05.17.23 - Volume 1, Issue 25

Voters to choose amid budget crisis

BY LEIGH BLANDER

The race for School Committee is one of the hottest contests in the town’s June election, with four people vying for two seats.

A fifth candidate, Karen TalMakhluf, dropped out last week. She was the first person to announce a run back in March.

“Since then, I have been encouraged to see four other

candidates enter the race. Since I have no wish to detract from these candidates’ efforts and because I will also need

to be traveling during much of the campaign season, I am publicly withdrawing from this year’s School Committee

race effective today, but I look forward to continuing to help move our community forward both as a volunteer and as a parent,” Tal-Makhluf wrote in a statement.

The remaining School Committee candidates are Paul Baker, incumbent Sarah Gold, Brian Ota and former School Committee member Jennifer Schaeffner.

The School Committee faces tough challenges as the district

and the town grapple with a budget crisis. In fact, if town voters reject a $2.5 million override on the June ballot, Schools Supt. John Buckey says more than 30 staff positions will be cut. Also, several programs will be canceled, including freshmen sports.

Here’s a quick look at each candidate:

Discord aired over COVID relief funds

Officials emphasize need for investment in infrastructure, reversing learning loss

BY WILLIAM J. DOWD

Members of the Marblehead Select Board recently expressed conflicting views regarding its allocation of the town’s remaining $3.3 million in federal COVID relief funds from the American Reinvestment Plan Act (ARPA).

Rotary Club’s 100 years of service to our community, to the youth of Marblehead, to our international projects. We hope that these efforts continue into the next century as well.”

BY WILLIAM J. DOWD

In front of a crowd gathered across from the National Grand Bank, the Rotary Club of Marblehead unveiled a community clock in celebration of its centennial anniversary on May 11.

“In today’s world, clocks are integral to everything we do from work to school to sleep. Humans have been regulated by some form of the clock for ages,” said Nancy Gwin, the Rotary Club of Marblehead’s co-president, to the crowd surrounding the clock.

“This [clock] is the perfect symbol to commemorate our Marblehead

The community clock, standing at 10-and-a-half feet, is located next to Memorial Park along Pleasant Street.

It was manufactured by Electric Time Street Clocks, a Massachusetts company that Gwin noted for its reliable and durable timepieces. The clock, with its dual faces, can be seen from various directions and will light up at night.

Rotary Club District Governor Alexander Falk briefly addressed the crowd before reading a letter from Rotary International President

During a public meeting on May 10, these contrasting opinions arose as the Select Board considered, and ultimately approved, two ARPA funding requests worth $93,513 for the Marblehead Public Schools. These proposals were the most recent recommendations from an ARPA working group chaired by Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer. ‘Circumstances have changed’

The working group prioritizes projects based on approved criteria, including public health, safety and infrastructure. The Select Board approved the criteria during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Select Board members Erin Noonan and Alexa Singer commended the ARPA working group but voiced a mutual desire for the Select Board to reassess the established criteria.

“The whole landscape has changed since we established these priorities,” said Noonan, who suggested a meeting to discuss

Aboard WWII cattle car, students learn about Holocaust

BY LEIGH BLANDER

Hundreds of Marblehead High School students traveled back to 1940s Europe this week by boarding a replica of a cattle car — the kind that transported Jews and other targeted groups to Nazi concentration camps during the Holocaust.

Inside the car, which is 30 feet long by 10 feet wide, students watched a 360-degree, immersive video featuring two Holocaust survivors who were put on cattle cars with their families decades ago. The wooden, windowless car had 100 painted sets of footprints to

represent the typical number of people packed inside.

“The boxcar was the transition from being a human being to a number,” said survivor Nate Leipcinger. “This was a moment of horror. This was the last time we were together as a family.”

“I remember how they pushed everyone into the cattle car,” said survivor Hedy Bohm. “We were liked sardines packed into a can. I remember my mother telling me she couldn’t breathe and I was fanning her. I remember darkness, crying and the feeling of fear.”

After the survivors’ stories, the video gave a brief history of

the Nazis’ campaign in the late 30s and 40s to dehumanize and eventually systematically murder Jews and other minorities.

The cattle car was part of an exhibit from the groups ShadowLight and Hate Ends Now, traveling across the United States to teach students about the horrors of the Holocaust and what people can do to make sure it never happens again.

“The students have been very moved,” said Evelyn Riddell who led some of the presentations at MHS. “They are emotional and surprised by some of what they

The community clock, standing at 10-and-a-half feet, is located next to Memorial Park along Pleasant Street. It was made by Electric Time Street Clocks, a Massachusetts company.

SELECT BOa RD

Jenn Schaeffner Sarah Gold Brian Ota Paul Baker

Museum, Chamber receive ‘mini grants’

The Marblehead Chamber of Commerce and Marblehead Museum & Historical Society will be two of the local organizations receiving $58,000 in mini grant funding as part of its mission to encourage the 34 cities and towns of Essex County as a tourism destination, the North of Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau announced recently.

The Chamber plans to use its grant to produce the 2023 Marblehead Visitor’s Guide & Map, while the Museum will use its grant to produce rack cards. The program is funded through a portion of the funding the North of Boston Convention gets from the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism.

“We are happy to assist in these multimedia projects designed to draw more visitors to the north of Boston,” said Nancy Gardella, executive director. “Our organization and members have been working tirelessly to bring individual travelers and group tours to Essex County. We want to recognize these champions in our industry.”

