10.08.2025 - Volume 3, Issue 46

IN THIS ISSUE

PHOTOJOURNALISM

SPORTS

PET ADVENTURE

Hear from a Pulitzer Prize winner

MHS girls soccer on a winning streak

Shelter cat is international jetsetter

Page 11

Page 9

Page 8

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NEWS FOR PEOPLE, NOT FOR PROFIT.

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OCTOBER 8, 2025

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VOLUME 3, ISSUE NO. XX

FIRST WAVE 1

Arrest warrant issued for local man. Page 1

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MARBLEHEADCURRENT.ORG

Trash & recycling costs set to soar. Page 2

new boss at 3 The Marblehead Light

worked on nuclear submarines. Page 3

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ON SOCIAL @MHDCURRENT

shares 4 Town new bike safety

proposal. Page 6.

results are 5 MCAS out with mixed results for Marblehead. Page 2

Five facts from this week’s Marblehead Current.

LAW & ORDER

Law enforcement seeking Rob Goodwin As of Monday afternoon, officials still coordinating arrest

BY LEIGH BLANDER As of Monday, Oct. 6, Florida authorities were still seeking the arrest of Robert Goodwin.

The Volusia Sheriff’s Office, in northern Florida, issued an

arrest warrant for Goodwin Sept. 30 for four counts of grand theft and scheme to defraud.

Goodwin’s bond is set at $4 million.

Detectives in the Volusia Sheriff’s Office are in contact

with Marblehead Police “to coordinate Goodwin’s arrest,” said Andrew Gant, a spokesman for VSO. Goodwin and his travel agency, Stone & Compass, are accused of defrauding 104 high school students and chaperones in Volusia County out of $400,000 for an international trip that was canceled without refunds.

“After a lengthy multi-agency

investigation, we found irrefutable proof that he (Goodwin) was involved in a large, organized scheme to defraud not only Seabreeze High School but also Flagler College,” said Detective William Weaver of the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office on Sept. 30. “Once he’s apprehended, he’ll definitely be extradited to Florida to stand trial for the charges.”

The charges stem from a nine-day class trip to Italy and Greece, which was to begin in June 2024. Each traveler paid a minimum of $3,550 in travel fees that included airfare, lodging and excursions, according to a press release from the VSO. “One month before the trip, the agency emailed the GOODWIN, P. 7

ENTREPRENEUR

WHAT’S BREWIN’?

Youngster Neighbors start new coffee business to ‘bond’ community makes old

pumpkins his business

BY LEIGH BLANDER

Bond Roasting Company co-founders Chris Buchanan, left, and Adam Questad.

BY LEIGH BLANDER Two Marblehead dads have launched a craft coffee company in town that they say is built on the simple idea that coffee should bring people together. Bond Coffee Roasters was founded

by Chris Buchanan and Adam

Questad, next-door neighbors and longtime friends. What started as a shared passion for great coffee and meaningful connection has grown into a company aimed at strengthening community — one cup at a time.

“No matter where you are in life or what your beliefs are, you can always

CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER

come together over a cup of coffee,” Buchanan said. “That was the impetus for it. We like the social aspect of it, but we also like the science behind it, too, the actual roasting part of it.”

Buchanan also runs a software company, and his Bond co-founder COFFEE, P. 3

TRASH TALK

Trash, recycling costs expected to soar as disposal contract runs out

Seven-year-old August Clark is going places — in more ways than one.

The industrious Brown School second grader has just opened his own business, Pumpkin Patrol. August will travel to your porch, remove tired, past-prime pumpkins and deliver them to local farms to feed animals.

The price?

“You can pay whatever you want,” Clark said.

“I’m trying to feed animals, and I’m also trying to get the pumpkins away from people’s homes after Halloween,” he explained. “Helping animals just makes me feel good.”

August and his parents came up with the idea together.

“I was like, ‘Mommy, I have $218 in my bank account, and I want to grow it. I want to start my own company,’” he said.

August loves fall and Halloween. His family has about 35 pumpkins (large and small) on their porch on Pleasant Street. August has two costumes picked out for the holiday.

“For the Monster Mash (at Brown School), I’m going as the Joker, and I’m going as Jason for Halloween,” he said.

“That’s hockey Jason,” his mom pointed out. August plays hockey after school and on weekends.

This young entrepreneur is hoping to collect about 500 pumpkins for farm animals this year and bring Pumpkin Patrol back again next fall.

Board of Health wants feedback on new options

BY LEIGH BLANDER At a Sept. 29 meeting, Public Health Director Andrew Petty showed off two large plastic trash toters (barrels) and spoke about different options for trash and recycling after the town’s 10-year contract with Republic Services ends in September 2026. For years, Petty has been alerting the town that once the Republic contract ends, costs will likely

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increase by about 60%.

Right now, according to Petty, Marblehead pays just over $1 million a year for trash and recycling collection.

That amounts to about $2 a week per household. The town does not pay anything to process the recycling.

“We’re anticipating a jump to $1.7 million just for the collection,” he said. The town will also need to pay an $82-per-ton processing fee for

the estimated 3,000 tons of curbside recycling each year. That totals another $246,000.

Petty plans to put the town’s trash and recycling out to bid this month and finalize a contract that would begin September 2026 by this December.

That much lead time is needed for disposal companies to build trucks for CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER

TRASH, P. 7

August Clark sits on his porch with just some of his family’s dozens of pumpkins.

marbleheadcurrent.org

2 Wednesday, October 8, 2025 Marblehead Current

EDUCATION

MCAS scores are released; read Marblehead’s numbers

BY LEIGH BLANDER Marblehead Community Charter Public School was one of only nine districts or schools in the state where 2025 MCAS scores in grades 3-8 overall were at or above 2019 levels in English language arts, bucking the more general trend statewide indicating that students are continuing to make up for instructional time lost to the pandemic.

In fact, MCCPS was named a School of Recognition by the Department of Early and Secondary Education for its MCAS performance.

“This distinction reflects the high growth of our students, with the majority exceeding growth targets in math, science and ELA, and our school surpassing prepandemic achievement levels in ELA,” Charter Head of School Stephanie Brant said.

Statewide, another 41 districts (out of 2,026) managed to meet or exceed their 2019 performance in math, while 13 districts met or exceeded their 2019 performance in both subjects.

“To be one of 63 public schools across the Commonwealth to earn this recognition is a true reflection of the tireless work of our teachers,” Brant added. “Their dedication to understanding each student’s needs and providing personalized learning is at the heart of this achievement, and I am beyond

NEWS FOR PEOPLE, NOT FOR PROFIT. CHAIR

Bob Peck

RESULTS COMPARISON: 2025 vs. 2024 AND 2019

Grade

Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 10

Percentage of students meeting or exceeding expectations ELA ’25/’24/’19 67/64/68 48/48/57 59/53/66 50/51/69 55/49/60 71/72/73 53/74/79

Percentage of students meeting or exceeding expectations MATH ’25/’24/’19

Percentage of stuPercentage of students meetdents meeting or ing or exceeding expectations exceeding expecCIVICS 2025 tations SCIENCE (First year given) ’25/’24/’19

Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8

proud of their commitment to fostering every student’s success.

We will continue to build on the strategies and practices that have driven this success while working to further enhance student achievement across all areas of our curriculum.”

Across other Marblehead public schools, MCAS results were mixed compared to 2024 — and still mostly behind pre-pandemic levels.

kolson@marbleheadnews.org

Sports Reporter Joe McConnell Intern

61/56/64

CONTRIBUTORS

47/54/58 71/73/68

57

Percentage of students meeting or exceeding expectations MATH ’25/’24/’19

Percentage of students meeting or exceeding expectations SCIENCE ’25/’24/’19

60/44/44 30/16/57 41/39/59 69/37/48 46/21/41

Percentage of students meeting or exceeding expectations CIVICS ’25 (First year given)

32/37/75 50/42/66

Marblehead still beat statewide averages in most cases, however.

Superintendent John Robidoux said it was too early to comment on the results.

“I would be remiss if I were to make specific comments prior to presenting the results to our SC (School Committee). The administrator team has to delve into the data in order to share the information in a meaningful way, which is slated to occur at

Stephen Bach Linda Bassett Virginia Buckingham Laurie Fullerton James (Seamus) Hourihan Christine McCarriston Maggie Mulvihill Eyal Oren Pam Peterson Chris Stevens FREELANCE REPORTERS

Grey Collins Luca Tedesco Akanksha Goyal Bella Travaglini

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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the 10/30 meeting,” he wrote in an email.

Statewide, the 2025 results show that students are still behind where they were in 2019.

In grades 3-8, English language arts results increased from 2024, while math results were mostly flat. Science results were flat in grade 5 and lower in grade 8.

This is the first year that the MCAS is no longer a graduation requirement across the state.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Gene Arnould Brian Birke Cheryl Byrne Bob Peck Donna Rice David Vigneron Richard Weed - Treasurer EDITORIAL BOARD

Brian Birke Kris Olson Bob Peck Joseph P. Kahn DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Kathryn Whorf FOUNDERS

Jessica Barnett Ed Bell Leigh Blander Will Dowd David Moran Kris Olson DESIGN AND PRODUCTION

North of Boston Media Group

BY LEIGH BLANDER

are a few items that people can bring: oil-based paints, fuels, motor oil, insecticides, chemical fertilizer, photo chemicals and fluorescent bulbs. People may not bring prescription medicine or syringes, ammunition or fireworks, or commercial or industrial waste.

There are new fees this year: » $40, 0-3 gallons or up to 6 lbs. » $55, 3-10 gallons or up to 20 lbs. » $90, 10-25 gallons or up to 50 lbs.

Enter the Transfer Station on Green Street. Only credit cards and checks will be accepted. For more info, call 781-631-0212.

The Current welcomes submissions (150-200 words) to its News in Brief section. Send yours to info@marbleheadnews. org.

Committee votes to self report possible OML violation At the Sept. 30 School Committee meeting, member Jenn Schaeffner made a motion that the committee should self report a possible Open Meeting Law violation to the state.

Schaeffner said that an email sent

by Chair Al Williams regarding School Committee goals violated the OML because it included suggestions from two members for possible goals.

The School Committee ultimately voted 4-1 to self report, partly to avoid paying their attorney for a legal opinion.

Williams was the sole vote against the motion. The committee agreed to additional Open Meeting Law training.

Consulting Editor - Kris Olson

Saoirese Stallings

LOOKING AT MCCPS (2025 vs. 2024 AND 2019):

Grades

lblander@marbleheadnews.org

jmcconnell@marbleheadnews.org

62/60/52 58/64/61 56/50/66 61/56/71 62/55/65 57/69/63 56/75/78

Percentage of students meeting or exceeding expectations ELA ’25/’24/’19 54/35/49 32/37/55 55/56/55 64/34/46 71/46/61

NEWSROOM Editor - Leigh Blander

COURTESY PHOTOS

The Win-4-All Pickleball Tournament in Marblehead raised $35,000 for Girls, Inc.

Pickleball tourney supports Girls Inc. Marblehead Pickleball and TQM Wealth Partners raised $35,000 for Girls, Inc. of Boston and Lynn at its third annual Win-4All Pickleball Tournament at the Veterans School on Sept. 14. More than 140 players participated.

Nonprofit fundraising expert joins Y board

Sports complex one step closer to reality

Marblehead’s Amy Gingle, a nonprofit fundraising expert with nearly 20 years of development experience, has been named to the Lynchvan Otterloo YMCA board of directors, Marblehead’s announced Amy Gingle is the board chair Pat newest member Milner. Gingle of the Lynchalso works van Otterloo YMCA board of as a senior directors. director at the Orr group, a fundraising consulting firm.

“We are thrilled to add Amy to our team,” said Milner, who noted that the Y’s fundraising efforts support $800,000 in annual childcare scholarships, youth camperships and member assistance for those unable to fully pay.

The Recreation & Parks Commission voted to hire the firm CHA for $381,000 to begin planning the new Reynolds Park sports complex project. The project includes three phases, including a refrigerated ice rink with a pavilion-style roof and modular turf system allowing the facility to serve multiple sports throughout the year.

Rec & Parks Commissioner Shelly Bedrossian said CHA would start work this fall with engineering, topography and drainage studies. The results of those studies will help determine the scope of the project. The new sports complex is funded by a $3 million bequest left by Larz Anderson.

Star gazing and astronomy night at Goldthwait Weather permitting, the Goldthwait Reservation and members of the Gloucester

Area Astronomy Club will host a Star Gazing Party on Friday, Oct. 17, 7-9:30 p.m., with a cloud date of Saturday night, Oct. 18.

Attendance will be limited to the first 50 to register for the event, and children 6 years and up are welcome.

The Gloucester Astronomy Club will have laser tours of the autumn constellations and some fabulously high-powered telescopes set up to show the wonders of the dark night sky.

Celestial objects observed will be planets, star clusters, nebulae, distant galaxies and stars almost as old as time.

Star-gazing etiquette dictates that only red lights are permitted after dark. Red light flashlights (flashlights covered with red brake light tape) will be provided to assist people from their cars to the observation area. White light compromises night vision.

Flashlights and iPhone lights can be easily adapted with red cellophane paper or red brakelight tape.

To register, text 781-724-5734 or email fionaclubbock@gmail.com.

Household hazardous waste day The town is hosting its fall household hazardous waste day at the Transfer Station on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 4-7 p.m. Here

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REACT

It’s that time of year! Preparations for the Holiday Pops Concert at Abbot Hall are underway.

Holiday Pops

Marblehead Harbor Rotary will present Holiday Pops featuring maestro Dirk Hillyer and The Hillyer Festival Orchestra in historic Abbot Hall on Dec. 13.

Tickets go on sale Nov. 12 at rotaryclubofmheadharbor.org.

Floor tickets are $85, and balcony tickets are $45.

For sponsor details and event information, visit rotaryclubofmheadharbor. org or call Jessica Barnett at 781-639-0624.

CORRECTIONS The Current incorrectly identified Marblehead’s former town engineer in last week’s edition. His name is Charles Quigley.

Due to a typo, the Current incorrectly reported the amount of the donation made by Marblehead resident Dan Riccio to UMass. The correct amount is $50 million.

We regret the errors.

We’re standing by to listen to your ideas. Please drop us a line and let us know what you would like to see in your community newspaper. Send your thoughts to info@marbleheadnews.org.

