03.08.23 - Volume 1, Issue 15

L M aTTErS

Officials speak to handling of accounts

Absence of treasurer cited for failure to shop for better rates

BY WILLIAM J. DOWD

Prompted by reporting by another local news outlet, Abbot Hall’s cash management practices and interest yields have become the talk of the town.

In a series of interviews, most town officials attributed the town’s failure within the past year to seize higher interest rates than those offered by National Grand Bank to turnover in the Marblehead

Finance Department.

The lack of a treasurer essentially made moving money impossible for months because state law vests the town treasurer with exclusive authority over where to deposit taxpayers’ money.

After the Select Board hired Amesbury resident Thatcher Kezer as town administrator in the middle of 2022, he made filling the treasurer and finance director positions a top priority.

Yet the positions remained vacant for months until the Select Board hired native Rachel Blaisdell in early December as town treasurer and Gloucester resident Aleesha NunleyBenjamin as finance director in early February.

But the turnover is just one of several long-standing issues, Select Board member Erin Noonan said.

“The absence of a town treasurer and finance director

Turning the page

certainly precludes the ability to move municipal funds among banks,” Noonan told the Marblehead Current. “However, the town’s finance department has been beleaguered for years with many challenges. Chronic underfunding has resulted in an understaffed department with obsolete technology and the inability to reconcile cash, accounts receivables, payroll, etc., in a timely manner.” She added, “This has also

Local women plan to write next chapter for town bookstores

BY KRIS OLSON

Marblehead may be slightly behind the trend that has brought a renaissance of independent bookstores to the local retail landscape. But thanks to two determined local women, the town is poised to catch up quickly.

Laura Cooper, the former owner and proprietor of the flower shop Aster, will once again have a storefront in Marblehead’s historic downtown at 134 Washington St. with the Saltwater Bookstore.

Meanwhile, another local woman, Tracy Lessor, has decided to walk away from the corporate world and pursue what she said has been her dream since high school. Little Harbor Books is still in the planning stages, including the hunt for an ideal location, she told the Current.

Cooper says her vision for her small boutique bookstore is that it will be “thoughtfully designed, carefully curated and community based — a place people will want to return, again and again.”

“I’m passionate about books, and I’m looking forward to interacting with others — of all ages — who love to read as well,” she said.

Like many, Cooper said she has been inspired by the resurgence of

Seat at the Table

Sidman part of response to massive increase in demand for meals during pandemic

BY CHRISTINE MCCARRISTON

As his 40th birthday approached six years ago, Jason Sidman of Marblehead reflected and knew he wanted to give back to his community. He could never guess that following through on that goal would lead to him becoming president of My Brother’s Table in Lynn during a pandemic.

Nor could he imagine that

MBT would provide guests over three million meals since the start of the pandemic, essentially matching the number of meals the soup kitchen had given out in its first 37 years.

Sidman started his service with MBT as a member of its fundraising committee.

“One thing I really wanted to do was broaden the sense of community,” he said.

prevented the town from modernizing certain operations to meet 21st-century governing needs.”

The state mandate

State law creates a firewall between the Select Board and cash-management functions. “[State legislators] have specifically mandated that this role be independent of select

Her job is for the birds (and more)

Mass Audubon taps Marblehead's McCauley as region director

BY KRIS OLSON

By her own admission, Marblehead's Carole McCauley stumbled backwards into her environmental career.

A newly minted Peace Corps volunteer, McCauley was dispatched to the eastern Caribbean for what was supposed to be an assignment performing adult literacy work. But upon her arrival, she discovered that her job opportunity had fallen through.

At that point, McCauley was given a choice: Go home, or accept a hastily conceived substitute assignment with an environmental nonprofit that had a staff of one. McCauley would be employee number two.

Pressed to decide, McCauley said her mind traveled back to her days as a camper at Mass Audubon's Drumlin Farm wildlife sanctuary in Lincoln.

"Literally, the credential that came to my

COURTESY PHOTO

Laura Cooper poses in front of 134 Washington St., the future home of her Saltwater Bookstore, which she hopes to open in May.

COURTESY PHOTO Carole McCauley of Marblehead is responsible for Mass Audubon's wildlife sanctuaries from Newburyport to Nahant.

Living Swell offers ‘timeless, coastal vibe’

BY MELISSA STACEY

The following is an interview with Diana James, owner of Living Swell, conducted by Discover Marblehead. To learn more about the business, stop by the store at 34 Atlantic Ave. or check out their website at livingswellmarblehead.com.

Tell us about Living Swell and why you started it. In 2015, I decided to open a design studio/boutique in Marblehead as an extension of my interior design business. I wanted to create a place where people would be inspired by my unique design style and discover an extraordinary selection of handchosen, curated collections. The boutique, Living Swell, embodies a timeless coastal vibe, while always being on the forefront of style. Our interior design services include kitchen and bath design, home renovation, project management, yacht `design, bespoke window treatments, upholstery and

products and interior decoration and design.

What is the best piece of business advice you’ve ever received? Some of the best advice I’ve ever received during my career includes “Design with intent,” “Trust your instincts” and “Own your style.”

What is your favorite spot in Marblehead, and why? My favorite spot has always been the north side of Fort Sewall, looking out over the water to Beverly and Manchester.

What is something people would be surprised to learn

about you? People might be surprised to learn that when a good song comes on at Living Swell, we break out into total dance mode.

The business spotlight is a weekly feature published in partnership with Discover Marblehead. Discover Marblehead is

“dedicated to the promotion of our majestic seaside town of Marblehead, Massachusetts. Our mission is to highlight local businesses, tourism, community events and attractions through social media, email marketing and community outreach.” To learn more, visit discovermhd.com.

Rotary Club of Marblehead Harbor installs two members

The Rotary Club of Marblehead Harbor has installed two new members, Julie Hahnke and Francie King.

Hahnke is CEO of Cecropia Strong, a non-profit that helps people with disabilities lead full lives.

King is a published author and editor who recently joined the leadership team of the Marblehead Current, Marblehead’s non-profit weekly newspaper.

Both Hahnke and King transitioned from the club’s Service Membership to Active

At the swearing in of two new members of the Rotary Club of Marblehead Harbor are Don Doliber, club secretary; new member Julie Hahnke; Jessica Barnett, club president and Hahnke’s sponsor; new member Francie King; and Bob Erbetta, King’s husband and her sponsor.

NEWS IN BrIEF

The Marblehead Current news in brief is a compilation of needto-know news items from various sources. Marblehead residents, governmental entities and nonprofits can email 150-200word submissions for inclusion in the weekly list to info@ marbleheadnews.org.

Got volunteerism?

The following is a list of appointed town boards, commissions and committees with vacancies. Anyone interested in serving on one should submit a letter of interest and a resume to the Select Board, Abbot Hall, 188 Washington St., or email wileyk@ marblehead.org. Call the Select Board’s Office at 781-631-0000 for more information.

One-year term, Housing Trust Fund.

One three-year term, Design Review Board.

» One-year term, MBTA Advisory Board.

» Five, three-year terms, Marblehead Cultural Council.

One-year term, Marblehead Forever Committee.

» One-year term, Task Force Against Discrimination.

Mattress, textile waste bans

As of November, landfills, transfer stations and waste-toenergy facilities across the state can no longer accept mattresses and textiles for disposal.

Beds must be recycled, and fabrics must be donated for reuse or other secondary uses.

The fee for recycling a mattress and box spring at the Marblehead Transfer Station is $25. Textiles include clothes, shoes, linens, towels, curtains and cloth accessories.

At the Marblehead Transfer Station, residents with facility stickers can recycle textiles in the clothing collection bins for no fee. Items must be dry and in trash bags.

Volunteer at Health Department

Residents may volunteer to serve on the Marblehead Recycling Committee, appointed by the Marblehead Board of Health.

The Swap Shed is another place where volunteers can help. Volunteers must also sell facility stickers and check cars for up-todate stickers as they enter the transfer station.

Contact the Public Health Department at 781-631-0212 for additional volunteer information.

Animal shelter accepting volunteers

Volunteers are always needed to help feed and care for abandoned animals housed at the Marblehead Animal Shelter, 44 Village St. The nonprofit Friends of Marblehead Abandoned Animals was formed for this purpose. To volunteer, call 781-631-8664.

2023 Town Warrant published

View the 54-article warrant before Town Meeting on May 1 at bit.ly/3YtCzAd.

Upcoming Marblehead Museum events

Growing up in the Shipyard:

Beginning Wednesday, March 1, experience the 20th century in the shipyard neighborhood through the eyes of the Nybergs, a Swedish immigrant family who arrived in 1906 and made Marblehead their own. The exhibit is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 170 Washington St.

» A Night of Spirits: Bourbon

at the Old Town House: On Friday, March 10 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., sample signature bourbons paired with exquisite appetizers and topped off with a delicious dessert.

» Wild Women of Boston: On Thursday, March 16, in person and over Zoom at 7 p.m., Dina Vargo will reveal the scandalous stories of the reformers, socialites, criminals and madams who helped create Boston from the colonial era to present.

» Unearthing the Past: Lee Mansion Archaeology: On Thursday, March 23 at 7 p.m. in person and over Zoom, Christa Beranek of the Fiske Center for Archaeological Research will reveal the results of last summer’s dig at the Lee Mansion.

Dinner at The Landing

Restaurant: On Tuesday, March 28, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., join the Marblehead Museum at The Landing for good food and a good cause to help raise money for a Lee Mansion/Brick Kitchen project. All lectures will be hybrid.

Register for events online at marbleheadmuseum.org or call 781-631-1768.

NEWSROOM

Managing Editor - Will Dowd  wdowd@marbleheadnews.org

Consulting Editor - Kris Olson kolson@marbleheadnews.org

Staff Reporter - Leigh Blander lblander@marbleheadnews.org

Sports ReporterJoe McConnell jmcconnell@marbleheadnews.org

CONTRIBUTORS

Tristan Ashlock

Linda Bassett

Nicole Goodhue-Boyd

Scot Cooper Laurie Fullerton

Mark Hurwitz

John Lamontagne

Christine McCarriston

Eyal Oren

Frances Roberts Hill

Pam Peterson

Chris Stevens

Linda Werbner

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Gene Arnould

Jessica Barnett

Ed Bell

James Bryant - President

Virginia Buckingham - Secretary

Francie King

Donna Rice

Kate Haesche Thomson

Richard Weed - Treasurer

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Kathryn Whorf

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS

Marion Warner Greely

FOUNDERS

Jessica Barnett

Ed Bell

Leigh Blander  Will Dowd

David Moran

Kris Olson

Marblehead News

217 Humphrey St.  Marblehead, Massachusetts 01945 781.910.8658 info@marbleheadnews.org

www.marbleheadCurrent.org

Marblehead Current is published every Wednesday by Marblehead News Group, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. It is mailed to all homes and businesses in Marblehead, MA 01945.

DONATE

Help us deliver sustainable local journalism. Please consider supporting the Marblehead Current by making a tax-deductible donation at marbleheadcurrent.org/donate. For stock transfer donations, please contact: Kathryn Whorf at kwhorf@marbleheadnews.org.

ADVERTISE

Advertising is available on our website and in our weekly printed newspaper. To learn more, contact our Director of Community Relations, Marion Warner Greely, at mgreely@marbleheadnews. org, or visit www. marbleheadCurrent.org/ads.

VOLUNTEER Join us. We invite you to help support our effort to establish and maintain a free press for a strong community. To get involved, visit www.marbleheadCurrent org/volunteer.

REACT

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

Diana James opened Living Swell to complement her interior design business.

COURTESY PHOTO

When Lucille Ball landed at Seaside Park

The Marblehead Current is proud to partner with photographer Dan Dixey, who regularly shares photos of Marblehead from his extensive collection, along with information about each shot.

“Lucille Ball arrives by helicopter to appear in the Marblehead summer theater in 1947,” explained photographer Dan Dixey. “She is being escorted by Selectman Lester Marsh, in the white suit, at Seaside Park. The pitcher and catcher were not fazed by the spectacle and stayed on the field warming up.”

Dixey received this slide from late Marbleheader Harry Wilkinson, who wrote the Memory Lane column in the old Marblehead Messenger.

INTERVIEW BY LEIGH BLANDER

Name: Don Doliber

Age: 78

Birthplace: I always say I was born in an alley — Mary Alley Hospital.

Have you lived in Marblehead your whole life? Not yet. [Doliber laughs.] But yes, I’ve always lived here.

What jobs have you had and what was your favorite? As a teenager, I worked at the Lee Mansion as a brass boy, polishing brass. I got to know a great deal about the Lee Mansion and got to research family records. After that, I worked at Boy Scout summer camps in Alfred, Maine, and Orford, New Hampshire. I worked as a counselor and camp director. For my full-time occupation, I worked as a history teacher at Masconomet Regional High School from 1967 until I retired in 2009. I was a teacher and then assistant principal and acting principal. That was my favorite job. Because I have a love for history, I had no problem telling the stories about history. I didn’t concentrate on dates. I concentrated on people.

What is the biggest change you’ve seen in the world? Change is important as long as we don’t up some of our prized values. I used to hand write report cards, but by the time I left teaching I was using a computer to enter grades

and forward them to the tech people. That was the greatest change, to me.

My father was born in 1903 before the Wright brothers flew. By the time he died, he saw people land on the moon. In his lifetime, I saw history and change. He lived through the flu epidemic and I lived through the COVID pandemic.

What is your biggest accomplishment? Having a great, loving family. My wife and I have one son and one daughter. My son works for the airlines as a regional manager

and my daughter is the director of resident life at Southern New Hampshire University. And we have two wonderful grandchildren.

In 1983, my students nominated me and I was named the national DAR [Daughters of the American Revolution] Outstanding American History Teacher of the Year. I was recognized in Washington, D.C., at Constitution Hall. The Freedom Foundation in Valley Forge also recognized me as an outstanding educator in the United States.

It went on and on. I was recognized as an outstanding assistant principal by the Massachusetts Principals

Association.

Who is the most famous person you’ve met? Right now I’m looking at a picture of George Bush Sr. I’m in the photo, too. I was active in politics and had the opportunity to be in a select group of people in 1984 to talk to President Bush about elections.

I also met General Westmoreland, who presented me with the George Washington Medal for Excellence in Education.

What is your most vivid memory from history?

I remember working at a summer camp in Maine and putting a small TV in the dining room to watch the astronauts walk on the moon. Then I stepped

outside on the porch and looked up at the same moon.

What is your best advice to the next generation? Keep your chin up and remember tomorrow is always a better day.

What’s your secret to living a long, healthy life? Even though I’m a history teacher, I never look back. I always look forward to the next day. Also, I serve as the official town historian and that keeps me young, without question. The phone rings and you never know what question will be asked of you. I also run the cribbage tournament for seniors at the Council on Aging every Tuesday morning at 9:30 a.m.

CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER

Marblehead historian Don Doliber: ‘I always look forward to the next day.’

