight-hour shifts directing traffic.
When King and Morley spoke to the Current, they were enduring four straight days of punishing heat. July 14 felt heavy and damp, with sweat clinging through 82-degree air. July 15-16, meanwhile, hit 90 degrees as rising humidity turned the air swampy and still, pushing heat indexes near 100. Thursday reached 95 degrees, with dew points in the 70s and a heat
No legal action … for now
states around the country are facing it, [is] housing is too damn expensive,” she said.
“We’ve got to build more housing. We got to lower housing costs. The way you do that is building more housing. I think there are a lot of ways to get there.”
Campbell’s office released its second advisory on the MBTA Communities Zoning Law on July 15, providing the clearest statement that grant funding loss is now Marblehead’s reality. The advisory came one week after voters repealed the town’s compliance measures by a margin of 3,642 to 3,297.
The vote to send the letter to Healey and Augustus came after the Select Board spent an hour in closed executive session. The letter, signed by Select Board Chair Dan Fox, outlines what the town characterizes as a fundamental governance conflict between state mandate and local democratic will.
“The Commonwealth has mandated municipal compliance through local legislative action, yet our home rule law allows voters to reverse those actions, creating a scenario in which only one answer is acceptable to the state, but two options exist for the public,” the Select Board wrote.
Although Campbell will not take legal action this summer or fall against communities making good-faith compliance efforts, enforcement suits are expected to begin in January 2026 for those that fail to adopt compliant zoning and seek state certification.
Kezer said as he “understands it,” the financial impact he predicted is now guaranteed.
Marblehead faces certain loss of $1.28 million in alreadyawarded state grants for projects including shipyard resilience, MBTA safety improvements and community celebrations.
Under the advisory and per Kezer, the $354,792 in contracted infrastructure and planning grants is revoked.
Additional pending grant applications worth more than $3 million for historic preservation, Rail Trail improvements and downtown planning are now ineligible. The town also risks losing eligibility for future grants, including $2.98 million for Village Street bridge reconstruction.
“It’s not just about the money, it’s about the benefits of the projects that this money is for,”
Kezer said during a July 9 Select Board meeting. “That’s the real impact on the community.”
Kezer noted the town would need to forgo an $11.6 million federal port infrastructure
index over 103, making even shaded air oppressive. Stepping from an air-conditioned car into a store felt like entering an oven.
MMLD meets record demand
The oppressive heat not only tests workers’ endurance but also strains the town’s infrastructure, pushing systems like the power grid to their limits.
During last summer’s June 24 heat wave, Joseph Kowalik watched electricity demand at Marblehead Municipal Light Department climb to unprecedented levels.
“We had eight hours that exceeded last year’s peak,” said Kowalik, the department’s general manager, as residents
cranked air conditioners like never before.
The cascade effect created more than 100 power outages across town. Kowalik’s nineperson line crew climbed poles and crawled into underground vaults while temperatures hovered near 100 degrees.
“Everyone worked from seven in the morning until 11 at night,” he recalled.
The National Weather Service recorded over a dozen 90-degree days in Boston this year. Marblehead’s coastal location usually tempers heat, but this summer’s high humidity has made sweat cling to skin. According to ProPublica https://projects.propublica.org/ climate-migration/ , Climate scientists predict that by 2050, Massachusetts summers will resemble Maryland’s, with Marblehead facing 19–25 more 90-degree days annually.
Cold showers and kindness
Martin, who owns a Marblehead landscaping business, noted the toughest tasks: spreading mulch, which heats like compost and reeks in high temperatures, and working unshaded from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., when pavement hits 140 degrees.
RECOGNIZING HEAT-RELATED ILLNESS
» Heat stroke kills. When body temperature soars above 106 degrees within minutes, people may become confused, suffer seizures or lose consciousness. Their skin turns hot and dry, or they may sweat heavily. Move victims to shade immediately, strip off clothing and douse with ice water. Never give fluids to someone with heat stroke — call 911 first.
» Heat exhaustion, while less severe, still demands attention. Workers complain of headaches, nausea and dizziness as they sweat profusely. Get them out of the heat, offer small sips of water and watch for worsening symptoms that could signal the onset of heat stroke.
Heat cramps strike the hardest workers — those whose muscles seize up from lost electrolytes. Sports drinks help, but persistent cramping after an hour means it’s time to see a doctor.
SOURCE: CDC
He ends workdays at 3:30 p.m., recognizing when heat clouds his thinking.
“You can lose your focus and energy. Sometimes, if it gets really too hot,” Martin said, “you kind of get heat stressed.”
Marblehead residents often provide workers relief. Morley described “a wonderful woman up the street last week” on Pleasant Street who brought frozen water bottles that worked first like ice packs and then refreshingly cold drinks. Postal customers routinely meet their carriers at the door with bottled water, and motorists have been known to roll down their windows to pass Gatorade to police details.