IN MEMORIAM

Ed Bell, co-founder, co-chair (2022-2025)

Help keep the Current coming by scanning this QR code.

Thank you!

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Marblehead Current Wednesday, October 8, 2025 3

BRIGHT IDEAS

New light department boss talks about energy plans, mission

BY LEIGH BLANDER From leading teams on nuclear submarines to running the Marblehead Municipal Light Department, Jon Blair has had quite a career — and he’s only 40.

Blair started at MMLD on Sept. 29 and sat down with the Current two days later to talk about his goals for Marblehead.

“It’s clear the department is well run; it’s got a strong staff,” he said. “There’s not really anything that needs to be corrected. It’s about taking the mission and the vision that have been clearly stated — we provide reliable, affordable, lowcarbon energy for the people of Marblehead — and how we can do that in the best, most responsible way. How can we adapt to the changes of the industry, the challenges that are continually evolving.”

MMLD is one of only 41 municipal light departments in the state.

“Public power prides itself on being more reliable and affordable than investor-owned counterparts,” said Blair, adding that Marblehead electric rates are about 40% lower than in communities served by Eversource or National Grid.

Of those 41 municipal light departments, “I’d say Marblehead is consistently in

needs would be and position ourselves.”

Blair points out that Marblehead’s distribution system (lines, poles, etc.) dates back to the 1940s.

“There’s always going to be side streets with 60-year-old poles, right?” he said. “Or backyard lines that need attention…. It’s increasingly important for MMLD to proactively replace infrastructure that is exceeding its practical service. Therefore, planning and executing capital projects will continue to be a priority.”

‘Missions that matter’

CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER

Jon Blair stands in his new office at the Marblehead Municipal Light Department, where he started as general manager on Sept. 29. MMLD is one of 41 municipal light departments in the state.

the middle of the pack” on rates, Blair said.

He added, “That’s a good testament to the power contracts that we have and some of the solutions that have been layered in over the years.”

Sustainability is a key focus for Blair. He defines it this way: “It’s the intersection between economic viability, social responsibility and environmental stewardship. If you can hit that triple point,

those are the solutions that last, right? It’s always a balance.”

In 2024, MMLD increased its carbon-free electricity portfolio from 42% to 65%, including a mix of nuclear, hydroelectric, wind and solar power.

“Diversity is really important — whether you’re talking about a financial portfolio or an energy portfolio,” he said. “It helps make it more resilient.”

From 2016-2023, Blair

led Ipswich’s public light department.

“We tried a lot of really new and exciting things,” he said.

“We had just an openness to try, to fail, to learn from those failings and move on in a better direction. We had some really innovative customer programs.

We tried to understand how the markets operated and the directions that they were moving so that we could be more anticipatory to what

Blair spent the last two years as an energy consultant in the private sector.

He is happy to be back in the public space.

“I’m motivated by missions that matter,” he said. “And I’m passionate about public service and serving communities that I care about. I have a particular affinity for this corner of coastal New England.”

Blair continued, “Energy is a really important issue and represents some really compelling challenges and opportunities. Some people grow up to be doctors, lawyers or teachers, or firefighters. And I guess my calling has always been in the energy industry.”

Coffee From P. 1

Adam Questad is a civil engineer.

Origin story

Buchanan and Questad and their young families have been friends for years. They would often hang out over coffee and talk about possible side gigs. They quickly landed on a common passion: coffee.

“We decided, let’s see if we can make coffee,” Buchanan remembers. “And we looked up a bunch of different ways to do it. You can roast it in your oven, you can do it on a stove top. We decided to use a popcorn popper, and it was pretty good.”

They ordered green coffee beans off the internet and started experimenting. They eventually bought a small roaster they keep at Questad’s house.

“It’s cool because it plugs into a computer so you can program what you want,” Questad explained. “If you want a light roast, a medium roast or an espresso blend, you’re going to develop a different roast profile.

A profile is really just heat settings, how long you apply heat.”

After nearly a year of experimenting (and setting off their smoke detectors several times) the friends landed on their first official blend, Barnegat Breakfast. Their second blend, out in time for Halloween, is called Soleless Shakedown (a reference to Old Burial Hill and the movie “Hocus Pocus”).

Buchanan and Questad roasted about 75 batches before landing on their first winner. They use beans from Brazil, Guatemala, El Salvador, Ethiopia and other countries.

Bond plans to produce a new blend every month, which they’ll sell via their website, at local shops and at restaurants. They make deliveries in a Japanese mini-truck.

They’re focusing on keeping the business “hyper-local” and

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Adam Questad makes a “pour over” batch of his Bond Coffee.

CURRENT PHOTOS / LEIGH BLANDER

focused on the community.

“We’ll ship anywhere, we’ll go anywhere, but we really want to deliver to the neighborhood as much as possible, combined with some wholesale accounts, which would be small cafes, stuff like that, and some retail, too,” Buchanan said.

The partners are planning a marketing campaign in town that includes a tasting party at Buchanan’s office at 89 Front St. “We had this idea that, if we ever had a cafe, we would try to hold these free Find Your Fuel sessions, or something like that, where you come and you try the different blends and figure out what you want to be fueled by, what you actually really like,” Buchanan said.

COURTESY PHOTO

Buchanan and Questad bought this coffee roaster and have experimented with several different blends so far.

Chris Buchanan checks out a possible new blend after roasting.

To learn more about Bond Coffee Roasters, visit thebondcoffee.com.

marbleheadcurrent.org

4 Wednesday, October 8, 2025 Marblehead Current

Opinion EDITORIAL

The pink of health A decade ago, then-Vice President Joe Biden launched the Cancer Moonshot initiative, an ambitious attempt to cut cancer deaths in half over a 25-year period. By some estimates, more than four million lives could be saved.

Relaunched in 2022, the program grew to embrace hundreds of government actions and institutional allies, including a wide array of academic institutions, nonprofits and patient groups. All had meaningful stakes in saving and improving the lives of millions.

For President Biden, who oversaw formation of a Cabinet-level cancer task force from his Oval Office perch, the cause was personal. Having lost his son Beau to brain cancer in 2015, he hoped to spare other families what his own had suffered through.

Whatever one thought of his politics (or fitness for office), one had to admire Biden’s commitment to fight a disease that has or will touch most of us, sooner or later.

Fast forward three years, and the Cancer Moonshot looks more like a long shot — if not a grim fatality in the war on medical science being waged by the current administration. With research grants slashed, ongoing trials terminated and certified experts replaced by ignorant ideologues, the path forward does not look hopeful.

But that doesn’t mean the fight to treat (and hopefully cure) more cancer patients has been abandoned. As we often see these days, the will to set aside partisan politics and work for the common good remains alive and well at the grassroots level.

And that’s where communities like ours step in — and step up. When federal agencies and other authorities fail to do their job, others must. It’s really that simple. And that local.

This October, Marblehead is observing Breast Cancer Awareness Month, drawing on contributions from many sources. One campaign, designated Marblehead Turns Pink for Ellie, supports the Ellie Fund, a Needham-based nonprofit providing a menu of free services — child care reimbursements, home food delivery and housekeeping, rides to medical appointments — to breast cancer patients and their families.

These services help manage the stress faced by anyone, female or male, undergoing treatment for and recovery from the disease. Resources are provided regardless of financial situation or insurance coverage.

They make a huge difference in patients’ quality of life during very challenging times, as those affected will attest.

More than 100 town businesses are supporting the Pink awareness campaign. Last weekend (Oct. 3-4) brought a movie screening at the Warwick, special dinner at The Landing, and exhibits at Marblehead’s Farmers’ Market and Fall Festival. Walk around town, and you’ll see storefront posters and other signs of campaign solidarity.

In addition, last Saturday at the North Shore Music Theatre, the show “Myth Magic & Mystery” was staged to benefit Voices of Hope, a Boston-based nonprofit whose primary mission is funding cancer research and treatment. Among the show’s 120-person cast and crew were many Marblehead residents.

Voices of Hope’s major benefactors include town resident Belinda Termeer. To date, the nonprofit has raised over $1 million for the Termeer Center for Targeted Therapies at MGH Cancer Center, established in memory of her late husband Henri Termeer, the former Genzyme CEO, whom we lost in 2017.

Meanwhile, nearly two dozen Headers participated in this year’s Jimmy Fund Walk along the Boston Marathon route last Sunday. The money raised — this year’s goal was nearly $10 million — supports patient care and research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, one of the nation’s premier treatment centers.

These grassroots, community-based initiatives rely on hard work and visionary optimism, the kind demonstrated by individuals like Marblehead’s Susan Hassett and her team of local volunteers who powered the Marblehead Turns Pink for Ellie effort. A breast cancer survivor, Hassett and crew began their campaign last summer, and their good work is worthy of widespread support.

Kate Ward, the Ellie Fund’s director of development, said it best when asked about the Marblehead Turns Pink campaign.

“Marblehead has taken it to a new level this year,” she told the Current, adding that our town “serves as a shining example for other communities to take inspiration from.”

We trust they will. And to everyone who’s already volunteered, donated funds, bought tickets to events, walked in memory of loved ones, or otherwise raised a helping hand, we appreciate you.

One might even say we’re tickled pink to know you.

PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVES

Improving mental health and wellness in Marblehead

BY THOMAS A MASSARO M.D., Ph.D AND KRISTIN ERBETTA Ph.D, MPH, MSW

“Mental health is the defining public health crisis of our time.”

It is difficult to disagree with the quote from Dr. Vivek Murthy above.

The facts are overwhelming.

In 2024, 23% of U.S. adults struggled with a mental illness and 18% reported having a substance use disorder.

Approximately 20% of American youth had at least one major depressive episode, with 13% reporting having seriously considered suicide. Despite the high incidence of mental illness, less than half of youth receive treatment nationwide.

Marblehead and its young people are not immune. An article in this newspaper reporting on the annual Youth Risk Behavioral Survey for high schoolers showed that in 2024, 21% of MHS students reported experiencing meaningful anxiety and 13% reported depression. Eleven percent reported suicidal thoughts. Much of the School Committee discussion on that report focused on student substance use — specifically alcohol — which appeared to be at worrisome levels and has recently been receiving more attention in the town.

Even if there is agreement with Murthy’s comment about the mental health crisis, developing a meaningful response is not easy. With an average of 340 people for every one mental health professional nationally, the mental health provider community is being overwhelmed. Local mental health providers, including the Marblehead Counseling Center, report wait lists for their services.

The Board of Health has a history of involvement with mental health issues. It has been a strong supporter of the Marblehead Counseling Center for many years. During it established the Marblehead Mental Health Task Force to address the behavioral consequences of the pandemic. But as the BoH moves to strengthen its capacity to be a proactive force promoting health and wellness, it needs a more comprehensive strategy for addressing mental health and, perhaps even more significantly, for partnering with others at the mental health interface. The town has functioned fairly well for 376 years with its boards and committees primarily functioning in silos. But mental health issues are sufficiently “public” in consequence, that joint venturing with other town agencies in analyses and solutions may be the better approach in the future.

The new strategy also needs to be realistic and consistent with the nature of public health which is not structured to provide services to individuals via one-on-one treatment, therapy or support. Those efforts remain the sole prerogative of the health care delivery system. Public health focuses on the well-being of populations or groups and should consider how to support actions that foster mental wellness and resilience in the community.

Public health is most effective when it focuses on the root causes in the society or environment which lead to poor health in those groups. It often addresses non-clinical factors, known as social determinants of health, which are defined as “the conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning

WELLNESS SURVEY All Marblehead residents 18 and older are urged to take a survey regarding their health and wellness. The confidential assessment run by a team from UMass Boston is part of the Creating a Healthier Marblehead (CAHM) initiative, which is based on the belief that the Board of Health should be more actively involved in improving the wellness of our community. and quality-of-life outcomes and risks.” Many of the mental health issues resulting from SDOH (social determinants of health) risks appear as anxiety, depression and stress-type responses. One relatively new and quite logical approach to dealing with SDOH is known as Public Mental Health. PMH builds on existing or easily generated resources in local communities and describes societal actions designed to: » Prevent mental health problems from occurring » Reduce the consequences of existing mental health problems » Promote mental health wellness and resilience in our communities.

PMH looks at health from a variety of perspectives, including how health occurs across a continuum of people’s lives from prenatal to older adulthood.

If PMH were adopted, the BoH would certainly have to learn how to be a better partner. It can and should provide insight and data for analysis of many problems that arise, but it does not have to “own” everything it considers. Well-intentioned consultants can add great value to projects, and as the BoH anticipates growing to five members next year, this might be a good time to add helpful consultation to its existing skill sets. Part of that would include learning how to increase awareness among potential partners about the BoH’s willingness to partner and to be comfortable in such a partnership.

Let’s take the excessive alcohol use discussion by the School Committee described above as an example of how PMH might work if it were endorsed by the BoH and community. Once the School Committee recognized its substance use issue, it would almost automatically approach the BoH for assistance in developing a science and databased root cause analysis and possibly help engage the larger community to assist in the potential responses. The School Committee and BoH would draw on their respective skill sets and work together on dealing with a problem that transcends the boundaries and capabilities of both groups functioning independently. Similar partnerships could be envisioned between the BoH and other groups in the town.

Kristin Erbetta is a faculty member in the School of Social Work at Salem State University.

Thomas A. Massaro is a chair of the Marblehead Board of Health. The opinions here are theirs alone and do not represent the views of their organizations.

LETTERS POLICY The Current welcomes letters to the editor and strives to represent a range of viewpoints on our opinion pages.

Generally, letters should not exceed 500 words. Letters over the word limit may be returned to the writer for editing.

Writers may be given more leeway to criticize national political candidates and other public figures. However, in all cases, letter writers should refrain from name calling and personal attacks and instead focus on the substance of matters of public concern.

Letter writers may be asked to substantiate claims that do not relate to information previously published in the Current.

While we will make every effort to let writers have their say, we reserve the right not to publish letters.

Letters must include: » The author’s name. Unsigned letters and form letters will not be published. » The name of the street on which the author lives in Marblehead.

Only the street name will be published next to the author’s name – not their full address. » The author’s daytime/cell

phone number for verification purposes (not publication).

Letters must be received by our newsroom directly from their writers (for special circumstances, contact the newsroom). Email submissions to info@marbleheadnews.org or use the submission form found at marbleheadcurrent.org/letters.

Some letters may be shared to social media. We will share a wide array of viewpoints.

