FIRST WAVE
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Goodwin arrested, accused of theft, fraud
BY LEIGH BLANDER
Marblehead resident
Robert Goodwin, co-founder of the now-defunct Stone & Compass travel company, was arrested Dec. 10 in Ventura County, California, and charged with defrauding more than 100 Florida high school students and chaperones out of $400,000, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Department. He was expected to be extradited to Florida.
“Students and parents who lost money will be invited to meet him at the airport with Sheriff (Mike) Chitwood,” the department said in a
Facebook post. Goodwin launched Stone & Compass about 15 years ago.
More than 100 Marblehead students traveled with Stone & Compass to Italy, Bulgaria, Scotland, Azores and other international locations.
Goodwin, 56, and Stone & Compass are accused of defrauding 104 students
and chaperones in Daytona Beach for an international trip that was canceled without refunds. He faces four charges, including grand theft and scheme to defraud.
Goodwin had been a fugitive since September, when a warrant was issued for his arrest. He is being held without bond.
“On behalf of so many Volusia County families, I want to say thank you to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and Ventura County Sheriff’s Office for their expertise and assistance in arresting Robert Goodwin so we
BY AKANKSHA GOYAL
Town officials are warning of a deepening fiscal crisis after a new three-year revenue and expense forecast showed a projected $7 million deficit in FY27, soaring to $11 million in FY28 and $15 million by FY29 if current trends continue.
At the Dec. 10 Select Board meeting, Finance Committee
Chair Alec Goolsby, Vice
Chair Molly Teets and Finance
Director Aleesha Benjamin walked the board through the updated model, describing it as the second phase of budget season and a continuation of long-term planning work.
Goolsby said the figures represent the cost of operating the town next year if current operations, staffing levels,
contracts and services remain unchanged.
Benjamin said health insurance remains the biggest pressure point. Marblehead is part of the state’s Group Insurance Commission, and early indications suggest another significant jump next year. She told the board she is hearing estimates of 15-17% and added that insurance experts expect
BY GREY COLLINS
On Saturday morning, dozens of people dressed in Santa hats and holiday costumes cheered as they waded into the freezing water at Little Harbor, while a small crowd — including a pony — looked on in amazement.
The Marblehead Wolf Pack cold water community had gathered at the Little Harbor boat ramp to celebrate their annual “Santa Swim around the Christmas Tree.”
The roughly two dozen participants — including two Santas, Mrs. Claus and an elf — came to swim around the muchphotgraphed boat with a small Christmas tree, set up by nautical gift company First Harbor Company. First Harbor is owned by Tpwm and Samantha Peach.
The group was joined by local celebrity Pippin the pony — dressed in bells and red bows — to take
“double-digit increases for the next two to three years.”
Roughly 80% of the town’s budget is tied to personnel costs, including both current employees and retirees, and the forecast shows the steepest increases coming from salaries, insurance and pensions.
“It’s really the health care that’s really burning cities and towns right now,” Benjamin said.
part in the celebration for the third year in a row. The group took group pictures before wading into the water and swimming around the tree in Little Harbor.
“I feel like it keeps getting better every year,” said Wolfpack member Ruta Ruocys who dressed as an elf. “We feel like little kids, it looks so silly, but it brings so much joy every single year. Everybody is all dressed up, it’s great.”
The water temperature was 41 degrees and the cold December air was a mere 35, but a combination of camaraderie and holiday spirit lifted everyone’s mood.
“The Christmas spirit — and the laughing and joy — definitely heats the water up,” said Judy Doane who was dressed as Mrs. Claus. “Everybody goes in together and helps each other get adjusted to the cold, so we forget about the
Trash collection costs are also poised to jump dramatically.
Public Health Director Andrew Petty told the board the town’s expiring 10-year contracts will likely bring a 51% increase in FY27, with annual increases of 3.5% thereafter.
Benjamin told the board that
ABOVE: John McDonald (Santa), Judy Doane (Mrs. Claus) and Roger Ennis (Santa), swim around the First Harbor Christmas Tree boat on Saturday, Dec. 13.
RIGHT: Ruta Ruocys poses with Pippin the Pony and Judy Doane (as Mrs Claus) at Little Harbor as Wolf Packers wade into the water.
PHOTOS
GREY COLLINS
New 3A plan, including part of Tedesco, sent to state for review
BY LEIGH BLANDER
The town submitted a new “preliminary” multifamily zoning plan to the state on Dec. 2 in hopes of beginning anew the process of complying with the MBTA Communities Act.
On Tuesday, Marblehead Town Planner Alex Eitler said the new plan features two districts. The first and largest includes the Marblehead side of the Tedesco Country Club and golf course, along with the already-established Smart Growth district near the Glover farmhouse. The second area is on Broughton Road, where there is public housing. The two districts combined would provide zoning for 897 housing units required by the state.
“This parcel has many positive attributes,” said Planning Board member Marc Liebman about the Tedesco district. “It’s on a main street, close to a town border. It doesn’t create congestion, and it’s close to shopping, fuel, food and public transportation.”
The new proposal also includes a review process with required design elements, including:
» Pitched, rather than flat, roofing to provide a more residential character.
Siding material that resembles cedar or clapboard.
Double-hung windows to match the surrounding community.
» Landscaping with trees and grass strips between sidewalks and curbs.
The requirements would give these districts a more “neighborhood feel,” Liebman said. “We don’t want this to look
like what they’re building in the Bertini’s parking lot (in Salem) or in Revere,” he said.
The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities is “reviewing the parcel information,” Eitler said and will report back to the town by Jan. 8.
“There is a question about the validity” of including a private golf course as part of the 3A solution, Eitler said.
Asked whether he believed the state would go along with the new plan, Eitler responded, “It’s hard to say.”
He did not know of any other MBTA community that included a private golf course as part of its 3A compliance plan.
The Select Board’s goal is to get a new 3A plan approved at Town Meeting in May. The town has lost eligibility for millions of dollars in
grants due to its noncompliance.
Recommendation for Coffin: ‘Fair and affordable’ housing Community Development and Planning Director Brendan Callahan said on Tuesday he is sending the Select Board his recommendation to “continue doing due diligence” to determine the best use of the Coffin School property. The Marblehead Housing Committee is sending the Select Board a letter recommending the land be used for “fair and affordable housing.”
Callahan said he would like to host another community meeting about the Coffin property in January. It will ultimately be up to the Select Board to decide what to do with the land.
The Coffin property is zoned for single-family housing, so if the town were to sell to a developer or partner with the nonprofit developer Harborlight Homes (which has expressed interest), a special permit or zoning change would be required.
Environmental notice bars housing, recreation facilities at 12 Atlantic Ave.
BY AKANKSHA GOYAL
The owner of 12 Atlantic Ave., a small commercial property currently home to btone Fitness and Eat Well Kitchen, has recorded an environmental notice that will limit how the site can be used in the future after contaminants were found in the soil.
According to documents filed with the state Department of Environmental Protection, testing identified elevated levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, arsenic and lead in urban fill beneath the property, attributed to “historical site operations” and detected at concentrations that mandate notification to state regulators.
The restriction, known as a Notice of Activity and Use Limitation was recorded Nov. 26 in the Essex South District Registry of Deeds. It allows the affected soil to remain in place but prohibits several future uses, including food crop cultivation, operating a daycare, school or recreational facility, and any single-family or multifamily housing redevelopment.
The affected area, made up of three small parcels totaling about 0.28 acres, sits in the town’s B- 1 business district. While the AUL prohibits residential redevelopment without further remediation, town officials said this week that the lot is not part of the current draft MBTA Communities zoning district. The Community Development and Planning Department said the plan is still being finalized.
In notices sent Oct. 14 to tenants and abutters, the
property owner’s environmental consultant,
The Vertex Companies, wrote that the contaminated soil does not pose a risk under current commercial uses and that groundwater on the property is not impacted. Allowed uses under the AUL include commercial operations, parking areas, roadways and routine landscaping.
The company added that any excavation of contaminated soil “cannot be conducted without the prior development and implementation of a Health and Safety Plan” and related soilmanagement measures.
Petroleum-impacted soil
According to a Phase II environmental assessment submitted to the MassDEP, the contamination stems from
historical uses of the parcel dating back more than a century, including an auto repair garage and a paint shop. “Petroleumimpacted” soil was discovered in 1993 near a 550-gallon heating oil underground storage tank and a dry well associated with the former automobile operations. Although most of the contaminated material was removed during demolition that year, the site underwent additional testing in 2020 as part of the property’s evaluation for sale, which identified remaining pockets of contamination.
Marblehead Smiley Face LLC, an affiliate of Core Investments Inc., acquired the property that summer and reported the findings to the state that Fall.
Environmental filings show that multiple rounds of soil and groundwater testing were conducted between 2021 and 2024. Investigators found that contaminants remain beneath paved sections of the site but reported “no greater exposure potential” since the affected soil is not accessible in its current condition.
All interest holders were notified by mail, as required by state law. The restriction remains in place unless the soil is later remediated to meet MassDEP standards.
Btone Fitness and Eat Well Kitchen may continue operating as usual, and the filings do not indicate any risk to customers or employees.
The tenants and the environmental consultant responsible for the site did not respond to requests for comment.
CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER
Contaminants found in soil at 12 Atlantic Ave. will limit uses for the commercial property.
CURRENT PHOTO / GREY COLLINS
Thirty-two acres of the Tedesco Country Club and golf course are in Marblehead.
CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER
Another community listening session about the Coffin School property is planned for January.
CUZNER IN NATURE
BY RICK CUZNER, MARBLEHEAD PHOTOGRAPHER
I headed out in the snow this morning with the intention of finding a barred owl I had seen. After not being able to find it, I decided to take a drive and see what else I could find. I was driving down the Nahant Causeway and happened to catch something sitting on a light pole. A snowy owl! What a surprise.
According to Mass Audubon, snowy owls “typically arrive in Massachusetts around November and then head back north to their Arctic breeding ground in April. When they arrive in Massachusetts they tend to seek local habitats that mimic the Arctic tundra where they spend most of their lives such as large salt marshes, extensive agricultural fields and even airports.”
BY LEIGH BLANDER
More than 100 people came out Saturday morning to lay holiday wreaths at the graves of veterans in Marblehead cemeteries.
Emily DeJoy, who helped organize the event with Kim Crowley, spoke to the crowd gathered at Waterside Cemetery.
“Our country was founded on the ideals of freedom, justice and equality,” DeJoy said. “We thank those who sacrificed to keep those ideals alive, and we will not forget them today. We especially reflect on our veterans, those who have stepped forward to protect the innocent and defend freedom around the world.”
She added: “To those here who have served, thank you. We are honored to stand with you. We also recognize the men and women serving right now, at home and around the globe as part of the best
trained, best equipped force in the world, we honor them and their families for their sacrifices they make each day. President Ronald Reagan once said, ‘Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. It must be fought for, protected and handed on,’ and that is why we gather here today, united
in gratitude and respect as we remember the fallen honor those who serve and teach the next generation the value of freedom.”
DeJoy and Crowley helped raise $42,500 for 2,700 wreaths this year, breaking their own goal.
Frankie Smith and her daughter, Lulu, 6, came to lay wreaths Saturday morning.
cold. And once you start swimming you don’t feel it.”
Pippin the Pony, who joined the celebration for the third consecutive year, was undoubtedly one of the morning’s highlights.
Pippin’s owner, Samantha Peach, led the pony down to the beach with her daughter, Flora, riding on the pony’s back. Pippin was immediately the star of the show, with the swimmers taking countless selfies with her.