NEWS IN BRIEF

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

Ballot order

drawing

Marblehead Town

Clerk Robin Michaud will be conducting a public drawing at 9 a.m. Friday, May 19 in the Select Board’s Meeting Room at Abbot Hall, 188 Washington St.

The purpose of this drawing is to determine the order in which names will appear on the ballot for the June 20 annual town election.

League Candidates Nights

Given the large number of candidates and contested races, the Marblehead League of Women Voters will host two Candidates Nights on Tuesday, May 23 and Wednesday, May 24 in the library of Marblehead High School, 2 Humphrey St. Both nights will begin at 7 p.m.

The 2023 municipal election on Tuesday, June 20 will feature 27 candidates running across seven contested races.

Voting by mail allowed

No-excuse early voting by mail is available for the June 20 town election. Ballots can be requested using the state Vote by Mail application. A written request including the voter’s name, voting address, mailing address and signature is also acceptable.

Applications for both mail-in and absentee ballots must be received by 5 p.m. on the fifth business day before the election, which in this case is June 12. More details about absentee ballot eligibility can be found on

the state’s website.

The deadline for voter registration is June 9. Town Clerk Robin Michaud emphasizes that all ballots must be returned to her office by the close of polls on Election Day. As there is no drop box, ballots must be hand-delivered or mailed.

For comprehensive voting information, visit the state’s website at https://bit.ly/3o4Tvkt.

Rotary Club camperships

Marblehead Rotary Club

Co-Presidents Nancy

Gwin and Blair Lord of the Rotary Club of Marblehead announced the availability of funds for local children in need of financial assistance to attend summer camps.

The Rotary Club raises funds for camperships through its annual summer lobster raffle, with over $219,716 awarded to more than 380 children in the past 23 years.

Gwin and Lord said the goal is to help children attend their chosen camp, with popular local options including the Marblehead Park and Recreation Department’s playground camp, YMCA’s Children’s Island and Camp Rotary. Camperships may be up to $500 per child, and children living in Marblehead can receive assistance twice.

Call or email Ellen Winkler at 781-6316404 or ewinkler@ emwinklerlaw.com with questions or to request an application for a campership. Each household needs to fill out one form.

Applications will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Hydrant flushing

The town’s Water Department’s annual hydrant flushing program is underway and will

continue through the end of the week. The flushing is conducted between midnight and 7 a.m. each day, according to an email from the Water and Sewer Commission.

“It is possible that some properties may experience discolored water early in the morning,” the email reads. “If you should encounter this, please run cold water only in the kitchen sink until the water runs clear (approximately 20 minutes). Please refrain from using the hot water or doing laundry until the discoloration is gone.”

Contact the Marblehead Water Department at 781-6310102 if the problem persists. The hydrant flushing was expected to begin at the Swampscott and Salem borders and then move to the downtown area.

Nominate an unsung hero

Marblehead’s Special Education Parent Advisory Council is set to hold its Unsung Hero event in June. This annual event salutes the unsung heroes in the special education community who make significant contributions, often beyond their expected responsibilities.

These heroes can be anyone from the school or local community who have demonstrated exemplary work in supporting special education. Every nomination should detail one individual, sharing a brief story of their impact on the special education community or an individual within it. To nominate an unsung hero, visit bit.ly/3M3CZtf.

Council on Aging speaker series

Join Mike Michaud, fleet captain at the Boston Yacht Club, as he delves into the captivating history and importance of Marblehead’s renowned sailing tradition.

Discover the secrets behind this picturesque town’s sailing legacy

on Wednesday, June 21 at 1 p.m.

The event is part of the Marblehead Council on Aging Speaker Series and will take place at the Marblehead Council On Aging. “Don’t miss this opportunity to explore the fascinating world of Marblehead’s sailing heritage,” said organizers.

Birdwatching program

Mass Audubon is hosting a free bird-watching walk at Marblehead Neck Wildlife Sanctuary on Friday, May 26, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Participants will learn about bird migration, breeding behavior and basic identification skills. Although the event is free, registration is required at bit.ly/3Mnmtpy. The event is made possible by the Marblehead Cultural Council.

Community Golf Day rescheduled

The Marblehead Select Board invites you to participate in the Community Golf Day, which has been rescheduled to Monday, Oct. 23, at Tedesco Country Club, 154 Tedesco St. Registration begins at 10 a.m., with an 11 a.m. tee-off, rain or shine.

The $175 player fee includes a round of golf with a cart, a box lunch, a post-play celebration with awards, hors d’oeuvres and beer or wine. To learn more, visit bit. ly/3ZWr8Sm. The event supports the Marblehead Counseling Center, which has served Marblehead, Swampscott and surrounding communities since 1969. MCC provides mental health counseling, family support services, community education and charitable assistance.

Appointed vacancies

The town is currently seeking volunteers to fill several vacancies on appointed boards, commissions and committees. Potential candidates should submit a letter of interest and a resume to the Select Board, Abbot Hall, 188

Washington St., or via email at wileyk@ marblehead.org.

For more information, contact the Select Board’s Office at 781-631-0000. Below is a list of open positions:

» Task Force Against Discrimination, oneyear term. Affordable Housing Trust Fund, one-year term. Water services, operations ‘exceptional’

In celebration of National Drinking Water Week, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection has recognized 61 public water systems and operators, including the Marblehead Water Department, for their exceptional service to the public. The awardees have demonstrated outstanding compliance records, spearheaded conservation efforts and maintained a strong commitment to water quality, according to MassDEP.