Letters must be received by noon on Friday in order to be printed in the following week’s print edition.

marbleheadcurrent.org

Marblehead Current Wednesday, October 8, 2025 5

FOOD 101

Preparing sweet (potato) dreams

BY LINDA BASSETT Sweet potatoes are not yams.

We know that even though the two often spill over into one another at the grocery store. You can barely tell the difference.

Some cooks use them interchangeably, although a sweet potato, with its dark orange flesh, is a tuber of a different color.

Russet potatoes (aka Idaho or baking potatoes) also sit nearby, but they are never confused with sweet potatoes.

At the market, look for a firm exterior free of bruises or cuts.

At home, store in a cool, dark place. (A chef recently told me that he stores all potatoes with apples in a refrigerator bin: he claims the potatoes keep longer.

I haven’t tried this.) They are best when used within two weeks.

Baking is, by far, the best cooking method. Just pierce all over with a sharp knife, toss them into the oven and forget them for an hour. No peeling, cubing, slicing. I cook them on a baking sheet. (Baked on oven racks, the syrupy juices will drip into the oven, then burn and stick, leaving the cook with a mess to clean up.) At the end of an hour, they will be tender when pierced with a fork.

A few deviations from the course: » Scoop the flesh and mash sweet potatoes with russets for a twist on the original. » Add to (baked) butternut squash and ginger, to puree with vegetable stock, herbs and a splash of milk into a creamy soup. » Split baked spuds across the top, then stuff with cooked broccoli, chopped bacon and mild cheddar, then set under the broiler until the cheese melts.

I’ve included a method of slitting the potatoes to hold more delicious ingredients from the cook’s imagination. I’ve always found it a great way to

COURTESY PHOTO

Current food columnist Linda Bassett shares her sweet (potato) dreams.

get greens into children.

BAKED SWEET POTATOES Adapted from “American Cooking” by James Beard.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS.

For decades, cooks have turned to Beard for definitive basil American recipes.

To keep potatoes from rolling around on the pan, shave a thin slice from one side with a vegetable peeler. This makes a stable base. ` 4 sweet potatoes ` butter

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line a sheet-pan with foil and place

the potatoes in it.

Pierce potatoes several times with a knife. Bake for one hour, moving the potatoes on the pan once or twice so they do not stick.

Bake for about 60 minutes, depending on size, until the potatoes are tender when pierced.

HASSELBACK-STYLE SWEET POTATOES This recipe, originally meant for russets, was the menu star at a long-ago European ski lodge.

Here they take on a modern translation.

` 4 medium russet potatoes. ` 1 teaspoon olive oil ` 2 teaspoon melted butter ` coarse salt and black pepper, to taste.

For between the slices: fresh baby spinach, soft cheeses like brie, roasted red peppers, etc.

Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Slice a thin portion from one side of each potato with a vegetable peeler or knife.

Place potato on a sheet pan, flat side down. Bake, 30 minutes; remove from the oven.

Place a chop stick lengthwise along either side of a potato.

Then slice crosswise: the chopsticks should stop the knife from cutting through the bottom of the potato, The sections fan out slightly.

Brush potatoes with melted butter. Gently fit fillings between the slices. Continue cooking for 20 to 30 minutes until the cheese is melted.

Season with salt and pepper.

Marblehead resident Linda Bassett has worked as a cook, trained up-and-coming chefs, studied food history and led food tours. Her book, “From Apple Pie to Pad Thai,” is about local cooks and cooking.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The streets seem more cluttered than ever To the editor: As we all know, parking has always been a huge problem in Marblehead, particularly in the downtown areas. But recently it seems that the town streets have become more cluttered making it harder to navigate and sometimes even hazardous! Not only do we have to deal with ongoing road work, landscaping and delivery trucks parked anywhere including under no parking signs and SUVs parked on 17th-century streets, we now seem to have recreational vehicles parked long-term.

One day I counted nine boats on trailers parked from Grace Oliver’s Beach to Pond Street and that did not include the boats parked near the boat yards.

I don’t remember this ever being the case in my 40 years living in Marblehead.

At least when we had the overnight winter parking ban we got some relief from our parking problems. Maybe it’s time to revisit that!

Pat Fried Hillside Avenue

‘Let’s get to work’ on 3A To the editor:

Regarding recent coverage of the 3A housing issue, now that the fantasy of a 3A “exemption” has been taken off the table by the state (something that was never a real possibility), town leaders are doing the only responsible thing — coming up with a new plan to comply with the law, like nearly every other community covered by this law has done. The only alternative is to do nothing — which the Attorney General has already signaled will result in a lawsuit against the town in January, for which we have no defense. The inevitable result — enormous amounts of our tax dollars wasted on litigation, the loss of millions in state grant funding (both translating to higher property taxes) and the loss of local control over zoning decisions through imposition of a compliant plan by the courts.

A majority of voters in the July referendum were sold a false narrative that there was an easy way out — but this was never the case. Now it’s time for concerned voters on every side of this debate to engage in a public process to come up with a compliant plan that has local support, ideally one that will create at least a modest number of new housing units for people that need a place to live.

Let’s get to work.

Angus G. McQuilken Ticehurst Lane

The importance of nonprofit, independent news To the editor: As a former board member of the Marblehead Current, I know firsthand how much care, sacrifice, and determination have gone into keeping the paper alive. That’s why I appreciated Logan Casey’s October 1 letter underscoring the importance of supporting local news and the value of Will Dowd’s reporting.

For three and a half years the Current has quietly pulled off something ambitious: the production, printing, and mailing of a weekly nonprofit newspaper—online, in print, and across social media—free of charge to 10,000 households and businesses. The board and staff have pursued that mission with extraordinary care, stretching each dollar and making hard tradeoffs to keep the presses running. One of the biggest commitments was sustaining a full-time reporter’s salary with benefits.

The Current has always faced a challenging paradox. Because it is so well done and shows up reliably in our mailboxes, it can seem like it doesn’t need support. Quality has earned the paper many fans and, at the same time, few donors — people

seem to assume that a paper in need would “look” like it. Year after year, without lowering their professional standards, the Current team alerted the community that sustained support was essential to survival.

I can say with confidence: nonprofit journalism is hard math. There’s no corporate parent footing the bills—only local volunteers, donors, and advertisers working together to do something vital for civic life. The effort to sustain the paper, including retaining a full time employee, was consistently approached with loyalty, creativity, and determination.

In the end, though, as a recent editorial explained, the Current’s budget “could no longer sustain a newsroom that, as best we can tell, has been significantly larger than those of the other startup nonprofit news organizations”.

Will was offered the option to remain with the Current on an ad-hoc basis, continuing to strengthen the labor of love he helped to found, but unfortunately it wasn’t to be.

I hope the community recognizes that this is about more than one role. It’s about whether we are willing to have skin in the game so that independent, reliable reporting can exist - and even thrive. What Marblehead has in the Current is rare: a hyper-local newsroom run by

experienced, professionally trained journalists with integrity. Since June, three editions of the Weekly News printed glaring errors (two positioning a notorious former school committee member as still in office, one seemingly reinstating a former school superintendent). They were alerted to all three; none were retracted. The Current has consistently prioritized accuracy, context, nuance and public trust - and when they make mistakes, like all organizations and human beings do, they own them.

Do we want to keep the “nice things” we value — like a quality newspaper landing in every mailbox every week? Do we want the Current to be able to afford things like qualified, full time employees?

If the answer for you is “yes”, please get in the game. Visit marbleheadcurrent.org/donate and sign up for a monthly sustaining donation. If you own a business, locally or not, run ads. If you value — on a Constitutional level, even — a free and fair press, you have a chance right in front of you to show it. Thank you, Logan, for reminding us what’s at stake.

Sincerely, Kate Haesche Thomson Bubier Road

marbleheadcurrent.org

6 Wednesday, October 8, 2025 Marblehead Current

SAFETY & SUSTAINABILITY

Bicycle proposal charts path to safer, more accessible streets

BY AKANKSHA GOYAL Marblehead is gearing up to make its streets more bike-friendly, unveiling a plan that could reshape how residents and visitors navigate the town. On Sept. 24, the Select Board heard the Bicycle Facilities Plan, a blueprint developed over the past year to construct bike lanes, improve signage and enhance safety at critical intersections.

At the meeting, town Sustainability Coordinator Logan Casey described this project as the final piece of planning for Marblehead’s Complete Streets framework. Previous

efforts have focused on sidewalks, pavement management and Rail Trail improvements.

Casey told the board the proposal complements, but does not duplicate, the 2020 Rail Trail Plan.

Instead, it focuses on on-street facilities and prioritizes routes near schools, crash clusters and key town destinations.

The goal, he said, is to make bicycling a safe, efficient and practical option for all residents and visitors, while expanding the network in ways that improve safety, reduce traffic, promote public health and weave bicycle planning into broader

town policies.

The plan was shaped by extensive public engagement, including pop-up events, a workshop at Abbot Hall and an online survey that drew more than 800 responses.

Feedback consistently emphasized safety, especially for children riding to school.

“Many kids and parents don’t necessarily feel safe riding to school on our current network, but many still choose to bike regardless,” he told the board.

Residents also called for more bike parking, safer intersections and better connections to

MBTA Commuter Rail stations and neighboring communities like Salem and Swampscott. Others urged the town to add an education component to promote road etiquette among drivers and Cyclists.

Education is key Marblehead Cycle owner Dan Shuman shared that concern.

“It’s a good start,” he said of the plan, “but they definitely need to do some education, because I get worried about a lot of the people on electric bikes and what the current laws are versus what I think they should be.” The plan identifies two types of infrastructure: separated facilities such as bike lanes or shared- use paths, and neighborhood greenways that calm traffic on quieter streets. The Historic District with narrow streets, Casey noted, are unlikely to see dedicated lanes.

“It doesn’t really make sense to put protected bike infrastructure in that part of town,” he said.

Instead, shared routes and signage could remind drivers to expect cyclists.

On wider arterials such as Pleasant Street, Humphrey Street and West Shore Drive, separated lanes could be considered following public input.

Shuman pointed to those same corridors, along with others like Lafayette Street and Atlantic Avenue, as the most urgent areas for bikefriendly improvements — many of which already

appear to be prioritized in the draft plan.

He also noted that cycling in Marblehead has surged since the pandemic.

“There’s been a much bigger increase of cyclists and hopefully that continues,” Shuman said, adding that safer infrastructure, safety classes, group rides and youth programs could help sustain the trend.

In a follow-up interview with the Current, Casey said the plan did not calculate an overall implementation cost, noting that expenses will depend on the scope of each project.

“That’s really hard to calculate because there are so many variables,” he said, pointing to factors such as road and sidewalk conditions, stormwater infrastructure and whether a simple, quickbuild approach — like paint, planters or barriers — or a full redesign is needed. “The plan gives an outline and helps the town… prioritize which roads we should start looking at addressing.”

The town expects to pursue a patchwork of state and federal funding, with Casey pointing to MassDOT’s Complete Streets and Safe Routes to School programs, the federal Transportation Improvement Program and MassWorks grants as likely sources.

He said the plan does not set a fixed timeline for implementation. Progress will depend on project priorities, continued

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community feedback and funding availability.

“The speed is kind of dictated on how much money we’re getting from state grants and... local support from the town,” Casey said.

While the timeline remains uncertain, Shuman said the improvements themselves are especially necessary given the heavy traffic during school pickup and drop-off. He argued that many trips in Marblehead are short enough to be done on foot or by bike.

“The town’s not very big and I think it would help the environment, but it also helps ease congestion,” he said.

Tourism is another reason to support improvements, he added.

“We have a lot of customers that come in that are looking for a place to ride safely and want to go visit Marblehead,” Shuman said. “But there’s not really great infrastructure. There’s not good bike parking anywhere except for at the schools.” According to Casey, residents can already see some changes on the ground. These improvements may not be specifically outlined in the Bicycle Facilities Plan but still enhance cycling and pedestrian safety, such as recent Rail Trail upgrades, modifications on residential streets to slow traffic and drainage improvements.

Following overwhelming resident concerns over safety, Casey emphasized that education will be a central part of the plan, including campaigns on responsible biking practices and proper helmet and light use for all riders.

For Shuman, e-bike safety is a particular concern, with more residents buying them thanks to a state rebate.

He worries about children riding powerful models without helmets, calling for clearer rules about where e-bikes are allowed and stronger enforcement of speed and helmet laws.

The draft plan is set to undergo Select Board review before final adoption. If approved, officials hope it will guide Marblehead toward safer streets and a more sustainable future.

marbleheadcurrent.org

Marblehead Current Wednesday, October 8, 2025 7

COMMUNITY SERVINGS

Marblehead Food Pantry under new leadership; gearing up for holidays

BY SAOIRSE STALLINGS Marblehead resident and longtime volunteer at the Marblehead Food Pantry Marcy Schwam has taken over the pantry from founder Janet Parker, who started the operation in 1991. Parker has retired.

Schwam started volunteering in 2014 during a Thanksgiving drive for the pantry.

“I’ve always had a belief that no one should be hungry or cold — plain and simple,” Schwam said.

Several years later, COVID threatened to close the pantry, but Schwam came up with an idea to serve people safely.

“I couldn’t accept that we’d have to close, so we came up with a way to keep it open,” she said.

Every Saturday, Schwam and another volunteer would go to the pantry and pack bags, up to 100 orders, and mark spots in the parking lot where clients could pick them up.

“It worked and allowed us to stay open and I think from that moment on, seeing how dependent the households that we serviced were was when I really took even more of an interest for those few years.”

Looking to the future, Schwam is hoping to find new storage

Goodwin

From P. 1 students (saying) it was going out of business and there was no money to offer refunds,” the press release states. “Shortly after, the agency’s website went down and all previous contact phone numbers and email addresses were inactive.

The investigation revealed the agency was being sued by numerous other organizations for similar allegations to include Flagler College in St. Augustine.”

‘One step toward justice, but just a step’ Christopher Weinrich, a teacher at Seabreeze High who helped organize the Stone & Compass trip, is relieved to hear the news of Goodwin’s arrest warrant.

“Needless to say, and I think I speak for most if not all of the victims, we are very pleased with this development,” Weinrich said. “It is one step toward justice, but just a step. It is my

The Marblehead Food Pantry feeds dozens of local families.