‘Snow Day Anxiety’ rears its head

BY JOHN BUCKEY

Good People of Marblehead:

As I sent this morning in a separate message, I am relieved and grateful to be able to share that our missing students were safely reunited with their families last night. Many thanks to the Marblehead Police Department for their work with us and the Boston Police Department in helping bring this situation to a positive resolution.

Rain, rain snow away

Misery loves company, at least that’s what the North Shore superintendents were saying after our “rain day” call on Tuesday. As I shared with another news outlet, Superintendent Snow Day Anxiety is a real thing. Emails,

calls and texts started early Monday morning among superintendents, wondering who was going to do what and when they would announce. Larger districts made the call early, and one by one others joined.

For me, part of the calculus was staffing. With 50 percent of our staff living outside Marblehead, I was not sure with the number of surrounding communities being closed how that would impact the number of staff who would not be able to make it in. Waiting until the morning would not have changed that concern.

But, at the end of the day, we superintendents know one thing: No decision — to open or close — will resonate with everyone.

Women’s History Month

March is Women’s History Month, and there is a major new online research guide to the Library of Congress collections that highlights the stories of

women through a wide variety of perspectives and media. I look forward to the work our schools and classrooms will do this month in celebrating women’s history and encourage our families to find ways to engage in conversations at home.

Tyler Earp Greenhouse Project

I am passing along information regarding a silent auction/ fundraiser dinner for the greenhouse project at MHS. If you can, please support the project, as Tyler has put in significant work to make the greenhouse a reality!

“My name is Tyler Earp, and I am working on my Eagle Scout Project, which will be building a greenhouse at MHS. I am having a silent auction/fundraising dinner at The Landing on March 7 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The silent auction will have many great items, such as a Damien Harris autographed photo, Red

Sox tickets, gift cards to local restaurants and businesses, and many more great auction items.

To make a reservation, please call The Landing at 781-6391266 and reserve a table for the greenhouse event on March 7.

“My project is to improve the outdoor classroom at MHS. The first part of my project included site conservation to improve the site (removing invasive species and overgrown plants).

I will then build new raised beds to replace the 10-yearold, deteriorating raised beds. Finally, the biggest component of my project will be installing a greenhouse.

“The greenhouse will provide new learning space and opportunities to expand the curriculum. The greenhouse can be used in the science, culinary, world language, fine arts, and even the language arts curriculum, as well as by clubs and other groups at the school. My project website

(mhs greenhouse.org) has more detailed information.”

Dollars for Scholars

In its 36th year, Marblehead Dollars for Scholars is sponsoring the third annual “Let’s Eat” during the month of March. Gift cards purchased at eight establishments will benefit Marblehead High School graduates. Ten percent of every gift card will go directly to need-based scholarships for undergraduate college students. Each year, close to $200,000 is awarded to graduating seniors and advanced-standing students. Please participate.

The eight participating establishments are:

» Shubie’s.

» Sea Salt.

» Caffe Italia.

» The Landing. Mino’s Roast Beef. Maria’s Gourmet. Soall.

» The Barrelman.

Dollars for Scholars gift card fundraiser

SUBMITTED BY

NANCY MARRS

Marblehead Dollars for Scholars is pleased to announce its third annual gift card fundraiser, “Let’s Eat!”

Established in 1987 by concerned citizens and educators in Marblehead, this local non-profit that provides financial, need-based scholarships to college students will partner with a variety of establishments to raise scholarship funds, while also providing a boost to the local economy.

Throughout the month of March, eight businesses will donate 10% of all online or in-person gift card purchases to Dollars for Scholars. The vendors include: Shubie’s, The Landing, Sea Salt, Maria’s Gourmet, Caffe Italia Trattoria & Bar, The Barrelman, Mino’s Roast Beef and Soall Vietnamese Bistro.

The gift card fundraiser is a way to support local restaurants after several tough years due to the pandemic, and during the winter season when business may be slower. It

is also a meaningful way to help local students finance their college education.

Marblehead Dollars for Scholars president Jac Bentley says the need for scholarship money is great, noting that in 2022 the organization awarded 56 scholarships totaling $205,000 to college students who graduated from Marblehead High School or who live in town.

“We are grateful to live in such a supportive community,” said Bentley.

“These businesses are generously donating 10% of their March gift card revenue to our organization, and this is absolutely a win-win for them and for our students.”

Organization founder and long-time board member Helaine Hazlett said the two previous gift card fundraisers have been successful, so it was an easy decision to do it again.

“We encourage everyone to support these generous local businesses and to think ahead to upcoming gift giving occasions and buy gift cards during the

lot area, rear yard setback, side yard setback open area and parking and exceeds the maximum height located at 10 Hawkes Street in the Business residence district. The new construction will further reduce the open area. This hearing is held in accordance with the provisions of the Marblehead Zoning Bylaw and Chapter 40A of the General Laws as amended, and Pursuant to Governor Baker ’s Order allowing suspension of Certain Provisions of the Open Meeting Law G.L. c. 30A, §18, this public hearing of the Board is being conducted via remote participation. The public can attend this meeting via the remote participation platform through the following ways: Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87878347282?pwd=enlwRXd3V2xmdHE3cy92SkITU1BTUT09, Dial in +1 646 558 8656, Meeting ID: 878 7834 7282, Passcode: 404568. Those only dialing in will not have access to the visual presentation at the meeting, but can follow along with the project materials available for download at https://www.marblehead.org under the zoning board of appeals page and the date of meeting. Members of the public attending this meeting virtually will be allowed to make comments if they wish to do so during the portion of the hearing designated for public comment. Interested persons may also submit comment in writing electronically and sent to lyonsl@marblehead.org and the comments will be included in the record Alan Lipkind, Secretary

month of March,” said Hazlett. She suggested stocking up now on presents for birthdays and anniversaries, Passover, Easter and Mother’s Day. And for those who patronize the participating establishments regularly, consider buying a gift card for yourself and paying for your lunch or dinner that way.

Serving the people of Marblehead for 75 years, Shubie’s has employed dozens of high school students. Dougy Shube said he and his family love it when MHS students work for them for multiple years, as they get to witness first-hand their growth and the difference that education makes in their young lives.

“Education has always been a priority for my family, so partnering with Dollars for Scholars is a natural fit,” said Shube. “It’s a great organization that has helped so many students and families over the years and it’s a great resource for the community.”

Shube said gift cards can be used to purchase anything in the store and

noted that indoor dining returned in January. “We love seeing everyone back at the foodbar for lunch, so come on in with a friend and catch up over a sandwich, salad or your

TOWN OF MARBLEHEAD BOARD OF APPEALS

The Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing on Tuesday March 28, 2023 at 7:45 PM on the request of Julius Sokol

open area and exceed the maximum. This hearing is held in accordance with the provisions of the Marblehead Zoning Bylaw, and Chapter 40A of the General Laws as amended and Pursuant to Governor Baker’s Order allowing suspension of Certain Provisions of the Open Meeting Law, G.L. c. 30A, § 18, this public hearing of the Board is being conducted via remote participation. The public can attend this meeting via the remote participation platfor m through the following ways: Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87878347282?pwd=

Marblehead Dollars for Scholars president Jac Bentley says the need for scholarship money is great, noting that in 2022 the organization awarded 56 scholarships totaling $205,000 to college students who graduated from Marblehead High School or who live in town.

receive a scholarship that can ease a financial burden, but more than that, it says we believe in you,” Simonelli explained.

favorite Shubie’s treat.”

Beautiful harbor-side restaurant The Landing is another local employer of MHS students that is happy to participate in the gift card fundraiser.

General Manager Robert Simonelli said that through work, students learn the importance of punctuality, teamwork and discipline, and some of his student employees go on to careers in the hospitality industry. He supports Marblehead Dollars for Scholars because of its mission to help local students pursue higher education, which increases the possibility of a successful future. “What a boost for a student to

“Let’s Eat!” is the local non-profit’s winter fundraiser and an important source of annual giving income that enables the organization to fulfill its mission. With the cost of college tuition and fees continually rising, the financial burden on families is great and the need for more scholarship dollars is real.

With the spring scholarship season on the near horizon, the Marblehead Dollars for Scholars board of directors hopes community members will support this yearly fundraiser and its participating vendors.

“We have always relied on the incredible generosity of the people of Marblehead who support our organization,” Bentley said. “Together, we can make a difference for the next generation as they pursue their dreams through education.”

bookstores throughout New England. She has particularly enjoyed her visits to Beacon Hill Books on Charles Street, where the owners have created the type of can’t-wait-to-get-back atmosphere she hopes to bring to Saltwater Bookstore.

On a personal level, the time was also right for Cooper to reenter the local retail scene. Her children are now teenagers and may even be convinced to help staff the store, she said.

That the “perfect little storefront” became available did not hurt, either.

“I walked in and knew that that was going to be the place,” Cooper said.

Cooper plans to close on the property at the end of the month and hopes to be welcoming customers by sometime in May.

“Right now, we’re just working very carefully with our interior design plans,” Cooper said. “There’ll be a cozy, coastal type of aesthetic.”

The reading spaces Cooper envisions will include two cushioned window seats in the front of the store. Children will have spaces of their own to curl up with a new find. She is also paying careful attention to

lighting and wallpaper.

“It should be pretty magical,” Cooper said.

Cooper said she loved going to Aster, which was located at 86 Washington St. She closed up

the shop and ran the business out of her home for about a decade after her children were born.

“But I’ve always had that yearning to have a storefront

again,” Cooper said.

Cooper said her life “took a little bit of a different turn” once the pandemic hit. She formed a nonprofit, Wildflower Seaglass, through which she could sell artwork she created out of sea glass collected from Marblehead beaches, donating 100 percent of the profits to local dog rescue groups.

Cooper plans to incorporate some of her philanthropic artwork into the Saltwater Bookstore as well, she said.

Cooper is also an active volunteer with the Marblehead Festival of Arts and will be one of three chairs for the Artisans’ Marketplace to be held July 3 and 4 on the grounds of Abbot Hall.

Cooper said the Saltwater Bookstore will soon have its own Instagram account, @ saltwaterbookstore, which will allow residents to contact her and stay in the loop on the store’s progress.

As for Lessor, she said that learning that Cooper shares her dream of bringing a bookstore back to Marblehead is not bad news at all.

“It would be wonderful to live in a community that has multiple bookstores,” she said.

Lessor added that she has very specific short- and long-term

visions, and that she is confident that the two bookstores will be able to complement one another.

“If this town can hold multiple women’s clothing boutiques, bars, restaurants and hair salons, we can certainly add multiple bookstores,” she added.

Marblehead has been without a local bookstore since the end of 2019, when the Hugo family’s Spirit of ’76 bookstore closed after nearly 55 years in business.

Washington Street itself was also once home to a bookstore — Much Ado Books — owned by then-Marblehead residents Cate Olson and Nash Robbins.

By the mid-2000s, Much Ado had relocated to Alfriston, Sussex, England, where it was honored as Independent Bookshop of the Year for all of the U.K. in 2007. Much Ado is alive and well, as its website is promoting events throughout the spring.

In a recent column, the Current’s Virginia Buckingham described the “audible sigh” she lets out when passing by what is now a dentist’s office in the Spirit of ’76’s former home at the corner of Pleasant and School streets.

Soon, thanks to Cooper and Lessor, the only sighs coming from Buckingham and her fellow bibliophiles may be ones of relief.

Houses of worship service schedule

CATHOLIC

OUR LADY STAR OF THE SEA

85 Atlantic Ave.

» 781-631-0086

» sosmarblehead.org

» Regular Mass Schedule

» Saturday Vigil: 4 p.m. Sunday: 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m., 11 a.m.

Every weekday (Monday-Saturday): 9 a.m.

» Confessions: 2:30-3:30 p.m. Saturday

» Adult choir rehearsals: Thursdays, 7 p.m., organ loft

Children’s choir rehearsals: Sunday, 8:15 a.m., organ loft

Centering Prayer group: Mondays, after 9 a.m. Mass until 11 a.m.

» As the season of Lent continues, the sacrament of Reconciliation will also be offered on Wednesdays, 6-7 p.m. Also during Lent, a simple supper of soup and bread will be offered at 6 p.m. Fridays, followed by the Stations of the Cross.

» Lenten Scripture Study, “Exodus: Journey Towards Freedom”: Tuesdays, 7 p.m. or Wednesdays, 1 p.m.

“Little Black Books” with six-minute Lenten meditations are available at the rear entrance to the church while the supply lasts. Donations gratefully accepted.

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE

FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST, SCIENTIST

134 Elm St.

» 781-631-3868

» fccsmarbleheadma.wordpress.com

» Sunday Church Service: 10-11 a.m.

» Sunday School (open to children and young people under the age of 20): 10-11 a.m.

Wednesday Testimony Meeting: 7:30-8:30 p.m.

» Reading Room (in church building): Open just after Sunday service and before Wednesday testimony meetings Thursday, March 9: 7:30 p.m., free online lecture on Christian Science, “How to Make Change for the Better.” Link is available on the church website.

COMMUNITY CHURCH

GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH

» 17 Pleasant St. 781-631-9343

gracemarblehead.org

Discipleship Class: 9:15 a.m. Sunday

» Worship Gatherings: 10:30 a.m.

Sunday

» Grace Kids (Grades K-5): 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday Youth Group: 7 p.m.

Wednesday

Women’s Bible Study: 10 a.m.

Thursday

»

» Prayer Gatherings: 1 p.m. Thursday

» Men’s Bible Study: 6 a.m. Friday

CONGREGATIONAL

OLD NORTH CHURCH, THE FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST IN MARBLEHEAD

35 Washington St. 781-631-1244

» onchurch.org

» Wednesday, March 8: 7:30 p.m., Festival Chorus rehearsal

» Saturday, March 11: 2 p.m., Bowling

Sunday, March 12: 8 a.m., worship service; 9 a.m., choir rehearsal; 10 a.m., worship service; 11 a.m., grief workshop in Great Room; 11:15 a.m., Confirmation class in Beals Room

» Monday, March 13: 8:30 a.m., Reading and Discussion Group in Great Room;

6:30 p.m., Women’s AA in Parish Hall

Tuesday, March 14: 9 a.m., Lectio

Divina; 7:30 p.m., Bell Choir

» Wednesday, March 15: 10 a.m., Worship planning meeting; 6 p.m., Marblehead Garden Club in Great Room; 7:30 p.m., Festival Chorus

rehearsal

Thursday, March 16: 7 p.m., See No

Stranger on Zoom

Saturday, March 18: 10 a.m., From Lament to Gratitude Retreat in Great Room

EPISCOPAL

CHURCH OF ST. ANDREW, EPISCOPAL 135 Lafayette St.