Martin said his routine after the toughest days remains unchanged since 1978: “Just go home and relax. Take a shower — a nice, cold shower — to cool off.”
development program grant because Marblehead would need to provide a $1.1 million local match previously covered by state funding.
One of 14
Marblehead now joins 14 communities that have not achieved compliance with state law. The town’s exemption request details compliance efforts that began in fall 2023 when officials identified three subdistricts for multifamily zoning: Tioga Way, Pleasant Street and Broughton Road.
An initial plan presented to Town Meeting in May 2024 failed by a vote of 377 in favor to 410 opposed. Following extensive community engagement throughout 2023 and 2024, officials drafted Article 23 for May 2025 Town Meeting, which received endorsements from the Select Board, Planning Board and Finance Committee.
Town Meeting approved
Article 23 by a vote of 951 in favor to 759 opposed. However, voters exercised referendum rights under Marblehead’s 1955 Special Act for the first time in the Act’s history.
The letter details significant resident opposition centered on community character concerns, infrastructure capacity and viewing the law as a top-down mandate undermining local governance.
No opt-out mechanism
Campbell’s advisory reinforces that MBTA Communities cannot avoid obligations by foregoing state funding. The law requires communities “shall have” a compliant zoning district and provides no opt-out mechanism.
The advisory warns that noncompliant communities risk liability under federal and state fair housing laws. The Massachusetts Antidiscrimination Law and federal Fair Housing Act prohibit
towns from using zoning power with discriminatory purpose or effect.
“An MBTA Community may violate these laws if, for example, its zoning restrictions have the effect of unfairly limiting housing opportunities for families with children, individuals who receive housing subsidies, people of color, people with disabilities, or other protected groups,” Campbell wrote.
Campbell’s advisory makes clear that by January 2026, five years will have passed since the Act was signed into law, providing what she considers ample time for compliance.
“Therefore, in January 2026, the attorney general is prepared to bring an enforcement suit against any MBTA Community that has failed to both adopt the required zoning and apply for a determination of district compliance from the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities,” Campbell wrote.
CURRENT PHOTOS / GREY COLLINS
Officer Dean Peralta speaks with a crew member from N. Grandee & Sons on Pleasant Street during Tuesday’s heat advisory.
Officer Robert Picariello Jr. manages traffic on Pleasant Street on Tuesday, July 15.
Sgt. Timothy Morley directs traffic along Pleasant Street on July 15, as road crews work under intense heat.
3A
From P. 1
CURRENT PHOTO / WILL DOWD
Select Board Chair Dan Fox, head down, reads from a letter formally requesting exemption from the state’s
MBTA Communities Act zoning mandate, as fellow board members listen. `
Marblehead’s best bets
Current Events spotlights exciting happenings in the coming week. If you’d like to contribute a listing, please email Current editor Leigh Blander at lblander@marbleheadnews.org. Leigh Blander
Amelia Earhart: Beyond the Skies
Thursday, July 31, 7 p.m.
Suffolk University’s Margaret Arnold will share lesser known stories about Amelia Earhart, including about the pilot’s time in Marblehead. Most people know that Earhart was a pioneering pilot who disappeared somewhere over the Pacific Ocean in 1937. But did you know… she worked in Boston as a social worker and got engaged to someone from Marblehead? She fought for women’s rights and equality? She developed her own line of clothing and luggage? Discover the personal side of one of the most famous adopted Marbleheaders! Hosted by
Museum. Visit marbleheadmuseum.org for more info and tickets. (Tickets
Mixed Media Meetup
Sunday, July 27, 3:30-5 p.m.
Calling all creatives! This Marblehead Arts Association gathering is a great chance for artists of all levels to connect, share innovative techniques and dive into lively discussions of materials and substrates. Whether you’re a MAA member or non-member, come explore the possibilities of mixed media in a welcoming, collaborative environment. Feel free to bring a small finished work, work in progress or photo of work from a mixed-media artist you admire. 8 Hooper St.
Ken Burns’ pianist plays for Ukraine
Thursday, July 31, 7 p.m.
Nationally beloved pianist
Jacqueline Schwab, who is noted for playing on the soundtracks of Ken Burns’ many public television documents, will perform at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 28 Mugford St. Donations will be accepted and sent to support the arts in Ukraine.
than 50 participants, depending on the weather and the week’s political news.
of the current political era.
Gravestones read “RIP Due Process,” “RIP Climate Science,” “RIP Department of Education” and “RIP Democracy.” The demonstration was organized locally by the Marblehead League of Women Voters and the Marblehead Alliance for Democracy, part of a growing wave of civic engagement in town this year. Since June, local residents have held weekly “stand-outs” at the intersection of Lafayette and Maple streets, waving signs and urging passersby to stay politically engaged. Those gatherings — typically held on Saturdays — have drawn anywhere from a dozen to more
Elizabeth Stone, a Montessori teacher, held a tombstone lamenting cuts to public education.
“We are going to lose our democracy if we don’t stand up to what’s going on because it really is outrageous,” Stone said.