“They’re a really fun group and I think they have great spirit and energy,” said Peach. “Just seeing them light up when they see Pippin is so great, and they give Pippin so much love and attention.”
Pippin has gained even more fame in the last few weeks from Peach’s new children’s book called “Pippin Saves Christmas.” The picture book, written by Peach and illustrated by Becky Hastings, tells the story of Pippin using a Christmas tree on a boat to guide lost fishermen home in time for Christmas, aided by Peach’s real daughter Flora and their dog Rosie. They released the book a few weeks ago, and they are donating proceeds to Near North Equine Rescue Center in West Newbury.
“The sales have just been incredible,” said Peach. “It’s been incredible and everyone’s response has just been magical. Everyone has been so supportive
“We want to honor our veterans,” Frankie said. “And I want to teach my children.”
“We owe it to our veterans,” said Wilkens, who added that he worked with the military for many years in the aero-space sector.
Glover’s Regiment was also there and fired three rounds in honor of Marblehead’s veterans.
and the feedback has just been really overwhelming. It’s been wonderful.”
Peach loves how much joy Pippin brings to people everywhere she goes, and can even make the iciest water feel warm and cozy.
“Just walking around the corner and seeing when people light up when they turn around and see Pippin, always puts a lump in my throat because she’s special to us. She’s a part of our family, but to see other people have that response is just incredible,” said Peach. “And she loves it,
she licked everyone to death. She soaks it up.”
“It always makes all of us so happy to see her, “ said Wolfpack member and the Santa swim co-organizer Laurie Swope.
“She is a mascot of sorts for us — and it makes us feel warmer just seeing Pippin.”
Wolf pack members, many still wearing their costumes, waded into the icy water and settled in, fighting the urge to jump out and run back to their heated cars.
While most went back to the beach after four minutes, some remained for more
than 15, swimming and laughing, making any onlooker forget that it is wintertime. Many of these swimmers have been cold plunging regularly for years, and tout the health benefits, such as reduced inflammation, improved circulation and improved mood. But today, after listening to the laughter there’s no doubt that list also included a boost of Christmas spirit.
“You could just feel the love in the air and the holiday christmas spirit. It was perfect,” said Doane.
YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN BLACK
CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER
Frankie Smith and her daughter, Lulu, of Marblehead lay wreaths at Waterside Cemetery.
See more photos and a video at MarbleheadCurrent.org.
COURTESY PHOTO / RICK CUZNER
CURRENT PHOTO / GREY COLLINS
The Marblehead Wolf Pack cold water community gathers to celebrate their annual Christmas cold water plunge.
Opinion
EDITORIAL
An easy “yes”
As the Current recently reported, voters statewide do not seem like they will get the chance to repeal the MBTA Communities Act in next November’s election, as the proponent of such a question, John T. Kolackovsky of Rockport, does not appear to have gathered the required 74,574 certified signatures by the Dec. 3 deadline.
One measure that has cleared the initial hurdle is long overdue, however.
This proposed law would make most records held by the Legislature and the governor’s office public records under the Massachusetts Public Records Law. The only documents exempt would be ones related to the development of public policy and communications between legislators and their constituents, “if those communications are reasonably related to a constituent’s request for assistance in obtaining government-provided benefits or services or interacting with a government agency,” according to the official summary of the proposal.
In recent weeks, State Auditor Diana DiZoglio has grabbed the reins of the proposal, even donating $150,000 from her campaign account to get it over the finish line. DiZoglio has linked the effort to the measures voters approved last year to give her office the power to audit the Legislature. Her efforts to follow through on the voters’ will have since been bogged down by resistance on Beacon Hill, where DiZoglio is seen as throwing the constitutional balance of powers off kilter.
But even if DiZoglio’s audit had never been thwarted, subjecting the Legislature and governor’s office to essentially the same level of scrutiny municipal officials face would still be a good idea.
As the New Bedford Light noted recently, Massachusetts is currently the only state that does not subject the governor, Legislature or judiciary to public records law, and Michigan is the only other state where both the governor’s office and the Legislature claim not to be bound by their public records laws, according to the Boston Globe.
This should be a source of great embarrassment for our state legislators, yet there is scant evidence they will remove this black mark without a push from the voters.
When the Boston Globe surveyed the state’s 198 lawmakers earlier this year, just 12 percent of them said they thought they should be subjected to the state’s public records law. The vast majority of lawmakers — 78 percent — simply ignored multiple emails, calls or text messages over several weeks from reporters to find out where they stood.
“That indicates to me that transparency is just not a priority — and it needs to be and the public should demand nothing less,” New England First Amendment Coalition Executive Director Justin Silverman told the Globe.
The New Bedford Light noted that its state Rep. Antonio F.D. Cabral has repeatedly filed legislation to establish a public records commission, only to have those bills sent to study orders or die in the House Ways and Means Committee.
As the Commonwealth Beacon noted, lawmakers always have the option of simply passing a proposed ballot question into law. But nothing in the Legislature’s history suggests it will seize the opportunity to be proactive.
Then again, maybe it will read the room.
In a recent Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll, none of the proposed ballot questions was viewed more favorably than the proposal subjecting the Legislature and the governor’s office to the public records law, with 84 percent of those polled saying they would support it. It’s not yet a fait accompli that voters will get that chance, as several would-be ballot referendums have been thwarted by legal challenges in recent years.
We hope that’s not the case with this proposal. While in some instances, special interest groups have used ballot questions to hijack the legislative process, this is not such an instance. After all, all passage of the ballot question on the public records law would do is subject the Legislature and governor’s office to the same level of scrutiny as their counterparts in most of the rest of the country.
If it makes it to the ballot, we look forward to supporting this measure — and to taking it out for a spin if it becomes law.
Every giant has a birthplace. Mullen’s was on Mechanic Street
BY KATE HAESCHE THOMSON
When Omnicom completed its $13 billion acquisition of Interpublic Group on Nov. 26, it didn’t just create the world’s largest agency holding company. It also retired several iconic names in advertising — including MullenLowe, soon to be folded into TBWA.
To the business world, this is an epic story about scale, strategy and the end of a legacy network. Here in Marblehead, the story is a local one.
In 1970, Jim Mullen wasn’t an ad industry household name. He was a Hood Sails employee with a penchant for offshore racing, and he was trying to earn enough money to build a boat and sail around the world. He needed an apartment close to the sail loft, which led him to Mechanic Street.
Between regattas and shift work, and with zero agency experience, he started writing ads. The marine companies around him needed support, and he had the instincts of both a craftsman and a storyteller. “I never had been inside an agency or even met anyone who had,” he told me. “But I’d written through college, gone to art school after graduation, and thought, ‘How hard can this be?’” Thus, Superfine Productions was born.
Very early on, Jim teamed up with Paul Silverman, who would become the agency’s legendary creative director. Jim brought entrepreneurial instinct and a sailor’s sensibility; Paul brought creative rigor and drive. What they didn’t have was anyone who actually knew how an ad agency functioned.
Coincidentally, also working in Marblehead sail lofts at the time was my dad, Steve Haesche — a Newhouse-trained artist and veteran of New York and Boston ad agencies. He had walked away from advertising deliberately, choosing instead to cut sails at night, race on weekends and dabble in marine photography. But Jim, Paul and their tiny staff needed someone who could turn raw creative instinct into a functioning business. Dad joined the fledgling team, and together they began building what would become Mullen Advertising.
“Jim once told me he’d hired Steve because he was an ex-Marine who could keep the rest of the staff in line,” writer Bob Payne recalled, “but what he discovered he’d hired was a brilliant creative director.”
As the work grew, the team moved out of the Mechanic Street apartment and into Marblehead’s early 19th-century Custom House at 2 ½ Lee Street—a narrow brick building
facing the Boston Yacht Club parking lot, each floor a single small room. The client roster looked less like a modern agency portfolio and more like a who’s who of the harbor: Hood Sails, Little Harbor boat builders, Paceship Yachts, Direcktor Yachts, Merriman Industries, Datamarine.
Then came a turning point. In 1979, Dad introduced Jim to the Boston Ad Club’s Hatch Awards and urged him to enter something — anything — to build credibility regionally. Their very first submission, for client Old Town Canoe, won Best of Show, stunning Boston’s legacy agencies. Suddenly the question became: Who are these people up on the North Shore?
Those early days also produced the now-legendary “Unsinkable Legend” Boston Whaler ad, in which the team cut a boat in thirds to see if it would still float. (It did.) The campaign remains one of New England’s most iconic pieces of creative work.
Through successive moves to Beverly Farms, Manchester and Wenham, Mullen’s reputation soared. National accounts followed, and Dad found himself back in the very industry he’d tried to escape — only now he was a grown-up, saddled with two daughters and a mortgage. While he worked, my sister and I swam in the Beverly Farms office pool, colored in the Wenham studios and delighted in the manor’s intercom system.
In an email to me, longtime chief creative officer Edward Boches described the Mullen culture.
“It was truly entrepreneurial and collaborative, unlike any work environment I ever experienced. Jim believed deeply that those who built and contributed should share in the rewards — and he meant it. The profit-sharing checks were so generous that new employees sometimes thought they were mistakes.”
“That trust made us fearless,”
Boches added. “We set goals that were unobtainable and reached them. We believed that if you unleashed creativity in everyone, and held everyone responsible for the work, you could will yourself into becoming one of the best agencies in the country. And... we did.”
“We shared in a semi-magical time when respect, loyalty and fun filled the agency,” said Mullen. “We worked and played hard and shared a commitment to an environment that encouraged each of our colleagues to excel.”
Janet Swaysland of Marblehead, co-founder of Mullen’s public relations department, added, “Jim was a leader of the future, unencumbered by conventional corporate thinking. He gathered great individuals and created conditions for them to create great work that mattered, together, surprising everyone.”
Over the decades that followed, Mullen Advertising became the largest independent agency in New England, was acquired by Interpublic, merged into global networks, rebranded as MullenLowe, and competed on a worldwide stage.
Now, with Omnicom’s restructuring, MullenLowe is abruptly no longer. It’s bittersweet. While the good old days were long gone before this latest merger, and the company’s spirit diluted by time and consolidation, the sunsetting of the name still lands with weight. It marks the end of a chapter that shaped lives.
Those who grew up in its orbit — either professionally or, like me, literally — are remembering its early magic and the people who made it possible, and the alumni chatter on LinkedIn validates Swaysland’s observation that “anyone touched by Jim’s beliefs and the culture he created surely carries those ideals forward far beyond the name on the door.”
So — a hearty cheers. To the Marblehead sailor’s side project that became a regional “little engine that could,” then a national ad agency, then a global one and now a piece of the largest advertising company in the world.
It’s a seismic corporate story with humble beginnings down Old Town streets, in tiny Marblehead rooms where there was no choice but to lean in.
Kate Haesche Thomson is a marketing strategist and former Marblehead Current board member. She lives in Marblehead with her husband and two daughters.
COURTESY PHOTO / KATE HAESCHE THOMSON Mullen Advertising’s second office at 2 1⁄2 Lee St. in Marblehead.
An early hand-drawn conceptcomp illustrated by Steve Haesche (left), and the finished, as-produced print ad that followed (right).