» 781-631-4951

» standrewsmhd.org

» Regular Sunday services (Rite II of the Episcopal liturgy): 8 a.m., spoken service; 10 a.m., musical service

Tuesdays, 9:30-10:30 a.m.: Gospel

Reflections on Zoom

» Alternate Tuesdays, 11 a.m.: “This Magic Moment” Memory Café on Zoom, a judgment-free zone for those with memory loss and their caregivers

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:15-3:30 p.m., Parish Hall open for exercise

» Wednesday, noon: Eucharist

» Second Saturday, 8:30-9:30 a.m.: Coffee Cups informal conversation and fellowship

The Word Is Very Near You

Sundays during Lent: 9:10 a.m., book discussion, “The Word Is Very Near

You: A Guide to Praying with Scripture” by Rev. Martin L. Smith

» Wednesdays during Lent: 7 p.m., “God in the Machine Age” joint discussion, in person and online (Clifton Lutheran hosts March 8, St. Andrew’s March 15)

ST. MICHAEL’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH

» 781-631-0657

» stmichaels1714.org

» Sundays: Holy Eucharist, Rite II, 10 a.m.; in-person and online on church’s YouTube Channel Wednesdays: Morning Prayer, 9:30 a.m. on Facebook Live

» First Sundays: Choral Evensong (September through May), 5 p.m.; in-person and online on church’s YouTube Channel

Sunday, March 19: 5 p.m., Organ Concert Series, Boston-based organist Erica Johnson

JEWISH

TEMPLE EMANU-EL, REFORM CONGREGATION

393 Atlantic Ave. 781-631-9300

» emanu-el.org

» Shabbat: Friday, 6 p.m., in person and on Facebook Live

» Torah Study: First and second Saturdays of month, 10 a.m. on Zoom

Religious School: 9 a.m. Sundays

Senior Connection: 11 a.m. Tuesdays

» Mah Jongg: 7 p.m. Tuesdays

» Chai Baby: 9:30 a.m. Fridays

» Wednesday, March 8: 5:45 p.m., Pre-Confirmation

Thursday, March 9: 7:30 p.m., Board of Trustees meeting

» Sunday, March 12: 9 a.m., Confirmation; 10:30 a.m., Post Confirmation

» Wednesday, March 15: 7:30 p.m., Brotherhood at Flatbread Salem

TEMPLE SINAI, CONTEMPORARY CONSERVATIVE SYNAGOGUE

» 1 Community Road

» 781-631-2762

» templesinaiweb.org

Kabbalat Shabbat: Fridays, 6 p.m.

Shabbat Service: Saturdays, 9:30 a.m.

Minyans: Saturday, 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.;

Monday, 7:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.; Tuesday,

Wednesday, Thursday, 7:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. (at Congregation Shirat Hayam, Swampscott)

Sunday, March 12: 10 a.m., Joint Service led by Rabbi Michael of Temple Sinai and Pastor Jim Bixby of the Clifton Lutheran Church; 11 a.m., Breakfast and Schmooze;

TO WN O F MARBL EHEAD BOARD OF APP EALS

The Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing on Tuesday March 28, 2023 at 8:15 PM on the request of Tia and Mark Gonzales to vary the application of the present Zoning By-law by allowing a Special Permit to construct additions to an existing single-family dwelling on a preexisting non-conforming property with less than the required lot area, frontage, front yard setback and rear yard setback located at 14 Beacon Street in the Single residence district. The new construction will be within the front and rear yard setbacks. This hearing is held in accordance with the provisions of the Marblehead Zoning Bylaw and Chapter 40A of the General Laws as amended and Pursuant to Governor Baker ’s Order allowing suspension of Certain Provisions of the Open Meeting Law G.L. c. 30A, §18, this public hearing of the Board is being conducted via remote participation. The public can attend this meeting via the remote participation platform through the following ways: Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/878783472 82?pwd=enlwRXd3V2xmdHE3cy92Sk1TU1BTUT09

Dial in +1646 558 8656 Meeting ID: 878 7834 7282 Passcode: 404568 Those only dialing in will not have access to the visual presentation at the meeting, but can follow along with the project materials available for download at https://www.marblehead.org under the zoning board of appeals page and the date of meeting. Members of the public attending this meeting virtually will be allowed to make comments if they wish to do so, during the portion of the hearing designated for public comment. Interested persons may also submit comment in writing electronically and send to lyonsl@ marblehead.org and the comments, will be included in therecord. Alan Lipkind Secretary MC - 3/8/23

TOWN OF MARBLEHEAD BOARD OF APPEALS

The Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing on Tuesday March 28, 2023 at 8:15 PM on the request of Collins Farhat and Brittany Blando to vary the application of the present Zoning By-law by allowing a Special Permit to construct an addition to an existing single-family dwelling on a preexisting non-confor ming property with less than the required lot area, lot width, frontage front yard setback, side yard setback and parking located at 232 Pleasant Street in the Single residence district. The new construction will be within the side yard and 10% expansion limits for non-confor ming building. This hearing is held in accordance with the provisions of the Marblehead Zoning Bylaw, and Chapter 40A of the General Laws as amended and Pursuant to Governor Baker’s Order allowing suspension of Certain Provisions of the Open Meeting Law, G.L. c. 30A, §18, this public hearing of the Board is being conducted via remote participation. The public can attend this meeting via the remote participation platfor m through the following ways: Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87878347282?pwd=enlwRX d3V2xmdHE3cy92SklTU1BTUT09 Dial in +1646 558 8656 Meeting ID: 878 7834 7282 Passcode: 404568 Those only dialing in will not have access to the visual presentation at the meeting, but can follow along with the project materials available for download at https://www marblehead.org under the zoning board of appeals page and the date of meeting. Members of the public attending this meeting virtually will be allowed to make comments if they wish to do so during the portion of the hearing designated for public comment. Interested persons may also submit comment in writing electronically and send to lyonsl@marblehead.org and the comments will be included in the record.

Alan Lipkind Secretary

HE3cy92SkITU1BTUT09 Dial in +1 646 558 8656 Meeting ID: 878 7834 7282 Passcode: 404568 Those only dialing in will not have access to the visual presentation at the meeting, but can follow along with the project materials available for download at https://www.marblehead.org under the zoning board of appeals page and the date of meeting. Members of the public attending this meeting virtually will be allowed to make comments if they wish to do so, during the portion of the hearing designated for public comment. Interested persons may also submit comment in writing electronically and send to lyonsl@marblehead.org and the comments, will be included in the record. Alan Lipkind Secretary SN – 3/8/23

The Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing on Tuesday March 28, 2023 at 8:00 PM on the request of Bing and Heidi Lim to vary the application of the present Zoning Bylaw by allowing a Special Permit or variance to construct additions to an existing two-family dwelling on a preexisting non-conforming property with less than the required side yard setback and parking and that exceeds the maximum height limitation located at 49 Cloutman’s Lane in the Single residence district. The new construction will be within the front yard setback and exceed the maximum height. This hearing is held in accordance with the provisions of the Marblehead Zoning Bylaw and Chapter 40A of the General Laws as amended and Pursuant to Governor Baker ’s Order allowing suspension of Certain Provisions of the Open Meeting Law G.L. c. 30A, §18, this public hearing of the Board is being conducted via remote participation. The public can attend this meeting via the remote participation platform through the following ways: Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web. zoom.us/j/87878347282?pwd=enlwRXd3V2xmdHE3cy92Sk1TU1BTUT09 Dial in +1 646 558 8656 Meeting ID: 878 7834 7282 Passcode: 404568 Those only dialing in will not have access to the visual presentation at the meeting, but can follow along with the project materials available for download at https://www.marblehead.org under the zoning board of appeals page and the date of meeting. Members of the public attending this meeting virtually will be allowed to make comments if they wish to do so, during the portion of the hearing designated for public comment. Interested persons may also submit comment in writing electronically and send to lyonsl@marblehead.org and the comments, will be included in the record. Alan Lipkind Secretary

COURTESY PHOTO

Laura Cooper is eager to once again have a storefront business and to share her passion for books with other bibliophiles.

Of lions, lambs and other March madness

BY VIRGINIA BUCKINGHAM

March is the longest month. Yes, there are six other months with 31 days in them but do any of them feel as long as March? Like a child feels anticipating Christmas or the last day of school, April takes forever to arrive. And the month named for the Roman god Mars, the god of war, is a trickster to boot. It teases with more light and then a little more. It taunts with snowfalls and ice storms. It tweaks with warmth, calling to the crocuses. It twists the very next day with bitter winds and gray. A depleted wood pile calls for better planning and the purchase of plastic wrapped bundles for $6.99 a whack. The fire roars next to a vase of daffodils. Fight me, Mars!

If I were braver I would have written a column about ideas to make March enjoyable last week when there were 30 days in front of us. If I were wiser, I’d have scheduled this column for next week when there would only be 15 days left. As a compromise, below are enough ideas to make it to the first day of spring. Then you’re on your own. Kidding! (Beware, readers, this column contains enough exclamation points to make an English teacher blush. March requires exclamation points. It just does.)

LETTErS

‘Safer and more hospitable streets’

To the Editor:

March 8 — It’s Wednesday.

The new Current is out, enough said!

March 9 — Plan your garden.

Mine is a modest effort. I have one raised bed. This is year three of planting it. My one innovation last year was to rotate my “crops.” Alas, my broccoli didn’t work. Nor did my tomatoes. I got just a handful of sun golds here and there. Cucumbers were a bust. Basil? My only blockbuster. This year I am sitting down with Johnny’s seed catalog. I am drawing a plan. I am moving my bed. I may add a second. So much to think about!

March 10 — It’s official “sit in front of the fire” day. With your computer if you have to work. With a book if you don’t. All day. I made that up but that’s my plan.

March 11 — Put together a list of ideas for summer vacation. At least pick the dates. Having something to look forward to is a March essential!

March 12 — But no more looking forward to spring forward. There are not enough exclamation points to underscore the happiness of this day despite the sleep deprivation. Oh and it’s Oscar Night, if red carpets etc. are your thing.

March 13 — Cut out the lists of movies, actors and directors who won and see if any of the work is streaming yet. Watch one!

March 14 — March Madness

Marblehead has made wonderful progress in developing its rail trail with the support of state and federal funds. So it’s disappointing to learn that Town Engineer Charles Quigley envisions routing the path users through a tunnel sized for “large utility vehicles” and the “largest emergency apparatus.” (“Town eyes state money for Village Street bridge.”) That plan is especially bizarre given that utility and emergency vehicles already have three alternative access points to the utility corridor.

Also, the emphasis on utility trucks overlooks state monies available for Safe Routes to Schools and Complete Streets infrastructure projects. For example, to reach Village School, children must climb an “off ramp” that leads from the path up to a difficult spot abutting the Village Street bridge. In fact, Police Chief Dennis King applied for a state Safe Routes to Schools grant in order to remedy that dangerous location. That application was unsuccessful.

The Select Board adopted a Complete Streets Policy in 2018. It specifically directs the town engineer to apply Complete Streets principles to all infrastructure projects. As Mr. Quigley explained, however, when I asked about our new “bumpouts,” having to apply Complete Streets principles makes his job inordinately difficult. I am sympathetic. The town’s elected leaders owe the engineering department the resources it needs to fulfill the commitments they’ve made to residents. Not only will that help us

Who chose the worst month of the year for Women’s History Month? Don Lemon?

begins, or as I like to call it, the season when teenage boys stop doing their homework.

March 15 — “Well, the Ides of March have come,” joked good old Julius Caesar en route to the Theatre of Pompey. He was giddy that a predicted assassination hadn’t occurred. Well, Julius, as they say in New England about the weather, wait a minute! Yet, unlike in 44 BC, on this Ides, kindness is making another comeback. The new season of Ted Lasso is just about all we need to make it through the rest of March.

March 16 — Tell your kids you’ll give them a dollar today for every robin they see. Robins are the harbinger of spring. Why, then, did you see one in January? Because not all robins migrate, it turns out. They’ve adapted to the weather and lack of food sources. They’re sturdy, like us March survivors. Check to see how many dollars you have. You’ll need them.

March 17 — If you can’t find something to enjoy on this greenest of days, then I have no suggestions.

March 18 — Throw some business to a local car wash.

(P.S., This is as sure a way of guaranteeing more snow as putting your porch furniture out.)

access additional funding streams, it will make our streets safer and more hospitable besides.

Dan Albert Leicester Road

Are property taxes the best way to fund local government?

To the Editor: The antiquated hardware and software that hamstrung Officer Brian Hitchcock, of blessed memory, as he painstakingly took my statement in the early 1990s got me wondering about the effects of Prop 2 1/2. Jack Buba called on us to live within our budget in last week’s Current. The Current’s recent tribute to Barbara Anderson, who sought to reduce waste in government by restraining taxes, left me wondering if her treatment cured the disease, and how bad the disease was.

Have government services improved simultaneously with a reduction in cost? Has the wheat been separated from the chaff? While computing power increased and cost decreased, the same cannot be said of safety, security, water, sewer, coastline maintenance, roads, transportation, education, housing, public health and other government functions upon which we all depend. We all saw how things no longer paid for by taxes became funded with user fees and teacher’s own money in our public schools. Did Prop 2 1/2 make things even worse for poorer than wealthier communities? Are property taxes the best and fairest way to fund our local government?

Eric Reines

March 19 — Put your winter boots and coats away. See yesterday. Kidding!

March 20 — SPRING HAS SPRUNG!!!!

What to do to fill the rest of March? How about learning some new March facts? Did you know that March used to be the first month in the calendar in the early Roman days? What a difference that would make. There would be no expectation that March offered anything but plain old cold dreary winter. Having low expectations is a decent strategy to get through March.

Also, according to the Farmer’s Almanac, the weather proverb, “If March comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb,” has more than the one commonlyunderstood changing weather meaning. “The constellation Leo, the lion, rises in the east at the beginning of March and thus the month comes in like a lion,” the almanac explains, “while Aries, the ram, sets in the west at the end of the month, and hence, the month will go out like a lamb.”

March also is Women’s History Month. Who chose the worst month of the year for Women’s History Month? Don Lemon? Kidding. This

year’s history month theme is celebrating women who tell stories. In honor, I am going to re-read a Sue Monk Kidd favorite, “Traveling with Pomegranates,” which she co-wrote with her daughter Ann. In it, she describes a spiritual pilgrimage where she offers a prayer to finally reconcile her desire for stillness with her desire to create. After that trip, at the age of 54, she published her first novel, “The Secret Life of Bees” which has sold eight million copies. Take that, Don Lemon!

More wisdom from the Almanac — March brings rain and mud! Sprinkle salt on carpets to dry out muddy footprints before vacuuming.” And, “Check birdhouses for damage and give them a spring cleaning before tenants arrive for the season.”

One more fun fact to close out the month and this column. March 31 is “World Backup Day.” Who knew. It highlights the importance of backing up your data. Or you know, you’ll lose it. Forever.

And thus ends the month of March with one more from the Almanac: “In beginning or in end, March its gifts will send.”

Bye March, don’t let the newly patched screen door hit ya… Virginia Buckingham is a member of the Current’s board of directors. Her column appears weekly.

What to know when choosing a backup solution

BY STEPHEN BACH, THE DIGITAL DOCS OWNER

With the abundance of digital data now being stored for businesses and personal users, the need for reliable backup solutions has become increasingly important. Backup services provide a way to ensure that information and materials are safe from being lost or damaged in the event of natural disasters, computer malfunctions and malicious attacks. While users have the option of using paid services, there is also a high demand for free backup solutions.