“I’m a teacher … I’m just here to say, ‘Don’t cut the Department of Education.’”
In addition to personal testimony, several participants performed dramatic first-person monologues. One spoke as a teenager who died by suicide after losing access to mental health services. Another portrayed a family killed in a flood, blaming cuts to climate research. A third read Martin
Jazz at the Arts
Thursday, July 24, 7 p.m.
The Marblehead Arts Association, Gene Arnould and Berklee College Professor Tim Ray present a special performance by Berklee College of Music students and recent graduates as a part of the Jazz at the Arts concert series. 8 Hooper St. Tickets are $35. For more info, visit marbleheadarts.org.
Name that gem
Saturday, July 26, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Have you ever wondered about the identity of an inherited piece of jewelry or a unique stone?
Marblehead Custom Jewelry is hosting a free gem and jewelry identification day, where people can have up to three items examined by Gemological Institute of America graduate Graham Henderson. The process is designed to help people learn more about their treasured pieces. First come, first served. 66 Washington St.
Jazz in the Garden: Joe Berkovitz
Sunday, July 27, 2-4 p.m. Join Earthsong Herbals for Jazz in the Garden. Joe Berkovitz will play with Bruno Berg and Austin McMahon. Reservations are strongly suggested. $20-35 per person. Call Margi at 781-888-4312 or email her at margiflint@mac.com to reserve your spot.
Niemöller’s poem “First They Came for the Communists,” while standing in for the loss of due process protections.
Christopher Johnston, who has attended multiple local protests since Trump’s reelection, said the demonstration was designed to illustrate the breadth of perceived democratic erosion.
“We’re looking at an administration that is breaking every rule of law that we know,” Johnston said. “And in the process of doing that, they’re destroying the democracy that is described in our Constitution.”
He added that his connection to the issue is personal — he has so far survived cancer thanks to treatments developed through National Institutes of Health research funding, which he fears is now under threat.
Thursday’s action was one of nearly 100 held across Massachusetts and more than 1,500 nationwide, according to organizers. Flagship demonstrations took place in cities such as Chicago, Atlanta, St. Louis, Oakland and Annapolis.
Marblehead’s event followed a wave of activism this year. In April, about 600 residents attended a “No More Kings” rally at Old Town House. That same month, dozens of Marblehead residents joined a “Hands Off” rally in Salem protesting threats to social programs and bodily autonomy.
Bonnie Grenier, one of the demonstration’s organizers, said the group wanted to do something striking — and deeply symbolic.
“We wanted it to be like a surprise. It’s almost one of these flash mob things,” she said.
“People need to be made aware, and sometimes their heads are in the sand.”
The protests, she added, aim to keep urgent issues and ongoing political actions at the forefront in a world where headlines fade fast and public attention shifts by the hour.
“There’s something really important about having that support from a decent-sized group,” Stone-Libon said. “So you go to the rallies in Salem or Swampscott or Marblehead, and you feel that you’re not alone … you’re not sitting at home, scratching your head, trying to understand, how is this happening?”
CURRENT PHOTOS / WILL DOWD
Lee Mondale, dressed in judicial robes and holding a bell, speaks with Karen McMahon during Marblehead’s “funeral for democracy” protest July 17 at State Street Landing.
Marblehead residents converse at a July 17 protest while holding signs criticizing President Donald Trump and lamenting the state of American democracy. Organizers staged the event as part of a nationwide “Good Trouble Lives On” day of action honoring the late congressman John Lewis.
Current sailing reporter is out with her first book. Can you guess what it’s about?
BY LEIGH BLANDER
Lifelong Marbleheader Laurie Fullerton has written about sailing for 25 years, including here at the Marblehead Current.
Now, she’s out with her first novel, and its fictional location may seem familiar.
“I probably made up most of the people, but they’re kind of based on people who you might meet in a small New England town,” she said.
Some of the character names will also ring a bell. One example?
“There’s Owen Dodd, who is named after Benjamin Dodd who was from Marblehead,” Fullerton explained. “I lived in the Benjamin Dodd House at 24 Merritt St. He was lost in the Great Gale of the 1840s.”
Fullerton’s novel, “Side Launch” is about a journalist who moves to the fictional Maine town of Clydebank to write for the local paper. She stumbles on a ramshackle shipyard nearby and meets a local, who is trying to build a 70-foot wooden schooner using old shipbuilding techniques and traditions that few remember.
“The town is being threatened by a developer who wants to turn the shipyard into a marina,” Fullerton says. “There’s a warrant article coming up at the Town Meeting.”
In the story, which is loosely based on Fullerton’s own experiences, the journalist reports on the struggling
shipyard, and the locals get involved to try and save it. A romance blooms.
“She tries to learn some of the shipbuilding skills,” Fullerton said. “If you go to any shipyard, it really still is a man’s world. She tries to forge her way and fumbles and stumbles her way through. She learns a lot along the way.”
Fullerton started working on the book in 2018 but finally selfpublished it this June.