What to know about cannabis use in adolescence
BY DR. THOMAS MASSARO
There has been a great deal of discussion about the use of alcohol by adolescents recently. It is great that the town is talking about these things, but alcohol is not the only potentially addictive substance that is available for adolescents to use today. The use of cannabis-related substances is growing rapidly, and cannabis may pass alcohol as the substance of choice for many young people in the near future. In doing the background research for this column, I became aware that public health professionals are no longer using the term “recreational cannabis.” I learned it is being replaced by the term “adult use cannabis.” As a volunteer elected to a very small board in a small town, I might have missed the memo on the vocabulary change, but I will use the new term in the future. From my perspective, however, that change is probably appropriate if indirect recognition that the ideal of relatively consequencefree highs from cannabis use that was promoted early in the legalization process may, in retrospect, have been a bit oversold by its proponents. There are many differences between alcohol and cannabis, but they both potentially can cause serious harm to the maturing brain, and therefore we should try to understand the risks involved in their use. Today, adolescents and young adults generally perceive cannabis as less harmful than alcohol. That is debatable. With significantly increasing potency of and vastly greater variety of products available, cannabis-related emergency department visits, hospitalizations for cannabis use disorder, and unintentional ingestions (especially by young children) have all increased.
The long-term effects of heavy and frequent cannabis use in adolescents are now known to include significant cognitive impairment, increased risks of psychotic breaks and the broader development of cannabis use disorder.
In short, the long-term consequences of cannabis and alcohol seem to be variations on a common theme., i.e., as the adolescent brain matures into adulthood, it is particularly vulnerable to disruptions caused by substances that might be relatively benign when used in moderation by an adult.
My understanding of that theme has been markedly strengthened by a neuroradiology study designed by a University of Vermont psychiatrist (Matthew Albaugh) which was published in the journal with the interesting title “Molecular Psychiatry.”
The figure above represents my interpretation of the basic results of that study and their relevance to public health science.
Since 2010, eight European medical centers have collaborated to study brain development using MRI and other techniques. Albaugh used
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Resident seeks info on dog that bit his Siberian husky
To the editor:
If you were walking your dog on the Hawthorne Pond trail in Marblehead at approximately 3:40 PM on Dec. 11, please contact me. My dog lost a piece of his ear and had to have stitches. Unless I can establish that the dog who bit him was currently on rabies shots, my 2-year-old Siberian husky will have to do an extended quarantine and will miss his beloved twice daily playtime at the dog park with his best buddies. I can be reached at bwleclair@comcast.net
Brian W. LeClair Fox Run Lane
Pride alone does not fund schools or pave roads
To the editor: With 2026 fast approaching, I expect that Marbleheaders will soon begin to have a more rigorous and honest conversation about how we fund our town and the services we rely on. It is encouraging to hear town leaders, led by Finance Director Aleesha Benjamin, publicly acknowledge the need for a general override in 2026. For
years, Marblehead’s operating costs have grown faster than revenues due to the constraints of Proposition 2 1⁄2, which caps annual property-tax increases. Over time, that structural imbalance has taken its toll.
Despite careful management and good intentions, the result has been a gradual erosion of services.
The teachers strike laid bare the challenges facing our schools, and the condition of our roads is a daily reminder that we are underinvesting in basic infrastructure.
With an override on the horizon, Marblehead now faces a clear choice. We can pursue the minimum increase necessary to maintain “level services,” or we can make a deliberate investment in our town — one that delivers the quality of schools, infrastructure and municipal services that residents expect and deserve.
I urge our town leaders to put forward a clear vision, backed by a realistic budget. What would it take to make Marblehead High School a top-25 public high school in Massachusetts? What level of investment is required to properly maintain our roads? How do we ensure seniors and veterans receive the services they need?
Marbleheaders are rightly proud of our town. But pride alone does not fund schools or pave roads. If we want
As the adolescent brain matures into adulthood, it is particularly vulnerable to disruptions caused by substances that might be relatively benign when used in moderation by an adult.
data from that collaborative to evaluate the impact of cannabis on the neurodevelopment process.
The study population of 704 individuals had been followed for 10 years. Every participant had three MRI measurements of the architecture of the cortex of their brains during that time. (The prefrontal cortex is the area of the brain behind the forehead which is responsible for higher cortical and executive functions like planning, prioritizing and decision making.)
The study population was divided into three groups. One was those who were regular and consistent cannabis users from their early teen years. The second had delayed all cannabis use until young adulthood (defined in the paper as age 19-22 years), The third contained only individuals who reported no cannabis use during the entire period.
On the graph, the average cortical thickness of the early and constant users (who started early) is shown by the solid line. The dimensions of the young adult initiators (started late) are shown by the grey dashed line and dotted line that describes the “never users.”
The early users show a meaningful thinning of the cortex. That is not much of a surprise. There is a substantial body of research that shows that cortical thinning is a common result of heavy substance use in adolescence. There are many papers that demonstrate that for both alcohol and cannabis. But the comparison of that result with the dashed line describing the dimensions of the group that delayed cannabis use by five years is potentially very significant. The later-starting brain seems much more able to tolerate the challenge of cannabis than that of the early starters. And the fact that there
is very little difference between the late starters and the never users is also surprising and meaningful. Apparently, once the brain matures, it might be more resistant to substance challenges.
No study is perfect; they all have limitations. Self-reporting of health data always carries risks — especially for young individuals over a 10-year period. We should always be careful about overextending the conclusions of a very focused and technical experiment. The initial MRIs were done before 2013 and being an adolescent today is very different from adolescence in 2013. The European dope of 2013 may be very different from that in the cannabis brownies of 2025. But even with all of those limitations, I don’t think you need a medical degree to want your children and/or grandchildren to have as robust a frontal cortex as possible, and therefore many readers looking at that graph might pause and think for a minute. And perhaps more than a few might wonder what they should expect from their elected and appointed officials to help them deal with these issues in today’s complex world.
The primary goal of this column was to try to introduce the community to the complexity of cannabis use especially for adolescents. I hope my presentation of it was understandable and helpful. If there are questions or comments, please email me at thomasmassarombhd@gmail. com.
Dr. Tom Massaro is chair of the Board of Health and also serves on the Town Charter Committee. He is an emeritus professor at the University of Virginia where he practiced medicine and taught public health, health law and the business of medicine for many years. He lives in Marblehead with his wife and son. He is not writing for the Board of Health.
Marblehead’s reality to match its reputation, we must be willing to invest accordingly.
Finally, I encourage the Select Board to reconsider the use of a Residential Exemption as part of any override proposal. While often associated with communities that have many non-resident homeowners, a Residential Exemption can also promote fairness in towns with high owner-occupancy like Marblehead. Properly structured, it would shift a portion of the tax burden toward higher-value properties while reducing the impact on homeowners with belowaverage home values — many of whom are more sensitive to tax increases. In the context of a general override, a Residential Exemption could help ensure that necessary investments are shared more fairly.
The question before us is not whether an override is needed, but what kind of community we want Marblehead to be — and whether we are willing to pay for it.
Matthew Hooks Nanepashemet Street
History is repeating itself
To the editor:
I write this letter with a heavy heart. I am witnessing a tragic repeat of history that occurred only 85 years ago. Back in 1938,
Prime Minister Chamberlain of Great Britain travelled to Munich, Germany to meet with Hitler. After the meeting, he arrived back in Great Britain. Stepping off the plane, he waved a paper in his hand to a cheering crowd and yelled, “Peace in our time.” Great Britain had acceded to the wishes of Hitler. In 1939, a horror like never experienced followed.
Today, in the news, I heard two foreign policy announcements from Trump. First, he now considers the European Union as a competitor and no longer an ally. Second, he is urging the Ukraine to accede to the demands of the Russian dictator and mass murderer Putin. I know foreign policy generally does not resonate with most voters and these current policies are of no interest to them. At least not to the people who voted for Trump. Thousands of innocent people are being bombed to hell each night. We are being told by our president that while this is terrible, we must accept it and the defeat of a sovereign, democratic nation in order to gain “peace.” Does this sound a bit ala Chamberlain? Together, the USA and the EU could stop the slaughter in the Ukraine. With regard to the European Union, it was formed in 1993. Many of the European nations had learned the hard lessons of competition and war. The
EU was formed to establish a platform whereby some common goals could be discussed and reached, conflicts could be avoided and a peaceful Europe could survive and thrive. And, as a single entity, it could partner with the USA to help safeguard the world against the Hitlers and Putins.
The EU was not formed to become a competitor to the USA. It was formed to work with the USA.
Now, Trump has called that all null and void. The average American, if aware, should be outraged. Where in God’s name is our country headed?
Will history refer to this time as one of the worst in our history? How far down the rabbit hole will this insane president bring us? And three more years to go. God help us. And God forgive the MAGAs who voted for him.
For the rest of us, it is not too farfetched to say that the bloodied dead and dying people of Ukraine can look to the USA and ask, why? Why did you abandon us to Putin?
Someone once wrote that man learns nothing from history other than that man learns nothing from history. 1939 –2025. What a sad testimony to the stupidity and frailty of us humans.
Walter Haug Highland Terrace
Cottage Gardeners mark 85 years of ‘dirt under our nails’
BY LEIGH BLANDER
The Cottage Gardeners celebrated 85 years in Marblehead and Swampscott with cake, stories and a look to the future.
“To every single one of you — past, present and future Cottage Gardeners — thank you for 85 years of dirt under our nails, laughter over tea, ice cream in February and friendships that bloom brighter than any prize-winning rose,” Cottage Gardeners Co-President Colleen Connor said at an anniversary celebration Dec. 9. “Here’s to the next 85 years. May our … hearts stay absolutely, gloriously rooted in this extraordinary club.”
The Cottage Gardeners started in 1940 with between 20 and 30 members.
“In 1940, when this club began, gas was 11 cents a gallon, Glenn Miller was topping the charts and apparently every woman in town wanted into our club so badly that we had a waitlist,” Connor said.
The club leads community projects, maintaining gardens at the Hooper Mansion and Devereux Beach. During the holidays, members also help
NEWS IN BRIEF
BY SAOIRSE STALLINGS
The Current welcomes 150–200-word submissions to News in Brief. Send yours to info@ marbleheadnews.org.
Former Marblehead man convicted of first-degree murder
Former Marblehead resident Brian Walshe was convicted of murdering and dismembering his wife and then hiding her body parts in several locations in early January of 2023. Walshe and his wife, Ana, lived on Edgewood Road in Marblehead with their young sons from 2020-2022 before moving to Cohasset where the murder took place. Walshe’s conviction carries an automatic life sentence without the possibility of parole.
Moulton takes aim at Homeland Security
Congressman Seth Moulton, who represents the 6th District including Marblehead, accused Department of Homeland
decorate the Hooper Mansion and work with the Edith Dodge Memorial Fund to prepare boxes of cookies for distribution. Each May, Cottage Gardeners hosts a huge plant sale, which is moving to the VFW on West Shore drive this spring.
Secretary Kristi Noem of lying during her congressional testimony on Dec. 11. Noem said DHS had not deported any veterans. Moulton released a letter Noem sent him in September in which she states eight vets had been deported at that time.
Moulton also filed legislation that would allow people to sue ICE agents.
Throughout its history, Cottage Gardeners has made thousands of wreaths and bouquets for those in need.
Asked what sets Cottage Gardeners apart from other local clubs, Connor told the Current it’s a “down-to-earth, laid back,
A good sign
The Marblehead Rotary Club unveiled a new welcome sign at the corner of Maple and Lafayette streets. It replaces the one put up in 1992, also by the Rotary. The Recreation and Parks Commission approved the project, which was made possible by donations from the following: Tucker Architects for the plan, Peter Schlack for designing the sign, Justin Epstein for installing the granite posts, Erick Attridge for making the brackets, Chris Kennedy for hauling away the old sign parts and Marblehead Rotary for the funding.
Harbor honor
Marblehead Harbor has won a top award from marinas.com, being named an Elite Fleet winner for 2025.