CURRENT PHOTOS / SAOIRSE STALLINGS

Marcy Schwam is now running the Marblehead Food Pantry, which is located at Star of the Sea parish center on Atlantic Avenue.

space to make it easier for volunteers to transport food and restock the pantry. Right now, the pantry’s storage space is at the Masonic Lodge on Pleasant Street.

“We would love to be able to get a small storage space so that we could stock our backfill and just be able to bring it from one part of the building to here rather than have it (stored

food)] be a mile away and have to load vehicles to bring it here.

Also our storage area is not an adequate area. It’s in the basement of the building and it’s very old,” said Schwam.

“Fundamentally, a food pantry shouldn’t have to go to the food, the food should come to the food pantry. Unfortunately, our client base exceeds what our donations are in food at this

understanding that Rob is not in custody yet. That’s the next step. We are hopeful that he will be apprehended quickly so that he is not able to defraud anyone else.”

St. Johns County, Florida.”

The AG’s complaint alleges Goodwin owes $181,800 to 43 consumers at Seabreeze High School.

Goodwin told the Current last year that the cancellations were necessary after Stone & Compass was defrauded out of nearly $900,000 by two New York financial institutions.

Contacted by the Current, the New York AG’s office said, “We do not have anything to share at the moment.”

A Sept. 24 response to the Florida AG reads, “We hereby bare (sic) testimony to said summons and complaint and call into question its entirety.

It is wrought with inaccurate information, misleading innuendos and blatant falsities.”

The response continued: “At no point was anything done maliciously or with the thought of Stone & Compass or Robert Goodwin gaining financially…

And now, to date, due to the unfortunate circumstances, Stone & Compass has closed and

Florida AG case against Goodwin Last month, the Florida Attorney General’s Office named Goodwin in a complaint, alleging that he and Stone & Compass violated Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. The AG is asking a judge to order Goodwin to pay $2.6 million in restitution and civil penalties, and ban him from doing business in Florida.

In the Florida AG’s complaint, Goodwin and Stone & Compass are accused of “deceptive business practices as it relates to marketing, selling, offering, providing or accepting payment for group travel services to students, parents and/or faculty members at Seabreeze High School in Volusia County, Florida, and Flagler College in

exact moment. Hopefully within the next six to eight weeks, that will change. Hence the importance of the community knowing that the food pantry exists under new management and new procedures. So if we can get our backfill — and I’ll call it our warehouse— up to levels that are satisfactory, we’ll be able to shop less and just move food from our storage area to here.”

Preparing for the holidays For the holiday season, the pantry is planning a new way to have the community donate.

“I will be asking all the places of worship within Marblehead to hold a more specific food drive.

COURTESY PHOTO

The Volusia Sheriff’s Office in northern Florida issued an arrest warrant Sept. 30 for Robert Goodwin of Marblehead, seen here on a past trip to Greece with his travel company, Stone & Compass.

has been closed for over a year.

Robert Goodwin, the founder has no assets, no house, no car, no bank accounts and has lost everything due to the complete destruction of a great company.”

Lawsuits vs. Goodwin

In August 2024, the Current

Trash From P. 1

new communities.

He is proposing moving to an automated trash collection system, where trucks with mechanical arms lift and empty barrels, reducing the need for a second person on each route. That would work in most neighborhoods, except for the Historic District, where trash barrels would need to be picked up by hand.

Currently, every household in town is allowed one 65-gallon toter or two 35-gallon barrels for trash, and unlimited recycling.

“Moving forward, I recommend we standardize barrels curbside — with one 65-gallon toter for trash and one 65-gallon toter for recycling.”

Another option, he said, would be to switch to picking up recycling every other week and using a 95-gallon toter.

The Health Department would provide the toters to residents at a cost of $900,000 over five years, paid for by the town.

The BoH hopes to hold public

CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER

Public Health Director Andrew Petty talks about new options for trash and recycling in town at a Sept. 29 Board of Health meeting.

meetings soon to get feedback from residents.

Drinking culture

BoH member Tom McMahon said he was meeting with members of the School Committee, Recreation and Parks Commission and Select Board to talk about ways to address Marblehead’s drinking culture, after two tragic teen deaths in recent years.

One idea being discussed is bringing the Arrive Alive Tour to Marblehead High and Veterans School. The Arrive Alive Tour provides simulated experiences of driving under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, while texting and more. The cost is about $22,500 for nine days.

CAHM postcards

Board of Health Chair Tom Massaro said 16,739 postcards

were being mailed Sept. 29, urging all Marblehead residents, ages 18 and older, to take part in a health-and-wellness survey.

The survey will be open for several weeks. A report on the results will be available in the spring.

COVID vaccine guidance

BoH member Dr. Amanda Ritvo spoke about guidance around the COVID vaccine this season.

“The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has taken clear steps, including a standing order allowing all pharmacists to vaccinate all eligible individuals. So you do

It might be assigning different parishes or congregations, ‘Can you be the coffee supplier?’

Because I believe that when the more specific we can be with our requests, the better the donations are because it’s very easy. When I go to the market this week, they’re looking for spaghetti sauce. I’ll pick up some extra spaghetti sauce.”

Currently the pantry serves about 80 households, with the most popular items being basic baking supplies like flour and sugar, as well as canned goods like beans or lentils.

If you are interested in volunteering or looking for more information on the pantry, visit marbleheadfoodpantry.org.

reported that Goodwin and Stone & Compass were named in seven New York lawsuits by financial companies who claimed Goodwin owed them a total of $863,118.

Goodwin and Stone & Compass are alleged to have breached their contracts with the plaintiffs. In one case, Square Funding said it purchased 10.50% of Stone & Compass’ receivables for $246,750 and that Goodwin agreed to set up a bank account from which Square Funding could make withdrawals until the money was paid back.

Square Funding claims that after depositing $49,350, Goodwin stopped adding money.

By August 2024, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office had received six complaints regarding Stone & Compass, according to a spokesperson from the AG’s office.

Several recent attempts to reach Goodwin have been unsuccessful.

not need a doctor’s prescription, even if it’s… even if the federal government says you need one.

The state of Massachusetts is requiring insurance coverage for COVID.” Ritvo shared the folowing guidelines for COVID vaccines. » All people 18+, especially those older than 65 » Children ages 6-23 months » All women at any stage of pregnancy » People ages 2-18 can take a risk-based approach. Those who are at low risk can also be vaccinated.

Transfer Station update

The BoH approved $1.59 million to complete the final phase of Transfer Station renovations, including a new scale house, moving the scale to a permanent location in front of the pit and site work.

Construction should begin this fall.

“There is going to be some disturbance, some downtime,” Petty said. “Unfortunately, you have to break some eggs to make a cake.”

marbleheadcurrent.org

8 Wednesday, October 8, 2025 Marblehead Current

JETSETTER

Marblehead’s most traveled cat?

BY SAOIRSE STALLINGS Riley Sugarman was volunteering at the Marblehead Animal Shelter in June 2020 when a litter of kittens arrived.

That’s when she met Freddie.

“All his food was completely untouched and then once I came in I reached my hand into the cage and pet him. And he starts eating for the first time. And cats, if they eat in front of you, they trust you so I went home and told my parents. I was like ‘This cat, he’s the one,’” said Sugarman.

Sugarman and Freddie moved to Boston, back to Marblehead and then to Salem. In January 2023, they went on their biggest adventure — moving to Japan.

COURTESY PHOTOS

Freddie living his best life in Japan.

Meet Rosie, Sugarman’s new cat.

“I’m not sure Freddie is aware that he’s moved countries.

He just knows that he’s in an apartment with his mom in a new city. He doesn’t act any differently than he did in Boston

or in Kyoto,” said Sugarman.

Six months after moving, Sugarman met her boyfriend, with whom Freddie has a great connection.

“Within a month after we

Before

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started dating, Freddie accepted my boyfriend, Kento, as his dad. Not stepdad — full-dad status. They have a beautiful relationship, and I’ve never seen him (Freddie) so comfortable with someone other than me.

They cuddle and play like they’ve known each other for much longer than two years. He is a mommy’s boy, for sure, but Kento is in solid second place.” said Sugarman.

Trips to the vet in Japan can be difficult for those who don’t speak the language, but the bills are much lower.

“Before I met Kento, vet visits were tricky with the language barrier. I didn’t study veterinaryrelated vocabulary in language school, but could manage

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

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enough, but now his presence makes it much easier. Those who don’t understand Japanese at all would need an Englishspeaking vet. Vet visits are also much cheaper in Japan. An annual appointment with blood and pee tests, plus the yearly vaccine, costs about 75 USD,” said Sugarman.

Cat food and toys in Japan look similar to the ones in the U.S., although there are a lot fewer options than in the endless pet aisles in America.

Freddie still gets his favorite food brand, Purina.

Sugarman teaches at an international preschool in Tokyo and has just adopted a second cat, Rosie. So far, Freddie seems to approve.

Featuring Ulrike Welsch Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist Jared Charney portraiture photojournalism Tanya Braganti portraiture photojournalist Grey Collins editor of MHS Headlight student newspaper Leigh Blander Current Editor in chief Moderator

Panel discussion to benefit the Marblehead Current hosted by the Marblehead Arts Association • 3 rd Floor Ballroom • 8 Hooper Street Marblehead

VENUE IS NOT WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE BUT WILL BE SIMULCAST TO FIRST FLOOR.

Thank you Marblehead!

The town sure does look good in pink!

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

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

We urge you to contact our partners listed below, or speak to your local clergy to request assistance from Marblehead Female Humane Society:

A heartfelt thank-you to the incredible businesses, organizations, and individuals who joined together this weekend to support people and families facing breast cancer.

Marblehead truly showed its heart!

There’s still time to help with a donation: Use the QR code, or VENMO @elliefundsupportingpatients, or go to https://www.elliefund.org/marblehead-2025/

Marblehead Counseling Center 781-631-8273 Marblehead Housing Authority 781-631-2580 Marblehead Council on Aging 781-631-6225 Marblehead Food Pantry 781-631-8340

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HELP US SUPPORT LOCAL BREAST CANCER PATIENTS. SCAN HERE:

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marbleheadcurrent.org

Marblehead Current Wednesday, October 8, 2025 9

Sports WINNING STREAK

Girls soccer remains unbeaten, pick up 1-0 win over Peabody

BY LUCA TEDESCO The Marblehead Magicians girls varsity soccer team took home a 1-0 victory in their league match against the Peabody Veterans Memorial High School Tanners at Piper Field Friday evening.

“It’s a strange situation,” said Marblehead Head Coach, Lisa Wales, postgame. “I’m disappointed because we outshot them, we controlled the play, but we couldn’t find the back of the net.”

Marblehead came out of the gates in dominating fashion, consistently keeping the ball in the opposition half of the pitch throughout the opening phases of the match. The first chance of the night came off the boot of senior Liv Carlson, forcing Peabody’s keeper to make a strong save to keep the score level.

Sydney Ball came mere inches from hitting a 20-yard screamer to put the hosts ahead in the 27th minute, but clanged the ball off the woodwork and out for a goal kick.

The opening goal of the match came from Callie Gilmore just a few moments later. The junior controlled a quick pass from Liv

CURRENT PHOTOS / LUCA TEDESCO

Marblehead Head Coach Lisa Wales (center) addresses her team following Friday night’s 1-0 win over Peabody.

Marblehead’s Lucy Church (22) prepares to make a move against a Peabody defender during a soccer game at Piper Field on Friday Oct. 3.

Carlson before striking it into the bottom left corner of the goal to give Marblehead the lead with 11 minutes to play in the first half.

Peabody was able to break through the Magicians’ defensive line late in the second half, but a chase down tackle by senior Captain Ashley Mortensen allowed Marblehead to hold onto the lead heading to the break.

The Magicians struggled to start the second term, but seemed to come alive after about ten minutes. The hosts kept the pressure on the Tanner defense, picking up high quality chance after high quality chance, but failing to convert.

Peabody’s McKenzie Miller nearly brought the match back to level pegging in the 68th minute, but her shot would end up rolling harmlessly past the far post.

The visitors continued to push into the Marblehead half in the dying moments of the match, but time would run out on the comeback attempt, giving the Magicians their seventh victory on the year.

Following the game, Coach SOCCER, P. 10

ON THE PITCH

Shining star Rory Magicians get back to work Zampese wastes no time to succeed to cruise past Peabody on the next level

BY JOE MCCONNELL

Former Marblehead High All-State soccer goalie begins college career with award-winning performance

BY JOE MCCONNELL Former Marblehead High School All-State boys soccer goalie David “Rory” Zampese, Class of 2025, is already making a big splash for himself on the Skidmore College men’s soccer team, located in Saratoga Springs, New York.

Three firstyear Skidmore College studentathletes, including Zampese, highlighted a group of eight Thoroughbreds recognized by the Liberty League on Sept. 29.

The league honored Zampese as the Rookie of the Week in Men’s Soccer after he led his teammates to a 2-0 victory over St. Lawrence on Sept. 27. He came into the game at the nineminute mark, and proceeded to come up with four big saves to earn the shutout in his first-ever collegiate appearance. Two days later, he was recognized by the league.

On Sept. 30, Skidmore (5-1-3, 1-0-1) shutout Castleton, 3-0.

In this game, Zampese collected his second career win after coming up with one save in the first half. Sophomore Rowan McLear took over the goaltending chores from his freshman teammate in the second half. He was also credited with one save.

In a matter of days, Zampese played 126 minutes in net, quickly establishing himself as an elite soccer goalie in the Division 3 college world.

BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW

It’s been exactly two weeks since the Marblehead High boys soccer team (7-2) last suited up to play a real game with the usual consequences.

They might have had intrasquad scrimmages to stay sharp, but the fun of beating a rival from a nearby town was definitely nonexistent.

Before they went on the midseason scheduled break, the Magicians escaped with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over host Danvers on Sept. 19. Upon their return last Friday afternoon (Oct. 3), they appeared to be wellrested, and couldn’t wait to get going, much to the chagrin of the Peabody Tanners.

Playing in their fifth consecutive game away from the friendly confines of Piper Field, Coach Elmer Magana’s squad convincingly defeated its Northeastern Conference (NEC) rival, 7-0. It was their second straight shutout win over Peabody. The first time around at Piper on Sept. 10, they knocked them out by a 3-0 count.