New York Times bestselling author Ann Leary, who also is from Marblehead, wrote a glowing endorsement.
“From the first pages of this wonderful novel, I was thoroughly transported to the Maine coast and could almost smell salt in the air,” Leary wrote. “This story is about love, family tradition and the quiet nobility of a certain type of New Englander, who, like a handhewn ship’s hull, is rare but not extinct.”
Asked about the meaning of the title, “Side Launch,” Fullerton explained, “It’s a technique of launching a schooner. They build a 70-foot schooner in the front yard, but they don’t have the money to launch it with major machinery. They have to do it the oldfashioned way.”
She added, “A lot of the characters in the story are also taking detours.”
Fullerton has written about sailing for the last quartercentury, including at the old
Fullerton says she’s received lots of positive feedback since the book was published.
“There are people out there who still love to read, and I’m grateful for them,” she said,
adding she may write a second book. “Side Launch” is available on Good Reads at goodreads.com/book/ show/235079011-side-launch.
Local teens write, film new movie
BY GREY COLLINS
Candlelight illuminated the scene as two actresses in gilded age dresses read their lines on an authentic 19th-century set. Boom microphones were held overhead, a large camera focused on the scene, and the directors eagerly watched their vision come to life. While this seems like something that could only happen in Hollywood, it was actually a scene filmed by high school students in the basement of the Marblehead Arts Association.
This was one of the latest scenes in the filming of “Gilded Lily,” a film that has been written, directed and cast by MHS students. According to the co-directors, Cam Gibson and Matias Watts Cruz, they were inspired to create another movie after the success of student-produced “Currently a Paperboy” two years ago. They spent countless hours writing and refining their 98-page script, and now they’re finally making their production a reality. They started filming on June 23.
“We just started tossing around ideas. I started writing, and then two years later, we have the script we have today. And now we’re filming it,” said Watts Cruz. Their movie is about the process of making a movie. It features a group of teenagers who try to make a period piece film set in 1892 in Marblehead, but they face some unexpected problems.
Watts Cruz gave a quick synopsis.
“Four high school kids come together to make their own movie, and it’s all going well until ambition derails the project and the group’s relationships,” he explained. The film features MHS graduate Brady Weed, MHS senior Isabelle Scogland, MHS
sophomore Max Kane. The group has been working around the clock to film and edit the movie over the last few weeks.
“We’ve been meeting at 9 a.m. and we wouldn’t be done until 12
at night. We would film scenes all day until 8 or 9 p.m., and then edit til midnight,” said Watts Cruz. “I saw the film crew more than I saw my own family.” The process has been quite intense for the filmmakers, but they think everyone has grown
accustomed to all the pressure on set.
“It’s been pretty hectic, but we’ve learned a lot for sure,” reflected Gibson. “There has obviously been growing pains, but I think we have really come into our own.”
Since starting the filming process in June, the filmmakers have been filming at locations all around town.
“I think our locations are one of the coolest things about the movie,” said Watts Cruz. “We’ve filmed at the Lee Mansion, at the Marblehead Arts Association and just all around town.” They are even going as far as Sudbury to film certain scenes.
The filmmakers talked about the outpouring of support that they have received from their town so far, in the form of both monetary donations to potential
filming venues.
“The community has been helpful to us in so many ways,” said Gibson “I feel like I’ve gotten so much more connected with the town over this period.”
The directors expect the film to be more than 90 minutes long. They hope to finish the film in the fall, and show it at the Warwick around Thanksgiving. They expressed their hopes of starting a tradition of student filmmakers who can share their work with the community.
“We’re looking to start a tradition that brings people together,” said Watts Cruz.
“We’re so grateful for this town, and this will hopefully be a piece of art that the town can enjoy,” Gibson added. “We want to share the passion we have for filmmaking with our community.”
Marblehead Reporter. Her work has also appeared in The New York Times., Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, Miami Herald and national magazines SAIL, Sailing World and SAILING.
graduate Anya Kane and MHS
CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER
Laurie Fullerton, who covers sailing for the Current, shows off her first novel, which was released this summer.
CURRENT PHOTOS / GREY COLLINS
Student filmmakers shoot a scene in the basement of the Marblehead Art Association.
The filmmakers prepare their equipment to film a scene at the MAA.
Public art pop-up attracts attention at Goldthwait before disappearing
BY LEIGH BLANDER
A dragon. A sea monster. Maybe a roller coaster or splash of energy coming out of the ocean. The pop-up public art piece –yellow, winding and about 100-feet long – was created in 12 hours at Goldthwait Beach Saturday by Marblehead native Jeremy Barnett and his artistic partner Jason Maracani.
“It can be anything,” Barnett explained. “It’s a bright collection of sticks put together on a sunny day to bring joy.”
“We hope it inspires
people to explore their own vision,” Maracani added.
The two artists met outside Detroit about a decade ago and have partnered since on public art pieces in the U.S. and Europe. Some of their commissioned installations stay up for several months to a year.