Free backup services can be highly attractive to users due to the cost savings. Many of these solutions are offered by cloud storage providers and software developers. They may offer storage space, a limited number of backups or automated backup services for free, but then offer paid plans to increase the amount of storage or provide additional services.

The advantages of free backup services range from cost savings to access from any device. For example, free services may allow users to store a good amount of data, making it ideal for personal and business use. iDrive now offers a whopping 10GB free. If you have more data than that, you'll have to subscribe to its paid plan. Additionally, users are often not obligated to long-term contracts or commitments, allowing them to take advantage of the service while they can and move to a different provider when needed.

At the moment, some of the more popular free backup services include iDrive (available on the homepage of The

Docs at thedigitaldocs.com) Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox, Carbonite and Microsoft OneDrive. These solutions offer a variety of services and storage amounts, allowing users to choose the right service for their needs. Some of the services may offer additional features, such as automatic backups and security measures, but these may come with a fee.

The main issue to keep in mind when using free backup services is that the company may take control of ownership of the data. Additionally, free alternatives may lack features, speed or security that paid services offer. It is also important to remember that these services may require users to agree to terms and conditions before using the service.

Overall, free backup services can be incredibly useful for those who need to store large amounts of data at no extra cost. However, it is important for users to research the features and limitations of the service before selecting one. With the right choice, users can save money and ensure their data is secure and safe.

Local artist deserves second look

BY BONNIE EISSNER

Living in Marblehead, it’s hard to miss the local pride for Nathaniel Hawthorne. There’s the House of Seven Gables museum and the Hawthorne Hotel.

But on the grounds of the hotel is a guest house named for another 19th-century artist from Salem who also achieved considerable acclaim in her lifetime, the painter Fidelia Bridges.

Although less well known now than Hawthorne, Bridges is attracting renewed interest. A century after her death, her works are commanding high prices at auctions, and in a new book, “Fidelia Bridges: Nature Into Art,” art historian Katherine Manthorne makes the case for getting to know Bridges and her beautiful and important artwork.

Manthorne shows how Bridges was shaped by her childhood among the seafaring society of Salem, and how she transformed the painting of flowers from a domestic pastime for ladies into an acceptable form of high art.

Bridges was just 16 years old and living in what is now the Fidelia Bridges Guest House of the Hawthorne Hotel, on Essex Street in Salem, when news of her father’s death reached the family in March of 1850. A ship’s captain, he died of yellow fever in Canton, China, in December 1849. Just three hours before the tragic news reached home, her mother died, leaving Bridges and her three siblings orphaned.

Sickened by her own sadness, Bridges was invited by family friends to recuperate in the countryside. Family lore has it that it was there that Bridges spent hours in bed drawing. With her sisters’ support and her own doggedness, she turned her hobby into a profession.

It wasn’t just her father’s loss that shaped Bridges as an artist, though. A member of the East India Marine Society — the precursor to the Peabody Essex Museum — her father likely carried back from his overseas voyages China trade paintings, porcelain, and other examples of Asian art and design that caught Bridges’ eye. Bridges kept china and books about Japanese art with her throughout her life.

In the 1860s, she incorporated elements of Asian design into her paintings of flowers and birds. In the 1870s, when a fondness for Japanese art and design swept from the upper-class collectors and art patrons to middleclass women, Bridges could barely keep up with the demand for her work, Manthorne writes.

Manthorne, a professor at the Graduate Center of The City University of New York, writes that Bridges’ art wasn’t merely popular — it was striking and important.

“Many artists paint beautiful pictures, but few

change our ideas of art and beauty as Bridges did,”

Manthorne writes. “In her best pictures she arranges blossoms and branchlets in a design reminiscent of Japanese prints, combined with the minutiae of the bird in the tree or the leaves on the ground.”

In company with her contemporary, fellow New England native Winslow Homer, Bridges helped to popularize watercolors.

Seeing watercolors by Bridges and Homer at an exhibition in 1875, the novelist Henry James wrote that Bridges’ works were “infinitely finer and more intellectual.”

As further proof of her acceptance into the rarefied art world, Bridges became the second living woman to be elected an associate of the elite National Academy of Design in 1873.

Also, like Homer, Bridges carried with her a lifelong fondness for the coast.

“It gives you a sense of meditation and calm that I think she always had,” Manthorne said in an interview. “She always

liked the marsh birds and the coastal imagery.”

Her penchant for marsh and ocean are evident in her oil painting “Pastures by the Sea,” now in the collection of the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem. Bridges, who never married, made a living from her art. She didn’t just paint for the wealthy. She found a middle-class market for her work and a somewhat steady income through a collaboration with Boston-based printer Louis Prang.

Beginning in the 1870s, she provided artwork for Prang’s popular chromolithographs. For one of Prang’s most popular series, “Twelve Months,” Bridges created paintings of birds and wildflowers representing the months of the year.

Beginning in the 1880s, she provided art for his in-demand Christmas cards.

Bridges had a long, 35-year run as an artist in the public eye. In the years after the Civil War, her

paintings offered solace and a welcome return to nature, Manthorne said in an interview.

By the time she died in 1923, the world had endured another brutal war, and Bridges had lived to see women win the right to vote and the automobile supplant the horse-drawn carriage. Her work became less relevant amid the emergence of modern art.

But today, as museums look to diversify their collections and bring in more women artists, Bridges is regaining cachet, Manthorne said.

Manthorne also points out that in our contemporary moment, there’s a new need to connect with nature through art.

“Bridges’ pictures

WHERE TO SEE BRIDGES’ ART

Fidelia Bridges’ artwork is in the collections of several major museums, including the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Her works are also currently on display at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, the New Britain Museum of American Art in Connecticut, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

possess the ability to direct our attention to those modest scenes with an intensity of focus unlike that of any other artist of her era,” Manthorne writes. “The outdoor world was not only the source of her pictorial motifs, it was as necessary to her life as oxygen.”

Manthorne continues, “Writing these words at the end of year two of the global pandemic, it strikes me that Bridges’ refined and understated art whispers eloquently of the benefits for humankind of connecting with nature.”

Bonnie Eissner grew up in Marblehead and currently lives in New York where she oversees editorial content for the CUNY Graduate Center as director of communications..

COURTESY OF THE PEABODY ESSEX MUSEUM

Fidelia Bridges’ ‘Pastures by the Sea’ is currently on view in the ‘On This Ground: Being and Belonging in America’ gallery at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem. Bridges gifted the oil-on-canvas work to the museum.

COURTESY PHOTO/HAWTHORNE FINE ART, NEW YORK Bridges’ art, like ‘On the Beach’ from 1879, ‘whispers eloquently of the benefits for humankind of connecting with nature,’ writes art historian Katherine Manthorne.

COURTESY PHOTO Fidelia Bridges collaborated with Boston-based printer Louis Prang for Prang’s popular series, ‘The Twelve Months.’ This chromolithograph, ‘April,’ published in 1876, is in a private collection.

COURTESY PHOTO

This portrait of Fidelia Bridges by Oliver Ingraham Lay, c.1877, an oil on canvas mounted on wood, is part of the collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C.

COURTESY PHOTO Katherine Manthorne’s new book, ‘Fidelia Bridges: Nature Into Art,’ makes the case for getting to know Bridges and her artwork.

Cecropia Strong is a Marblehead-based charity that offers aid to those with physical disabilities. Windrush Farm in North Andover provides quality equine-assisted services for children and adults facing physical, cognitive and emotional challenges.

Cecropia Strong and Windrush Farm are proud to announce new grants for therapeutic horseback riding for adults with disabilities. Riding has always been an elite sport, reserved for those with money. But now, with these need-based grants, anyone can take lessons.

Therapeutic horseback riding provides the opportunity to participate in an enjoyable activity which helps improve balance, muscle strength, coordination and posture. At Windrush, certified instructors and caring volunteers assist the riders as they learn new skills in the arena or enjoy a ride out on the trails around the farm. One of the best things about horseback riding is the freedom it offers — riders can explore the woods and fields which are usually off limits to anyone with a disability. Now,

financially-challenged adults with disabilities can apply for a grant to ride at

Windrush Farm. “Windrush Farm is such a wonderful organization

“This is not just a Lynn organization; this is our community,” noting that MBT’s Willow Street location allows guests to come from neighboring cities and towns.

Sidman saw fundraising as a way to get the word out about the mission of North Shore’s largest soup kitchen.

That mission is simple: “to nourish our community every day through hospitality, free meals and unconditional love.”

Achieving the mission

for the last 40 years has not been as simple, especially once the pandemic hit. Sidman has reverted to serving as a MBT board member but led the board from 2019 to 2022.

“The pandemic turned everything upside down,” he recalled. “We really prided ourselves on being a place where our guests could congregate, be cared for and respected, and we couldn’t do that safely, especially at the beginning (of the pandemic lockdown).”

Sidman credits Executive Director Diane Kuzia Hills with her

“unbelievable” leadership during the lockdown.

“We needed to reconceptualize the way we do this,” he said, adding that Kuzia Hills led the small staff, board members and volunteers through what would not only be an unprecedented demand for meals but also in volunteer engagement.

At a time when most people hunkered down at home and isolated from the public, MBT continued its mission, never closing, and instead extending their hours. This was a difficult undertaking for the dedicated small staff of four to five.

One of the board’s solutions to ease the burden on the staff while also engaging muchneeded volunteers was to ask people to provide lunch bags filled with meals of peanut-butterand-jelly sandwiches, snacks and a drink.

“We used the website Sign Up Genius, and the response to that was unbelievable,” Sidman said. “It was amazing to see how quickly the slots (for donations) filled up.”

Guests were allowed to take as many meals as they needed, as some were taking meals for others who could not get out during the pandemic.

Thankfully, monetary donations during the pandemic also increased because the jump in need was just as unbelievable.

“The first time I was really shocked was in March or April of 2020,” Sidman said. “The previous year, we provided about 16,000 meals that month. That year (2020) we provided over 75,000 that same month, and then the next month the number of meals was higher and then higher, exceeding 100,000 meals a month.”

In fact, in the 40-year history of MBT, half of the meals were served in the soup kitchen’s first 37 years and the other half in

to partner with,” said Cecropia Strong’s President Julie Hahnke. “I rode there in 2018, but the cost is too prohibitive for the financially-challenged to manage. Our grants reduce the overall session fee by two-thirds, making it a more reasonable option. Everyone should experience the joy of riding the Windrush horses.”

“We are extremely grateful to Cecropia Strong for selecting Windrush Farm as their partner for the new grants,” said Windrush Farm CEO Janet

Nittmann. “We very much look forward to welcoming new riders to the Windrush community.” Windrush Farm will accept grant applications from adults with a physical disability who would like to participate in the spring session of therapeutic riding lessons at Windrush Farm in North Andover.

Relevant details: minimum age 18 years and the weight limit is 185 pounds. Riding lessons are in a group and a physician’s statement will be required. Donations are always welcome.

This hearing will be held in-person along with a remote access option using the following link: https://marbleheadschools-org.zoom.us /j/97548851270?pwd=UEx3NUxkRTdJVmNBQWl3N0hYaE9nQT09 Public input is encouraged. The proposed budget being discussed will be available on the district’s website at www.marbleheadschools.org, at least 48 hours prior to the hearing date. MC -3/8/23

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the last three years.

“That gives you a sense of how many people are on the cusp of really needing help,” Sidman said.

As of last week, the exact number of meals MBT had served was 6,645,877.

My Brother’s Table serves meals without seeking or receiving federal, state or local funding. This is done to ensure privacy of the guests, in keeping with the mission focus of unconditional love and respect.

As of last week, the organization had been open for 13,000 consecutive days, thanks to staff, volunteers and donations.

“That was the amazing thing about the pandemic,” Sidman said. “We had record-breaking fundraising as people were keeping up with what we were doing, recognizing it had a direct impact, and they knew (donations) were going to a good place.”

Sidman has interviewed some of those donors in

videos to share on social media and said speaking with younger volunteers is a highlight of his work with the Table.

“There are so many negative stories in the world, and it’s heartwarming, positive and very optimistic that kids are this thoughtful this young,” he said, citing the example of two Swampscott youngsters who made masks during lockdown and donated all the proceeds to MBT.

Currently, meals are still being provided without the benefit of the original setup, which a`llowed guests to sit down and socialize for a bit. Guests can take to-go meals or visit four food stations.

MBT recently received a grant from Mass. General Brigham, which will be used to improve the cafeteria space. Sidman and the board are looking forward to reviving the social aspect of sitdown meals while keeping guests, staff and volunteers safe.

The soup kitchen began in 1982 after one of the founders looked out the window and saw people cooking a can of beans on a trash can and thought, “This isn’t okay.”

More than six million meals later, the focus on dignity and caring with love remains, Sidman said.

Sidman would also like people to know that MBT’s guests may not be who they think they are.

“I would really encourage people to broaden their minds about who we are serving,” he said, adding MBT guests include working professionals, college students and families experiencing food insecurity.

FRONT

To learn more about donating or volunteering for My Brother’s Table, visit mybrotherstable.org.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY

Jason Sidman sorts through food at My Brother’s Table, which has served as many meals in the past three years as it had the previous 37 years of its existence.

Cecropia Strong President Julie Hahnke (left to right); Windrush mustang Guinness; Windrush Farm CEO Janet Nittmann and Windrush Barn Manager Caitlyn Campbell

Magicians outlast Pembroke in tourney

Team moves on to Round of 16 against Pope Francis

BY JOE MCCONNELL

The Marblehead High boys basketball team (14-4, 10th seed) couldn’t have been in a more competitive game to begin the Division 2 state tournament at home against Pembroke (129, 23rd seed) in a Round of 32 game, but they were able to prevail in the end, 60-57.

The Magicians now move on to the Sweet 16, and were scheduled to go up against Pope Francis (18-3, seventh seed) on

Tuesday, March 7 in Springfield.

The Cardinals defeated Nauset Regional (12-9, 39th seed) in their Round of 32 game, 64-48 on March 3.

The Marblehead boys led at halftime, 27-26. The second half was a mirror image of this backand-forth game, before Isaiah Makor sealed the deal with two free throws with seconds left on the clock to put his teammates up by five. Pembroke was credited with a bucket at the buzzer to account for the final

score.

Makor ended up with 10 points, while Ryan Commoss paced the attack with 16 points. Nick Lemmond had 12, and Tryone Countrymon was close behind with 11. Miles O’Neill chipped in with seven. He could have had two more, but his attempted slam that could have nailed down the win before Makor’s clutch free throws clanged off the rim.

Pembroke was ahead by three, 46-43, with 5:43 left in the game

on a Brady Spencer jumper. But O’Neill’s grit underneath the boards produced a hard-fought basket, followed by a free throw

that tied up the proceedings for his teammates. Commoss then untied it, and the home team never trailed from that point on.

Magicians hold own against best in state

Marblehead qualifiers make grade in postseason

BY JOE MCCONNELL

Marblehead High indoor track qualifiers participated in the AllState Meet against their peers throughout the rest of the state on Feb. 25 at the Reggie Lewis Athletic Center in Roxbury.

In the 600, Ryan Thompson finished seventh with a time of 1:24.12.