It couldn’t have gone any better for a team that was on an extended break, and Magana couldn’t be any happier. “I’m very proud of how determined and driven my boys were to earn this victory,” he said. “Not playing for two weeks can ice you, unless if you already have ice in your veins like my boys did (here in Peabody). We took care of the Tanners, and now are moving on

COURTESY PHOTO / MHS SENIOR KAI ROZINSKI

Marblehead High boys soccer captain Ilan Druker (7) runs around his Masco counterpart to set up a play during a game earlier this year on Sept. 3.

to host Gloucester (Oct. 6 after press deadline).”

Julien Poitevin paced the offensive attack with a hat trick.

Miles Fontela-Tuttle chipped in with two scores. Bubacarr Jallow and Ilan Druker each scored once. Erik Badzak was the assist leader with three. Mark Vinokur, freshman Mitchell Leighton, Poitevin and Druker setup one goal apiece. Junior goalie Andrew

Halvorson recorded the shutout to secure his first clean sheet of the season. He was filling in for Matias Watts-Cruz, who was off visiting colleges on a recruiting trip.

Magana singled out center backs T.J. Kelly and Adam Laughlin after the game. “They put up a (proverbial) wall to stop Peabody from getting anything started on offense,” he said.

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10 Wednesday, October 8, 2025 Marblehead Current

ROUNDUP

MHS Magicians sports weekly notebook

BY JOE MCCONNELL

Golfers finish September with ninth win The Marblehead High golf team (9-2-1) closed out the month of September appropriately with another win, when they defeated Beverly at Tedesco on Sept. 30, 38.5-33.5.

Greyson Leventhal (6.5-2.5), Will Macrina (5.5-3.5), Colby Moore (5-4) and Dylan Whitman (5.5-3.5) recorded wins over the Panthers. Tyler Forbes and Max King ended up tying their matches. Leventhal was the medalist after shooting a 35, the lowest score on the team that day. Forbes was close behind with a 36.

Volleyball completes month with more success Coach Killeen Miller couldn’t be happier with the way her volleyball team played throughout the month of September. They ended up winning 8 of 10 matches that has propelled them to the 12th seed in the entire state, according to the Oct. 3 Division 2 power rankings. Altogether, there are 57 teams in this division.

These Magicians closed out the month with, what else, but a win against host Masco on Sept.

30, 3-1.

“After a slow start that consisted of many errors in the first set, we were able to dial back in to beat our conference rivals,” said Miller.

Sydney Faris finished up with 24 digs and 4 aces to lead the defense past the Chieftains. Erin Wilder also played solidly along

COURTESY PHOTO

Marblehead High volleyball senior captain Greta Sachs knocks the ball over the net during a match against Winthrop. These Magicians finished a sensational month of September with an 8-2 record, and are the 12th seed in the Division 2 power rankings.

the service line after ending up with 26 successful serves and 3 aces.

Lila Moniz paced the offensive attack with 17 kills, 9 digs and 3 aces from the service line.

Senior captain Greta Sachs did her part to contribute to the win with 9 kills, 2 blocks and 2 aces.

Setter Eva Burke was able to set everything up with 30 assists, while also tacking on 7 digs.

another triumph. They were led once again by senior captain Marri O’Connell. Evelina Beletsky, Jesslyn Roemer and Hailey Schmitt followed close behind to rack up the early points. Ginny Donato, Nadia Siragusa and Izzy Anaya-Lanzillo rounded out the top 7 in sixth through eighth place.

Girls cross-country stays undefeated

After a slow start, the Marblehead High boys crosscountry team (2-3) came out on top for the second straight week, this time against Salem at home, 19-42 on Sept. 30.

Senior captain Will Cruikshank led the way with a first-place finish against the Witches. Zach Pike (third), Filip

These Magicians had five meets in September, and they won them all, including a 16-47 home win over Salem at the Lead Mill Conservation Area on the final day of the month.

The Marblehead girls took the first four spots to cruise to

Boys secure second straight win

Grubor (fourth), Isaac Durand (fifth), Colin Hart (sixth) and Thomas Svencer (seventh) were bunched together near the top to seal the deal on the victory for Coach Brian Heenan’s crew.

Field hockey closes out last week with decisive win After edging host Danvers on Sept. 30, 3-2, the MHS field hockey team (5-3-2) wrapped up last week with a dominating 6-1 win over Peabody at Piper Field on Oct. 3.

Layla Dulac scored an unassisted goal in the first quarter to ignite the offense.

Chloe Rowland notched the second goal from Sadie Beane.

Keliane Salem followed with two unassisted goals in the

third quarter, before Lucy Rogers got into the scoring act with a goal assisted by Julia Mann. Rowland once again hooked up with Beane for her second goal of the game, the team’s sixth and final tally. Goalie Elizabeth Hayes came up with three saves to help secure the win over the Tanners.

“I’m so proud of the way our team played (against Peabody),” said first-year coach Alison Carey. “We played relaxed, and had fun during this game, while Peabody played with such great energy. We really enjoyed playing against them, as we continue to work on our mental, stick and field skills, and I saw progress in all three areas during this game.”

Marblehead’s Courtney Hitscherich (17) stands with her back to her marker during Friday night’s game against Peabody.

Soccer From P. 9

Wales said that she was disappointed, not with the result, but with the scoreline.

“The power rankings are based on multiple things, but the most points you can get out of that is when you score three goals,” she said. “We needed to win by three.

If we play a team like Peabody, which is struggling this year, and they have a low opponent rating, it doesn’t help us. We have to win by three and then work from there.”

Junior midfielder Lucy McDonald said that the Peabody defense seemed to be well prepared heading into the return leg of their two-game season series.

“Normally we like to play out wide and cut in and cross the ball,” said McDonald. “They were giving us the space for that today, but there was also a lot of open space in the middle.”

The unbeaten Magicians will take a day to recover before preparations begin for an away day at Gloucester on Monday, the first game of a triple match week.

CURRENT PHOTO / LUCA TEDESCO

MHS VARSITY RESULTS

VARSITY SPORTS SCHEDULE

Monday, Sept. 29 Girls soccer: Marblehead 2, St. Mary’s (Lynn) 0 Tuesday, Sept. 30 Boys golf: Marblehead 38, Beverly 33 Boys cross country: Marblehead 19, Salem 42 Girls field hockey: Marblehead 3, Danvers 2 Girls cross country: Marblehead 16, Salem 47 Girls volleyball: Marblehead 3, Masconomet 1 Friday, Oct. 3 Girls field hockey: Marblehead 6, Peabody 1 Boys soccer: Marblehead 7, Peabody 0

Wednesday, Oct. 8 4 p.m., boys golf vs. Winthrop at Winthrop Golf Club 4 p.m., boys and girls cross country vs. Danvers at Danvers High 4 p.m., boys soccer vs. Beverly at MHS Piper Field 4:15 p.m., girls field hockey vs.

Everett at 7-Acre Park Rivergreen, Everett 5:30 p.m., girls volleyball vs.

Peabody at Peabody High gym 6 p.m., girls soccer vs. Beverly at Beverly High turf field Thursday, Oct. 9 4 p.m., boys golf vs. Swampscott at Tedesco Country Club, Marblehead Friday, Oct. 10 4 p.m., girls field hockey vs. Essex Tech at Essex Tech, Danvers

Girls soccer: Marblehead 1, Peabody 0

Team records through Oct. 5 (MIAA ranking in parenthesis)

Boys football, 4-0 (No. 6 in Division 4) Boys soccer, 7-2 (No. 18 in Division 2) Girls soccer, 7-0-2 (No. 13 in Division 2) Boys golf, 9-2-1 Boys cross country, 2-3 Girls cross country, 5-0 Girls volleyball, 8-2 (No. 12 in Division 2) Girls field hockey, 5-3-2 (No. 35 in Division 2)

4:30 p.m., girls soccer vs. Manchester-Essex at MHS Piper Field 5:45 p.m., girls volleyball vs. Reading at Marblehead High gym Saturday, Oct. 11 11 a.m., boys football vs. Beverly at Hurd Stadium, Beverly Tuesday, Oct. 14 6 p.m., girls field hockey vs. Beverly at Beverly High turf field Wednesday, Oct. 15 4 p.m., boys and girls cross country vs. Winthrop at Lead Mills Conservation Area, Marblehead 5:30 p.m., girls volleyball vs. Beverly at Marblehead High gym 6:30 p.m., girls soccer vs. Danvers at Danvers High turf 7 p.m., boys soccer vs. Danvers at MHS Piper Field

Thursday, Oct. 16 TBA, boys golf vs. Gloucester 4 p.m., unified co-ed basketball vs. Lynnfield at Marblehead High gym 7 p.m., girls volleyball vs. Saugus at Marblehead High gym Friday, Oct. 17 4 p.m., girls field hockey vs.

Masconomet at Marblehead High 7 p.m., boys football vs. Peabody at Peabody Veterans Memorial Field 7 p.m., girls soccer vs. Winthrop at MHS Piper Field Saturday, Oct. 18 3 p.m., boys soccer vs. West Springfield at MHS Piper Field

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CURRENT EVENTS

Marblehead’s best bets Current Events spotlights exciting happenings in the coming week. If you’d like to contribute a listing, please email Current editor Leigh Blander at lblander@marbleheadnews.org.

—Leigh Blander

Historic burial ground talk

Guy Ford Band

Thursday, Oct. 9, 7 p.m.

Marblehead historian Pam Pe terson will talk about her new book, “A Guide to Historic Burial Grounds of Marblehead,” at the Marblehead Museum, 170 Washington St. Peterson profiles Marblehead’s 13 cemeteries and the famous ‘Headers buried within them, from John Glover at Old Burial Hill, the Boston Tea Party’s Elisha Story in Green Street Cemetery and Mary Alley in Harborview Cemetery. Tickets are $10 for museum members, $15 for non-members. Available on Zoom also. marbleheadmuseum.org

Saturday, Oct. 11, 8 p.m.

Come rock out with the Guy Ford Band dance party at The Beacon, 123 Pleasant St.

Plein air art show moves to Cloister Gallery Through Nov. 30

Native American storytelling Monday, Oct. 13, 11 a.m.

Come hear Native American storyteller Anne Jennison at the Lee Brick Kitchen, 157 Washington St. Jennison will begin with an explanation of who the Wabanaki tribes are and share a few Abenaki/Wabanaki storytelling traditions.

After that, listeners will be taken on a journey through a series of traditional stories, followed by an informal Q&A opportunity. Free and open to all.

Plein air painter Linda Lea Bertrand’s exhibit “Along the Coast” is sailing up the coast from the Abbot Library to the Cloister Gallery at St. Andrew’s Church.

The ocean captivated Bertrand’s heart since childhood sailing excursions, summer days at the beach and later spending many days on her own sailboat. 135 Lafayette St. Gallery hours are Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. For more information, call 781-631-4951 or visit standrewsmhd.org/cloistergallery.html.

Last MHD Cruise-In of 2025 Tuesday. Oct. 14, 6-8 p.m.

Head over to Devereux Beach Parking lot to check out the final MHD Cruise-In of the season! More info at mhdcruisein. com.

BEHIND THE LENS

Pulitzer winner joins ‘Capturing the Moment: The Art of Photojournalism’

BY LEIGH BLANDER Pulitzer Prize winner Ulrike Welsch will join a panel of celebrated Marblehead photojournalists for a discussion on “Capturing the Moment: The Art of Photojournalism.”

This special fundraising event will be held Thursday, Oct. 9, 7 p.m. at the Marblehead Arts Association, 8 Hooper St. Proceeds will benefit the Marblehead Current.

Welsch will join professional photojournalists Tanya Braganti, Jared Charney and high school senior Grey Collins, who writes and shoots photos for the Current. Panelists will share stories from decades of shooting photographs for newspapers, magazines and more. They will also talk about the changing media landscape.

Learn more about the panel members here:

Ulrike Welsch

Tanya Braganti

Jared Charney

Grey Collins

Tanya Braganti has more than 20 years of experience in Boston and New York, and her photos have appeared in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times and the New York Daily News. She also has nonprofit and commercial clients, including universities, architecture firms and the New York City mayor’s office.

Jared Charney’s photographs have appeared in The Boston Globe, Wall Street Journal,

Bloomberg, Barron’s Magazine, Dutch Financial Times, MIT News, North Shore Magazine and New Hampshire Magazine.

His clients include Harvard and Tufts universities.

Ulrike Welsch won a Pulitzer Prize for the Boston Globe’s team coverage of Boston’s busing crisis. She was also named Press Photographer of the Year by the New England Press Photographers Association. After her work in

Boston news, she worked as a freelancer around the world and has published many photography books.

Grey Collins is a senior at Marblehead High School who has interned and worked for the Current for the last two years. He has won several awards for his photography and been featured on WBZ-TV. After the discussion, Gene Arnould, of Arnould Gallery, will lead a brief auction of

items, including framed, signed photographs contributed by each panelist, rare copies of Welsch’s now-out-of-print “Marblehead” and “Boston Rediscovered” books, a premium Marblehead Arts Association membership, two tickets to Marblehead Little Theatre’s January production of “A Little Night Music” and more.

Tickets are $50 per person and include refreshments. For more information and to buy tickets, visit MarbleheadCurrent.org.

MENTAL HEALTH

Local author releases memoir on suicide loss, mental health advocacy

BY SAOIRSE STALLINGS Local author and mental health advocate Lisa Sugarman is out with her latest project — and it’s a deeply personal one.

Sugarman began her career as a columnist here in Marblehead, which led to her writing four books, including her most recent.

Her newest work is, “Surviving: Finding Hope After Suicide Loss.” The book serves as storytelling of Sugarman’s own story with tools and resources for those going through similar events. It is described as a lifeline for those struggling after suicide loss or a helpful sources for those curious on how to help others.

COURTESY PHOTOS

Local mental health advocate and author Lisa Sugarman is out with her newest book.

The Current spoke with Sugarman about her latest chapter.

“Surviving: Finding Hope After Suicide Loss” is Lisa Sugarman’s most recent book.

CURRENT: How did you get involved with mental health advocacy? How did that become

a turning point in your career?

SUGARMAN: I discovered the truth about my father’s death. I lost my dad when I was 10 to what I was told was a heart attack. That’s how I grieved him and that’s how I lived my life. And then very, very unexpectedly about 12 years ago, I learned that he had actually taken his life and died by suicide.

I found out by accident and learned from my mom that it was a very conscious decision to tell me that it was a heart attack because I was a 10-year-old-kid in 1978. My mom knew that it was going to be hard enough for me to grow up without a dad, she didn’t want me to grow up and have to deal with that [stigma] on top of it.