Other pieces, like this one, are more whimsical, and temporary. The men deconstructed the Goldthwait piece on Monday.
The piece was constructed of about
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150 pieces of yellow painted wood, each 6-8 feet long, and screwed together. As Barnett and Maracani worked, dozens of people stopped by to chat.
“They asked, ‘What is this, what inspired you to create it?’” Maracani said. “Mostly they said, ‘Thank you for what you’re bringing to the community.’”
Barnett and Maracani have created two other pop-up installations in Marblehead – another one at Goldthwait in 2021 and one at Chandler Hovey in 2022. Barnett, who grew up in
Marblehead and graduated from the high school in 1996, hopes the works will motivate people to create more public art. “I want so badly to say to people, ‘Ask for more of
this.’ If you build abstract sculptures on the beach, people will come. Public art builds communities. It can be another thing to have pride in here in Marblehead.”
CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER
Artists Jeremy Barnett, left, and Jason Maracani create public art pop-up installations like this in the U.S. and Europe. Barnett’s daughter, Vivienne, lends a hand on Saturday.
Rule of Thirds Photo Booth captures candid party moments
BY MELISSA STACEY
The following is an interview with Shauna Martin, owner of Rule of Thirds Photo Booth, conducted by Discover Marblehead. Rule of Thirds is a photo booth rental for all types of events. To learn more about booking Rule of Thirds for your next event, go to ruleofthirdsphotoboothllc.com
Tell us about Rule of Thirds Photo Booth and why you started it. “After years of planning events, I’ve seen firsthand how quickly the day flies by and how meaningful it is to have something tangible to remember it. Rule of Thirds Photo Booth was born from that idea: a fun, interactive way for guests to make memories and take home a keepsake. While your photographer captures the big moments, the photo booth catches the candid ones, the laughter, the silly poses and the unexpected joy. It’s more than a photo; it’s an experience your guests get to be part of. Rule of Thirds Photo Booth is perfect for weddings, birthdays,
showers, bar and bat mitzvahs, graduation parties, prom and everything in between!”
What is your favorite spot in Marblehead, and why? “It’s hard to pick a favorite spot in Marblehead, but I’d have to say The Landing. I started working there five years ago, and in that time, I’ve met the most amazing people, both coworkers and guests. And really, how can you not be excited to go to work every day with such a beautiful view?”
What is the best piece of business advice you’ve ever received? “One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned while working at The
Landing is just how important community is. That’s a big part of what inspired me to offer my Photo Booth for the recent Pride events at both Shubie’s and The Landing. I can’t wait to be part of more local events like these, and I truly hope Rule of Thirds can become just as involved in community fundraisers and celebrations as The Landing has been. It’s no surprise to anyone who knows me, but I’ve had a passion for photography since elementary school. It all started back in the ‘90s when I’d save up my allowance to buy disposable cameras and then eagerly wait for the film to be developed so I could relive those little moments.”
What is something people may be surprised to learn about you? “My family owned restaurants up and down the East Coast, so working in hospitality came naturally. I started in restaurants as a teenager, and that eventually led to managing at The Landing, where I discovered my love for coordinating private events.
Rule of Thirds is really the perfect blend of my two biggest passions: photography and events. It brings people together, captures real moments and adds
How to decode egg labels and elevate your breakfast game
BY LINDA BASSETT
Eggs have been in the headlines for months. When something becomes rare or costly, it forces a closer look. Similar to Marblehead’s ups and downs of lobster.
To better understand eggs, first read the box. Lots of verbiage. Some significant, some meaningless, some misleading. Here are a few translations and definitions.
“Natural” means nothing. Eggs are always naturally manufactured by chickens.
“Cage free” eggs start with hens not confined to cages. But, were they allowed outside the barn?
“Free range” birds are allowed to roam. Indoors or outdoors?
“Organic” eggs are produced by chickens that are free to roam and dine on a diet free of hormones or antibiotics.
“Pastured” (not pasteurized) hens have outdoor access to forage for insects and grass. Their eggs are healthy, tasty and sometimes difficult to find.
“Large” eggs are the standard size used in most recipes.
“Extra-large” eggs are bigger, perfect for family breakfasts. Their size can throw off the ratio in exacting recipes for baked goods.
We all know scrambled, poached, fried, hard and soft boiled eggs. Sometimes we step up the game to produce an omelet, a frittata or a souffle.
But the current climate calls for something truly extraordinary, something over the top that invites a bubbly drink. A cork is popped. A cap is pried. Scrambled eggs
embellished with caviar suit midnight champagne suppers. Sausage-wrapped Scotch eggs wash down nicely with a pint while streaming futbol or an episode of “Ted Lasso.”