“Reliable access to quality water is critical to people’s daily lives,” said MassDEP Commissioner Bonnie Heiple. “We are proud to partner with and honor this year’s award recipients in recognition of their round-the-clock efforts to operate superior water systems that provide this vital service — keeping Massachusetts residents safe and improving our resiliency.”

Pride Flag Raising

The Marblehead Pride Flag Raising Committee has announced the 2023 Pride Raising Flag Ceremony to be held on the lawn at Abbot Hall, 188 Washington St., on Saturday, June 3, at 3 p.m. A rain date is scheduled for the following weekend, if necessary.

In its letter to the Select Board seeking approval for the flag raising, the committee expressed gratitude for the town’s continued support in hosting this event at Abbot Hall in previous years and said it looks forward to future collaboration.

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

DESIGN AND PRODUCTION

North of Boston Media Group

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.

Katherine Koch, executive director of the Marblehead Chamber of Commerce, accepts a spring 2023 grant from the North of Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau. Also shown are, from left, John Orlando, North of Boston CVB; Maria Speridakos, Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism; and Luis Garcia-Robles from state Sen. Brendan Crighton’s office.

BEEN THERE, DONE TH aT

At 100, Ivers shares secrets to a long, happy life

» Name: Eleanor Ivers

» Age: Turned 100 on May 4

» Place of birth: Boston

What is your fondest childhood memory? My home was always filled with music. We all played; piano, saxophone, clarinet. So many musicians would come to my house to rehearse together. I also loved my dance classes — tap, ballet and acrobatics.

How long have you lived in Marblehead? 40 years.My dad was a union carpenter and he built our home in East Boston where the race track is now. Later my husband and I moved to New York City for many years. That was extraordinary. Later, to Boston and Brookline and Rockport. I have loved living in Marblehead.

What jobs have you had and what was your favorite? I had a wonderful position as a secretary at Rockefeller Center in New York City. After my children

CURRENT RECOMMENDaTIONS

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

Marblehead Gardens

INTERVIEWED: Ryan O’Connor

LISTENING: My music taste is old, early 90s grunge. I like Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam.

WATCHING: “The Mandalorian” and “Fringe”

READING: Currently in the first “Dune” book. I saw the movie and now I’m reading the book.

SOMETHING

PEOPLE MAY

NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU OR YOUR CAREER: I’ve been in a bowling league for the last four years. I’m the youngest member.

The Marblehead Kite Company

INTERVIEWED: Betty Breuhaus

LISTENING: Country music like Jimmy Buffet, Kenny Chesney, Alex Jackson

WATCHING: “Bosch” on Amazon Prime, PBS

READING: “All That is Mine I Carry With Me” by William Landay, “Pineapple Street” by Jenny Jackson and everything by Louise Penny and Jody Picoult

SOMETHING

PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU OR YOUR CAREER: I was the Illinois state archery champion when I was 12.

Scoop by Sea Salt

INTERVIEWED: Emily Brankman

LISTENING: New Taylor Swift, always

WATCHING: “Succession” and “Top Chef” with my husband

READING: “Silent Patient” by Alex Michaelides

SOMETHING

PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU OR YOUR CAREER: My husband is a chef at Sea Salt, but I do all the cooking at home!

grew up, I returned to Salem State College for my bachelor’s degree. I taught at a Montessori school in Gloucester. It was so rewarding to teach a child to read.

What is the biggest change you’ve seen in the world? The cell phone and the number of cars! Life is going so fast, but the goodness and kindness in people hasn’t changed.

What is your biggest accomplishment? My two children, four grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren!

Who is the most famous person you’ve met? John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline. He was charismatic and strong. Jackie had such grace and courage. We stood with a crowd of people outside Children’s Hospital when JFK came by with his motorcade to visit his newborn son, who didn’t survive. We felt it was important to be there in person to show support for the

president and his family in that crisis time.

What moment in history is most vivid in your memory? World War II, of course, but recently the Boston Marathon bombing. My granddaughter had just finished and I was there with seven family members at the finish line.

What piece of advice do you have for young people today? Go for the things that make you most happy. Try new things. When you have children, treat them as special gifts, because they are.

What’s your secret to living a long life? It was very important to my mother and father that we ate strong, healthy food. My father was born in Genoa, Italy, and so our diet was Mediterranean with lots of farmfresh vegetables. As an adult, I swam every day (a quarter-mile), played lots of tennis and walked everywhere.

‘Minding Your Business’: Meet Jodi-Tatiana Charles

The following is an interview with Jodi-Tatiana Charles, owner of LCG Brands Consulting and the “Minding Your Business” podcast, conducted by Discover Marblehead. To learn more about Jodi’s marketing business go to lcgbrands.com and listen to her podcast at mindingyourbusinesspod.com.

Tell us about LCG Brands. LCG Brands is disruptive by design, partnering with the humans behind small businesses, startups, global organizations, economic development and nonprofits with change in mind. We use our 30+ years of experience to reinvent your marketing potential and take your business to a level not yet achieved.

We are a research, consulting and internal communication firm bringing deep expertise in marketing and brand resolution. We provide a full range of services through workshops, seminars and presentations, and promise sharp strategic thinking that gets results.

Our mission: We support individuals and businesses wanting to build and amplify their brands.