According to Marinas.com, Elite Fleet marinas “went above and beyond to delight boaters in 2025, maintaining an average star rating of at least 4.7 and receiving at least 10 reviews throughout the year.”
Marblehead Harbor has won
cottage garden vibe, relaxed and easy going. It’s really about our community and friendships, while learning about gardening practices. I always say, ‘You don’t have to be a master gardener; you don’t even have to have a garden.’ But you should like to get your hands dirty because we are active at the Hooper Garden and Devereux Garden.”
At the 85th anniversary celebration, the club honored its longest running member, Ann Huber, who joined in 1986 and helped double participation.
“We salute you, Ann,” Connor said. “Thank you for your vision, your mischief, your endless generosity and for proving that the best way to grow a garden is to grow a community right along with it.”
Cottage Gardeners meet monthly at the JCC, 4 Community Road. It is hosting a community meeting on Jan. 13 for people interested in becoming members. For more information, visit cottagegardeners.net.
marinas.com Boater’s Choice awards dating back to 2009.
Student honors
Bishop Fenwick High School has announced its first quarter honor roll, recognizing students who demonstrated outstanding academic achievement. Among those earning top honors, students from Marblehead were well-represented. Students from Marblehead:
» Presidents List: Jacqueline Dormer ‘26
Principals List: Bridget Carroll ‘27, Mary Donnellan ‘28, Matthew Niles ‘29, William Rand ‘27
» Dean’s List: Grady Butler ‘27, Maggie Cronin ‘29
Facilities stickers
Facility stickers for access to the Transfer Station and Devereux Beach residential parking lot are now available here, marbleheadma.gov/ resident-facility-sticker/.
» Cost is $100 for the primary permit. $40 for additional household permits. Vehicles must be registered to the same address.
» Credit cards only.
» Proof of residency/vehicle registration required. Veterans qualify for one free sticker with proof of past service, current registration and utility bill.. The facility stickers will be valid Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2026.
COURTESY PHOTO
Check out the new sign greeting people as they enter Marblehead.
Frances Levy-Freiman, co-president of the Cottage Gardeners, hands flowers to club member Ann Huber, who was honored for her decades with the group.
CURRENT PHOTOS / LEIGH BLANDER
Frances Levy-Freiman, left, and Colleen Connor, co-presidents of the Cottage Gardeners, slice a cake celebrating the club’s 85th anniversary.
COURTESY PHOTO
Ana Walsh’s husband was convicted for her murder Monday.
A pole, a plan and a push for EV access in Marblehead
BY LEIGH BLANDER
On a blustery Friday morning, Marblehead Sustainability Coordinator Logan Casey stood bundled up near a utility pole outside 10 Franklin St. The pole is a possible location for one of the town’s first on-street electric vehicle charging stations.
Marblehead has been selected to participate in a statefunded initiative through the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center that helps communities expand access to EV charging.
MassCEC is providing technical assistance at no cost to the town, including site analysis, community engagement and planning support for potential future curbside charging locations. The goal is to expand EV access for residents who don’t have off-street parking.
As part of the study, the town is encouraging residents to take a brief survey to help identify areas of need, preferred locations and other factors that should be considered for on-street chargers. The survey is available at form.jotform. com/252335664517157.
The energy consultant firm
she and Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer are meeting with every department to prepare the state-required balanced budget.
“There will be a balanced budget, but there will be some pretty big deductions to achieve that,” she warned.
Board member Erin Noonan called the situation “alarming and concerning,” and noted that multiple communities across Massachusetts have recently passed large overrides to avoid deep cuts.
While board members emphasized that they will not begin by assuming an override, they agreed the town will likely need to prepare multiple scenarios showing what cuts would look like and what an override could restore.
Noonan asked how the board could be most helpful as the town enters the heart of budget Season.
Benjamin responded, “I think having the Select Board members support an override because of these double-digit increases … it’s just near impossible,” she said. “We have been able to make it the past few years, but this is the fiscal cliff. We’ve hit it, and we’re there.”
The balanced budget and its service impacts will be presented publicly at the State of the Town address on Jan. 28.
MMLD outlines major gridfortification project Earlier in the evening, the board received an update from Marblehead Municipal Light Department Energy Programs Manager Michael Hall, who outlined a
can make him answer for his crimes,” Chitwood wrote on his Facebook page. “You may be operating out of Massachusetts with victims in Florida and a hideout in California, but this just goes to show that law enforcement can and will work together to track you down and lock you up.”
Volusia County Detective Bill Weaver worked the case for more than a year. In September, he told the Current,
Leidos is leading the feasibility project in Marblehead.
“What we do is analyze the sites according to things like residential density, any environmental concerns
and environmental justice communities,” said Leidos engineer Sue Pace. “We don’t actually rank the sites — which one is the best, which one is the worst — but we give the
» 9
Gerry
St. (near the police station)
274 Washington St.
26 Shepard St.
» 48 Birch St. (near Lafayette Street)
» 21 Brook Road (near Hobbs Playground)
The EV chargers would be on or near utility poles at those locations.
Casey and other town leaders, along with Marblehead Light Department Energy Program Manager Michael Hull, are developing a plan for a public EV charging network. State funding is available for public EV chargers, according to Casey, and is not dependent on compliance with the MBTA Communities Act.
municipality all the information to decide. Community outreach has weight in the score.”
In addition to Franklin Street, the sites under consideration for on-street EV chargers include:
multi-phase plan to reinforce the town’s aging transmission infrastructure that carries most of Marblehead’s power from a Salem substation.
Drone footage taken in November showed several leaning poles and tensioners “strained almost to the max” along that route, Hall told the board, describing the system as highly susceptible to extreme weather events, wildlife and vegetation.
Phase 1 of the project replaces seven wooden poles on the Salem side with galvanized steel, at an estimated cost of $318,593, two-thirds of which is covered by a federal grant obtained with support from Beacon Climate Innovations. Phase 2 would move underground 1,800 feet of sub- transmission lines near the Lead Mills Conservation Area, a roughly $1.6 million effort also largely grant-funded.
Hall noted that although phases 1 and 2 are “most critical,” phase 3 would eventually move underground the remaining 3,900 feet of lines connecting to the Village 13 substation along the Rail Trail.
He expects phase 1 work
“After a lengthy multi-agency investigation, we found irrefutable proof that (Goodwin) was involved in a large, organized scheme to defraud not only Seabreeze High School but also Flagler College.”
A Volusia County Sheriff’s Department press release announcing the arrest warrant said the charges stem from a nine-day class trip to Italy and Greece scheduled to begin in June 2024. Each traveler paid at least $3,550 in fees that included airfare, lodging and excursions.
“One month before the
to begin this winter, with completion targeted for fall 2026.
Undergrounding would run into mid-2027.
The work, he said, would “eliminate a key vulnerability of critical infrastructure,” prepare for growing electrical demand and ultimately allow removal of obsolete poles along the Rail Trail.
Noonan welcomed the update and noted that the public often overlooks that the rail trail is fundamentally a utility corridor with a recreational easement.
Town Administrator reports
trip, the agency emailed the students, saying it was going out of business and there was no money to offer refunds,” the release stated. “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, including Flagler College in St. Augustine.”
Florida AG complaint
The Current previously
progress on capital projects Kezer delivered a brief facilities update, reporting that several capital projects have recently wrapped up. The Mary Alley roof replacement is “100% complete,” with only a rooftop door installation remaining in January. He said the building’s new insulation should also help with utility costs. The next phase there will involve bidding out HVAC replacements, elevator upgrades, ADA-compliant downstairs bathrooms and improvements to the lowerlevel conference room to make it more functional for public
reported that Goodwin and Stone & Compass are named in a complaint filed by the Florida attorney general’s office alleging violations of Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. The attorney general is seeking $2.6 million in restitution and civil penalties and asking a judge to bar Goodwin from doing business in Florida.
Abrupt cancellations
In the spring of 2024, Stone & Compass abruptly canceled trips for hundreds of students and adults nationwide, in some
The town currently has three public EV charging areas: at the Light Department on Commercial Street, on Roundhouse Road and on Widger Road outside the Mary Alley Municipal Building. Brookline and Cambridge have installed public curbside EV chargers. Marblehead is one of 25 communities working with MassCEC in the EV charger planning and feasibility stage.
meetings.
Kezer also reported that the Community Center roof is now complete, including a new protective coating and snow guards. At the town-owned Hobbs House, which houses the Marblehead Counseling Center, the deteriorating rear deck has been fully replaced. Bids for a full window- replacement project to improve energy efficiency also arrived this week. Finally, he said the fire chief and building commissioner have inspected and upgraded fire alarm systems at several facilities, including fire headquarters, the Community Center, Old Town House and the DPW facility, bringing them all up to code. Kezer added that the town is continuing its review and upgrades of fire alarm systems across all municipal buildings. Board appoints two new members to Disabilities Commission Two vacancies on the Disabilities Commission were filled following interviews with candidates Julie Matuschak and Amy Malkoff, who were unanimously appointed to terms ending in 2028 and 2027, respectively.
Annual Tree Burning and tree pickup Chair Dan Fox announced that the annual community bonfire at Riverhead Beach is set for Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 6 p.m. Curbside pickup will run Dec. 26 through Jan. 16, and trees must be free of lights, ornaments, stands and bags; wreaths and garlands won’t be collected. After Jan. 16, residents must take their trees to the town transfer station for disposal. The board’s next meeting will be held in January.
cases just days before departure. Goodwin told the Current the cancellations were necessary after the company was defrauded out of nearly $900,000 by two New York financial institutions. In the attorney general’s complaint, Goodwin and Stone & Compass are accused of “deceptive business practices” related to the marketing, sale and provision of group travel services to students, parents and faculty at Seabreeze High School in Volusia County and Flagler College in St. Johns County, Florida.
CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER
This utility pole on Franklin Street could be the site for one of Marblehead’s first on-street EV charging stations. Seen here, from left, Karielys Jarowski and Sue Pace with Leidos, Marblehead Sustainability Coordinator Logan Casey and Light Department Energy Project Manager Michael Hull.
‘This is the fiscal cliff.’ Town Finance Director Aleesha Benjamin delivers dire predictions to the Select Board.
Finance Committee Chair Alec Goolsby presents an alarming forecast at the Dec. 10 Select Board meeting.
Moving day for Beauport Ambulance
For over200 years, MarbleheadFemale Humane Society has remained faithful to its original mission of quietly and re spec tfu lly helpi ng Ma rble head re sid ents in ne ed.
If yo u’re struggli ng to pay your bills or are experiencing asudden and unexpected financial hards hi p, we’ re he re t o he lp.
Individual requests forfinancialassistance must be referred through athirdparty for consideration
We urge you to contact our partners listedbelow, or speak to your localclergy to request assistance from Ma rbleh ead Female Huma ne Soc iety:
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
Sports
Hockey Headers open season with pair of losses in Lake Placid
BY LUCA TEDESCO
The Marblehead Magicians boy’s hockey team opened the 2025-26 campaign with a pair of losses to Winthrop at the Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, New York on Friday and Saturday.
“There are many positive things that took place overall,” said head coach, Brendan Locke. “It’s a weekend that the team can build on. Many of the student athletes experienced their first taste of significant minutes and what it takes to play against a team coming off a state championship season. It provides a measuring stick and helps set our goals of where we need to be and grow as the season progresses”
The Magicians were shut out by the Vikings 3-0 in the opening game of the campaign with goaltender Bowden Laramie making 19 saves.
The second game of the season ended in a 4-1 loss to Winthrop.
Drew DePhillips opened his account with 59 seconds remaining in the game, putting
in the season’s first goal off of an assist from JJ Downey.