Little by little, I just started this compulsion to want to share what I had gone through.

So I started by talking to people about it. And I very unintentionally started a platform that’s taken on a life of its own. It’s become something so special to me and something so powerful to others.

It’s called the Help Hub. And essentially, it’s an inclusive and comprehensive online mental health resource platform, toolkit, and content hub.

CURRENT: As you were writing, “Surviving: Finding Hope After Suicide Loss” did you still find it hard to talk about your dad’s suicide? Did it help BOOK, P. 12

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12 Wednesday, October 8, 2025 Marblehead Current

POLICE LOG

Separate disputes lead to signs in store window, on easel in yard Friday, Sept. 26

9:36 a.m. A driver was given a citation after a traffic stop on Humphrey and Cedar streets.

9:52 a.m. A driver was given a citation after a traffic stop on Humphrey Street and Thompson Road.

1:52 p.m. An officer met in the police station lobby with a woman who over the past several months had been receiving notifications that people not known to her had been attempting to open credit cards in her name. Due to these notifications, she had already frozen her credit and continued to monitor her credit score closely. However, earlier in the day, she had received a Walmart debit card in the mail that she had not requested. Before coming to the station, she had called Walmart and closed the account. She just wanted her actions documented in a police report in case it proved to be helpful in the future.

3:43 p.m. An officer investigated a report of a sink hole on Ocean Avenue and Pleasant Street.

8:22 p.m. A driver was given a verbal warning after a traffic stop on Humphrey Street.

8:54 p.m. Officers investigated a disturbance on Pleasant Street.

9:36 p.m. Officers conducted a building check on West Orchard Street.

Saturday, Sept. 27

1:40 a.m. Officers investigated the report of a disturbance on Pleasant Street.

5:34 a.m. Officers investigated the report of a disturbance on Pleasant Street that proved to be unfounded.

6:57 a.m. Officers investigated the report of a disturbance on Pleasant Street.

7:59 a.m. Officers conducted an investigation on Nanepashemet Street after a caller to 911 hung up.

8:17 a.m. An officer conducted an investigation on Allerton Place after a caller to 911 hung up.

11:21 a.m. An officer provided assistance on Evans Road.

11:22 a.m. An officer investigated a report of vandalism on Chestnut Street.

4:49 p.m. An officer assisted with a disabled vehicle on Pleasant Street.

5:12 p.m. An officer conducted an investigation on Tedesco Street after a caller to 911 hung up.

Sunday, Sept. 28

9:36 p.m. Officers investigated a general complaint on Pleasant Street.

Monday, Sept. 29

8:29 a.m. A driver was given a verbal warning after a traffic stop on Atlantic and Clifton avenues.

11:22 a.m. An officer met a man at the station who said his checking account with a local bank had been “hacked”

Book From P. 11

you process some of the shock?

SUGARMAN: Writing the book, in particular, has been the most cathartic healing experience that I’ve had since I lost my dad … but writing about it and talking about it in a different process, in different ways. And the way that I have always processed things,

issued a verbal warning after a traffic stop on Pleasant and Devereux streets, Pleasant Street, Humphrey Street, and Lafayette Street and Widger Road between 6:55 a.m. and 7:31 a.m.

7:45 a.m. An officer investigated a possible restraining order violation on Pleasant Street.

9:16 a.m. An officer investigated after a caller to 911 hung up on Atlantic Avenue.

9:44 a.m. An officer investigated after a caller to 911 hung up on Washington Street.

4:01 p.m. An officer took a report related to a past vehicle crash on Lafayette and Maple streets.

9:21 p.m. A driver was given a verbal warning after a traffic stop on Lafayette Street and Tully Road.

9:27 a.m. A driver was given a verbal warning after a traffic stop on West Shore Drive.

10:58 a.m. An officer was dispatched to Heritage Way to speak with a woman who said that she was being harassed and that her vehicle had been vandalized. The woman explained that, because she gets home from work late, she often cannot find any parking near her residence on Village Street and the night before had parked her vehicle on Heritage Way. When she came outside earlier in the morning, she noticed someone had thrown dirt on her windshield and hood, which she said was the third incident that had occurred while she was

parked on Heritage Way. Back on June 26, she said she had discovered that someone had scratched the passenger side of her vehicle from the front door, all the way across to the rear door. Then on Aug. 1, she had been confronted by the woman who lives in the home in front of which she had parked, who allegedly began to swear at her and insult her and told her that she was not allowed to park her vehicle on Heritage way. The vehicle owner acknowledged that she had not witnessed the homeowner either scratching her vehicle or throwing dirt on it, but she suspected she was the culprit. The officer then went to speak with the homeowner, who stated that she had been weeding earlier in the morning and had mistakenly thrown a weed that hit the vehicle. The resident said she felt bad about that and removed the weed. She then said she was going to grab a hose to wash the dirt off. The officer told the resident that he wanted to make sure that any issues between the women did not escalate, relaying the vehicle owner’s report that her vehicle had previously been scratched and that she had been sworn at and insulted.

According to the officer’s report, the woman seemed bothered by the accusation and denied it. She went on to say the vehicle owner was the aggressor in the August incident. The homeowner said she simply asked the vehicle owner to move her vehicle up a little bit, as it was partially blocking her driveway. The homeowner added that there are limited parking spaces on Heritage Way, so if someone parks improperly, it will reduce the available parking.

The homeowner said she had left polite notes on the other woman’s vehicle that included smiley faces, asking if she could park more appropriately. The officer advised her to refrain from any further communication with the vehicle owner to avoid future issues. The homeowner said she would simply start parking her own vehicle in front of her house. At around 1 p.m., the homeowner called the station to reiterate her dismay about being falsely accused and expressing her concern about becoming a “target” of police.

11:05 a.m. An officer spoke in the police station lobby with a woman who reported that her vehicle, which had been left unlocked with the keys in the ignition, had been stolen from her driveway on Manataug Trail.

Officers unsuccessfully searched the surrounding area for the

vehicle, and a dispatcher checked the police network of automated license plate readers and did not come up with any “hits” in nearby cities and towns. At about 4 p.m., the woman came into the station to report that the vehicle had been found at Stramskis Way with the keys still in it and nothing missing from the vehicle.

11:06 a.m. An officer responded to the scene of a vehicle crash on Pleasant Street and filed a report.

1:09 p.m. An officer spoke by phone with a woman who was currently in the hospital who explained that two days earlier she had called what she thought was Microsoft and gave a representative access to her cell phone. Shortly afterwards, her friends began receiving emails, allegedly from her, asking for Amazon gift cards, which she learned from her granddaughter.

The woman had since cancelled her credit cards and notified all of her banks. The officer advised her to alert the credit agencies and to leave her cell phone shut off until she had time to bring it to an Apple store.

2:30 p.m. An officer spoke in the police station lobby with a man who had been walking by businesses on Humphrey Street when he saw a sign in a window naming his business and calling him a “bad person [who] steals money.” He said he went into the business to ask about the sign and wound up in a heated argument with the business owner, who was upset about an unpaid invoice for $653. The man in the station said that he told the business owner that he had plenty of money and would have paid the invoice if he had gotten it but simply had never received it. The man had left the business after the owner suggested that they “take things out back.”

The officer then spoke with the business owner, who explained that he believed that the man was “playing games” and that his claim about never receiving the invoice was just a ruse to avoid paying it. The business owner acknowledged suggesting that they “take things out back,” and the officer advised him that probably was not the best thing to say. The officer asked the business owner if he wanted the officer to relay to the man what he owed, and the business owner said no, adding that he did not plan to send him another invoice — that writing off the debt was a small price to pay for never having to do business with him again. The officer told the business owner to let police know if he changed his mind.

8:10 p.m. A driver was given a citation after a traffic stop on Tedesco Street.

8:43 p.m. A driver was given a citation after a traffic stop on Humphrey Street.

Wednesday, Oct. 1 12:36 a.m. Officers investigated a report of suspicious activity on Washington Street.

6:55 a.m. Four drivers were

whatever the thing might be in my life, is by writing.

The book has definitely brought out the good, the bad and the ugly about this whole journey. But overall I’m more grateful for having had this experience of being able to write this book, whether one person reads it or 10 people read it.

Whatever parts of my story might resonate with someone that helps them cope better, or

seek help when they weren’t going to seek help or find resources, all the reasons.

CURRENT: On your hardest days, what helps? What tools or skills do you use to get through tough emotions?

SUGARMAN: There are probably three things that I do equally when I’m having a moment like that. The first one is journaling. I also meditate every day. That’s how I start

my day, that’s how I ground myself. That’s how I find my center point again is most often meditation too. And then the other big thing is movement.

So I’ve been a runner forever. I lift, I practice yoga, I do hiking, whatever it is that gets me moving my body.

Sugarman is a counselor with the Trevor Project, a board member of Samaritans on the South Shore of Boston where

she moderates a suicide loss grief group once a month, content creator for the American Foundation for Suicide Loss, a storyteller for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and her own podcast called ‘The Survivors’.

To check out the Help Hub, visit thehelphub.co. To learn more about “Surviving: Finding Hope After Suicide Loss” visit thehelphub.co/my-books.

and used to purchase a $499 computer graphics card, which had been delivered earlier in the morning to Eustis & Cornell funeral home. When he had gone to the funeral home to check for the package, he saw that a funeral was underway and did not want to disturb the service.

The man shared with the officer the notification he had received.

The officer said he would follow up with the funeral home, both to see if the package was still there and also to see if it had any surveillance video.

11:39 a.m. An officer conducted an investigation on Thomas Circle after a caller to 911 hung up.

1:21 p.m. An officer spoke at the police station with a woman who feared that she had been scammed by a chimney sweep.

The chimney sweep had arrived in an unmarked vehicle with Maryland plates and did some work but then told her that he was unable to finish the job.

The woman said that she agreed to pay him for the work he had completed and gave him a check for $399, which she felt was a little high. The chimney sweep asked her to make the check out to a different company than the one the woman thought she had hired, explaining that he was a subcontractor. Before he left, he and the woman had exchanged numbers so that he could schedule the remaining work. The woman then called the company back and asked if they had subcontracted the job.

The person on the line told her that she would have to ask a supervisor and call her back, but she never heard from them. The officer advised the woman that if she was uncomfortable with the company to call back and cancel the remaining services.

He also advised her that if she felt she had been overcharged for the services rendered, she should contact the Office of the Attorney General and file a complaint. The officer also advised the woman to keep an eye on the account to ensure the check was not altered in any way and that no other funds were taken. She was instructed to contact police if she noticed any suspicious transactions.

Tuesday, Sept. 30

Thursday, Oct. 2

2:45 p.m. An officer went to Arthur Avenue to take a report related to an ongoing dispute between neighbors. He was met by a man who explained that he had reported numerous incidents of harassment from his neighbor to the police in the past, which had led him to install security cameras. The man explained that recently he discovered that someone — presumably his neighbor — has been placing items, including tinfoil and a shoebox, over the cameras to block their view.

Earlier in the day, the man had also placed a large easel on his own property, facing the camera. On the easel was a message that read, “Stop filming our kids, creep.” The man also reported that someone had run over the low-voltage light at the edge of his property at least three different times, and he again suspected his neighbor, as he often parks in the area. The officer advised the man about how harassment prevention and no-trespass orders work and told him that the information he had provided would be documented. The officer also advised the resident to move the camera to a different location that would cover the same area but allow the camera to function. The man provided photos of the tinfoil, shoebox and easel.

4:20 p.m. An officer spoke with a woman who a couple hours earlier had received a text message about being charged $267.99 on ApplePay, which advised her to call an 833 number for more information.

The woman had called the number and provided the last four digits of her Social Security number and date of birth before realizing it was a scam attempt. She had reported the incident to her bank and had not lost any money. The officer advised her to stop all interactions with the scammers and to not answer phone calls from numbers that she did not recognize.

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Marblehead Current Wednesday, October 8, 2025 13

MARBLEHEAD STORIES

From speechwriter to lawmaker: Armini brings Marblehead with her to Beacon Hill

BY GREY COLLINS After two decades living in Marblehead, and two years serving as the state Representative of the 8th Essex District, Jenny Armini sat on her back patio to reflect on her journey into public service. She described decades of “doing the work” to improve lives through public policy, and looking for opportunities to serve her community in new ways.

Growing up in Brooklyn, Armini was always interested in current events. Although she never saw herself as a politician, she had ambitions to be a journalist from a very young age.

As young as 6 or 7, she would often spend three or more hours watching the evening news every night — even taking notes.

“I was a very precocious child,” recalled Armini. “I would just sit there with my notebook taking notes for hours.”

After she attended the University of Virginia, Armini decided to go to Washington at age 22 with hopes of getting a job in politics.

“I packed a suitcase and a little bit of money, and I took a train down to Washington,” she recalled. “I had a stack of resumes and I went from office to office in the House and Senate and met people, gave out my resume and wrote thank you notes. After two weeks I landed my first job.”

Armini started working on Capitol Hill as a staffer for a congressman from her home state of New Jersey, and immediately developed a passion

for public policy.

“When I worked on Capitol Hill, I really learned the impact you can have on people through public policy,” she said. “From that moment forward, I focused on legislation.”

Armini kept working with legislators on Capitol Hill. She eventually met her husband, Michael, while working for then Rep. Peter Torkildson. He introduced them to the town of Marblehead.

After moving to Massachusetts in 1997, Armini started working at Beacon Hill as a legislative analyst. Then she attended the Harvard Kennedy School, winning a Public Service Fellowship and working as an academic advisor while living in Harvard Square.

In the wake of the September 11 attacks, Armini worked as the chief speech writer for Gov. Jane Swift, trying to guide the state through a period of great turbulence and mourning. She showed a picture she had framed in her office of the governor reading her speech at the National Day of Prayer a few days after 9/11.

“We all had to focus on making sure the Commonwealth survived the traumas and the challenges of the attack,” said Armini.

Soon after, Armini and Michael moved to Marblehead to raise their two children, buying a house in the historic district near Redd’s Pond. They were drawn by our town’s beauty, close knit community and rich history.

“Marblehedad is an incredible

CURRENT PHOTO / GREY COLLINS

State Rep. Jenny Armini handing out American flags as she walks in the 2025 Memorial Day parade.

place to raise a family,” said Armini. “It’s so community oriented, it’s so full of history and beautiful places, activity and spirit. It has such a positive and uplifting spirit.”