Our values: Never give up. Our focus is to surpass the expectations of our clients. Your goals become our goals.

Our process: LCG Brands will help your humans succeed through the proper marketing strategies, brand development, target audience determination and media engagement. At LCG Brands we’re detail oriented. Our insight helps us to transform our clients’ businesses by paying attention to and solving

challenges along the way. Our inventive spirit sets us apart. Our desire to find, create and develop new approaches for our clients is where we excel.

Why did you start your business?

I started LCG Brands in 2009 at the tail end of the Great Recession. It was then my capstone project to complete my MBA at F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College. It became apparent that I would have to go live when I was labeled overqualified for any marketing c-suite positions that I had my eyes on. Over the past 13 years, I have gained a strong global reputation in the entrepreneur ecosystem as well as the small business community of veterans, women, families, ethnic groups, minorities and international business owners. I have mentored and become a sounding board to countless entrepreneurs and innovators as they seek to succeed in marketing for themselves and their businesses on their terms. At the start of the pandemic, I quickly and easily slipped back into my media representative persona to

develop a platform giving these communities an amplified voice by creating a podcast welcoming to small businesses at all levels, educating new audiences of the “people” that fuel and support our neighborhoods.

What is the best piece of business advice you’ve ever received? When you’re dealing with toxic team members, model behaviors you want to see, set boundaries and limits, assert yourself, have a reliable support network and provide behaviorallyspecific, timely and actionable feedback. And if need be, end/ terminate the relationship.

Most important: no one deserves to be treated poorly due to others’ prejudices and insecurities in their personal and professional lives. Focus on your goals and rise above..

What is your favorite spot in Marblehead, and why? Fort Sewall continues to be one of my happy places in town. Whether it be sunrise, taking client calls, deep talks with friends or drafting my next book, no matter the weather this special spot inspires me.

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. 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.

Eleanor Ivers celebrated her 100th birthday on May 4.

Jodi-Tatiana Charles launched her marketing business in 2009.

Ryan O’Connor

Betty Breuhaus

Emily Brankman

Built to succeed

Local student, teammates win top award at Tech Challenge

BY KRIS OLSON

Not every high school senior year ends with a crowning achievement or cherry on the proverbial sundae.

Thomas Davis of Marblehead knows he is one of the lucky ones, and he has a robot — and a bunch of super-talented classmates — to thank.

Davis recently returned from Houston, where on April 22 he and the rest of the Waring School’s varsity robotics team, Wolfpack Machina, won the Inspire Award, considered the top prize at the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championships.

The Houston event was a true world championship, with 192 teams from all over the world — the best of the best from among 7,000 teams that compete in FIRST Tech Challenge — arriving to put their high-tech creations to the test.

In the lead up to the actual competition, teams rented conference rooms where practice sessions ran late into the evening. Waring paired up with a South African team with which it had initially connected over email and put their robots through the paces before going out to dinner together, “which was so much fun,” Davis said.

Waring’s robot has a claw — team members disagree as to whether it’s technically on the “front” or “back” — that picks up cones and brings them up onto a plate. A claw from the top, moving freely with the help of sets of linear slides, then reaches down, and a spinning turret enables the cones to be placed where the team wants them.

The competition starts with a 30-second “autonomous period,” which was particularly important this year, Davis explained. If you fall behind in the autonomous period, it can be hard to catch up in the teleoperated (drivercontrolled) period, he said.

As it turned out, Waring had a winning strategy.

“Our robot could stay put and extend slides and take in cones and then score them from the same position, so we didn’t have to move at all, which was really great,” Davis said.

Thanks to the code one of his teammates, Kaden Cassidy, wrote, Waring’s robot could adapt to over 200,000 different permutations of the game, “which is just mind blowing — to me, at least, because I’m not a coder,” Davis said.

On the robot’s performance in the field of battle alone, Wolfpack Machina was crowned the winner of its division.

But the Inspire Award recognized not simply how well Waring’s robot performed its assigned task — picking up cones and placing them on top of poles — though, to be sure,

it did so with great speed and precision.

Instead, Waring earned the award based as much for their efforts on the road to Houston — and their ability to explain those efforts in writing and in an interview once they landed in the Lone Star State.

In 1989, accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded the international not-for-profit organization FIRST, which stands for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, hoping to foster interest in building STEM skills in students ages 4-18.

For the younger set, FIRST offers a Lego League, from which students can graduate to the Tech Challenge and then the Robotics Competition, which FIRST calls the “ultimate sport for the mind.”

Davis noted that it is not uncommon for competitors in the Robotics Competition to have six-figure budgets and 50-person teams, quadruple the size of Waring’s 12-member Tech Challenge team composed of 11 seniors, including Davis, and one junior.

True to the founder’s vision,

FIRST strongly encourages its member teams to engage in outreach efforts, and Waring was truly a standout in this respect.

One of Davis’ teammates, Amelia Wyler, brought the FIRST Lego League to Rwanda, establishing the country’s first 35 teams and hosting its national championship. Davis and his classmates boosted those efforts with fundraising back home.

In addition, another of Davis’ teammates, Chris Douglas, spearheaded the team’s partnership with the Everett

Public Schools, which now has five Lego League teams, one at each of its middle schools.

Another teammate, Charlie Pound, is the main liaison between Wolfpack Machina and a robotics enrichment program at Centerville Elementary School in Beverly.