“Great runners have their best races on the biggest stages, and that’s what Ryan did here at this year’s All-States,” said coach William Herlihy. “He got off to a perfect start, taking the lead at the end of the first lap, and never looked back. In doing so, he set a new school record by nearly a half of a second, while also running to a personal best, which is a tremendous jump at this level.”

Thompson is now getting ready for the New Balance Indoor National Meet on March 10, where he will be running in the 400 and 800.

In the 300, Cate Trautman’s impressive season continued when she shaved .01 off her personal best to finish in 42.02, placing her 16th in the state.

“Cate’s success in the 300 is beyond exceptional as it was her first season competing in the event,” said Herlihy. “This time also qualifies Cate for Nationals, but the event is already filled up. But she’s not done yet. She (went on) to the New England

Championship Meet to compete in the 4x200 (on March 3) before going to the aforementioned Nationals in the same event the following week.”

Keira Sweetnam built upon her fantastic indoor season in the high jump with an eighthplace All-State Meet finish after clearing 5-2.

“Competing in the high jump at a postseason meet is the definition of ‘go big or go home,’” said coach Nolan Raimo. “With an opening height

SU rVIVE a ND a DVa NcE

CURRENT PHOTO/NICOLE GOODHUE BOYD

Marblehead Boys basketball Miles O’Neill goes up for a dunk.

Fans, coaches and players let their emotions run wild as Marblehead’s Nicholas Lemmond looks to pass in the last few seconds of the boys basketball game against Pembroke. More photos, Page 10.

Marblehead boys indoor track sophomore Thomas Carlson competes in the 4x200 relay .

COURTESY PHOTOS/CAT PIPER

Marblehead girls indoor track senior captains, from left, Cate Trautman, Devin Whalen and Claire Davis walk off the track after completing the 4x200 relay during the All-State Meet at the Reggie Lewis Athletic Center Feb. 25.

TRACK, P. A10

Girls basketball ready for more success

Positive vibes remain despite state tournament loss

BY JOE MCCONNELL

It’s a popular cliché in sports, but the future is definitely bright for the Marblehead High girls basketball team (10-8, 42nd seed) on the heels of being eliminated by Northeastern Conference rival Masco, 52-35, in a Division 2 preliminary round state tournament game at Boxford on March 1. Wayland (18-4), the 10th seed, then went on to beat the Chieftains (14-8, 23rd seed) in a close Round of 32 encounter two nights later, 54-52.

“We played great, despite our inexperience,” said coach Paul Moran after the Masco

game. “We were missing our point guard, Katie Pyne, with an injury for the third straight game, but freshmen Mari O’Connell (six points with two threes) and Samara Dosch stepped up once again to fill in nicely for her.”

Tess Andriano, another freshman, paced the offensive attack with 12 points, including three threes. Sara Bosio was next up with seven points.

Samantha Dormer accounted for four points and was all over the place on the court getting rebounds, assists, steals and deflections, according to Moran.

Greta Sachs was credited with four points and three rebounds.

FUNDra ISING TOU rNa MENT

Kate Burns chipped in with two points. Moran had nothing but praise for his captains ,Carlin McGowan, Isabelle Ferrante and Stella Monaco, who provided the leadership for their young teammates, as well as the team’s two Italian exchange studentathletes, Giorgia Dalla Valle and Sara Bosio. They brought the team together to work toward a common goal, which led to a postseason berth. The hope is that the positive vibes will have a lingering impact on the younger players, who now know what it takes to win on the varsity level.

Moran also mentioned his sophomores — Ramona

Gillette, Maddie Forbes and Olivia Goldwater — who all saw productive minutes as they grew as varsity players throughout the last three months.

The contributions of the freshmen have been welldocumented, and they stand poised to take a quantum leap as veteran players next winter.

“This team had to play Masco twice and Peabody once during the regular season, but that only made them better players,” Moran said. “I’m not the easiest coach to play for, and they know what they do in practice will make or break their chances to play regularly in games.”

The Chieftains beat the

Marblehead girls three times this season. They won by 35 in the initial meeting between the two teams at the beginning of the regular season, but only by six in the second meeting.

“Masco started four senior captains against us, and I told the kids afterwards that’s not going to happen next year,” said Moran.

He added, “Everything is in front of us right now with so many young players. If they do a little work on their games in the off season, we are going to be a dangerous team. I can’t wait to see them again in November, when practice resumes.”

Tedesco to host first Galante event June 5

The inaugural James R. Galante Charity Golf Tournament will be held Monday, June 5 at Tedesco Country Club in Marblehead. The tournament will have a noon shotgun start, with check-in beginning at 11 a.m.

The tournament is being organized by the 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization MHS19 Inc., whose mission

is to “conduct fundraising events to provide annual financial scholarships and recruitment assistance to high school athletes who plan to continue their athletic endeavors in college or to otherwise fund initiatives to further commemorate the legacy of James R. Galante,” a beloved member of the Marblehead community and

dedicated teammate of the 2021 Massachusetts Division 3 Super Bowl champion Magicians football team.

The cost to register for the four-person scramble is $250 per individual or $1,000 per foursome, which includes dinner immediately after play, prize and use of the club’s practice area and driving nets. The cost to attend the dinner

only is $100.

Tournament organizers are also seeking hole sponsors ($500) and a “19th hole” sponsor ($1,000). Raffle tickets ($50) will also be sold, with tickets to games of the Bruins, Celtics and Red Sox among the prizes.

Registration forms are available at mhs19.org or by scanning the QR code accompanying this item.

Magicians outlast Pembroke

COURTESY PHOTOS/CAT PIPER

Marblehead boys indoor track senior captain Ryan Thompson is shown on the podium after finishing seventh in the 600.

Track

From P. A9

Marblehead girls indoor track senior captain Keira Sweetnam beams with pride after finishing eighth in the high jump during the AllState Meet at the Reggie Lewis Athletic Center.

set at 5 feet, 8 inches — higher than a regular-season meet opening height — the pressure is on right away. Each and every miss plays a central role in a possible tiebreaker. Keira soared to the qualifying leap in her first attempt and cleared 5-2 on her second attempt to secure a podium spot. She also qualified for the New England Championship Meet.”

In the boys 4x200 relays, the Marblehead quartet of Harrison Curtis, Sebastian Pantzer, Tommy Carlson and Ryan Thompson bounced back from a disqualification at the state divisional championship meet to cement their names in the school record books with a final All-State Meet time of 1:33.60. The previous best time was 1:34.01. They also qualified for Nationals, but the field is already filled up.

“This was the first time Harrison and Sebby ran the 4x200 fresh without a 300 just before it, and they took full advantage to set up Tommy and Ryan with a solid lead that Tommy and Ryan were able to extend,” Raimo said.

In the girls 4x200 relays, Cate Trautman, Claire Davis, Devin Whalen and Le’Daisha Williams established a new school record of 1:47.43, besting the previous time by one second to finish ninth overall in the state.

“Ava Machado was unable to attend the All-State Meet due to prior commitments, but Le’Daisha subbed in without any practice on the handoffs to anchor the team,” Raimo said. “At first, it was hard to believe, but those who know Le’Daisha well understand that she is calm as can be in all situations, and that was on full display on the biggest stage.”

Raimo continued, “In years past, I would check in with the team two or three times before the race to make sure they were warmed up and had a baton, among other things. But nowadays, they are all genuinely true professionals, who I have full faith in to get the job done.”

The quartet was also able to qualify for the New England Championship Meet back at the Reggie Lewis Athletic Center on March 3.

Marblehead’s Nicholas Lemmond gets fired up.

Countrymon is swarmed by Pembroke’s Noah Petillo and Jace Wilson

Marblehead’s Tyrone Countrymon looks to pass.

Marblehead’s Scott Campbell goes for a loose ball.

mind was, 'I went to Audubon day camp; I can do this,'" McCauley said.

McCauley can laugh now about how much she did not know. She followed up that Peace Corps stint by going back to school to study environmental science and fill in the gaps in her knowledge.

But now, things have come full circle for McCauley. She is back with Mass Audubon — not as a camper but as its North Shore regional director, responsible for the statewide conservation organization's wildlife sanctuaries from Newburyport to Nahant, including the one on Marblehead Neck.

McCauley has joined Mass Audubon after serving as engagement manager at the Crane Estate in Ipswich for The Trustees since 2018.

Prior to that, McCauley had been the outreach program coordinator at Northeastern University's Marine Science Center in Nahant from 2010 to 2018.

She is also a current member of the Marblehead Conservation Commission and is on the board of Salem Sound Coastwatch.

McCauley said Audubon's "action agenda" — its strategic plan — is what drew her to her new role. Specifically, McCauley liked that it succinctly outlined three goals.

"I went to turn the page, and there wasn't another page," she said.

The first of those goals is to make the land Audubon owns resilient, and not just to climate change but to other threats, like the one posed by invasive species.

people.

"That goes for both socioeconomic variables and accessibility and just making people feel like they are welcome and belong in natural places," she explained.

The third and perhaps most important goal for McCauley is Audubon's broader focus on climate change, which McCauley calls "the most pressing issue facing our society."

Despite already seeing harbingers of the significant changes coming to society, development continues in floodprone areas, and lots of money is being spent on "solutions" that are not permanent ones, she noted.

"I'm really interested in how we communicate with the public about climate change and what we're doing as a model as a landowner and what folks can do themselves, either in their homes, in their communities" or beyond, McCauley said.

B. Hall, who were dismayed by the use of exotic bird feathers in women's clothing and hats, McCauley said.

The commitment to birds continues to this day, in part due to state and federal mandates and the organization's own interest in tracking certain species that are endangered or whose habitat is threatened.

But the organization has "spread its wings" — McCauley cannot resist the pun — in the decades since to encompass the conservation of land and natural resources more generally.

"You can't protect birds without protecting the whole ecosystem and the landscape in general," McCauley said. "Everything gets to benefit — not just the birds — by protecting vulnerable habitats and doing all that we can to keep them resilient."

are not off the main roads, she said. But the neighbors who walk through the sanctuary regularly surely appreciate it, as does the birding community, given its status as a "stopover point" for many species of migrating birds, McCauley noted.

There is a certain synergy to McCauley's roles as Audubon regional director, Marblehead Conservation Commission member and Salem Sound Coastwatch board member.

For one thing, as a volunteer herself, McCauley is sensitized to the need to engage meaningfully with those who offer up some of their free time to advance Audubon's mission.

"It's not just creating experiences for them to do work that helps us save labor hours but also building a community where we learn things together and we network together socially," she said. "It's really an honor that they want to come in the first place. How we nurture them and encourage them and impart skills and learn together is important to me."

McCauley said she is also pleased that she can continue to draw upon the relationships she has forged with school districts, nonprofit partners and local, state and federal entities during nearly 15 years living and working in and around the North Shore.

"It's really comfortable to slide into a glove and already know who's in the Rolodex," she said.

"We cut down some small saplings, for example, and asked for the ancestors' blessing and explained that it was important for us because we were going to build a structure that was important to our community," she said.

No part of the tree was wasted. Its pulpy interior was pounded and woven and dipped into wax to create string to bind a structure that would later serve as a sweat lodge.

"I'm sure we wouldn't be letting kids into a sweat lodge with fiery rocks these days," she said with a laugh.

But the experience continues to offer lasting lessons.

"I think a very logical way for people to think about their experience in nature is to imagine what it would be like to live in harmony with the land, in terms of what it gives you and what you give back to the land to keep it sustainable for future generations," she said.

Another summer, the region was contending with a gypsy moth invasion. Campers went around with cans of gasoline, scraping larvae into the cans to try to address an invasive species, an example of Audubon being earlier to acknowledge an environmental concern that has since come further to the fore.

McCauley walks around Marblehead's open spaces almost every day and credits her experience as an Audubon camper for laying the groundwork for her connection to and comfort in nature.

One of those habitats is the Audubon's sanctuary on Marblehead Neck, which McCauley calls a "real gem."

Audubon's second goal is to make nature accessible to more

Say "Audubon" to your average Massachusetts residents, and their thoughts likely turn first to birds. Audubon has remained true to its roots, having been founded in 1896 by two women, Harriet Hemenway and Minna

Many may not know about the "significant piece of conservation land smack in the middle of Marblehead Neck," in part because its access points

McCauley will also continue to draw inspiration from those bygone days at Drumlin Farm. McCauley said one of her most profound experiences as an Audubon camper was in a summer program in which she and her fellow participants were instructed to look at the land through the eyes of indigenous people.

Now, through her new position, she hopes to foster that same appreciation in others.

"We're very lucky to live in a place where there is so much protected open space, and that we value and commit resources to caring for it," she said. boards,” Marblehead Select Board Chair Moses Grader told the Marblehead Current. “You don’t want political influence involved. You want to have one person accountable for these decisions.”

The closest the Select Board gets to the town accounts is its authority to appoint a town treasurer.

“They don’t have the right to say anything about the management of accounts,” Blaisdell told the Current.

Jim Nye has been a member of the Select Board for 18 years and president of the National Grand Bank, which has been offering the town the lowest interest rates of any of the financial institutions with which the town has done business, which town officials have attributed to the fact that the town’s account at National Grand is a transactional rather than an investment one, with money flowing in and out constantly.

Asked whether his dual roles create a conflict of interest, Nye points to the state law.

“I didn’t tell John McGinn what to do when he was the treasurer and finance director,” Nye told the Current. “I didn’t tell Steve Poulis what to do, and I won’t tell Rachel [Blaisdell] what to do. None of the Select Board does.”

Last year, the Massachusetts Ethics Commission completed an investigation into “a concern about the town having numerous accounts at the bank where you are president,” explained Brian McWilliams, a special investigator in the Ethics Commission’s Enforcement Division, in a determination letter issued in April.

McWilliams concluded that there was no conflict of interest between Nye’s public service and bank leadership.

“Relying on what you told us and on any necessary

follow-up investigation, we have determined that no further action is required on our part,” McWilliams wrote.

However, the Ethics Commission also encourages public officials to consider taking action even when there is merely an appearance of a conflict of interest. Actions officials might consider include everything from completing a disclosure statement to recusal to stepping down altogether.

Asked whether he thought he should recuse himself when matters like appointing the finance director and the town treasurer come before the Select Board, Nye said he did not. He pointed out those votes were unanimous. He also said the town is small, and there are bound to be conflicts.

Higher interest rates

In a series of recent articles, the Marblehead Beacon has pointed out that the town could benefit from moving its money out of National Grand Bank institutions with higher interest rates. In particular, it has highlighted the Massachusetts Municipal Depository Trust, which holds about $34 billion on

behalf of cities, towns and other public entities. It offers public entities investment accounts with minimal transactional services.

In its financial analysis, the Marblehead Beacon calculated that Marblehead could have reaped $300,000 more in interest had the town’s money been deposited in an MMDT account instead of National Grand.

“Their math is correct,” Kezer acknowledged. “But the underlying argument is wrong.” Accounts at MMDT and the NGB accounts have been characterized as identical, but it is like comparing “apples to oranges,” Kezer said.