Armini continued to write speeches from her home office while raising her kids and spending more time in the community. But she became more involved in local Marblehead politics when she was inspired by the town’s progressive community, and wanted to bring their enthusiasm to the national stage. In 2018, she co-founded ElectBlue, a local organization for Marbleheaders to support the campaigns of Democrats running for the U.S. House and Senate. It was a huge success.

“We thought it was just going to be 10 people in my living room, and it actually turned out to be around 75 people,” said Armini. “We had to move to St. Michael’s parish hall. We would get together every month to

talk about different races, write checks, pool our money and send it off.”

In 2022, Armini decided to throw her hat in the ring and run in the Democratic primary for the 8th Essex District representative seat.

After years of working on campaigns for other candidates, it was surreal for Armini to actually be the candidate running for elected office. But she believed that she could have a real impact on the community through state legislation, so she worked hard to get elected.

“It was very strange,” said Armini. “But I saw an opportunity to serve in a different way. And when you believe in something, when you have a mission, you have a goal, you do the work. And I’m all about the work.”

It was a crowded Democratic primary, with six candidates competing to represent Marblehead, Swampscott and Lynn in the most competitive race in the state.

“My mindset was to leave it all on the field,” said Armini “Meaning talk to as many people as I could with a positive message grounded in deep community engagement. My goal was to have no regrets, regardless of the outcome.”

After a long campaign, her friends and family crowded into Armini’s living room and anxiously awaited the outcome of the race. They counted votes all evening, waiting for a decision.

“When the numbers added up, my husband popped Champagne.

My daughter burst into tears,” recalled Armini. “The next day, I was back in the community, but with a new mission of going deeper into the needs and issues that were raised during the campaign.”

She added: “Everytime I go into the State House I feel this wonderful connection because Marblehead has played such an important role in the Commonwealth’s history. It’s such a special place, and you can’t lose sight of that, but you also can’t be confined by it. You want to be forward thinking.”

Last session, Armini helped pass a bill giving universal free school meals to all public school students in the Commonwealth.

Armini regards it as one of the proudest moments of her career so far.

“Kids can’t learn on an empty stomach,” said Armini. “Even in a place like Marblehead, school meals are the only meals that some kids get in the course of a day. Massachusetts is one of just a few states that made free lunches permanent, and I think that speaks to who we are as a state.”

During these times of political division, tension and uncertainty, Armini remains hopeful and confident in the will and strength of Americans and Marbleheaders.

“This country has been through many challenges,” she said. “This is the latest challenge, and I think if we stay focused on our values and our strengths then we will come out on the other side stronger and wiser.”

PAWS & CLAWS

Melanie will bring laughter to your home Melanie loves to play hide and seek, according to volunteers at the Marblehead Animal Shelter.

COURTESY PHOTO

Breed: Domestic shorthair Size: Small Age: Young Sex: Female

Melanie is a playful, friendly kitty that is under a year old.

Melanie loves to play hide and seek under her bed with you, according to volunteers at the Marblehead Animal Shelter. Volunteers will go up to her cage and not see her in it when all of a sudden she pops her head out from under her blanket.

TOWN OF MARBLEHEAD ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS The Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing on Tuesday October 28, 2025 at 7:45 PM on the request of Brooke Goodwin-Fullerton and Cody Fullerton to vary the application of the present Zoning By-Law by allowing a Special Permit for the construction of additions to a pre-existing non-conforming single-family dwelling that has less than the required Front Yard Setback and Side Yard Setback located at 56 Cloutman’s Lane in the SINGLE RESIDENCE DISTRICT. The new additions will encroach into the Front and Side Yard Setback and will exceed the 10% expansion limits for a non-conforming building. The hearing is held in accordance with the provisions of the Marblehead Zoning By-Law, and Chapter 40A of the General Laws as amended and Pursuant to Governor Baker’s Order allowing suspension of Certain Provisions of the Open Meeting Law, G.L. c. 30A, §18. This hearing will be held remotely in accordance with Governor Baker’s March 12, 2020 Order superseding certain provisions of the Open Meeting Law, G.L. c. 30A, section 18 and the Governor’s March 15, 2020 Order imposing strict limitation on the number of people that may gather in one place.

Request to make an appointment to review plans and information by E-mailing: lyonsl@marbleheadma.gov For any questions, please call (781) 631-1529. Details on how to access the hearing remotely via the internet will be posted on the meeting agenda at least 48-hours prior to the meeting. The agenda can be found on the following link: https://www.marblehead.org/node/286/agenda/2025 William L. Barlow Secretary

TOWN OF MARBLHEAD ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS The Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing on Tuesday October 28, 2025 at 8:00 PM on the request of Carolyn and David Strutton to vary the application of the present Zoning By-Law by allowing a Special Permit for the construction of additions to the first and second level of the existing dwelling and a new roofed porch on a pre-existing non-conforming single-family dwelling located at 52 Beacon Street in the SHORELINE SINGLE RESIDENCE DISTRICT. The new additions will encroach into the Rear and Side Yard Setbacks and exceed the 10% expansion limits for a non-conforming building. The hearing is held in accordance with the provisions of the Marblehead Zoning By-Law, and Chapter 40A of the General Laws as amended and Pursuant to Governor Baker’s Order allowing suspension of Certain Provisions of the Open Meeting Law, G.L. c. 30A, §18.

This hearing will be held remotely in accordance with Governor Baker’s March 12, 2020 Order superseding certain provisions of the Open Meeting Law, G.L. c. 30A, section 18 and the Governor’s March 15, 2020 Order imposing strict limitation on the number of people that may gather in one place. Request to make an appointment to review plans and information

by E-mailing: lyonsl@marbleheadma.gov For any questions, please call (781) 631-1529. Details on how to access the hearing remotely via the internet will be posted on the meeting agenda at least 48-hours prior to the meeting. The agenda can be found on the following link: https://www.marblehead.org/node/286/agenda/2025 William L. Barlow Secretary

TOWN OF MARBLHEAD ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS The Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing on Tuesday October 28, 2025 at 7:30 PM on the request of Linda Enrico and John Staker to vary the application of the present Zoning By-Law by allowing a Special Permit for the construction of a second floor addition and a new shed on a pre-existing non-conforming lot with less than the required Lot Area, Frontage, Front Yard Setback and Rear Yard Setback located at 27 Ruby Avenue in the SINGLE RESIDENCE DISTRICT. The new addition and shed will have less than the required Lot Area, Frontage, Front and Rear Yard Setback and exceed the 10% expansion limits for a non-conforming building. The hearing is held in accordance with the provisions of the Marblehead Zoning By-Law, and Chapter 40A of the General Laws as amended and Pursuant to Governor Baker’s Order allowing suspension of Certain Provisions of the Open Meeting Law, G.L. c. 30A, §18. This hearing will be held remotely in accordance with Governor Baker’s March 12, 2020 Order superseding certain provisions of the Open Meeting Law, G.L. c. 30A, section 18 and the Governor’s March 15, 2020 Order imposing strict limitation on the number of people that may gather in one place. Request to make an appointment to review plans and information by E-mailing: lyonsl@marbleheadma.gov For any questions, please call (781) 631-1529. Details on how to access the hearing remotely via the internet will be posted on the meeting agenda at least 48-hours prior to the meeting. The agenda can be found on the following link: https://www.marblehead.org/node/286/agenda/2025 William L. Barlow Secretary

TOWN OF MARBLEHEAD ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS The Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing on Tuesday October 28, 2025 at 7:30 PM on the request of Ruthy LLC to vary the application of the present Zoning By-Law by allowing a Special Permit for the construction of a new addition to a non-conforming mixed use structure located at located at 1-3 Essex Street in the B1 DISTRICT. The new addition will have less than the required Lot Area, Open Area, Parking, Exceed the Height requirements, and exceed the 10% expansion limits for a non-conforming building. The hearing is held in accordance with the provisions of the Marblehead Zoning By-Law, and Chapter 40A of the General Laws as amended and Pursuant to Governor Baker’s Order allowing suspension of Certain Provisions of the Open Meeting Law, G.L. c. 30A, §18. This hearing will be held remotely in accordance with Governor Baker’s March 12, 2020 Order superseding certain provisions of the Open Meeting Law, G.L. c. 30A, section 18 and the Governor’s March 15, 2020 Order imposing strict limitation on the number of people that may gather in one place. Request to make an appointment to review plans and information by E-mailing: lyonsl@ marbleheadma.gov For any questions, please call (781) 631-1529.

Details on how to access the hearing remotely via the internet will be posted on the meeting agenda at least 48-hours prior to the meeting.

The agenda can be found on the following link: https://www.marblehead.org/node/286/agenda/2025 William L. Barlow Secretary

“She is sure to bring laughter to your home — just make sure you have plenty of toys at her disposal,” shelter volunteers advise.

Melanie is up to date with routine shots, house trained and

spayed.

If you are interested in meeting any of the animals at the shelter, you must fill out an adoption application online at marbleheadanimal-shelter.org.

TOWN OF MARBLEHEAD ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS The Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing on Tuesday October 28, 2025 at 7:45 PM on the request of Lisa M. Jones and Daniel R. Jones to vary the application of the present Zoning By-Law by allowing a Special Permit for the construction of additions to a pre-existing non-conforming single-family dwelling that exceeds the allowed Height and that has less than the required Side Yard Setback located at 405 Ocean Avenue in the EXPANDED SINGLE RESIDENCE DISTRICT and SHORELINE EXPANDED SINGLE RESIDENCE DISTRICT. The new additions will exceed the 10% expansion limits for a non-conforming building. The hearing is held in accordance with the provisions of the Marblehead Zoning By-Law, and Chapter 40A of the General Laws as amended and Pursuant to Governor Baker’s Order allowing suspension of Certain Provisions of the Open Meeting Law, G.L. c. 30A, §18. This hearing will be held remotely in accordance with Governor Baker’s March 12, 2020 Order superseding certain provisions of the Open Meeting Law, G.L. c.

30A, section 18 and the Governor’s March 15, 2020 Order imposing strict limitation on the number of people that may gather in one place. Request to make an appointment to review plans and information by E-mailing: lyonsl@marbleheadma.gov For any questions, please call (781) 6311529. Details on how to access the hearing remotely via the internet will be posted on the meeting agenda at least 48-hours prior to the meeting.

The agenda can be found on the following link: https://www.marblehead.org/node/286/agenda/2025 William L. Barlow Secretary

INVITATION TO BID In accordance with M.G.L. Chapter 30, §39M, the Town of Marblehead requests sealed bids for: Contract 26-16: Renovation of the Seaside Park Baseball Infield Sealed bids will be received at: Town Administrator’s Office Abbott Hall, 188 Washington Street Marblehead, MA 01945 Until October 23, 2025, at 11:00 AM. Bidding requirements and contract documents will be available on the Town website at www.marbleheadma.gov beginning October 8, 2025, at 9:00 AM. • Bids must be submitted in a sealed envelope clearly marked: “26-16 Renovation of the Seaside Park Baseball Infield” • Each bid must include a 5% bid bond or certified check.

• The successful bidder will be required to furnish: ◦ Insurance certificates ◦ A Payment Bond in the amount of 50% of the contract value The contract term shall be one year from the date of award, with two (2) one-year options for renewal at the sole discretion of the Town.

Site Walkthrough: A non-mandatory site walkthrough will be held on October 15, 2025, at 10:00 AM at the project site.

All work is subject to prevailing wage rates as determined by M.G.L. Chapter 149, §§26–27H. The Town will award the contract to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. The Town reserves the right to reject any and all bids if determined to be in the best interest of the Town.

marbleheadcurrent.org

14 Wednesday, October 8, 2025 Marblehead Current

OBITUARIES

Shirley Barbera, 90 Shirley Barbera, 90, died on Sept. 8, 2025, surrounded by family at the Kaplan Family Hospice House in Danvers, following a period of declining health. She was predeceased by her beloved husband, Jack, as well as her sister, Ruth.

Shirley was born in Waterbury, Connecticut on Aug. 3, 1935, to Joseph and Emma [Thompson] Sarasin. She was raised in Plymouth, Connecticut, where she was the valedictorian of her high school class at Terryville

High School.

Shirley attended and graduated from Teachers College Central of Connecticut where she was elected to Kappa Delta Pi, the

national education fraternity.

She met the love of her life, Jack Barbera, whom she married in November 1957. They settled in Berlin, Connecticut, where they raised their two boys, Todd and Bryan.

They were all avid sailors, and they spent their summers cruising all over New England waters on their sailboat, Sea Paws. Shirley, however, was the only one trusted to drive in the fog during these sea adventures.

When the children were older, she went to work for Hartford Hospital in the accounts receivable department, where she worked for nearly 20 years.

She and Jack retired to Holderness, New Hampshire in 1999, where they built a beautiful retirement home. During those years in Holderness, Shirley enjoyed gardening, and she and Jack were very active in several car clubs, participating in tours and cruise nights.

She is survived by her two sons; Todd Barbera and his wife, Heidi Herlihy, of Marblehead, and their children, Emma, Bella, Katie and Will; and Bryan Barbera and his wife, Okon Hwang, of Glastonbury, Connecticut, and their children, Brant and Lorin. She is also survived by two sisters-in-law,

Claudia Sullivan and Norma Barbera, both of Vernon, Connecticut, along with several nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at the Clifton Lutheran Church, 150 Humphrey St., Marblehead, on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at 11 a.m., followed by a luncheon.

Donations in her memory may be made to the Clifton Lutheran Church or the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy for Shirley’s family may be shared at eustisandcornellfuneralhome. com.

brother died in the war, and he and his sister were sent to an American refugee camp, known as the International Refugee Organization’s Children’s Village, in Bad Aibling, Germany.

Peter has fond memories of the refugee camp and described it

as Peter Pan and the Lost Boys.

In 1951, when Peter was 8, he and his sister were adopted by J. Donald and Ruth Kingsley.

Donald was director general of the IRO under the Truman administration, and Peter went from the life of an orphan to the child of an international diplomat. The Kingsley family lived in Geneva and Genthod, Switzerland; Greenwich, Connecticut; Lagos, Nigeria; and Beirut, Lebanon during Peter’s life.