“We’re trying to provide opportunities in robotics that are similar to the ones we’ve had — which is obviously quite a privilege — to kids who

really wouldn’t get the chance otherwise because we’re just really amazed by the wonderful heights that the FIRST community has helped us rise to,” Davis said.

Davis does a bit of manufacturing for the team, turning parts fashioned using computer-aided design, or CAD, into “language” that the Computer Numerical Control machine of sponsor ShopBot Tools can understand so that it

can cut them out properly.

But just as vital, if not more so, has been Davis’ connecting with the team’s mentors and organizing “design reviews” with FIRST alums and business or engineering professionals.

“They give us awesome highlevel feedback on our robot, which is fantastic,” Davis said.

Such efforts were incorporated into the judging for the Inspire Award.

Davis also connected with some “amazing companies” who generously funded both the construction and maintenance of Waring’s robot but its outreach efforts as well.

In addition to ShopBot, sponsors of Wolfpack Machina included Paytronix Systems, Marble Harbor Investment Counsel, E-space, Symbotic, IPG Photonics, Fresh, Vecna Robotics and Neurologic Performance Group.

Davis said it was difficult at first to ask business people for money, but it got progressively easier over time.

“I’ve become a lot better at writing emails,” he added.

Along with his newfound CAD ability, these are skills Davis will carry with him on his next adventure, the setting for which is still undetermined. Davis is waiting to see if he will be plucked off either of a couple college wait lists.

But which campus he sets foot on in the fall is almost a minor detail at this point, as there is one other lesson Davis has taken from his participation in the FIRST Tech Challenge.

“I don’t need to wait to get a college degree to start doing amazing things,” Davis said.

Kaplowitch inducted into Salem State Civic Engagement Hall of Fame

Salem State University’s Center for Civic Engagement inducted six new members into its hall of fame, including Marblehead resident Melissa Kaplowitch, at an annual event honoring inductees’ commitment to improving their communities.

The ceremony, held on Salem State University’s campus on April 25, followed an invite to the Salem State community to nominate individuals for five categories: alumni,

faculty, staff/administration, undergraduate student, and graduate student.

Kaplowitch, the faculty recipient, is an assistant professor of psychology and program coordinator of the Master of Science in Counseling program at Salem State, where she has trained students to become licensed mental health counselors for the past 22 years.

Kaplowitch earned her Ph.D. in counseling psychology from

Northeastern University. Her clinical work emphasizes effective treatment for people who suffer from chronic mental illness. Her areas of research have focused on examining diversity and contextual factors when diagnosing men and boys with anorexia nervosa and the effects of using a trauma-focused cognitive behavioral approach when treating victims of rape.

Kaplowitch serves as community

representative to the Marblehead Mental Health Task Force and as an executive board member of the Boston Regional Anti-Defamation League. In 2016, she received the Edith Block Award from Combined Jewish Philanthropy for extraordinary leadership and contributions to women’s philanthropy and North Shore Jewish life. In 2017, Kaplowitch received the Salem State Distinguished Teaching award.

Melissa Kaplowitch

COURTESY PHOTOS

Thomas Davis of Marblehead, second from the left, and his Waring School teammates celebrate their win of the Inspire Award, considered the top prize at the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championships in Houston.

The robot of the Waring School’s Wolfpack Machina team had all the right moves at the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championships in Houston.

marbleheadcurrent.org Marblehead Current Wednesday, May 17, 2023 A5

Marblehead High School

freshman Eldar Yahorau performed a spirited rendition of “The StarSpangled Banner,” before the unveiling concluded with everyone heading over to the Boston Yacht Club for lunch.

Jennifer Jones.

“Since your club was chartered, you have shown a commitment to not only representing the Rotary in your community but also to significant meaningful work from which your community benefits,” Falk read from Jones’ letter. “When we join Rotary, we commit to Rotary values, friendships and a life of service above self. We should take pride in all that we’ve achieved together and the lives we will enhance in the future.”

During the ceremony, Select Board Chair Moses Grader read a proclamation, while Rotarian Gene Arnould offered a prayer.

“Our lives are governed by time. So much so that time is, indeed, a metaphor for life. We speak of good times and bad times. We speak of our time and

my time,” said Arnould. “Let this clock that we dedicate today measure the hours and days of our life and mark our minutes and seconds, just as the clock at Abbot Hall has for nearly 150 years, reminding us that each hour and day is precious and can be filled however we choose.”

The design of the clock is similar to the one on the tower at Abbot Hall. The clock is situated on land owned by the National Grand Bank, whose board of directors donated the space for the park.

“As you drive by, it stands out as a focal point,” Select Board member Alexa Singer

commented after the ceremony. “It all comes together in a place where people walk around and gather. It’s a great historical addition and tribute to the Rotary.”

Standing next to Singer, Select Board member Jackie Belf-Becker agreed, saying, “I think this clock is going to bring people together.”

performed a spirited rendition of “The StarSpangled Banner,” before the unveiling concluded with people heading over to the Boston Yacht Club for lunch. Rotarian Gene Arnould offers a prayer during the unveiling of the Rotary Club of Marblehead’s community clock on May 11. Clock From P. A1

Festival of Cod and Whales on theLawn LaunchParty

Please join us for the unveiling of the cod and whales and meet the artists and sponsors behind these beautiful pieces. Abbot Hall Friday June 2nd 5-7 PM

cod

whale

Tickets Available At:

CP_MBHC_20230517_1_A05 OF FA MIL Y, FO OD A FU N 75 YEARS 16 ATLANTIC AVE•MARBLEHEAD, MA 781.631.0149 •WWW.SHUBIES.COM ShubiesMarketplace @shubies @shubies

Keep it in the family

“All politics is local,” the late U.S. House Speaker Tip O’Neill was famous for saying.