A more apt description would be that the account at the National Grand Bank is like the town’s checking account, which the town uses to pay its bills, payroll and vendors. In this account, the balance is constantly fluctuating as vendors’ invoices are paid, payroll checks are issued, and deposits come in from residents’ property and excise tax payments. The amount of the town’s money in the National Grand Bank oscillates between

$15 million and $25 million.

What MMDT offers is more of an investment account that traditionally provides higher rates because money is not leaving it at the pace of a checking account, according to Kezer.

According to Kezer and Blaisdell, MMDT does not offer the full suite of financial services that the town is availing itself of at National Grand Bank, which a representative of MMDT confirmed.

“MMDT does not offer accounts payable and payroll accounts in the sense that MMDT will not cash checks or send direct deposit files to employees,” Wayne Perry, the senior unit manager for MMDT participant services, wrote in an email. “We can do occasional vendor payments via wire, but it does not offer the full accounts payable and payroll functions.”

Marblehead does have some money — $13.1 million — in an MMDT account earning interest at a rate of 4.77%.

The Beacon juxtaposed the National Grand Bank with commercial banks offering higher interest rates, but Blaisdell and Kezer said those interest rates take into account

other benefits that National Grand Bank provides the town, like no transactional fees. Unlike most transactional accounts, National Grand pays interest on deposits. It also provides a level of service that the town has come to value over a long period of time, Grader said.

The National Grand Bank is a 192-year-old institution, and Blaisdell said the town of Marblehead has had accounts with the National Grand Bank since the 19th century. Its accounts are among the Pleasant Street bank’s oldest.

Kezer and Grader said the town maintains a positive outlook. With Nunley-Benjamin expected to start work this week, the Finance Department will be fully staffed.

“In her interview, she demonstrated a strong strategic sense and a ready understanding of the elements needed to strengthen our Finance Department,” Grader, a former chair of the Finance Committee, told the Current after the Select Board hired Nunley-Benjamin.

“We seek to build our Finance Department into a stronger operating organization capable of more efficiently meeting the Government Finance Officers Association’s standards, providing Marblehead taxpayers more seamless visibility into the town’s finances and improving the delivery of its vital central services.”

The public attention to the interest the town has been yielding on its accounts comes as Marblehead marches toward a Town Meeting during which officials are expected to propose a general override of Proposition 2 1/2 to address a structural deficit, though the exact amount has yet to be determined.

The interest rate discussion is “distracting me from addressing the structural deficit and building a budget that sets Marblehead up for success,” Kezer said.

CURRENT PHOTO / WILLIAM J. DOWD

The town of Marblehead has a long history of banking with the National Grand Bank on Pleasant Street.

COURTESY PHOTO McCauley calls Mass Audubon’s sanctuary on Marblehead Neck, a ‘stopover point’ for many species of migrating birds, a ‘real gem.’

Programs, classes, events for seniors

All programs are held at the Judy and Gene Jacobi Community Center, 10 Humphrey St., unless otherwise stated. Questions? Call 781-6316225 or email councilonaging@ marblehead.org.

St. Patrick's Day

Luncheon

Join us Friday, March 17, noon to 1 p.m. for Louise Moore's traditional St. Patrick's meal at the Masonic Hall. Cost is $7 per person. RSVP and payment due Friday March 10.

Lunching at the COA

Lunch is offered on Tuesdays at noon for $3. The meals are prepared in the Council on Aging's commercial kitchen. These lunches are supported by The Friends of the Council on Aging.

Grab-n-go lunches

Grab-n-go lunches are offered on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at the Council on Aging. Pick-up time is from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Reservations must be made the Thursday before by calling 781-631-6225.

The Traveling Chef

Shepherd's pie is on the menu Friday, March 24, at the COA. (There will be no grab-n-go lunch this day.) RSVP by Friday, March 17. Suggested donation is $2.

Friends of the Council on Aging fundraiser

Save the date: This fundraiser will be Thursday, April 27, 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Landing Restaurant. More details to follow.

Hearing screenings

Atlantic Hearing Care., Inc., will offer hearing screenings on Wednesday, March 22, 10 a.m. to noon. Call 781-631-6225 to schedule an appointment.

iPhone classes

Kevin Figueroa, founder of Kev Tech, will lead this class on Friday, March 24, 1 p.m. Reserve your spot by calling 781-631-6225.

Movie Days

Enjoy "Queen Bees" about a fiercely independent senior who moves into a retirement home

on Friday, March 10, at 1 p.m. Then on Friday, March 24, at 1 p.m., enjoy "The Fabelmans" which is loosely based on director Stephen Spielberg's childhood in post-World War II America. RSVP at 781-631-6225.

Caregiver Support Group dinner

Enjoy a modest dinner followed by a guest speaker and discussion on Wednesday, March 15, 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. RSVP by Monday, March 13, at 781-631-6225.

Flying Solo with Sharon

This group is designed specifically for people who live alone. This month's topic: How living alone changes you. Tuesday, March 28, 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Book Club

The March book is "The Underground Railroad'' by Colson White. Discussions on Wednesdays, March 8 and 22, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Coffee with a Cop

Join Chief Dennis King or someone else from the Marblehead Police Department to discuss community concerns. Fridays at 8:30 a.m.

Blood Pressure Clinic

Drop-in blood pressure clinic on Thursdays from 11 a.m. to noon.

Fitness Center is open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Passes can be purchased for $10 for five visits.

Chair Volleyball

Chair Volleyball is now at the COA on Wednesdays and Fridays, 1 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.

Muscle Conditioning

Senior Muscle Conditioning with Kim on Mondays and Fridays at 9 a.m and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Cost is $3.

Trips & Tours

The COA is planning several trips and tours this spring and summer, including a luncheon and Bee Gees tribute concert at the Danversport Yacht Club on Tuesday, May 23; a luncheon and The Texas Tenors concert at the Danversport Yacht Club on Tuesday, June 23; and a

Montreal-Quebec trip July

18-21. For more information and to sign up, call Janice at 781-631-6225.

Stay Active

North Shore Physical Therapy runs an osteo class on Mondays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. There's also Balance and Mobility with Mary Manning on Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. Each class is $3.

Zumba Gold

Zumba Gold classes are held on Wednesdays at noon. It is a lower intensity dance class inspired by Latin and world music.

Parkinson's Fitness

The Parkinson's Fitness class is free on Wednesdays at 11 a.m. Specifically developed for folks with Parkinson's disease but appropriate for all, this class focuses on strength, mobility and balance. This program is paid for by the Friends of the Council on Aging.

Indoor Curling

Indoor curling takes place on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.

No experience is necessary for this indoor sport. Instructions on how to play the game will be available at every session. Yearly fee is $15. Contact pbibbo@aol. com with questions.

Stretch & Strength

The Council on Aging offers a Strength & Stretch class on Mondays at 11:30 a.m. and Thursdays at 11 a.m. Cost is $3.

Step it Up

Karen Jancsy leads this lowimpact movement and muscle

conditioning class on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8 a.m.

Weight Training

A Weight Training class is held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8:45 a.m. Cost is $3.

Yoga with Evie

This yoga class is held on Mondays at 9 a.m., Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m. and Thursdays and Fridays at 9:30 a.m.

Chair Yoga

Gail Perry Borden teaches Chair Yoga on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11 a.m. Cost is $3.

Line Dancing Kate Hoffman teaches Line Dancing on Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The first hour is focused on beginners; however, all are welcome and encouraged to participate. Cost is $5.

Quilting

Learn how to quilt in this class on Thursdays at 10 a.m. Cost is $5 per class.

Knitting Group

Drop-in knitting is Thursdays at 9 a.m.

Cribbage

Cribbage is held on Tuesdays. Doors close at 9:30 a.m.

Mahjong

Play mahjong Mondays and Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

I Love Bridge

This advanced bridge instruction class meets Mondays, 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Cost is $5. Drop-in bridge is on Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to noon, and Fridays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Canasta

Canasta is now at the COA on Thursdays and Fridays, 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Medicare Advantage open enrollment

If you're currently enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan you can make a change to your coverage or change to Original Medical with a supplement and a Part D drug program. Changes can be made until March 31. If you're new to Medicare or considering a review

of your plan, call the COA at 781-631-6225 and schedule an appointment with a trained counselor.

Get a senior Charlie Card

People who are 65 years or older are eligible for reduced MBTA fares with a senior Charlie Card. These cards are valid for eight years. Call Nadine Lepick at 781-631-6225 Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. to ask questions or make an appointment to process an application. Cards can also be reloaded with cash on any bus.

Need help with heating costs?

The Home Energy Assistance Program at North Shore Community Action Programs, Inc. helps income-eligible households pay their winter heating bills even if the cost of heat is included in their rent. If your gross household income falls within certain limits, you may qualify for payment towards winter heating bills. In addition, eligible National Grid customers may qualify for a discount of up to 32 percent off their electric and gas bills. For more information about Home Energy Assistance, call 978-531-8810 or email fuelassistance@nscap.org.

Want a lift?

The COA offers transportation services to both in-town and outof-town medical appointments and in-town errands such as the hairdresser, bank, to vote or to the COA for programs and/or lunch. Weekly grocery shopping trips to Crosby's and Market Basket and bimonthly trips to the North Shore Mall are also available. Transportation runs Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. To schedule a ride, call 781-631-6225.

Home safety audits

The town offers home safety audits to local residents. A representative from both the Marblehead Fire Department and the Council on Aging will schedule a time to meet seniors at their homes and review and discuss home safety options. Also, free fire alarms, carbon monoxide detectors and lock boxes can be installed. To learn more, contact Sharon Doliber at 781-631-6225.

March schedule at Abbot Public Library

New digs

The Abbot Public Library has temporarily moved into the Eveleth School, 3 Brook Rd., while its Pleasant Street building undergoes a multi-million-dollar renovation. Library hours are the following:

Monday: 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Tuesday: 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Wednesday: 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Thursday: Noon to 6 p.m.

Friday: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday: Closed.

Note: The Children's Room will close at 6 p.m. on Wednesdays.

Returns are accepted inside the library in the blue bin near the main desk or, if the library is closed, outside its main entrance in the black Library Return bin. Book donations are only accepted on Book Donation Days.

For updates on the renovations, visit abbotlibrary. org/news/renovation-news.

Sign up for the library's newsletter at tinyurl.com/ Abbot-News.

Fines no more Abbot Public Library is now fine-free. Visit abbotlibrary.org/ about/general-info to learn more about borrowing materials and to get a library card.

Tech and misc. things

The library offers Book Club Kits, Chromebooks, hotspots and more in its Library of Things. Visit abbotlibrary.org/ what-we-offer/library-of-things to learn more.

Need to use a copier?

Abbot Public Library does not charge a fee per page, but it asks that patrons contribute what they wish when copying. Funds will be donated to The Friends of Abbot Public Library.

Get your museum on Visit abbotlibrary.org/whatwe-offer/get-a-museum-pass to reserve passes and promo codes for some of the best museums in the Greater Boston Area.

Thanks to the generous support of the Friends of Abbot Public Library, the library offers

passes and promo codes to:

Boston Children's Museum

» Harvard Art Museums (coming soon)

» The House of the Seven Gables The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston*

Isabella

Stewart Gardner Museum

» Museum of Fine Arts

» Museum of Science New England Aquarium (now a digital promo code) Peabody Essex Museum

» Trustees Go Pass

» Zoo New England Patrons without access to the internet may reserve a pass/ promo code right at the main desk or by calling (781) 631-1481, though some passes may require an email address to be used.

Courageous Aging:

A support group for older adults

Fridays, March 10, 17, 24 and 31, 3 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.

This weekly program is led by Carol O'Brien. Tax Counseling for the elderly program

Mondays, March 13, 20 and 27, 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

» Mondays, April 3 and 10, 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

» To reserve a spot, please call the Reference Desk at 781-631-1481. You will need your last year's tax returns and 2022 paperwork. For more information, please visit abbotlibrary.org/ tax-prep-program.

Open Lab

Mondays, March 13, 20 and 27, Drop-in from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Do you have a question about your computer, smartphone or tech gadget? Do you want time to practice with someone who can help if you get stuck? Every Monday, join a staff member for one-on-one help with your device. Windows laptops will be available for attendees who cannot transport their devices. No registration required.

Adult Crafternoon: seed bombs and painted rocks

On Wednesday, March 8, from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m., Abbot

Public Library will host an Adult Crafternoon event to demonstrate how to make seed bombs and painted rocks to get ready for decorating your home and garden for spring. The library provides materials. This event is free and limited to ten people. To register, please visit tinyurl.com/ Mar-2023-Crafternoon.

Adult book club via Zoom

Tuesday, March 21, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

On the third Tuesday of every month, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., book club members can log on to Zoom to discuss the latest and most highly recommended titles led by a library staff member. March's pick is Horse by Geraldine Brooks. Copies are available in the Reference Room. To join, please register here: tinyurl.com/March-2023Zoom-Book-Club. For more information, please get in touch with Head of Public Services Librarian Morgan Yeo at yeo@ noblenet.org.

Mystery book group

Tuesday, March 28, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. For more information, Contact Adult Services Librarian Rachael Meneades at rmeneades@ noblnet.org.

Community craft and chat

Tuesday, March 28, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Come for an afternoon of crafty camaraderie! Bring your knitting, beadwork, sketchbook or any personal craft to create and share ideas. This program is for adults. Registration is recommended at tinyurl.com/ March-2023-Craft-and-Chat. Consumer protection series

Thursday, March 30, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Abbot Public Library will host Robin Putnam from the Office of Consumer Affairs & Business Regulation in Boston, who will present a monthly series on safe practices for consumers. Putnam will discuss the topic of skimming devices and how to identify and protect yourself

against credit card fraud. To register, visit tinyurl.com/ Mar-2023-Skimming

Teen DIY: Button making Tuesday, March 14, 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Express yourself by decorating your stuff! Choose from a range of templates, use pictures from magazines or create your design to turn into a magnet or pin. No registration is required. For ages 15-18.

Teen DIY: Lanyard keychains

Tuesday, March 28, 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.Prepare for springtime with a summer camp favorite. Make a simple box stitch keychain with two colors, or learn to do more advanced shapes with three and four colors. Instructions will be provided, and no registration is required. For ages 15-18.

Story Time A-Go-Go

Wednesdays, March 8, 15, 22 and 29, 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Children are invited to our weekly Wednesday program with stories and movements led by early childhood educator Debbie Leibowitz. This program is for kids ages 1-4 in the Program Room.

Chess players meet-up

Wednesdays, March 8, 15, 22 and 29, 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Students in grades 4-6 who already know how to play the game are invited to play each other on Wednesdays after school in the Children's Room. Boards and pieces will be provided. Players rotate through to give maximum practice with players of different skill levels. This is not an instruction class. The maximum number of participants is eight, and registration is required. Call the Children's Room at 781-631-1481.

3D printing workshop

Mondays, March 6, 13, 20 and 27, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Children in grades 5-6 are invited to learn to code and create laser print objects using their coding instructions on a 3D laser printer. Jared Lederman

leads this class with hands-on learning and challenging projects. Participation is limited to six, and class registration is required. Call the Children's Room at 781-631-1481.