Peter attended Mount Hermon School for Boys (now Northfield Mount Hermon), Middlebury College and earned his master’s in journalism at the University of Michigan. His career spanned multiple fields: as a volunteer in the Peace Corps in Botswana,

as a reporter and as a higher education public affairs administrator. Peter’s greatest career passion was as business owner and pilot of a private air charter company; becoming a pilot was the realization of a childhood dream. Peter was widely known as an avid and excellent tennis player, skier and sailor.

Peter loved to explore the philosophical curiosities and mysteries of life and was a connoisseur of the finer things, such as martinis, pickled herring, oysters and liverwurst.

Peter’s rapier wit, opinionated viewpoints and commitment to independent thought and critical thinking will never be forgotten by those who knew him. “To thine own self be true.”

He leaves behind his three children, Giles, Josselyn and Julia Kingsley and Julia’s husband Jeff Smith; his grandchildren, Amelia and Mira Skehan, and Sebastian Perry; his former wife and friend Janet Swaysland; and a select group of close and loyal friends.

An informal gathering of friends and family to honor Peter is to follow in the coming months. In lieu of flowers, please contact a member of Peter’s family for a donation to a tennis scholarship at the Bass River Tennis Club of Beverly, or to the Democratic candidate of your choice. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at eustisandcornellfuneralhome. com for Peter’s family.

as head buyer for Jordan Marsh in their Town and Country Department, also modeling ski wear for the company and assisting in the president’s office.

Later, she worked as a claims

adjuster for Liberty Mutual, where she met her future husband. Anita and Edwin “Teddy” Wyman III were married on Sept. 2, 1962, in Gardiner, Maine, and later settled in Marblehead. She also served as a docent at the House of the Seven Gables in Salem.

In 1970, Anita and Teddy moved to Augusta, Maine, where they enjoyed many wonderful years on Windsor Avenue. Anita became an active member of the community, volunteering at the Farrington Elementary School library and working as manager of the Painted Horse Toy Store.

In her retirement, she dedicated her time to the Prince of Peace Church, the Augusta Food Bank,

the Quilting Club and the Silver Sneakers Club.

Anita was predeceased by her husband, Edwin “Teddy” Wyman III, and her sister, Betty Garand.

She is survived by her son Christopher and daughter-in-law Christina Wyman; her grandsons Drake and Edwin James “EJ” Wyman; sister Jacqueline “Jacqui” Boch; brother Robert Drake, Jr.; and numerous nieces, nephews and other endeared family and friends.

Anita will be remembered for her warmth, generosity, sense of humor, fun-loving spirit and her ever-present smile. She had many cherished friends and always brought joy to those around her. She will

be deeply missed and lovingly remembered.

A celebration of life will be held on Friday, Oct. 10, at 10 a.m. at Emmanuel Episcopal Lutheran Church, 209 Eastern Ave., Augusta, Maine, with a reception to follow. She will be interred with her husband at the Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 163 Mt. Vernon Road, Augusta, at 1 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Anita’s name to Maine General Hospice and Volunteers of Kennebec Valley, P.O. Box 828, Waterville, ME 04903-0828.

To share a memory of offer a condolence, please visit odonnellfuneralservice.com.

and shifted her focus to raising their family.

For 53 years, she was married to her best friend with whom she had two children and countless amazing adventures. As a couple, they enjoyed great food, wine, art and a shared passion for travel to unusual international destinations in Asia, Africa, and beyond.

Through the years, Debby

dedicated herself to a wide range of passions. Her family came first — she was a remarkable mother and grandmother who rarely missed a birthday, school event or game if her kids or grandkids were involved.

She actively contributed to causes she believed helped others and advocated for those in need by volunteering at the Marblehead Community Counseling Center and then at HAWC, where she ran a support group and served as a paid legal advocate in the court system.

She was especially accomplished as a competitive tennis player. A fierce but fair competitor, she swung a racquet for clubs throughout the North Shore several times each week for over 40 years. Her partners and teammates became close friends.

Debby was highly curious and motivated to explore with her own unique style and sense of whimsy. She searched tirelessly for the most thoughtful and fun gifts and was the world’s greatest holiday stocking stuffer.

When not playing or watching tennis, Debby was gardening, sharing time with her weekly coffee group, attending a movie, play or museum exhibition; reading fiction, doing puzzles or tending to her cats. She knew how to throw the perfect blank stare to spice up a family photo and was so deeply thankful for her friends, near and far, who increasingly sustained her positive spirit over the past few difficult years after John died.

Debby is survived by her children, Jennifer (Tony) Cipriano of Falls Church, Virginia, and Matthew (Danielle)

Fletcher of Marblehead; five grandchildren, Olivia and Emilia Cipriano, and Addison, Paige and Quentin Fletcher; her sister, Judith Peknik, niece Susan Feuer and nephew Andrew Feuer.

Wherever she is, Debby is in business class, traveling light, holding a cat, laughing with John and shocking a new acquaintance with a colorful story from her early days.

A celebration of life will be held at a future date. If you wish to honor Debby’s memory with a donation, please consider supporting the Mass General Cancer Center, HAWC in Salem or the animal shelter of your choice.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy for Debby’s family may be shared at eustisandcornellfuneralhome. com.

Peter J. Kingsley, 82 Our dear father, grandfather, friend and overall bon vivant passed away peacefully on Sept.

17. Peter John Kingsley was born January 10, 1943, as Klaus Peter Heinze in Novy Jicin, Czech Republic. Peter’s first years of life and first memories were spent in war-torn Europe, which shaped his world view and lust for life. His mother was Christine Kamler, a postal clerk, and his father, Fritz Willy Heinze, a colonel in the German Army. He had an older brother, Christian Fritz Heinze, and a younger half sister, Christianne Heinze. His parents and

Mary Anita (Drake) Wyman, 87 Mary Anita (Drake) Wyman, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Sept. 24. She was 87 years old.

Born November 15, 1937, in Gardiner, Maine, to Robert Drake and Mary Morvan, Anita was voted “Most School Spirit” at Coburn Classical Institute before attending the Chamberlain School of Retail in Boston. She began her career

Deborah B. Fletcher, 84 On Sept. 20, Deborah B. Fletcher of Marblehead made a graceful exit from a magnificent life that had recently been slowed by illness. She passed away peacefully at home from complications related to metastatic lung cancer.

Deborah Ewing Bassin was born Aug. 23, 1941, in New Haven, Connecticut, to Dr. Alexander and Mildred (Zinn) Bassin. She graduated from the Prospect Hill School in 1959 and Hollins College in 1963.

As a young woman, she worked for Standish Ayre and the Boston Floating Hospital for Children.

During this time, she met her future husband, John Fletcher,

REAL ESTATE TRANSFERS Buyer(s)

Seller(s)

Address

Date

Price

Shawn Doughty and Cristy Herbert

Lafayette Street

Sept. 15

$907,000

4 Batchelder Road

Sept. 17

$900,000

Marlene A. Gillis Estate and Eugene J. Thomeczek

4 Gerry St.

Sept. 18

$610,000

Hanratty RT and James J. Hanratty

Macaskill Bypass Trust and Kenneth S. Macaskill

6 Redstone Lane

Sept. 17

$885,000

10 Circle LLC

Frances Marie Mavko Estate and Renya Onasick

10 Circle St.

Sept. 15

$736,000

David Donovan Jr. and Deborah E. Donovan

Phyllis R. Davis LRT and F C Davis

40-A Cloutmans Lane

Sept. 15

$1,600,000

Susan L. Guastaferri and Edward J. Hoekstra

Jewett-Macdonald LT and Claire V. Macdonald

245 West Shore Drive

Sept. 18

$1,200,000

Ronnie J. Kupelnick Trust and Elissa J. Kupelnick

33 Sherwood Road

Sept. 15

$660,000

Shepherd FT and Lucy S.Shepherd

38 Puritan Road

Sept. 18

$589,900

David W. Desmith and Susan M. Hammerland

Diane M. and John A. Callahan Martin J. Forde and Maria C. Toborda

Swampscott Julia Heffernan and Andrew Siemasko Fundamental Equipment LLC

marbleheadcurrent.org

Shining a light on the news you care about!

Marblehead Current Wednesday, October 8, 2025 15

Headlight

Written by the students of Marblehead High School for our school and community 2025 - 2026 Issue

www.mhsheadlight.com

Beyond the starting line: How Marri O’Connell prepares for every race Anna Cruikshank, Assistant Editor, Sophomore

October 8, 2025

Phones in schools: Useful or a distraction?

Evan Eisen, Assistant Editor, Junior

Marri O’Connell is the captain of the girl’s cross country team, which is predicted to do immensely well this year under her and Coach Herlihy’s supervision. She is nearly always first in races and has set multiple course records. Read this interview to find out more about how she leads the team and prepares for the mental and physical sport that is running.

What’s going through your mind at the starting line of a race?

“On the starting line before a race I repeat mantras to myself to reinforce positive thinking. It helps center myself and calm me down.

It also helps me believe in myself and remain strong when I feel all of the pressure; believing in yourself is key to a good race.”

Do you have a pre-race ritual or superstition?

“I have some superstitions before races. For example, the morning I wake up on a race day, I say to myself, "Today is going to be a great day." One day, Coach Heenan was giving an inspirational talk to the boys’ team and he said, "When you wake up, decide if it is going to be a good day or a great day... make it a great day." That has stuck with me ever since. You have to make the conscious choice to have a great day, and having a great day reflects in your race. Additionally, my pre-race routine is to run exactly one mile and then do dynamic stretching.”

How do you balance school, running, and your personal life?

“Now that running has become a bigger part of my life, it has conflicted with school more. A lot of nights I have to stay up too late to complete my school work; it's a principle of the cross country team that school comes first. This usually works out and I am able to get everything done. In a lot of ways my personal life has been linked to running, which I love. Team bonding via team dinners and meets is always fun!”

What’s one lesson running has taught you that applies to life outside of sports?

“Running has taught me that your mind is your most powerful muscle. In some races I let my mind get the best of me and control the outcome. When I believe in myself, I am able to push to my limits that day—it is the most rewarding feeling. This applies to everything. If you think you are going to fail, your brain communicates this to your body, and the race is 100x harder. I apply this in school a lot, I try to convince myself I can do hard things; this empowers me to study and yields better results.”

How do you push through the hardest part of a race?

“In races when I am in the “pain cave,” or someone overtakes me, I repeat mantras and remind myself of all the hard work I have put in prior to this race. I also tell myself that the pain is only temporary, and I think about how good it feels to finish when you know you tried your best. All the pain and long training is worth it when the whole team is cheering for me.”

Marri’s advice to all runners is to tell yourself you can and to remember the brain is the most important muscle when running; mindset is everything. She also plans to run in college. Marri continues to guide the girls’ cross country team to greatness and, hopefully, to a win at states!

Recently, many states have been putting a ban on cell phones being used in schools. In Massachusetts, state lawmakers have been debating and trying to pass a law that would ban cell phones in schools. Some schools are using a new pouch tool called YONDR, which has stations installed in many schools. The pouches will lock after a phone is put in and won’t unlock until a student takes it to an unlocking station at the end of the school day. Even in Marblehead’s school district, schools are making students put their phones away.

Many feel that not having cell phones in schools will allow students to focus more on their studies and to be more sociable. Some students may also take their phones with them and blow off class where they lose time on learning. Besides, unless they are using their phones during an emergency, students are probably not doing anything productive on their phones and instead are watching videos and playing video games. I think everyone, including myself, would agree that students don’t really need to use their phones during the school day unless for something school related. However, some schools are going way too far in their efforts to keep students off their phones.

On the other side of this debate, many, including parents, are afraid of what would happen during an emergency situation. If something were to happen at a school where they have the YONDR phone pouches, students would have to run to one of these “unlocking stations” and wait for it to open their pouch, which they may not have the time to even do. A lot of parents are also probably worried about what happens if their child’s phone gets damaged. If schools take cell phones away, or force students to put them in phone pouches, who would you say is at fault if the phone is damaged under the school’s care? Most schools deflect and won’t take responsibility when a cell phone is damaged under their care. The only real time that a school will pay for a phone to be repaired is when clear negligence was shown in the handling of the cell phone.

Some other reasons why people are opposed to a cell phone ban is that it teaches students to not use technology in an age where it continues to grow. It would be best for students to learn to see technology as a helpful tool that they can become better at using instead of something that they shouldn’t use. If students aren’t adept at using technology, it will set them up for failure in the future.

I understand where schools are coming from in wanting students to not use their cell phones all the time. However, this whole debate wouldn’t even be an issue if students were able to moderate their own screen time and “go out and smell the roses” for once. Maybe parents should be stricter with their child’s screen time instead of having schools do it.

Some successful student-athlete tips for incoming freshmen -- Part I Mary Prindiville, Freshman Freshman year is a daunting task for most, especially student-athletes. The change between middle school and high school takes lots of adjusting, and some athletes enter the season completely unprepared for how to balance both sports and school. This can lead to missed homework assignments and lowered grades. As a student athlete who is also taking all honors classes this year, I faced these challenges. For our varsity volleyball team, we practice every weekday and typically have two or three games a week, as well as a weekend practice. In this article, I will share one of my tips that I discovered during the season to help me get all of my homework completed on time. I will continue with two more next week.

1. Keep your phone out of sight while doing homework.

The 2025-2026 Girls' Cross Country Team

Although sometimes I need my phone for homework or orchestra recordings, I tend to get very distracted by leaving it lying around near me. My brain is drawn to it, and I end up wasting time and having to continue my homework later into the night. The innocent thoughts of Let's just check my texts to Let's check my Instagram and Snapchat make it hard to focus on math problems. Time flies when you are looking at a screen. At the beginning of the season, I would come home from practice so exhausted that the only thing I wanted to do was scroll through my phone. Then, I would remember I had homework and become stressed.

My solution to this was to keep my phone on my dresser. I like to listen to music when doing homework, so I would also connect my AirPods to my phone. I realized that I finished my homework forty-five minutes before I used to.

Headlight Staff 2025 - 2026 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Grey Collins

ASSISTANT EDITORS: Evan Eisen, Anna Cruikshank, Georgia Marshall

FACULTY ADVISOR: Thomas Higgins

REPORTERS: Anna Baughman, Teagan Freedman, Eve Magen, Maya Berman, Piper Browning, Sophie Li, Mary Prindiville, Theodore Benning, Madeline Duffy

marbleheadcurrent.org

16 Wednesday, October 8, 2025 Marblehead Current

CUZNER IN NATURE

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