One can only imagine how the former congressman might have amended that statement had he lived to see a Virginia-based nonprofit organization use its website to stoke hysteria about what is happening in classrooms in Marblehead and across the country.

To review, Parents Defending Education shined a spotlight on the $10,000 that the Marblehead Public Schools had paid Henry Turner, the principal of Newton North High School and a Marblehead resident, to lead several diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) workshops for Marblehead teachers, students and parents.

In doing so, PDE was following a familiar playbook. Its website features a nationwide catalog of what it calls “incident reports” in pursuit of its work to “reclaim our schools from activists pursuing harmful agendas” and fight “indoctrination” in the classroom.

Turner had already been on the group’s radar as one of those “activists.” Around the same time PDE posted the Marblehead invoices, the website was also calling attention to Newton North’s ToBeGlad (Transgender Bisexual Lesbian Awareness) Day. It had previously published posts about Turner’s consulting work in Plymouth, and an email he had sent to the Newton North community after the acquittal of Kenosha, Wisconsin, shooter Kyle Rittenhouse.

As it turns out, three local women had used the public records law to request Turner’s Marblehead invoices, and at least one then passed them along to PDE.

We cannot fault residents for filing public records requests — or taking advice from outside sources on how to do so. Sometimes the public records law is “weaponized” and deployed to harass officials — Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer once told the Current about how requests had “overwhelmed the system” in Framingham. But generally speaking, the public records law is there for everyone, and people should know how to use it.

But we can now see what happens when the fruits of a public records request are fed back into an organization like PDE. You get posts designed to manufacture outrage — both by what they include and what they omit.

For example, in bolded text, PDE reminds readers that Turner is the same person who, in Plymouth, trained with the objective to “describe whiteness and the role the culture plays to uphold systemic racism.”

It then offers up a post Turner made to his blog in February, praising the New York Times’ “1619 Project” — a political flashpoint on the right — even though the connection to Turner’s presentations in Marblehead is never made clear.

In actuality, one of the things Turner talked about with Marblehead faculty, families and students was his daughter’s affirming experience in a classroom activity at the Gerry School as the rare student with brown skin.

The content of Turner’s presentations is not the only context missing from PDE’s post. Not only is the sum of $10,000 presented as selfevidently outrageous, but not mentioned is that the Marblehead presentations were funded by a METCO grant, the use of which was almost certainly restricted to fostering the same type of support for students who come to Marblehead by bus from Boston that Turner’s own daughter felt. Said another way, this expenditure did not come at the expense of addressing some other pressing need in the district.

When other outlets have asked, PDE has also been coy about its funding sources. Suspicion is widespread that dark money is behind such nominal “grassroots” efforts, and the organization has done little to dispel such notions. Tax records indicate that it received at least one significant gift of $250,000 from the private foundation of a selfdescribed “free enterprise conservative,” Daniel C. Searle, in 2021.

The Boston Globe recently featured on its front page the cautionary tale of Barrington, Illinois, a “leafy, affluent village outside Chicago,” which is still cleaning up the wreckage from a pitched, nationalized school board race that has left residents with serious doubts as to whether they can ever “heal the divide” in their community.

As we embark on what is likely to be a hotly contested campaign for seats on our town school board, we would hate to think that such fissures are inevitable.

The PDE encounter should remind us that resisting the urge to bring unhelpful voices into important community conversations can only help to spare us that fate.

EVERy THING WILL BE OK ay

Too soon to make meaning

BY VIRGINIA BUCKINGHAM

Last week, the World Health Organization declared that the COVID public health emergency was over. Similarly, Massachusetts lifted its last restrictions, which mainly affected mask-wearing in health care settings.

The moments were noted by the media, but most of us, for some time, have been living as if the pandemic had passed. Those we knew still contracting COVID seemed to be outliers, a sense backed up by the dwindling disease statistics.

Nor did we, unlike the end of World War II, the capture of Bin Laden and other major historic moments, have a collective celebration at the official pronouncements. No doctors were dipping nurses in Times Square, which is an outdated image anyway, so it’s just as well. (Though I personally would smile at a female doctor dipping a male nurse.)

I also think it’s just as well this moment passes quietly. The partisan division over how COVID was handled will only get deeper as it becomes fodder in the 2024 presidential race. Nothing constructive will be accomplished by trying to bridge the divide now. But politics aside, I think it’s too soon, the emotions too close, for us to make meaning out of living through these past three years.

I’m not talking about the grief of families who lost loved ones to COVID. That’s its own painful journey.

Rather, there’s a catalog of other losses, too long to name here — and of course, some positive change — which need the passage of time to clearly articulate, never mind understand.

I love when Facebook serves up memories in my feed. A recent one appeared which emphasized I was not yet distant enough from my pandemic experience to imbue it with any meaning.

The memory was a selfie I snapped and posted

of me and my daughter taking a walk on the Neck in May 2020. It was a blustery day, and our hair was whipping around our faces, and we both were wearing masks. Hers was cloth with a pretty pattern, made by a mom of a friend. This was before we knew cloth masks weren’t effective, before we understood walking outside with a mask was probably not necessary.