Books and Brushes

Tuesdays, March 14, 21 and 28, 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Children in grades 1-3 are invited to come and explore painting materials and styles. The emphasis will be on having fun with the process, and painting experience is not required. All materials will be provided. Bring an old shirt or t-shirt to protect your clothes!

Participation is limited to eight, so registration is required. Call the Children's Room at 781-6311481. The schedule will be as follows:

» March 14, watercolors

» March 21, acrylics March 28, painting on fabric Library drop-in open playdate

Friday, March 10, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Caregivers and children ages 2-5 are welcome to visit and meet each other between 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on the second Friday morning of the month. Toys, puzzles, blocks, as well as crayons and paper, will be available. No registration is required, but caregivers must be present.

First conversations story time with Lindsay Smith

Tuesdays, March 14, 21 and 28, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Lindsay will read aloud from picture books that focus on diversity and emphasize kindness and tolerance. The program is designed for children ages 3-5 and their caregivers. Please call the Children's Room to register at 781-631-1481.

Music with Dara

Friday, March 17, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Join Dara on the third Friday of the month for a lively, interactive musical program designed for small children and their caregivers to enjoy. The program is designed for children ages 2-5. Registration is required. Call the Children's Room at 781-631-1481.

Check out Y sports, gymnastics, swimming, pickleball and a healthy weight loss program

BY BRIAN FLYNN, LVO YMCA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Spring is just around the corner and that means the Y’s spring program registration is open. Join the Y for fun, health and connection. We can help you stay active this spring with swimming, t-ball, flag football, wrestling, springboard diving, gymnastics, kickboxing, personal training, pickleball and more. There is something for every age and every interest.

Healthy Habits and Expert Support, our healthy weight loss program, is back. We know that everyone’s weight loss journey is different and we know that it certainly is not easy. Our team of registered dietitians and certified personal trainers are here to help. The Y’s approach to achieving a healthy weight offers safe, effective and sustainable methods. There are no prescribed diets, restrictive approaches or instant cures — just expert guidance and the tools you need to eat healthier and increase your activity level. We will provide the support to develop long-term healthy

habits. Join this 12-week program on Saturdays at 8:30 a.m., March 18 - June 17.

Participants meet weekly for 90 minutes, which includes 45 minutes with a registered dietitian and a 45-minute workout.

“We are so excited to bring this program back,” said Laurie-Sue Rodrigues, Y health and wellness director. “It has proven effective for so many of our members who have participated in the 12-week session. Our team of health and wellness professionals will provide all the right tools and support, both nutritionally and in terms of exercise, that you will need to stay on track and successfully reach your goals.”

Are you ready for the Head to the Hill 5K?

Back for the second year in a row, Head to the Hill 5K starts at the Marblehead Y and winds through Swampscott and back through Marblehead up the hilly road to the Y. The race begins Monday, May 21, at 9 a.m. raceroster. com/events/2023/66709/ head-to-the-hill-5k-road-race Need help getting ready for your first 5K or just need some additional motivation and encouragement to get out and run? The Y has created a specially designed 60 Days to My 5K program that can help you gain all the tools you need to run a 5K. 60 Days to My 5K begins March 13 at 6 p.m. For more information, contact Jane Rizza

at rizzaj@northshoreymca.org.

Be a sponsor — The first Y golf tournament at Tedesco The golf tournament at Tedesco Country Club is coming. Join us on Monday, June 12. This new event will support the Y’s annual campaign which enables the Y to say ‘yes’ to everyone who wants to be part of the Y, regardless of their ability to pay. The Y is providing increasingly more financial support to children, adults and families across all program areas. To learn more, visit northshoreymca.org/ communityevents.

There are a wide range of sponsorship levels, from title sponsor for $10,000 to a tee sign for $250. You or your business can support this wonderful event and be part of the Y’s ongoing effort to raise critical funds and support those in the community who need the Y most. To learn more about sponsorship opportunities, visit one.bidpal. net/2023lvogolf/welcome.

Don’t miss out on summer camp 2023.

Summer camps are filling up fast. There is nothing better

than a summer on Children’s Island, swimming in the pool and ocean, kayaking, exploring the beach fronts, creating crafts and playing gaga. Children’s Island summer camp is a unique camp experience on the North Shore. Register today at northshoreymca.org/programs/ lynchvan-otterloo-ymca-camps.

The Y is better with friends. Refer a friend to the Y and we’ll thank you with a free month of membership while your friend receives a $0 enrollment fee. Visit the welcome center or reach out to Membership Director Jane Rizza to learn more at rizzaj@ northshoreymca.org.

About the YMCA

The Y is one of the nation’s leading nonprofits, strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. For more than 160 years, the YMCA of the North Shore has been the foundation of the community. It serves more than 40,000 members and program participants in 25 cities and towns across the North Shore and in southern New Hampshire.

In Current Recommendations, Frances Roberts Hill asks people around town about their media recommendations.

ENDING ThE STIGM a

After personal battle, local woman launches wellness business

Through CAVE Club, former attorney seeks to help others

BY LEIGH BLANDER

On the outside, Wendy Tamis Robbins of Marblehead appeared to have the perfect life. An Ivy League graduate and successful lawyer, she had a new husband, new home and two lovely step-children.

But on the inside, she was still battling the anxiety, OCD and panic disorders that had plagued her for 40 years.

“I was functioning at a very high level,” Robbins said. “I had learned a lot of tricks. I had a lot of tools in my toolbox. But I wanted to know if I could step fully outside that box.”

Eat Well Kitchen

INTERVIEWED: Luiza Oliveira

LISTENING: Lots of rhythm and blues and hip-hop. I love Drake and old school R & B. Also, Usher and Ne-Yo.

WATCHING: I’m starting to re-watch “Scandal” on Hulu. I’m also watching the new season of “You” on Netflix. Dramas are my favorite. Thrillers, too.

READING: I love Colleen Hooper, she’s so good. I also love “Ugly Love,” “Verity” and “It Ends with Us.”

SOMETHING PEOPLE MAY NOT

KNOW ABOUT YOU OR YOUR

CAREER: I recently graduated cum laude from UMASS Boston with a degree in psychology and I’m on the road to a masters degree. And I maintain a fulltime job at Eat Well!

Through years of therapy, workshops and what she calls “self-discovery work,” Robbins has learned to live outside the box that anxiety had trapped her for decades.

In 2021, she published a book about her journey called “The Box: An Invitation to Freedom from Anxiety.”

“The book started with a question,” Robbins explained. “Could I actually live my life without accommodating my anxiety on a daily basis? I started to really do some deep internal work and write through all of that — through the exposure therapy and the internal family systems therapy. The stars in the sky started to form patterns and things started to make sense and I could see my way out of the box.”

Then last April, Robbins was diagnosed with stage 2 colon cancer.

“The next six months were really just all about surgery and chemotherapy,” she said. “For the first time since middle school, I had time to be and heal and focus on that. It gave me time to reset my compass.”

Robbins decided to stop practicing law

ENDING ThE STIGM a

Friends of Abbot Public Library

INTERVIEWED: Kathleen Waslov

LISTENING: WGBH and WERS (Emerson College) radio stations. All talk radio.

WATCHING: I don’t watch TV much, but I’m a big fan of “Jeopardy.” I also just watched “Seaside Hotel,” a rom-com that takes place in pre and post-war Denmark. Next, I’ll watch “A French Village” on Amazon Prime.

READING: “Hotel Nantucket” by Elin Hilderbrand. I also just read “Trust” by Herman Dias. I loved that book.

SOMETHING PEOPLE MAY NOT

KNOW ABOUT YOU OR YOUR

CAREER: My degree is in operations research/applied mathematics, but I love to do laundry, specifically ironing.

Seaside Allure

INTERVIEWED: Ocean Turner

LISTENING: Ingus and Julius Stone

WATCHING: I’m currently watching the show “‘You” on Netflix.

READING: I read a lot of poetry. Right now I’m reading Bukowski.

SOMETHING PEOPLE MAY NOT

KNOW ABOUT YOU OR YOUR

CAREER: I’m a contemporary artist and I paint watercolor.

after 24 years and focus on sharing her experiences with anxiety to help others. She launched a career as a coach and speaker and founded the CAVE Club, which is virtual for now but may meet in person soon.

“The CAVE Club is a safe place for women to get both one-on-one coaching and support from other women,” she said. “I had been talking to a ton of women who were really struggling. The pandemic has disproportionately impacted women, especially professional women. The CAVE Club is a place for them to be vulnerable and find the support they need from a dynamic and diverse group of professional women.”

Robbins also coaches individual clients — men and women, ranging in age from early teens through 75 years old — to help them with “anxiety,

depression, mindset work and awareness/ mindfulness.”

She also leads corporate wellness programs addressing anxiety, stigma, loneliness and connection.

“I’m passionate about this work because when I spoke my own truth, it not only transformed and saved my life, it gave others permission to come out of the shadows and speak their truth, finding the redemption and transformation,” she said. “That’s the ripple effect I want to create as my way of creating the change I wish to see in the world.”

To learn more about Robbins and her work, visit wendytamisrobbins.com.

Mental health and wellness coach Wendy Tamis Robbins will be writing a regular column for the Marblehead Current. See the first installment of “Ending the Stigma” below.

Three Es may foster willingness to ask for help

BY WENDY TAMIS ROBBINS

In the midst of a global mental health crisis, why aren’t more people asking for help?

Over 50 million Americans are experiencing a mental illness (21% of the population), according to the latest 2023 surveys. Fiftyfive percent receive no treatment (28 million Americans).

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health condition in the U.S., affecting over 40 million adults ages 18 and older. And while highly treatable, only 37% of sufferers actually seek treatment.

So what’s getting the way? Surveys show that the leading barrier to helpseeking behaviors is the shame and stigma surrounding mental illness.

We are stuck in a stigma quagmire that must be examined and eradicated as a public health emergency and priority because, at its worst, mental illness can be terminal if left untreated. At its best, neurodiversity can be celebrated as a unique way to internalize and experience being human.

I recently suffered major injuries to my LCL and ACL — ligaments in the knee that heal very differently. The LCL has sufficient blood flow to heal itself over time, while the ACL has little blood flow and will not heal on its own. It requires a lot of additional support.

I had a decision to make when diagnosed. My body was broken and needed help to heal and be whole again. If I refused that help — surgery to replace my ACL — I would be physically compromised for the rest of my life. Similarly, not all mental health issues need additional support. But many, if left untreated, can be debilitating.

Soon after surgery, my naked knee was completely unrecognizable. I stared hard at its “brokenness” and felt only compassion and gratitude. I wanted to take the best care of it and asked for help freely, which others happily provided.

I wish I’d felt the same when I’d

We are not born believing we shouldn’t talk about our uncomfortable and scary thoughts and emotions. We are taught this when we hear words that don’t match what we clearly see and deeply feel.

looked in the mirror — consumed with anxiety, panic, even dissociation — and felt similarly unrecognizable. Ashamed of what I saw, I was paralyzed when considering how to verbalize my brokenness and ask for help.

When I asked my surgeon if my knee would ever look the same, he replied, “Don’t worry. Your knee is under there. This swelling is normal and will recede. You’ll find your knee again. It just takes time and therapy.”

Hmm. With all due respect to therapists, no one ever said that to me when I was sitting on their couch. “Don’t worry. Anxiety and depression are normal. You are still in there, underneath it all. It will just take time and therapy.”

On my last visit to my surgeon, he explained that I was still in the period of “regrowth,” when my body uses the cadaver ACL as scaffolding to build a new ACL around it. That fascinated me. My body was rebuilding because I had given it the support it needed to heal.

And I had scaffolding of sorts all around me. I was surrounded by supporters who opened doors and rooted on my recovery. They held me up until I was physically able to stand alone again.

Looking back, my experience with mental illness was completely different. There was no compassion, only fear and shame. How did this happen? How would I find my way out?

I abandoned myself and adopted the societal stigma that I’d been taught. We abandon our voice, our well-being, our deep knowing that something is wrong, and we need help.

Instead of reaching out, I isolated myself. Instead of using my energy

to heal, I used it to hide. Instead of exposing my broken pieces, I tried, with white knuckles, to measure up and cover my cracks with perfectionism and achievements.

We are not born believing we shouldn’t talk about our uncomfortable and scary thoughts and emotions. We are taught this when we hear words that don’t match what we clearly see and deeply feel — words like “everything’s fine,” when it so obviously and painfully is not. Or being dismissed with “you’re fine” and “everyone feels that way.”

Here are three ways we can start chipping away at this seemingly impermeable stigma:

Empathy: It’s hard to sympathize with what we’ve never felt. We can increase empathy in those who have never experienced mental health issues by encouraging sufferers to tell their stories. Give them a platform and a microphone. Then listen without judgment or consequence, only curiosity and compassion.

Education: It’s hard to believe what we can’t see. Educating people on mental health and illness will bring a better understanding, which is a crucial component to incorporating the social scaffolding we need to support those who are struggling.

Empowerment: It’s hard to approach a situation where we feel helpless. Most prefer to ignore it. Giving people the tools and techniques to help can not only empower them, but build a connection between someone struggling and those who want to help.

The more we can normalize these conversations, educate ourselves and empower each other, the quicker we can end the stigma surrounding mental health. This is my goal.

I hope that together we can create a safe and supportive environment that provides the social scaffolding needed by our friends and family struggling with mental health issues.

Marblehead resident Wendy Tamis Robbins is an anxiety expert, author, wellness speaker and coach.

Ocean Turner

Luiza Oliveira

Kathleen Waslov

COURTESY PHOTO

Wendy Tamis Robbins offers support to men, women and children struggling with anxiety and other mental health challenges.

He flue off handle: Irate neighbor stuffs pillow in fireplace

Thursday, Feb. 23

6:39 a.m. An officer investigated a report that a plow had struck a parked car on High Street.

7:41 a.m. A caller reported an issue with a manhole cover on Elm Street.

11:13 a.m. A caller on Cloutmans Lane reported having been targeted with a scam in which a caller pretended to be his grandson. The resident had hung up on the caller but wanted to report the incident. The officer advised the resident to not answer calls from numbers that he did not recognize and to let police know if any other suspicious incidents occurred.

11:57 a.m. A caller reported that a car was blocking a bus on Spring and Pleasant streets.

4:50 p.m. Officers investigated a disturbance reported on Hines Court.

7:28 p.m. An officer spoke at the police station with a woman who reported that she was being harassed by a contractor to whom she said she had given between $30,000 and $40,000 for a home remodeling job he had only half completed. She said she was upset that he was "bullying" her into giving him more money before he resumed work. The woman said the contractor was giving her a hard time about not being from Marblehead and commented that he knew members of the Angiulo family. The contractor reportedly threatened that he would report the woman to the police for giving him a check from an account with insufficient funds. Woman claimed she had instructed the contractor to wait a couple days before attempting to cash the check, but he had not waited, which was why the check bounced. The officer advised the woman that the contractorcustomer dispute would have to be settled in court if they could not handle it civilly. The officer also explained to the woman her rights to obtain a harassment prevention order if she felt one was necessary.