Laramie made 42 saves across the weekend, starting the year with a 3.50 goals against average and a 0.833 save percentage.
The back-to-back games against the 2025 state champion Winthrop Vikings marked the beginning of the Brendan Locke head coaching tenure. Locke was an assistant coach for Marblehead from 2014-2018 and was selected in the 1991 NHL Supplemental Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers ahead of his senior season at Merrimack College.
The Magicians will play their first home game against the Masconomet Chieftains at the Rockett Arena at Salem State next Saturday at 7 p.m.
Magicians begin new season with two wins in Markowitz Memorial Tournament
BY JOE MCCONNELL
A team can’t go undefeated unless it wins its first game, and that’s what the Marblehead High School boys basketball team (1-0 in the Northeastern Conference, 2-0 overall) did last Friday night (Dec. 12), when it defeated the Danvers Falcons in the opening round of the fourth annual Zach Markowitz Memorial Tournament hosted by Salem Academy, 58-51.
The Magicians then took on Salem Academy in the title game the next day, and defeated them going away, 72-40. The Navigators defeated Bishop Fenwick in their first-round game on Friday night.
In the game against Danvers, Marblehead jumped out to a big lead, but its NEC rival fought its way back to go ahead briefly, before coach Mike Giardi’s crew switched up personnel and defenses to regain the advantage.
Senior forward Cam Weaver ended up pacing the offensive attack with 17 points. Sophomore forward Tommy McGovern was close behind with 16, while junior captain Finn Baron ended up with nine.
The Marblehead boys then wiped out host Salem Academy in the championship game of the Markowitz Memorial
Tournament, 72-40.
The Magicians jumped out to another big lead early in the first quarter, but this time they never looked back.
McGovern was the top scorer in this game with 15 points, and went on to make the AllTournament team. Baron was next in line with 13. Senior Yamil Gil-Duran chipped in with 10. Weaver, the tournament MVP, poured in nine.
Altogether, Marblehead had nine players in the scoring column. They then went on to begin the NEC season against the rival Panthers in Beverly on Dec. 16 after press deadline.
“We are very excited about what lies ahead for us this season,” said Giardi. “We have some depth and some size, but still need to come together more as a team.”
Giardi says that the NEC appears to be a very balanced conference this year, which means his club has to come ready to play at all times. They did scrimmage Manchester Essex and Northeast Vocational to prepare for the games that count, and judging from last weekend’s tournament in Salem, it has paid off so far.
Looking back, looking ahead
Last year, Giardi’s team finished up the regular season
with an 11-9 overall record (6-7 in the Northeastern Conference Dunn Division), before Archbishop Williams, the 29th seed, defeated them in the preliminary round of the Division 2 state tournament, 52-42. The Magicians were the 36th seed.
Senior guard Finn Gallup, who was the starting quarterback on the football team, and Baron are this year’s hoop captains.
Prior to the opener against Danvers, Giardi struck an optimistic note for a successful season, and the victory over the
Falcons certainly didn’t diminish his positivity. “We probably have one of our deepest teams ever in terms of pure basketball ability this year, but not necessarily in terms of varsity experience,” he said, “and with that said, (Baron) will lead our offense, while (Gallup) will lead our defense.”
Besides Gallup, Giardi has eight other seniors, who are also capable of carrying the load as solid, contributing players this year.
Weaver comes aboard as a transfer student, whose athleticism should add a whole
new layer to the entire roster, according to the veteran Marblehead coach.
Giardi also mentioned that seniors Adam Loughlin and Declan Gibson bring some toughness to the inside game. James Lancaster, Billy Fitzgerald and Gil-Duran will solidify the backcourt. Senior forward Finn Bowen has extensive knowledge of the game that allows him to play a variety of positions, which adds more versatility to the roster.
There just might be a midseason addition to the roster, when senior forward Rylan Golden comes back from his football injury, but on the other hand, Breydan Callahan appears to be out for the year, according to Giardi. There are a number of players who are new to the varsity, including juniors Blake Hammond, Tyler Forbes and Ben Ross. Alex Boehning, also a junior, won’t be playing this year, because of an injury.
Sophomores Tommy McGovern and Blake Golden, Rylan’s brother, should literally make a big impact with their size alone. “Hopefully, they will create some matchup issues for opposing teams throughout the next two months,” said Giardi.
The MHS hockey team arrives in Lake Placid on Friday afternoon COURTESY PHOTO
Spotlight shines bright on this Marblehead Eagle
Selvais comes of age as sophomore for St. John’s Prep after record-breaking season
BY JOE MCCONNELL
For Marblehead football fans tuning into the Super Bowl championship games from Gillette Stadium on Dec. 6, they saw a familiar face wearing No. 8 for St. John’s Prep. Then, when they heard the announcers behind the TV38 mics marveling at his speed and pass catching ability, while realizing he was only a sophomore, they knew they must have been talking about Riley Selvais, somebody they have been watching play the game he loves since he was six.
“I have been playing flag football since I was six years old, but I started playing tackle football in the seventh grade for Marblehead (Youth Football),” said Selvais, the 6-foot, 185pound all-star Prep wide receiver, who’s the youngest of three brothers — Cody, 20, and Brady, 18. Fred and Paige are their proud parents.
“I have enjoyed playing the game (in any form) my whole life, but my passion for it really got started when I played with my older brother Cody and his friends. Playing against the older kids brought out the competitive spirit in me that I (still have) to this day.”
Selvais caught three passes — one for a touchdown — in that Division 1 Super Bowl game against Xaverian for 81 yards, and also got another score after running the opening second half kickoff back for 80 more yards to keep his teammates close on the scoreboard in a game that they eventually lost by a mere six points, 41-35.
Veteran St. John’s Prep coach and former NFL quarterback Brian St. Pierre knows about Riley’s competitive spirit, which helped him set new single season school records for receptions (52) and yards (1,053). Both were attained after 11 games, and prior to the two Xaverian
VARSITY SCOREBOARD
Friday, Dec. 12
Boys basketball: Marblehead 58, Danvers 51 Girls basketball: Danvers 54, Marblehead 25
Boys hockey: Winthrop 3, Marblehead 0 (at Lake Placid)
Saturday, Dec. 13
Boys hockey: Winthrop 4, Marblehead 1 (at Lake Placid)
Boys basketball: Marblehead 72, Salem Academy 40
Girls hockey: Auburn 6, Marblehead 0
Team records
Boys basketball: 2-0
Girls basketball: 0-1
Boys hockey: 0-2
Girls hockey:
showdowns on Thanksgiving and in the Super Bowl. He caught 19 more passes in those two games, adding to his single season school record, which now stands at 71, while also finishing up with an equally historic number of receiving yards at 1,230. All of these extraordinary statistics compute to 14 touchdowns in 13 games. He had 12 going into the Super Bowl game at Gillette. He was then able to showcase his immense talents in front of a larger New England television audience.
But football being a team game played a role in those two high water marks. It was helpful that he has had a longtime connection with the Prep’s fivestar quarterback Chris Vargas, who resides in Danvers.
“We have been playing football with each other for over six years now,” said Selvais of his friend and teammate Vargas. “We started off playing together on a flag football team — NEFFL (New England Flag Football) — out of Middleton that travels around the country playing in national tournaments.”
But while growing up, Selvais understood that football players have to show their versatility
Wednesday, Dec. 17
4:30 p.m.: boys and girls indoor track vs. Beverly at Beverly High gym
7 p.m.: boys wrestling vs. Gloucester at Gloucester High gym
7:30 p.m.: girls hockey vs. Newburyport at Salem State Rockett Arena
Thursday, Dec. 18
6 p.m.: girls basketball vs. Saugus at Saugus High gym
6:30 p.m.: boys wrestling vs. Pentucket at Pentucket High gym, West Newbury
7 p.m.: boys basketball vs. Saugus at MHS gym
7:45 p.m.: girls gymnastics vs. Peabody at Baker’s School of Gymnastics, Salem
Saturday, Dec. 20
7:30 a.m.: boys wrestling vs. Mt. Hope High School at Mt. Hope High gym, Bristol, Rhode Island
1 p.m.: co-ed swimming, NEC Dive Meet, Peabody YMCA
to play multiple positions on both sides of the ball. But make no mistake about it, he loves being in that position to make electrifying plays.
“On offense I have always played wide receiver, but when I played for the Marblehead youth tackle team, I was also a linebacker on defense,” he said. “Overall, playing wide receiver is my favorite position, because it brings me joy every time the ball is in my hands.”
All athletes, who ascend past their peers, learn what it takes to succeed through past coaches or role models, and once again
2 p.m.: girls hockey vs. Pope Francis at Smead Arena, Springfield
7 p.m.: boys hockey vs. Masconomet at Salem State Rockett Arena
Sunday, Dec. 21
3 p.m.: boys basketball vs. Bishop Fenwick at Bishop Fenwick gym, Peabody
Monday, Dec. 22
4 p.m.: girls hockey vs. Medford at LoConte Rink, Medford
7 p.m.: girls basketball vs. Revere at MHS gym
Tuesday, Dec. 23
7 p.m.: girls basketball vs. Shawsheen Valley Vocational Tech at MHS gym
Friday, Dec. 26
5 p.m.: boys hockey vs. Medfield at O’Maley-Talbot Rink, Gloucester
Saturday, Dec. 27
TBD: boys hockey vs. TBD at O’Maley-Talbot Rink, Gloucester
9 a.m.: boys wrestling at Pentucket High School gym, West Newbury
Riley credits his big brother Cody for his success to date.
“Watching my older brother Cody play football sparked an interest in this sport for me,” he said. “What I loved about the sport right away was the competitive and team aspect of it that no other sport on the planet has.”
Riley can make that statement, because he played those other sports. “Growing up, I also played baseball and basketball, and I had a lot of success playing youth baseball, in particular, at Gatchell’s. My teams won four championships out of the five years that I played in the league,” the Marblehead native said. “I loved playing baseball and basketball growing up, but when high school started football and track took over the best of my (athletic) interests. They are the ones that I participate in now.”
Selvais has been at the Prep since the seventh grade. He has been playing on the varsity football team the last three years, and even though he’s only a sophomore, he already has that special moment that he won’t soon forget.
“The most memorable
Sunday, Dec. 28
10:30 a.m.: girls hockey vs. Barnstable at Salem State Rockett Arena
Monday, Dec. 29
9:30 a.m.: boys and girls indoor track, NEC Freshmen-Sophomore Meet at Gloucester High gym
Wednesday, Dec. 31
11 a.m.: boys hockey vs. Pembroke at Hobomock Ice Arena, Pembroke
12:30 p.m.: girls hockey vs. Bishop Fenwick at Salem State Rockett Arena
Saturday, Jan. 3
10 a.m.: boys wrestling at MHS gym
4 p.m.: girls hockey vs. Peabody at McVann-O’Keefe Rink, Peabody
6 p.m.: boys hockey vs. Gloucester at O’Maley-Talbot Rink, Gloucester
Monday, Jan. 5
6:30 p.m.: girls basketball vs. Masconomet at Masconomet gym, Boxford
moment to date has to be playing in Gillette Stadium,” he said. “Playing there was extraordinary. I enjoyed every moment inside that stadium with my teammates, coaches and family. I am truly blessed to have such amazing people around me, who support me. But I tried not to pay too much attention to the (video) scoreboard during the game. I have and will always have full confidence in my teammates and coaches, so my main focus during that game was on just making that next play.”