CHEF-STYLE SCRAMBLED EGGS MAKES TWO SERVINGS. The trick to producing these
All are invited to enter a raffle to win a $25 gift certificate to Saltwater Bookstore in Marblehead. Top readers in each age group will also be recognized. To register, visit abbotlibrary.org/events Bertrand exhibit reception set
for Aug. 9 Abbot Public Library, 235 Pleasant St., will host a public reception for “Along the Coast,” a solo exhibit of oil paintings by Marblehead artist Linda Lea Bertrand, from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 9 in the library’s Carten Gallery. The exhibit will be on view through Sept. 12. Bertrand is a plein air painter who draws inspiration from
voluptuously creamy-textured eggs is non-stop whisking. Unlike the eggs at your local breakfast spot, these elegant eggs are, optionally, dolloped and dotted — with whipped cream and caviar. Pop the champagne!
` 4 large eggs
` 2 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, divided
her life on the ocean. She is a member of the Marblehead Arts Association, North Shore Arts Association, Rockport Art Association and Laguna Plein Air Painters Association.
Writing workshop series offered for kids 8 to 10 Abbot Public Library, 235 Pleasant St., will host “Write to Start Strong,” a four-part
` Cayenne pepper, barely a whisper
` Coarse sea salt, to taste
` Whipped cream and caviar, optional
Combine eggs and 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan. Season lightly with cayenne. Place the saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, very gently whisking, until eggs are thickened and creamy, about
creative writing workshop for children ages 8 to 10 on Mondays, Aug. 4, 11, 18 and 25 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Led by educator Jessica Lederman, the workshop encourages young writers to explore storytelling, idea generation and writing structure in a supportive and engaging environment. The sessions will be held
three to four minutes.
If the mixture begins to stick to the pan, take it off the heat and whisk gently for 30 seconds. Put it back on a low setting and continue cooking.
Remove the pan from the heat. Gently whisk in remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter until it melts. Season with salt.
SCOTCH EGGS MAKES EIGHT.
Use medium sized eggs for this. Hard boil, shell and refrigerate them a day ahead.
` 3 tablespoons flour
` 1 pound sausage meat
` 1 1/2 cups fine breadcrumbs
` 1/2 tablespoon ground sage
` Ground black pepper, to taste
` 2 lightly beaten eggs
` 8 medium hard-boiled eggs, shelled
` Vegetable oil, for deep frying
Put flour in a shallow bowl. Divide sausage meat into eight pieces. Season bread crumbs with dried sage and black pepper. Put beaten eggs and breadcrumbs into two separate shallow bowls.
Roll the cooked eggs in flour to coat. Flatten each piece of sausage meat. Place an egg in the center and press the meat to cover the egg.
Dip the sausage-covered egg into beaten eggs, then roll in breadcrumbs.
Pour oil 1 inch in a skillet, and heat. Slip coated eggs into the pan without crowding. Fry until golden, not browned on all sides. Remove and pat off excess oil with paper towels.
Linda Bassett lived in Marblehead for years and has worked as a cook, trained up-andcoming chefs, studied food history and led food tours. Her book, “From Apple Pie to Pad Thai,” is about local cooks and cooking.
outdoors in the library courtyard, weather permitting. In case of rain, the program will move to the Event Center. Space is limited to 16 participants, and registration is required at abbotlibrary.org/ events.
Editor Leigh Blander contributed to this report.
COURTESY PHOTO
Shauna Martin owns the Rule of Thirds Photo Booth.
CURRENT PHOTO / LINDA BASSETT
Linda Bassett, the Current’s food columnist, writes about understanding egg labels and preparing chef-style scrambled eggs with caviar.
Sports
All eyes on the harbor as Race Week begins
BY LEIGH BLANDER
This is Marblehead’s
legendary Race Week. Younger sailors kicked things off Monday with the adults starting Thursday. The event was first
started in 1889. This year, the main event is being hosted by the Boston Yacht Club, although all three major yacht clubs will have their race committees out on the starting lines. With 11 fleets racing, the
Mariners, Seasiders summer baseball update
BY JOE MCCONNELL
Playoff-bound Mariners
walk-off Lowell
As the regular season was winding down in District 8, the Marblehead / Swampscott American Legion Post 57 Mariners defeated Lowell on July 15 with a walk-off win at home, 6-5. The state playoffs began last Saturday, July 19, with the Mariners as the third seed first going up against Northboro out of District 4 in the Region 6 opener. The game against Lowell was tied at five in the bottom of the seventh, when Nick Berube came through with the clutch gamewinning hit. The Mariners were trailing at one point, 5-1. Tyler Spear scored that run for Post 57 in the first on a fielder’s choice groundout.
After scoreless second and third innings, Lowell exploded in the fourth with five runs to take the lead. But the Mariners refused to give up, and were able to tie up the game with four runs in the sixth on a single by Berube and a sacrifice fly by Beau Olivieri.
Carter Sahagian pitched the first five innings for the Mariners, allowing eight hits and five runs, but only two were earned over five innings. He also fanned five and walked just two. David Palmer followed him to the mound, and proceeded to shut down Lowell over the final two innings on just one hit and one walk, while fanning one.
The offense banged out nine hits. Cooper Correnti, Olivieri and Berube (2 RBI) each collected two hits to lead the way. It’s now onto the aforementioned playoffs.