The caption was a cheery “just two masked girls out for a walk,” to which a friend jokingly responded, “What bank are you robbing?”

The jocular post and response belied the reality that my daughter had lost the end of her high school senior year, the prom, the time with friends, graduation. All of it.

I just can’t capture yet in words what that time period and the years since will mean as part of the broader contours of our family’s — and our community’s — story.

I’ve just begun to be able to admit and articulate that ours was not usually a happy little pod. There was a lot of stress, sadness, sprinkles of laughter and intermittent relief that other pictures captured by my iPhone over the past three years don’t convey. Dining room turned into a ping-pong emporium. Homemade individual pizza night. Christmas delayed until mid-January. Passover held on Zoom. Seeing my mother-in-law in person for the first time in a year. There are some who hold the view that it’s best to slam the door on painful past memories and just keep marching ahead. To me, that misses an opportunity to try to understand and make meaning of our lives. As the existentialist philosopher Kierkegaard wrote, “Life can only be understood backwards but must be lived forwards.”

I want to understand. I just can’t yet.

Virginia Buckingham is the president of the Marblehead Current’s board of directors. Her column appears weekly.

‘Purest form of democracy?’ Hardly

BY JO ANN AUGERI SILVA

“Open Town Meeting is the purest form of democracy.”

I’ve heard this phrase so many times in the past 53 years. No question, those who proclaim it firmly believe it’s true.

I disagree. Consider the sometimes rowdy, occasionally contentious, intensely public spectacle that is the open town meeting, at least as it’s practiced here in our beloved, nearly 400-year-old town. Consider the catcalls when speakers “run long.”

Consider the desperate calls for a quorum when the Town Meeting itself runs long.

Consider the long lines at the microphones. Often, folks in the line are unclear on the concept and feel compelled to demonstrate their lack of information by asking question after question. And there’s an equal number of folks who are sure they know far more about the concept than any of the town officials presenting information and want to demonstrate their superior knowledge by making long presentations themselves.

Consider the fellow who, tired of listening to people he disagreed with, demanded that the moderator “call the vote.”

(FYI — and yes, this did make me cranky — the accurate term is “call

the question.”)

What made me even more cranky is the number of people he inspired. They loved the idea of calling the question so much they did it all night, even during presentations.

To prepare for annual Town Meeting, the town administrator, Select Board, Finance Committee, school superintendent and School Committee members, town department heads, the chairs of the many town committees and commissions, and, critically, the town moderator, work months to craft the language and mathematical data embedded in each of the articles in the Town Meeting warrant (basically, the agenda items for the meeting).

They hold hearings on the warrant, which are then dutifully and accurately reported in our local media. The officials also work with citizens who want to make changes in town government to be sure their warrant article proposals are phrased legally and clearly.

They do all this to inform the town’s voters about what to expect before Town Meeting begins, to try to ensure that the meeting runs in an orderly fashion, following the parliamentary procedure detailed in Benjamin Johnson’s “Town Meeting Time.” (Note: Town Meeting does not follow Robert’s Rules of Order.)

Sometimes — and with some voters — that preparation and education works. Some people show up at the Veterans Memorial

Middle School auditorium with facts and figures, not to mention intelligently considered opinions, delicately balanced in their brains. Many town employees and volunteers have prepared statements and presentations that expand on the bare facts in the warrant to help voters feel clear about each topic.

However, no matter what the year, what the hot topic, some folks sign in at the front door who never think about warrant articles until the printed copy of the Finance Committee Report is in their hands. It’s rare that these folks sit quietly befuddled in their uncomfortable folding seats. Usually, they queue up in the aisles waiting for their turn to ask uninformed questions at the microphones set up for that purpose (see rant above). This is their right. I wish it weren’t.

Here’s the thing: Those who’ve diligently worked to craft cogent presentations about complicated issues deserve the courtesy of a fair hearing. And those who have spent no time at all considering the pros and cons of complicated issues have the right as citizens to ask uninformed, often whiny, questions. Is this the same set of rights?

According to the concept of “open town meeting,” it is. Any registered voter in town can come to Town Meeting and vote and/or

I BEG TO DIFFER

The discovery of ‘Marblehead Ocean’

BY BOB BAKER

As an idea guy who’s lived in Marblehead for over 50 years and whose main gig is branding, it’s amazing I didn’t set about getting “Marblehead Ocean” on the map — literally — years ago.

The lightning struck as I was rambling thoughts on Marblehead Light and trying to find an image that embodied the proud heritage of that iconic iron tower. The image-defining question I’d been asking myself was, “What bespeaks Marblehead in a bigpicture symbolic sense?”

Subtly implicit “Marblehead Ocean” answers came back in volleys. For openers, a tiny cove in Marblehead was a veritable spawning ground for the fishing industry in this country. You get a hold of Hugh Bishop and Brenda Bishop Booma’s book “Marblehead’s First Harbor” and get ready for a jaw-dropping ride.

Back then in the 1600s, Marblehead boasted more

fishermen than Gloucester, for Linc Hawkes’ sake!

By 1809, as many as 116 fishing schooners from Marblehead were braving hundreds and hundreds of round-trip miles of storm-crazed ocean to work the North Atlantic’s murderous Grand Banks … on a twice-yearly basis!