But even at this young age, Selvais has been in contact with a number of Division 1 colleges, and among them are Boston College, Syracuse and Harvard, to name a few. But his dream school to attend has always been the University of Florida. He also has another dream, and that’s turning pro someday. The kid from Marblehead has plenty of time to make those possibilities come true, but his concentration in athletics is now solely on winning the state championship with his St. John’s Prep teammates at the home of the New England Patriots.
7 p.m.: boys basketball vs. Masconomet at MHS gym
Tuesday, Jan. 6
5:30 p.m.: co-ed ski at Ski Ward Ski Area, Shrewsbury
6:30 p.m.: co-ed swimming vs. Danvers at St. John’s Prep wellness center, Danvers
Wednesday, Jan. 7
6 p.m.: girls hockey vs. Gloucester at O’Maley-Talbot Rink, Gloucester
7 p.m.: boys wrestling vs. Saugus at MHS gym
7:30 p.m.: boys hockey vs. Beverly at Salem State Rockett Arena Thursday, Jan. 8
4:30 p.m.: boys and girls indoor track vs. Peabody at Swampscott High gym
7 p.m.: boys basketball vs. Peabody at Peabody High gym
7:30 p.m.: girls gymnastics vs. Hamilton-Wenham at Lynch-van Otterloo YMCA
COURTESY PHOTO / TREVOR NEMESKAL
Marblehead’s Riley Selvais of St. John’s Prep warms up before the Division 1 Super Bowl game against Xaverian at Gillette Stadium on Dec. 6.
COURTESY PHOTO
St. John’s Prep sophomore wide receiver Riley Selvais of Marblehead.
Local parenting coach pens new book on embracing ‘simpler approach’
BY BELLA TRAVAGLINI
Parenting coach Lizzie Assa says that the tide is turning on how parents want to raise their children — which is embracing the simpler approach of days gone by.
“Parents are exhausted from treating childhood like a resume-building project, and the results — anxious, overwhelmed children — are impossible to ignore,” said Assa.
A Marblehead Current columnist and former nursery school teacher, Assa has written her first book, “But I’m Bored,” which will be published in January, where she guides parents on how to foster simple, independent play vital to children’s development and imperative for the sanity of parents. She encourages parents to step away from hustle-culture.
“You can let go of the six activities,” she said. “Kids need time to relax.” Drawing from a vast online platform, Assa says that she has learned from the thousands of families she has coached that parents are stressed and burnt out from the cultural demand that they must entertain their kids 24/7, and that the children are paying a price, too.
“Kids being told what to do, when to do it and how to do it doesn’t leave any room for them to build on their own personal skills,” she said.
Assa and her family moved to Marblehead three years ago and now live in her husband David’s childhood home. They have three children — the oldest who is attending his first
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
year at Purdue University, a daughter, who is at Marblehead High School and the youngest daughter, a sixth grader, who attends the Village School.
While raising her young family as a stay-at-home mom after leaving her teaching job behind, Assa opened an in-home play and arts studio for about a year, which she says was very successful. She began taking pics of her studio work and posting about it on her new blog and on social media.
“I quickly realized that I could turn this concept into an online business and still be home with my kids,” she said.
The Workspace for Children website was born about 10 years ago, which has parlayed into a community of over 219,000 followers on Instagram for Assa and a top 35 best-selling Substack — a publishing platform for independent writers and creators — reaching thousands of parents globally. Recent studies have shown
rising rates of anxiety and depression in children, according to Assa, but she has seen this phenomenon through the eyes of the families she’s guided.
“They’re watching their kids struggle with stress and perfectionism at younger and younger ages; seeing the homework meltdowns, hearing the same stories from other families,” said Assa. “The research is there, but parents don’t need a study to tell them something is off. They’re living it. And that’s what’s finally pushing us to change course.”
Sarah Luck, who grew up in town and is raising her three children in town alongside her husband, began following Assa on social media several years ago and was captivated by her genuine and calm approach. Since following Assa’s guidance, Luck said that she left behind the pressures of taking on multiple activities.
“I really enjoyed her content and everything made sense to me,” said Luck. “It is truly mindblowing that we as parents can make things simple for so much
benefit.” Part of Assa’s advice for playtime is setting out everyday items, like a mini-muffin tin, perhaps, and some playdough, said Luck. Or maybe a few pieces of paper where you draw some shapes and leave markers on a table for the kids to do their thing.
Luck said that children gravitate to the super simple setup, which lets them use their imaginations. Of course, her children have commercial toys, like a Barbie Dream House, for instance, but things have been scaled way back in her home, and she’s witnessed how keeping it simple works.
Assa promotes several strategies in raising independent, healthy children that you can find on her website, which offers digital guides for purchase, one-on-one parent coaching, playspace design consulting and both free and paid Substack membership.
A book launch event will be held at Hunt and Gather on Tuesday, Jan. 13 in collaboration with Saltwater Books, where Assa will be signing books and chatting with occupational therapist, Joann Sorg, of Marblehead’s The Power of Speech. “But I’m Bored” can be preordered at workspaceforchildren.com/ and on Amazon.
“I wrote this book as a mom and a warm, grounded friend,” said Assa. “I’ve listened, and I want to help parents shift their perspective a little bit. They can look into it and pick and choose at whatever stage they need it and what resonates with them.”
December community update
SUBMITTED BY
MELISSA CLUCAS & HENRY GWAZDA, School Committee Communications Subcommittee
MHS roof bid approved
Following a competitive bidding process, the School Committee unanimously approved awarding the Marblehead High School roof and HVAC replacement contract to Homer Contracting Inc. for $8.97 million, about $2.1 million under budget. The bid includes fixed pricing for a full roof recovering along with HVAC, plumbing and electrical work. This marks a major step toward resolving longstanding building issues at MHS. Most construction is planned for the summer, with substantial completion targeted before October 2026.
FY27 budget roadmap
The path to an approved fiscal year 2027 budget has been defined. The administrative team has been working closely with the town finance director, and the School Committee’s Budget Subcommittee has been coordinating with FinCom to ensure alignment across groups.
Preliminary capital requests have been submitted. The administration is conducting detailed reviews with principals and has analyzed staffing by role at each school to understand how positions relate to enrollment trends, class-by-class needs, and supports for curriculum and special education. These inputs will be consolidated into a draft FY27 budget proposal in the weeks ahead.
School Committee goals for 2025–26
This year, the School Committee’s goals focus on strengthening how we plan for the future, how we listen to educators and families, how we explain the school budget and how we use data to guide decisions and share the story of our district’s progress. We’ll continue to keep the community updated as we move forward on each of these. At a high level, our goals include:
» Strategic planning & highLevel oversight: Clarifying the “swim lanes” between the School Committee and the superintendent, and strengthening the district’s long-term planning practices and framework.
» Elevating educator voices & stakeholder representation:
Creating more opportunities for educators and other key stakeholders to share their perspectives and help shape district direction and practice.
Financial transparency & budget education: Making the budget easier to understand through clearer materials and open, accessible conversations with the community.
Data-driven decisionmaking: Using data more consistently in our decisions and communications so the community has a clearer picture of district progress.
Facilities Subcommittee
Members: Henry Gwazda (chair), Jennifer Schaeffner The recently installed roof on the
MVMS D-wing has significant issues, including blocked drainage that caused water damage inside the building.
The district has not paid the contractor and is insisting on a full replacement, not a patch.
The facilities team, with support from a community roofing expert, inspected the roof and will recommend next steps.
The subcommittee reviewed survey feedback from 75 families about the Eveleth School site. There’s interest in expanded early childhood programs, especially full-day preschool and toddler options, with affordability, experienced staff, and play-based learning as top priorities. Families noted cost, scheduling, and existing childcare as potential barriers.
Further planning is needed. The district will research models, consult staff, and develop a detailed proposal before seeking more input or making recommendations on the site’s long-term use.
Budget Subcommittee
Members: Jennifer Schaeffner (chair), Melissa Clucas FY27 budget planning is underway.
The administration recently shared a reorganized staffingby-school spreadsheet, providing clearer visibility into where positions sit and how they connect to enrollment, special education needs and curriculum priorities. The administration is meeting with principals to shape the first draft of the FY27 budget, with continued discussion scheduled for Dec. 22.
Policy Subcommittee
Members: Kate Schmeckpeper
(chair), Jennifer Schaeffner
The subcommittee reviewed a proposed competency determination policy, now required by DESE since MCAS is no longer a graduation requirement. It also reviewed the Support Services section of the policy manual, including safety, transportation and food services, discussing updates to nine policies and proposing five new ones.
Communications Subcommittee
Members: Henry Gwazda (chair), Melissa Clucas The subcommittee finalized a process for community members to subscribe to School Committee updates and coordinated with local media to ensure these summaries are published consistently. It also released the budget roadmap to help visualize the FY27 planning process and is developing a progress tracker to show how the SC is advancing its 2025–26 goals.
Upcoming Meetings
» Dec. 18, 2025: Policy Subcommittee » Dec. 18, 2025: Full School Committee Dec. 22, 2025: Budget Subcommittee » Jan. 6, 2026: Facilities Subcommittee » Jan. 28 or February 4, 2026: State of the Town Address Feb. 26, 2026: FY27 Budget Public Hearing To read the full newsletter and subscribe, visit marbleheadschools. org/school-committee/ newsletters.
ANNA WISTRAN WOLFE PHOTOGRAPH
Author Lizzie Assa
For nearly four decades, van Kalken sets Marblehead’s holiday tone
BY JULIE FLYNN
At a recent performance, you could hear a pin drop when Maria van Kalken raised her hand, motioning to the chorus. For more than 37 seasons, van Kalken, director of the Old North Festival Chorus and minister of music at Old North Church, has led the Old North Festival Chorus and Orchestra holiday concerts. On Dec. 6 and 7, the much-anticipated 45th annual holiday concerts did not disappoint. The Festival Chorus draws from the church’s senior choir and singers across the community. The first half of the 90-minute concert featured a Haydn mass and chorals by Bach and Mendelssohn.
The second half had a lively twist, with guest narrator Caleb Mayo reciting poetry by Shakespeare, Thomas Campion, Billy Collins and Robert Burns, to name a few, interspersed with musical selections by John Rutter, Dan Forrest and Mark Hayes. Mayo is an internationally acclaimed actor and Shakespeare scholar.
The inspiration and genius behind the sound of music is van Kalken. What many don’t know is that the longtime Marblehead resident hails from Manchester, New Hampshire, growing up in a musical family. Her parents were both of Dutch descent, her father emigrating from Rotterdam, Holland. Her mother was a piano teacher. When she was in high school, she knew she wanted to be a musician and excelled in both clarinet and piano.
“Strangely, what happened was that I was drawn to counterpoint, music that’s more
suited to organ, which is both vocal- and keyboard-inspired, popular in the Baroque period. I fell in love with early music — that’s music composed up through the death of Bach, up to 1750,” she said.
After high school in Manchester, van Kalken headed to the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. “When I was accepted, I knew I had to go. It changed my entire life. I met my best friend, Kathleen Fay, at Oberlin. She is the executive director of the Boston Early Music Festival. She helps with the Festival Chorus marketing and fundraising, and I am part time on her staff at BEMF.”
In 1982, her senior year at Oberlin, she applied for a Rotary International scholarship which she used to attend Sweelinck Conservatory, an academy for gifted musicians in Amsterdam, Holland. “Holland is one of the most amazing places in the universe for pipe organ study and performance. They also added another three months to
my residency for Dutch language study, so I was lucky enough to study the language of my heritage.”