Seasiders slam the North Shore Phillies to earn fourth win
The Marblehead Seasiders (4-11-1) picked up their fourth win of the year in the North Shore Baseball League after defeating the North Shore Phillies at the Twi Field in Danvers, 15-3 on July 13.
Tyler Wilson paced the offensive attack with four hits that included a two-run homerun, while Drew Whitman secured the win after pitching three scoreless innings.
Three nights later at World Series Park in Saugus, the Seasiders tied the North Shore Storm, 2-2. The game went into the books as a tie after both teams failed to score the game-winner in the extra inning (eighth).
Brennan Frost was the pitching and hitting star of the game after cranking out a two-run homer, while also pitching the last five innings, giving up just one run.
The Seasiders were busy last weekend with games against the Peabody Champions at home on Saturday, followed by a doubleheader against the Northeast Tides the next day in Exeter, N.H. They then took on the Beverly Recs in Beverly on July 22, before wrapping up the week at Seaside Park on Friday night (July 25) against those aforementioned Phillies, beginning at 6 p.m.
event includes North American championships for the Town Class, Viper Class and Lighting Class. The Current has a team covering Race Week. Visit MarbleheadCurrent.org for live updates.
LOCAL LEGEND
Kulevich to be feted with the highest of honors
Town officially renames the MHS sports complex after athletic director, football coach
BY JOE MCCONNELL
Alexander Walter Kulevich, Jr. has been a sports legend in Marblehead since the 1970s, when he first came to take over the high school football program. He was also a full-time social studies teacher.
In 10 years as a coach, Kulevich was able to establish a winning culture, before stepping away from the sidelines to become the school’s athletic director, a position that he held for 20 years until he announced his retirement in 2000.
The town will recognize his distinguished career on Friday, July 25, with a formal ceremony at Piper Field, where it will officially announce the renaming of the Marblehead High School athletic complex to the Alexander W. Kulevich, Jr. Athletic Complex. The signage is already in place on the building that houses the school gym and workout facilities. Fans can’t miss seeing it when attending games at Piper this fall.
The School Committee approved the name change this past March.
Alex, who turns 90 on Sept. 20, will be at Piper for Friday’s ceremony in his honor, along with his eight children, and most of his 22 grandchildren and four great grandchildren. It’s slated to begin at 12:30 p.m.
“I can’t say enough about receiving this honor. It means so much to me,” said Kulevich. “I’m beyond words what I can say about it, but it’s so nice that the people of Marblehead would think of me this way.”
The Marblehead legend, who celebrated his 67th wedding anniversary with his wife Barbara on July 5, went on to say that he and his wife and family are “blessed by all of the good things” that he was lucky enough to be involved in over the years, especially here in Marblehead.
“I’d like to thank the parents, players and coaches for being very supportive then and now to me,” Kulevich added. “I have had some great student-athletes
here. They all did a great job. I was also fortunate to have Pat Magee as my athletic secretary throughout my years as the school’s athletic director. We all worked together as one team.” Kulevich also recognized those coaches, who have since passed away, and their significant contributions to the MHS sports program. He remembered two of his football assistants – Billy McCarthy and Bruce Jordan. Jordan, in fact, ended up succeeding him as the football team’s varsity head coach. Kulevich’s teams played their home games at Hopkins Field.
CURRENT PHOTO / GREY COLLINS Young sailors kicked off Marblehead’s Race Week on Monday.
COURTESY PHOTO
Former Marblehead High School athletic director Alex Kulevich, left, is together at Hopkins Field with three of his grandsons – Ben Koopman, Jake Kulevich and Tom Koopman – after they helped lead the hockey team to its first-ever state title in 2011.
CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER
This sign renaming the MHS field house in Alex Kulevich’s honor will be officially unveiled on July 25.
Roger Williams Redfield, 91
Roger Williams Redfield died on July 18 at the age of 91. A longtime resident of Marblehead, Roger lived at the Bertram House in Swampscott for the past five years. Roger was born in 1934 to E. Benjamin and Phyllis Redfield. As a child, he enjoyed summers at Camp O-AT-KA in Maine and the Swampscott Beach Club, which he later served as president. In his youth, Roger was an avid sportsman who
played football and basketball at Swampscott High School and then at Tufts University, where he was the president of his fraternity, Delta Tau Delta. At Tufts, Roger met the love of his life, Susan J. A. Gross, of South Hampton, England.
After serving in the U.S. Army for two years, Roger started working as a financial planner for Northwestern Mutual Life, where he enjoyed a long, happy and productive career, lasting some 50 years.
Over the course of a 54 year marriage, Roger and Susan raised three children
in Marblehead, where they settled. Roger enjoyed fishing, boating, running, tennis and golf. In fact, Roger was an early convert to running, and in the late 1960s would regularly get stopped by the Marblehead Police who wanted to know why he was running. Roger appreciated watching the sun set with a martini in hand and would happily muse, “When the mountains are pink, it’s time for a drink.” He and Susan traveled extensively with friends and family. They often hosted parties and were a very social couple with a wonderful set of
Seasiders top Peabody Champions in extra innings, 6-5
Kulevich also recalled another Marblehead legend Brad Sheridan, who was in charge of the boys basketball program for many years. He, too, had a tremendous impact on the school community.