9:54 p.m. Icy roads reported on Atlantic and Ocean avenues.

Friday, Feb. 24

9:51 a.m. An officer investigated a report of a tree or branch down on Maple Street.

11:23 a.m. A lost handbag was reported on Atlantic Avenue.

12:21 p.m. An officer investigated a report that there was a 17-month-old locked in a car on Green Street.

1:29 p.m. An officer investigated a report of larceny, forgery or fraud on Dodge Road.

2:48 p.m. A Maple Circle resident reported receiving unwanted letters.

Saturday, Feb. 25

1:35 p.m. A Gerald Road resident requested advice about a possible scam phone call he had just received. The man had received a call, purportedly from Eversource, telling him that his gas service was going to be shut off if he did not send them $250. The man had been instructed to go to CVS and purchase a certain gift card for that amount and send it to them. The man refused, and the caller insisted and argued with the resident until the resident finally hung up and decided to call the police. The officer explained to him it was most likely a scam. The officer then called the phone number from which the call to the resident had originated, and a man answered. After the officer identified himself, the man hung up. The officer then called the number back twice, and both times it went to a full mailbox

and before disconnecting. The officer reported what he had found to the resident and advised him to call the police again if he received any additional calls.

1:51 p.m. An officer responded to the scene of a vehicle crash on Humphrey Street and Brookhouse Drive.

2:42 p.m. An officer assisted with the response to a person sleeping in a car on Front Street.

Sunday, Feb. 26

9:56 a.m. A lost wallet was reported on Atlantic Avenue.

1:24 p.m. Lost eyeglasses were reported on Turner Road.

1:51 p.m. An officer spoke at the police station with a woman who on Feb. 14 had received a note in her mailbox from her next-door neighbor, whom she had served with a no-trespass order a year earlier. The note explained that the subject of the no-trespass order had entered the woman in the station's driveway to retrieve her trash can lid, possibly dropping an earring in the process. The woman in the station said she did not want her neighbor charged but just wanted the neighbor to respect the fact she is not welcome on her property. The woman in the station requested the officer call the neighbor to remind her of the order and to express her wishes. The officer then called the neighbor and explained the purpose of his call, which the neighbor said she understood. The neighbor admitted to the trespass but thought it was silly she could not retrieve her trash can lid. The officer advised her to call the police if there was any reason why she needed to access the other woman's property in the future.

4:31 p.m. An officer was dispatched to Washington Street to investigate a landlord-tenant dispute. Upon his arrival, the officer met with the tenant who said that, for months, her landlord, who lives in a neighboring apartment, had been harassing her. The woman pointed to the driveway, where the landlord had parked her car right up close to the tenant's vehicle, despite the fact that there appeared to be plenty of room in the driveway to park elsewhere. The tenant told the officer that she wanted to break her lease and move because the landlord kept harassing her. She said the lights in the hallway were burnt out or had been unscrewed so the tenant could not see going up the stairs to her apartment. The officer advised the tenant how to obtain a harassment prevention order and advised her to document everything. As for breaking her lease, she was told she would have to handle that with her landlord or in court. The officer was called back to the property shortly before 6 p.m. to assist the Fire Department with investigating the report of smoke in the hallways, which turned out to be incense burning. The officer spoke to the tenant again, who theorized that the landlord may have tried to light something on fire in retaliation for her initial call to police. Officer then spoke to the landlord who said that, to the extent there was an issue with her tenant, it was because the tenant was not paying her rent. The landlord also said that she feared for her safety when the tenant's boyfriend visits. She was likewise advised to call the police if there was any issue with the tenant or her boyfriend.

4:57 p.m. Officers went to the area of Humphrey Street and Clifton Avenue to investigate reports of gunshots. According to a couple of callers, the sound had come from the area of

Brookhouse and Londonderry roads. After speaking with some residents in the area, it was determined to be fireworks. An officer found the spent case of what appeared to be the source of the noise on Westminster Road, one street over.

5:51 p.m. For about a half-hour, an officer conducted traffic enforcement in the area of West Shore Drive and Waterside Road but observed zero violations.

9:47 p.m. An officer assisted a resident with a car door that had been frozen shut on Clifton Avenue.

Monday, Feb. 27

8:31 a.m. An officer spoke in the police station with a man who was having a civil issue with a local body shop, which had completed the repairs to his vehicle but would not release the vehicle because the insurance company responsible had yet to complete payment for the work. The man claimed it was not his responsibility to pay for the repairs as the damage was not his fault. The officer advised the man to reach out to his insurance company for guidance or to pursue the matter in court if it could not be settled civilly.

9:08 a.m. A walk-in to the police station who works at a local real estate office asked for advice regarding a customer who had gotten in touch with her for help with a rental property he owns. After assigning the work on the man's property to a male agent, the property owner had since reached out on his own to several of the company's younger female agents directly. He was told that the agents to whom he had reached out do not work on rental property, yet he was insistent on working with only women, which had made people in the office uncomfortable.

The woman in the station was advised how to obtain no-trespass and harassment prevention orders. She said the office planned to block the man's contact across all platforms and would call the police if there were any further issues.

11:18 a.m. An officer spoke in the station with a woman who had recently closed on buying a home on Prospect Court. She stated that while the home was empty, they decided to have some minor renovations done, including redoing the home's floors, using a local contractor. She said that on Feb. 14 she had received an irate phone call from one of her new neighbors and a trustee of the homeowners' association, who began to yell at her about having the work done without informing him first.

The man accused the woman of harming his family with the dangerous fumes from the floor varnish. The woman said the man at one point threatened to enter the unit and place a pillow in the fireplace to prevent the fumes from spreading. The woman told the officer she made it clear to the man that he was not to enter the home without her there. The woman explained to the man that walking on the floors would only cause damage and the need for more varnish. After the man ended the phone call, the woman's contractor informed her that the man had, in fact, entered her unit and placed a pillow in the fireplace as he said he would. As a result, the man had left soot and footprints across the freshly varnished floor. The woman stated that the floors would need to be resanded and varnished as a result. She stated that the man also broke the fireplace's damper when he stuffed the pillow in the fireplace. The woman then showed the officer the pictures

hOPED-FOr OUTcOME

MHS girls missing for 40+ hours are found safe

BY LEIGH BLANDER

After being missing for more than 40 hours, two Marblehead High School freshmen girls were reunited with their families on March 3 at approximately 2 a.m.

"Our community once again demonstrated our ability to come together and support our students, staff and families in a time of need," Schools Superintendent John Buckey wrote in an email to families later that morning. "This is the outcome we all hoped for."

The students, who are 14- and 15-years-old and live in Boston, arrived at Marblehead High School the morning of March 1, but never entered the building. Instead, police say they boarded an MBTA bus back to Boston. Marblehead police worked closely with Boston police to locate the girls. One girl's mother told the Marblehead Current that the students were "okay."

of the man stuffing the pillow in the fireplace and pictures of the damage to the floor, which the contractor had sent to her. The woman stated that she had since emailed the man to inform him of all the work that is to be done in her unit as a measure to keep the peace. The woman told the officer she was trying to go about the work the right way and follow the association's bylaws. The woman told the officer that she also informed the man via email that he is not to enter her home without permission for any reason. The woman stated that she was not interested in having the man charged with the damage to the floors or chimney damper but just wanted the incident documented. The officer advised her of how to obtain harassment prevention and no-trespass orders. The woman said she did not want the officer to speak with her neighbor and just wanted to move forward.

1:55 p.m. Officers assisted at the scene of a two-vehicle crash on Pleasant Street and Baldwin Road. Both vehicles had to be towed.

5:39 p.m. A caller reported their vehicle's bumper had been tapped but had not been damaged on Leggs Hill Road at Tedesco Street.

Tuesday, Feb. 28

8:46 a.m. Officers conducted a well-being check on Creesy Street and filed a report.

1:16 p.m. An officer investigated a report of a burglary or break-in to a structure on Edgemere Road.

11:46 p.m. Officers investigated a general complaint on Creesy Street and filed a report.

Wednesday, March 1

8:03 a.m. An officer was dispatched to Sheldon Road for a report of an overnight breakingand-entering of two unlocked vehicles. The vehicles' owner told the officer that she had been packing up her son's belongings the night before in both cars because he is moving soon and believes that her cars had been entered by an unknown person sometime between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. The woman reported that she had gone into her home at 7 p.m., and that her son had gone outside at about 8 p.m., which she believes must have scared away whoever was going through the vehicles. It was not until the morning that the woman had noticed items in each car being moved around, compartments opened and items gone through. She had also found her vehicle registration on the ground next to the car. She reported that there was a small amount of cash — under $100 in various bills — missing. She had deduced that the break-in occurred because a bag containing a large amount of loose change that had been in one of the vehicles was found in

the other vehicle, which lined up with her theory that her son had scared the thief off. The officer reviewed footage captured by doorbell cameras at two nearby homes, but neither camera had detected any motion.

9:08 a.m. Officers investigated a report of vandalism on Humphrey Street and filed a report.

10:27 a.m. An officer investigated a report that "fake mail" had been received on Peach Highlands.

10:51 a.m. A caller on Lattimer Street reported receiving a grandparent scam call.

11:19 a.m. An officer spoke by phone with a Farrell Court resident who reported that he had been called a couple of hours earlier by someone posing as his grandson's attorney, claiming that the resident's grandson had been in an accident and was in custody and needed $9,600 for bail. The man soon figured out that the call was a scam attempt and ended the conversation. The man was not out any money and had not provided any personal or banking information other than his address.

12:04 p.m. A lost bracelet was reported on Elmwood Road.

3:35 p.m. An officer investigated the report of a shell (presumably ammunition) found on Preston Beach Road and filed a report.

4:50 p.m. An officer investigated a report of illegal dumping on Farrell Court.

5:46 p.m. A school bus with its interior light on was reported on Village Street.

Thursday, March 2

9:45 a.m. An officer investigated the report of a vehicle crash on Gregory Street.

11:09 a.m. A lost wallet was reported on Longview Drive.

11:38 a.m. An officer investigated a 911 call from an elevator on Pleasant Street.

1:15 p.m. An officer spoke by phone with a man who had been harassed three weeks earlier while surfing with his girlfriend at Devereux Beach. While they were changing into their surf gear, a man to whom the caller had spoken in the past drove past them, gave his girlfriend a "dirty look" and then had gotten out of his vehicle and had begun yelling at them that the beach was for "locals only." The man on the phone explained that the man was known to have yelled similar comments at other surfers in the past. The surfer said the yelling man had neither threatened nor assaulted him or his girlfriend. Officer assured the surfer that he was welcome at the beach and encouraged him to call police the next time there was a negative interaction with the other man.

2:41 p.m. An officer investigated the report of a roadrage incident on Pond and Green streets.

IN a PIcKLE

In a compromise, pickleballers are moved to Seaside, still need own nets

BY LEIGH BLANDER

A new compromise was reached by Marblehead pickleballers, neighbors of the Veterans School courts and the Recreation and Parks Commission at a meeting on Feb. 28 that allows the pickleballers to play with their own nets at the Seaside courts until March 17, when all town courts will open with nets. The Veterans courts will remain locked until March 17.

"This will give the neighbors two more weeks of peace," said Rec and Parks Commissioner Linda Rice-Collins. "I'm so pleased that this is not confrontational. I want us all to work together."

At a Feb. 7 meeting, Rec and Parks agreed to open the Veterans courts (closed since mid-January) for players who bring their own nets. Inclement weather kept the courts closed, however. Rec and Parks declined to put up the town's nets, saying that the year-round pressure on the posts that hold the nets could damage the courts.

Maura Dartley-Rocco, who lives near the Veterans courts on Vine Street, spoke to the commission on Feb. 28, handing out binders filled with maps, articles and reports on the impact of pickleball noise.

"Within 100 feet of a court, the sound measures 70 decibels," she said. "That's comparable to highway traffic." She went on to say that the noise can cause flight or flight responses in people nearby, leading to "diagnosable disorders" like anxiety, and adversely impact the cardiovascular system.

"This is absolutely happening. If this is a science experiment, we are the lab

Religion

From P. A5

» Coffee Hour: Sunday, 11 a.m.

» Choir Chat: Tuesday, 4:45 p.m. over Zoom

Midweek Fellowship: Wednesday, 7 p.m.

Bible Study: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH OF MARBLEHEAD 28 Mugford St.

» 781-631-1215

» uumarblehead.org

» Sunday service is at 10:30 a.m. and on Zoom: bit.ly/3EIRKiF All persons attending a regular Sunday Service in person are asked to wear masks in the sanctuary.

Thursday, March 9: 4 p.m., UUCM serves at Lifebridge, Salem; 5:30 p.m., Brown Bag

Dinner and Games

» Friday, March 10: 4:30 p.m., UUCM Youth serve at Lifebridge, Salem

rats," she said. "We feel, as neighbors, that this is a crisis situation."

Dartley-Rocco suggested several sound mediation options, including planting arbor vitae trees around the courts or draping so-called sound blankets around the perimeter. Rice-Collins said the school superintendent opposed the blankets because they block a clear view of students, which is a safety concern.

Another possibility discussed: attaching a sound blanket to the wall of the school, where pickleball noise reverberates and echoes back to the neighborhood.

Rec and Parks Commissioner Karin Ernst is speaking with an acoustics expert in Easton who works with communities to mediate pickleball noise and will invite him out to assess options at Vine Street.

Rice-Collins pointed out that there are new pickleballs and paddles that are quieter and she encouraged the players to switch to those.

"This needs to be a team effort, so we can all exist together," she said.

Rich Newburg, representing the group Marblehead Pickleball, said "95% of pickleballers don't have" that equipment yet and probably won't until it's more readily available.

Newburg added that Marblehead Pickleball is "happy to hear solutions. We're well-organized, vocal, maybe a little too vocal, and we do have funds." He suggested the group would be willing to help fund sound mitigation efforts.

"All we want to do is play pickleball without pissing anybody off," Newburg said.

Adding to the spirit of goodwill in the room, Dartley-Rocco said, "We're just looking for some neighborhood harmony."

» Saturday, March 11: 9:30 a.m., Over 60 Gang; 11 a.m., ring bells for the 11th hour of the climate crisis

Sunday, March 12: 9 a.m., Sunday Seminar; 10:30 a.m., Sunday Services; 11:30 a.m., After Service Social Hour; noon, Social Action Committee meeting

» Thursday, March 16: 7:30 p.m., Board of Trustees meeting

METHODIST

ST. STEPHEN’S UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

67 Cornell Road

781-631-2756

» www.marblehead.church

» St. Stephen’s is open for Sunday morning worship. Every Sunday, they have traditional worship at 10:30 a.m. with a time of refreshments and fellowship afterward. Worship may also be attended via Zoom.

Tuesday mornings: Conversation and prayer on Facebook Live with Pastor Isaac (see facebook.com/marblehead.church)

Marblehead pickleballer Rich Newburg: ‘All we want to do is play pickleball without pissing anybody off.’

Maura Darley-Rocco, who lives on Vine Street, explained the impact of pickleball noise on neighbors there.