Following her stint in Holland, she entered New England Conservatory in 1986 to complete her master’s degree in organ performance. Initially, her plan wasn’t to be a church musician. “Then I had an ‘aha’ moment that if I was going to play the pipe organ, I needed an organ to practice on. It’s a tough instrument because every organ is different from the next. You never get acclimated to one instrument. You don’t get privacy. I used to practice at King’s Chapel in Boston. They’d be doing tours while I was playing,” she said, laughing.
Lucky for Marbleheaders, van Kalken accepted her job at Old North in 1989, and the rest is history. “I always dreamed of living near the ocean, which is one of the reasons I ended up in Marblehead. It fits in with my Dutch upbringing and European
GOOD CHEER, GOOD DEEDS Students deliver on holiday spirit
BY LEIGH BLANDER
Marblehead’s Devereux School
embraced the holiday spirit beginning with its annual winter concert Dec. 3 at the Performing Arts Center when students from toddlers through fourth grade belted out classics like “Rudolph
the Red-nosed Reindeer” and “Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel.”
On Saturday, students marched in the Christmas Walk parade and then on Tuesday, kindergarteners delivered 83 bags of donated groceries to the Marblehead Food Pantry.
HISTORY & HOLIDAYS
Members of the Marblehead Historical Commission hosted a holiday party at Abbot Hall on Thursday, Dec. 11. Its board members include, from left, David Krathwohl, Ed Nilsson, Peter Stacey-Collections Manager, Bill Conly, Pam Peterson, David Bittermann and Chris Butler.
The commission works to preserve and protect Marblehead’s historical assets — its places, artifacts and stories — while making them accessible to the public.
— Leigh Blander
sensibility. Marblehead is a seaside town reminiscent of these beautiful little European towns by the ocean. It’s always evolving and always motivating. Being a musician promotes a stressful lifestyle, and being by the ocean dials it down by a certain percentage,” she said.
In a fitting tribute, the Dec. 6 performance was dedicated to Dr. Maximiliaan (Max) Kaulbach, who grew up in Holland and sang with the Festival Chorus for three decades. Before his passing in May, Kaulbach spoke highly of van Kalken. “What made the concert so special was that the music director was Maria van Kalken. She was an excellent conductor and organist. The performances were a highlight of my musical year. I was so happy to be a part of this group for 30 years,” Kaulbach wrote in his memoir.
Van Kalken’s real passion is conducting. “That we are going to organize 24 musicians in a pit and 90 singers up in the risers is both terrifying and exciting. I have to make it happen between everybody. We have to pull it all together and make it work and become one. When you trust people to do their best, they do
it. Music is a great unifier.”
Aside from the church choir and Festival Chorus, there is van Kalken’s other life: The Boston Early Music Festival is an international music organization. “I have carved out a way to have two part-time jobs, which are both full-time responsibilities. In January and August every year, we travel to Germany to make recordings with BEMF, one of which just got nominated for a Grammy — our seventh Grammy nomination. We produce a festival that happens every two years, the largest of its kind in North America. We present a fully staged Baroque opera at the Cutler Majestic in the Theater District. We produce 18 concerts with artists from all over the world within one week,” she said. “Next year, BEMF is headed to Magdeburg, Germany, on an opera tour. And just before Easter, I conduct a big requiem project with the Festival Chorus.”
There is no downtime for van Kalken, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.
As for future goals, van Kalken wants to keep doing what she’s doing. “I just want to keep going.”
Van Kalken is appreciated by the town. “Marbleheaders have discerning tastes, which is very inspiring. Old North is my family. It’s much more than a job. These are the people I want to be with. I care about them as much as they care about me. I’m here every holiday and every Christmas Eve,” she added. Old North Church is holding three Christmas Eve services at 7 p.m., 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. All are welcome.
Devereux School students march in Marblehead’s Christmas Walk Parade on Saturday, Dec. 6.
ABOVE: Devereux School kindergarteners deliver 83 bags of donated groceries to the Marblehead Food Pantry on Monday, Dec. 8. COURTESY PHOTO LEFT: Devereux School students perform in their annual winter concert on Dec. 3.
Maria van Kalken speaks with a member of the chorus.
COURTESY PHOTOS / JULIE FLYNN
Maria van Kalken leads the Festival Chorus and orchestra.
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
Winter Candle Workshop at Abbot Library
Drop-in Life and Portrait Drawing
Sunday, Dec. 21. 9 a.m.-noon
Hone your drawing skills and meet new friends at the MAA’s Drop-In Life & Portrait Drawing session, 8 Hooper St. MAA models will be posing for you to capture their essence on paper. Whether you’re an experienced artist or just starting out, everyone is welcome to drop in and get creative!
Please note that if you are working in any medium other than pencil, you must bring and use a drop cloth. A limited number of easels are available.
MAA Members: $15 | Nonmembers: $20
Thursday, Dec. 18, 6 p.m.
Back by popular demand! Come to Abbot Library to make winter-inspired, scented candles with soy wax and essential oils. Adults and teens are welcome. Space is limited, and registration is required at tinyurl.com/winter-candle.
Lighthouse Fitness Studio: Country Line Dance with Kate
Thursday, Dec. 18, 6 p.m.
Wear your boots and a country hat for this 90-minute line dance class set to country music.
Lighthouse Fitness Studio is located at 89 Front St. Sign up at: harborfitnessstudio.punchpass. com.
Marnie ready to make her mark
Breed: Domestic shorthair
Size: Medium
Age: Adult
Sex: Female
Some say that Marnie is a ringer for Marilyn Monroe or Cindy Crawford, but volunteers at the Marblehead Animal Shelter think she is a unique beauty. They call her “just the perfect little lady.” She is always ready to greet anyone who is passing by her “suite” with a friendly little meow, they report.
“Marnie has a gentle soul and is looking for someone who can lavish her with lots of love and attention,” volunteers say. Marnie is up to date with routine shots, house trained and spayed. If you are interested in Marnie, fill out an application at marblehead-animal-shelter.org.
Guy Ford Band Plays The Bunker at VFW Post 2005
Saturday, Dec. 27, 7 p.m.
Guy Ford Band plays downstairs in The Bunker @ VFW Post 2005 to benefit the Supporting Disabled American Veterans Massachusetts. Join for a holiday get together inviting donations to help support local disabled vets. Open to all.
Dreaming with the Unseen: A Solstice Ceremony and Mini Retreat
Sunday, Dec. 21, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Join Gurdeep and Rachael for a ceremony and retreat at The Yoga Loft that draws on the powerful portal of the winter solstice that occurs this year on Sunday, Dec. 21. The Winter Solstice is the longest and darkest day of the year, and a time when the sun appears to “stand still” before returning back to light.
This workshop includes trance meditation and healing, a group poem, candle lighting with intentions and more. The class is $55 per attendant. Register here: www.theyogaloftmarblehead. com/workshops.
MHS Holiday Concert
Wednesday, Dec. 17, 7 p.m.
The community is invited to enjoy a holiday concert by Marblehead High band, orchestra and choral students. The free performance is at the Veterans School Performing Arts Center.
COURTESY PHOTO
Marnie is the “perfect little lady,” according to volunteers at the Marblehead Animal Shelter.
Patricia Cave Bullis, 86
Patricia Cave Bullis, affectionately known as Patsy, passed away in Concord on Dec. 4. She surprised all by living until 86 years old and there was no question about her veracity for life and her desire not to miss any of the fun. She was the daughter of the
late Dr. Edwin
Richard C. McCluskey, 92
and
was
predeceased by her sister, Sally Cave. She is survived by her three children, Pamela Bullis Mentuck and her husband Michael M. Mentuck, Peter Cave Bullis and his husband, Mauricio Javier Zuleta, and Penelope Bullis and her partner Roger Howard Ellis. She is also survived by three grandchildren, Michael J. Mentuck, Allison Cave Mentuck Federico and husband Jake Federico and Jake Bullis. And four great grandchildren, Jackson and Madison Mentuck,
four years. In 1962, he graduated from Boston University with a bachelor of science in public relations.
Richard C. McCluskey passed away peacefully on Nov. 28 at age 92. Richard was born on Nov. 21, 1933. to parents Louise E (Cavenaugh) Hogan and Richard McCluskey. In 1953, he enlisted in the Air Force at Parks Air Force base, California, prior to leaving for duty in Japan for
Anne (Hammond) Khatchadurian, 86
Anne (Hammond) Khatchadurian, 86, of Marblehead passed away peacefully on Friday, Dec. 12, 2025. She was the daughter of Ralph and Mary Margaret (Brady) Hammond. She was a true Marblehead townie. She was born and raised in town, graduating from Marblehead High School in 1957. She lived for 10 years in the Los Angeles area during the ’60s and ’70s but always called Marblehead her
home.
She grew up in the Shipyard and bought her first home in the same neighborhood, where she served on the Shipyard Association board. She loved walking down to the harbor, working in her garden, looking for treasures at yard sales, playing golf, traveling, raising her son and seeing her grandchildren. “Down Bucket” and CBYC stickers were her normal.
Anne retired from the Town of
Richard had a lifelong career at Hanscom Air Force Base, as head of public relations. His family fondly remembers his story of working alongside Walter Cronkite in Alaska, for an article on NORAD. He was also an avid photographer, and his pictures captured his many adventures around the globe. He married his loving wife Helen Julia Garboski
Marblehead in 2004 on the day she turned 65. She spent most of her retired life as a snowbird, splitting the year between Marblehead and Fort Myers
Jacob (Jac) and Lucy Federico. All of whom she adored. Patsy graduated from Beaver Country Day School, went on to Mt. Vernon College and graduated from Katherine Gibbs.
She married Peter Eberth Bullis in 1961 and became a homemaker and had various jobs throughout her life.
Patsy and Peter divorced in 1979. She remained friends with him and his wife, Tricia.
She impressed many by overcoming and dealing with
on June 2, 1962. Together they enjoyed life to the fullest. They loved to ski and had a ski chalet in Jackson, New Hampshire. The ocean always called Richard and they became longtime members of the Boston Yacht Club in Marblehead, cruising on their sailboat all along the New England coast as well as the Caribbean. Helen and Richard were longtime residents of Marblehead. They also had a home in Naples, Florida, where their many friends shared in
Beach, Florida. She enjoyed Red Sox spring training games, warm weather golf and cruising around in her yellow VW Cabriolet
She was a real New Englander: strong-willed, funny, a fan of all the Boston teams and loved a good seafood dinner. She will be missed by many.
Anne was predeceased by her brother, Bill; her sisters, Cathie and Mary Margaret; and her nephew Sean Crowley. She is survived by her son, Michael Khatchadurian; daughterin-law Holly Khatchadurian, grandchildren William and Ainsley, her sister Josie Crowley, brother-in-law John Crowley, nephew Tim Crowley and his
the numerous obstacles and struggles life had presented her. In addition to her family, she enjoyed travel, food, card games, her cats and coffee.
Patsy helped and was generous with many people throughout her life and she will be missed.
The funeral is private.
Although Patsy loved flowers, a donation to your favorite animal shelter would be appreciated.
To share a remembrance or to offer a condolence on Patsy’s tribute page, please visit deefuneralhome.com.
warm weather fun. His dear wife Helen passed on April 9, 2023, at 86 years old. She was born on Aug. 12,1936. They had many wonderful times together. Richard is survived by his cousin Leslie Hilton of Bradford as well as many nieces and nephews. Richard was predeceased by his sister Barbara Ann McCluskey, of Brooklyn Heights, New York in 2010. Many thanks to Pilgrim Rehabilitation of Peabody for the wonderful care Richard received.
wife, Kim Crowley, and their children, Hannah, Paige and Seamus.