“I have had so many assistants, who were all loyal to my program, and it’s difficult to list them all,” Kulevich added.
Of all his successes on the gridiron, he fondly recalls beating undefeated Swampscott in the 1973 Thanksgiving Day game. “We not only broke up their long winning streak of, I think, 36 games, but with that win we also tied them for first place in the Northeastern Conference,” Kulevich said.
Growing up in Maynard
Kulevich grew up in Maynard, and after graduating from that town’s high school he attended Worcester Academy for one year to play football, before going on to Boston College. In those days, college athletes played on both sides of the ball, and Alex was
friends. Roger is survived by his three children and their spouses, Jennifer and her husband Joe, Douglas and his wife Susan, and Sarah and her husband Greg. “Grandpop” will also be fondly remembered by his five grandchildren: Kate, Todd, Alden, Caroline and Ellis. A special thank you to the staff at Bertram House where Roger received loving care. Services are private at the request of the family. For more information or online guestbook, please visit murphyfuneralhome. com or call 978-744-0497.
a tight end on offense and on defense he was a defensive end.
Mike Holovak, who went on to become the Boston Patriots head coach in the 1960s, served in that same role with the Eagles, when Alex was there. He graduated from the Chestnut Hill campus with a bachelor’s of science in education, while also serving in the ROTC. He then headed to Fort Dix in New Jersey for a two-year stint in the Army, where he became a first lieutenant.
After his military commitment was up, Alex came back home to teach at his alma mater in Maynard. He got his master’s in education at Salem State, and then moved on to Bishop Fenwick, where he became its football coach, while also doubling as a social studies teacher there for nine years, setting the stage to begin his Marblehead career.
“When I was at Fenwick, I saw an opening in Marblehead and took it to move up to another level,” said Kulevich, who had already moved his growing family from Peabody to Marblehead in 1966.
Family testimonials for dad, granddad
Tom Kulevich, the oldest of the four brothers, played three years on his dad’s football team, and he had much to say about him and this honor.
“This is obviously a great honor for my dad,” Tom said.
“While my father’s honors and accomplishments speak for themselves, what most stands out for me is his character. He’s humble, unselfish and always willing to help and give to others. This was evident when he was a teacher, coach and athletic director. His students always came first, and he’d help them in any way possible.
Professional accolades aside, my dad has been an amazing role model for myself and my siblings. He’d be the first to tell anyone that any of this wouldn’t be possible without his wife Barbara. They’re truly a dynamic duo.”
Grandson Kyle Koopman played hockey for two years at MHS, before transferring to the Berkshire School, and that led him to Providence College and a four-year Hockey East career
with the Friars. He also played junior hockey after prep school. His twin brother Matt also followed that same path.
Kyle said of his grandfather:
“My grandfather has had such a positive impact on me, as well as on so many others. He has been an important and influential part of my life. He’s always positive, and always willing to help others. Having this Marblehead High School athletic complex named after him is an honor, and it represents what he stands for: hard work, integrity and selflessness.”
Kyle’s twin brother Matt is still pursuing his dream now as a professional hockey player with the Wheeling, West Virginia Nailers of the East Coast Hockey League, a Pittsburgh Penguins affiliate. He just completed his third season with them. Matt, too, admires his grandfather for many of the same attributes. He said of Alex:
“My grandfather is one of the most selfless and encouraging individuals that I’ve ever known. He has served as a role model for me and my brothers. He and my grandmother have travelled a lot supporting me in my hockey
career, and having this athletic complex named after him allows what he stands for and his legacy to continue both at the high school and throughout the town of Marblehead.”
One of Alex’s youngest grandchildren, John “JJ” Downey, is going into his senior year at Marblehead High, where he plays both hockey and baseball. JJ also has a great deal of admiration for his grandfather, saying, “As a senior now at the high school, it means so much to me to see the (athletic complex) named after someone who gave so much to this community, and that someone is also my grandfather Alex. He just wasn’t a coach or an athletic director, he was someone who led with kindness. He genuinely cared about every student, every athlete, every person who walked through these doors. To see his name on this building is more than just a tribute – it’s a reminder of the kind of person we should all strive to be like. I’m incredibly blessed to be one of his grandchildren, and to have the opportunity to help carry on his legacy.”
Right fielder Ben Shea snags the deep fly ball as centerfielder Trey Blackmer and spectators look on. Brennan Frost is greeted at home plate by teammates after his grand slam.
Shortstop Wilbur Rosario looks to complete the double play.
DAN RYAN / COURTESY PHOTOS James Giugino (34) and Brennan Frost celebrate Giugino’s game-winning hit in the eighth inning Saturday.
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