A funeral service will be held on Saturday, Dec. 20 at 10 a.m. at Eustis & Cornell of Marblehead, 142 Elm St. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Anne’s life. A private burial for the family will be held following the service at Waterside Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the veterans charity of your choice during this holiday season.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy for Anne’s family may be shared at eustisandcornellfuneralhome. com.
Town employee behaves badly at bar; Porsche strikes trailer on West Shore Drive
Saturday, Dec. 6
» Alarms: 1
» 911 hang-ups: 2
» Property checks: 4
» Vehicle stops, citations: 0
» Vehicle stops, verbal warnings: 1
11:44 a.m. An officer rendered services after larceny, forgery or fraud was reported on Pleasant Street.
1:04 p.m. An officer took a report after a vehicle crash on Atlantic Avenue and Gerry Street.
9:05 p.m. Officers rendered services after a disturbance was reported on Prospect and Commercial streets.
Sunday, Dec. 7
» Alarms: 0
» 911 hang-ups: 0
» Property checks: 4
» Vehicle stops, citations: 0
» Vehicle stops, verbal warnings: 1
3:57 a.m. Officers investigated a disturbance on Hillside Avenue and filed a report.
11:07 a.m. An officer responded to the scene of a minor vehicle crash on Atlantic Avenue.
5:38 p.m. Notary services were rendered on Village Street.
Monday, Dec. 8
» Alarms: 2
» 911 hang-ups: 2
» Property checks: 4
» Vehicle stops, citations: 0
» Vehicle stops, verbal warnings: 2
8:07 a.m. An officer investigated a report of suspicious activity on Baldwin Road but could not locate its source.
the police station lobby with a regular patron of the Three Cod Tavern. He reported that, the previous night, an extremely inebriated town employee whom he theorized may have also been under the influence of drugs had started yelling obscenities at him and threatening to fight him from the other end of the bar. The man said he then paid his tab and left because the bartender would not do anything about the town employee’s behavior.
The officer advised the man about the process for obtaining a harassment prevention order and suggested that he make the town employee’s supervisors aware of the situation. The man asked that the incident be documented.
6:39 p.m. An officer filed a report after a general complaint on Pond Street.
11:13 p.m. Officers investigated after a request for assistance on Ocean Avenue.
11:17 p.m. An officer restored the peace after a general complaint on Green Street Court.
Tuesday, Dec. 9
» Alarms: 1 » 911 hang-ups: 2
» Property checks: 6
» Vehicle stops, citations: 0
» Vehicle stops, verbal warnings: 1
the woman who had reported the crash about what the caller had seen as she was driving behind her. The caller told the officer she observed the other vehicle swerving and then striking a parked trailer in the road. The officer asked the driver what had happened, but she was unable to explain the circumstances of the crash clearly. The other officer was able to park the Porsche on the side of the road safely.
9:57 a.m. An officer spoke in the police station lobby with a man who the previous day had received a disturbing text message from an Atlanta-based phone number that he did not know. The officer looked at the message, which appeared to be a spam or a phishing scheme. The officer showed the man how to block the number and advised him not to answer calls or texts from numbers with which he was not familiar.
7:18 p.m. An officer investigated a general complaint on Humphrey Street and filed a report.
Wednesday, Dec. 10
» Alarms: 0
» 911 hang-ups: 1
» Property checks: 7
» Vehicle stops, citations: 0
» Vehicle stops, verbal warnings: 1
12:18 p.m. An officer attempted to assist a citizen on Maverick Street.
assistance on Constitution Way. Thursday, Dec. 11
» Alarms: 1
» 911 hang-ups: 1
» Property checks: 5
» Vehicle stops, citations: 1
» Vehicle stops, verbal warnings: 2
8:20 a.m. An officer spoke to a Clifton Avenue resident regarding a case of identity fraud. The woman reported that the previous Sunday evening she had received approximately 50 emails from an unknown sender regarding newsletters she had allegedly signed up for. Shortly thereafter, she received a text message from Capital One thanking her for connecting her mobile number to her account. She then contacted Capital One and advised them of the fraudulent activity. Capital One confirmed that someone had used her personal information to open a Capital One credit card account. The officer suggested that the woman contact the credit bureaus to put an alert or freeze on her credit. In addition, he suggested she report the incident on IdentityTheft.gov.
had come out and spoken with the family. A short time later, the building department had shown up again at the residence based upon a complaint from the neighbor, only to determine that the resident had not done anything wrong. According to the resident, the building department official told her that the department was going to try to amend the no-cut zone at a future meeting. After the building department’s most recent visit, the neighbor had come out and begun “screaming” at her landscapers about what they could and could not do, according to the resident. The resident believed her neighbor was not complaining to the building department about any of her other neighbors, who also use landscapers.
10:53 a.m. Officers investigated the report of suspicious activity on Linden Street.
11:22 a.m. Officers assisted another agency on Jersey Street.
1:53 p.m. An officer went to Weston Road to speak with a woman who had received a call the day before from a woman with a thick accent who pretended to be calling from a hospital. The woman asked her several health-related questions and then asked for her Medicare card number, which she supplied. The woman said that she then realized it was a scam and hung up the phone. The officer advised her to call the credit agencies and report what had happened and to also not answer phone calls from people that she did not know. She was advised to call police again if she got any further information. POLICE LOG
8:46 a.m. An officer spoke in
8:54 a.m. Officers responded to West Shore Drive to investigate the report of a vehicle crash. Upon their arrival, they saw a blue Porsche parked sideways on the side of the road. When he approached, one of the officers observed the driver talking with
4:32 p.m. Notary services were rendered at the police station.
7:06 p.m. An officer investigated a general complaint on Barnard Hawkes Court and filed a report.
11:26 p.m. An officer provided
10:51 a.m. An officer went to Camille Terrace to speak with a resident who felt like her family was being singled out by a neighbor for complaints about alleged violations of Camille Terrace’s presence in a “no-cut zone,” meaning that trees, plants and other vegetation cannot be cut down with town approval. Last month, tree work on her property had prompted the neighborhood to lodge a complaint with the building department, which
French Cave
Louise Fessenden Cave. She
Headlight
Studio Marblehead
Mary Prindiville, Reporter, Freshman
Georgia Marshall, Assistant Editor, Junior
Community can mean several things. It’s rooted in place, yet it extends beyond geography. To be part of a community is to be connected, to share a common bond with one’s neighbors. When communities gather, they cultivate tradition, joy, and a sense of belonging. Marblehead’s annual Christmas Walk is a perfect example of how celebratory rituals aren’t merely festive; they remind us of the power and warmth of coming together. From Thursday, December 4th to Sunday, December 7th, Marblehead welcomed the holiday season with its 54th Annual Christmas Walk, capturing the hearts of young, old, and everyone in between. From gingerbread houses at Abbott Hall, to caroling across town, to the Saturday morning parade, Old Town and Downtown were brimming with holiday spirit.
Festivities began Thursday with the holiday shopping preview night. On Friday evening, the town gathered at National Grand Bank on Pleasant Street for the annual Christmas tree lighting, enjoying live student-performed music, baked goods, and festive activities. The next morning, neighbors and families returned to celebrate Santa’s arrival on his lobster boat at The Landing – a true Marbleheader in full holiday garb. Shortly after, the Christmas parade swept through the streets, featuring local businesses, youth teams, musicians, Glover’s Regiment, and costumed characters. Throughout that and the next day, the energy was unmistakable. Gingerbread houses filled Abbot Hall, craft fairs buzzed at Old North Church, Star of the Sea, and the King Hooper Mansion; holiday cheer seemed to take shape in every space. Gene Arnould, owner of Arnould Gallery and Framery on Washington Street, captured the spirit as a storeowner and regular witness to the joy of the tradition: “Christmas Walk is a magical time in Marblehead. Santa arrives by lobster boat at the Landing, and there’s a great feeling in the town. It’s our wintertime celebration of Marblehead.”
Student musicians participated in the Christmas Walk, as well. Members of LumiTones (Luminescence and the Jewel Tones, MHS’ competition acapella groups combined), as well as Mixed and Treble Choir, serenaded crowds across town with Christmas carols. The groups performed at Friday’s tree lighting, Mud Puddle Toys, Santa’s arrival, the Old North Church and Star of The Sea fairs, Shubies, and Flores Mantilla. Their repertoire spanned from classics like “Carol Of The Bells” and “Angels We Have Heard On High” to contemporary favorites like the Pentatonix version of “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town,” all the result of months of practice, dedication, and stamina to perform in the cold. Daphne Seliger, a sophomore in Treble Choir and the Jewel Tones, reflected on the experience; “It was really tiring, but so fun. All of the places we went to gave us food and drinks after performances, and people really liked the songs we did.” For her, and many other singers, the favorite spot was Mud Puddle Toys, as crowds gathered all the way into the street.
Marblehead’s Christmas Walk is more than a weekend of festivities. It’s a tradition that unites the town, year after year. Through music, celebration, and shared ritual, it reminds us that community is both the place we live and the people that make it home.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Grey Collins
SOCIAL MEDIA: Anna Baughman
FACULTY ADVISOR: Mr. Higgins Shining a
Have you ever watched a movie and thought to yourself, “Hey, I recognise this place!?” Well, the place could be our very own town of Marblehead. Did you know that over ten famous movies have been filmed in this little New England town? From blockbuster Halloween movies to a thriller starring Macaulay Culkin, Marblehead has been a hot spot for filming since the 1950s!
One of the most notable films shot in Marblehead is the Halloween classic Hocus Pocus. This movie is about teenagers in the 1990s fighting off 16th-century witches who return on Halloween night to steal children. This movie featured famous actresses such as Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker. Some of Hocus Pocus was filmed in Salem; however, most of the other scenes were shot in Marblehead, such as Old Burial Hill and Old Town. Similarly, some of the overhead scenes where Sarah Sanderson is flying on her broomstick are bird's-eye views of Marblehead Neck; you can even see the lighthouse!
Marblehead has also been home to a few notorious Adam Sandler comedies, such as Grown Ups 2 and Hubie Halloween Grown Ups 2 has scenes in Gatchell's Park, where the crew created a fake ice cream shop. Adam Sandler also used a house on the neck as his character's mansion in the movie. Some other filming locations in Marblehead were the Old Town Hall and Marblehead Veterans Middle School. Adam Sandler's other comedy, Hubie Halloween, can be seen on Netflix. This is a humorous movie with scenes filmed in Crosby’s Marketplace and The Hotel Marblehead. This movie featured famous actors like Maya Rudolph, Noah Schnapp, and Julie Bowen. Marblehead locals are also seen as extras and background characters in some of the scenes of both movies.
Another film that had some scenes in Marblehead is called The Good Son. It is arguably more obscure than the other projects filmed around here. This movie is about a boy named Mark who goes to live with his cousin Henry (Macaulay Culkin) and soon realises that Henry is a sociopath. There is a pivotal scene between the two boys that is filmed in the graveyard of Old Burial Hill. The Good Son blends sites from other New England towns like Gloucester and Rockport to create the fictional town of Stanton. Other famous actors in this film include Elijah Wood as Mark and Daniel Hugh Kelly as Wallace Evans.
There are more projects with scenes in Marblehead; however, Hocus Pocus, Hubie Halloween, Grown Ups 2 and The Good Son are the most famous ones. All in all, Marblehead has benefited from the film industry quite a bit in the past few years, and, hopefully, another movie will be shot here soon.
ASSISTANT EDITORS: Evan Eisen, Anna Cruikshank, Georgia Marshall
REPORTERS: Maya Berman, Piper Browning, Nathaniel Carper-Young, Madeline Duffy, Teagan Freedman, Maximilian Kane, Sophie Li, Eve Magen, Mary Prindiville
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