That’s a bunch of Marblehead Ocean we’re talking right there. Crippling injuries and loss of life to the crews on those schooners away for long stretches of time were forever taking their toll on the homefront extension of Marblehead Ocean. But the women of Marblehead were as ingeniously adaptable and selfsufficient a breed as the men.

What’s more, in 1816, they created a marvelous institution of outreach and charitable assistance, the Marblehead Female Humane Society, to assist the sisterhood of the oceangoing then and Marblehead families to this day — a story well told in Robert Booth’s “Women of Marblehead,” yet another glorious rendition of Marblehead Ocean.

If it weren’t for Marblehead’s

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

STEAM fair article exhibited gender bias

To the editor:

My child participated in the recent STEAM fair at the Brown School. She loves science and is quite the foodie. While it would mean a tight timeline and my assistance as an already overloaded parent, I was wholeheartedly in support when she exclaimed, “I want to participate!”

We went onto the website that very night. “Objective for your project and title?”

“I want to create a healthier energy drink that has less sugar and no caffeine. My title is Energy Drink 2.0.”

How she came up with the idea, I have no idea. I got out every ingredient I could find for her to consider. She began, “Coconut water and spinach to start.” “Too green…kids will never drink that! Let’s add strawberries to make it pink!”

“Oh no, it turned brown. Let’s add blueberries and make it purple!” “It’s not sweet enough, I’m going to add a little honey. Now, it’s too thick and coconut

Silva

From P. A6

speak. Whether they know a lot about town government or next to nothing.

(It must be noted that both types of speakers really do love speaking. And speaking.)

Consider this, if nothing else: In a town of nearly 20,000 residents, just 300 voters are considered a quorum of the town’s 16,232 registered voters.

Therefore, the way our Open Town Meeting works, when 300 voters have seated themselves in the auditorium, that is considered enough voters to make monumental decisions about the way the town is zoned, the structure of its policies, and how its schools, town employees and town services are funded. Again: whether they choose to be informed or not.

Year to year, attendance at Town Meeting fluctuates depending on how “popular” (or unpopular) warrant article proposals seem to be. Sometimes, thousands of voters

John Glover and his regiment of steel-nerved sea warriors, we’d all be speaking British today. During the Revolutionary War, time after time, in battle after battle and rescue after rescue, Glover and crew extended Marblehead Ocean to the banks of the Delaware and back.

As Patrick K. O’Donnell says in his page-racing paean to Marblehead, “The Indispensables,” “The Marblehead men bested the greatest naval power on earth … creating the first American navy, which would serve as the origins of the U.S. Navy.”

Thus, by way of the U.S. Navy, Marblehead Ocean spans the world. And another kind of world: “World Capital of Yacht Racing” is a large claim for a small town. But to set the stage, this town of 20,000 brinespeckled citizens has a postcard view of 2,000 or so stilettohulled boats, a forest of masts spearing the horizon of a harbor rimmed with yacht clubs and confident homes.

Sailors from Marblehead Ocean have won enough silverware in regattas around

the world to overflow Fort Knox — including the granddaddy of them all, the America’s Cup. Marblehead sailors are vying for more silver in the elite Resolute Cup sponsored by the New York Yacht Club in Newport this summer.

Maddie’s Sail Loft is an aspect of Marblehead Ocean known as “the most popular sailors’ bar in the world.” And maybe beyond. Years ago in the National Enquirer, in the course of a supposed “Interview With an Alien’’ whose spaceship landed outside Alamogordo, New Mexico, Joe Alien (or whatever his name was), asked, “Is the Assassin still pouring in Maddie’s there in Marvelhead?” (For all their technical acumen, aliens are notoriously bad spellers.)

*** I got Marblehead Ocean notarized right away (May 6) as a form of registration. Getting it certified by the WCO (World Confederation of Oceans), included on world maps and in international media along with the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic and Southern oceans

might not happen overnight, I can only assume. At least a couple of months, I’d assume (heh, heh).

But as discovered here, Marblehead is understood as synonymous with, one-toone with, inherently native to, historically, physically and culturally true to the “ocean.” The symbolic identity, the iconic image, our Marblehead light tower should proudly embody is ocean. The color for ocean is blue — Navy blue for Marblehead, birthplace of the American Navy, would be appropriate. The tower is currently brown, drab institutional brown. Has been that color for the most part since the tower was built in 1896. That is supposedly its “traditional” color, but it honors no other “tradition” than that was the color (Prince’s Metallic Brown) specified by the Coast Guard in 1896. Appropriate for the birthplace of the American Army — not Marblehead. Marblehead’s true color: Navy blue. Bob Baker is a fan of Mark Twain, Sara Murphy, Patrick Mahomes and peanut butter.

flavored, I’m going to add water.”

When she finished, I used a recipe app to check her work. She had indeed created a drink that was healthier, had less sugar, no caffeine, and more calories (energy) than Gatorade. She was so proud.

Every night she worked on the project, never complaining. The night before the event, she was still finishing up, glueing her poster together and mixing up another batch to serve as samples. She conquered her anxiety to present her project in a packed auditorium, even convincing some reticent kids to try it.

She saw a reporter interviewing a boy and taking his photo. “Why am I not getting interviewed?” “There are a lot of projects here and only so much space in the newspaper.” As I looked around, I was proud of these kids who chose to do this extra work, outside of school. The breadth of projects was admirable. I felt the palpable excitement and the reverence of the attendees. I rejoiced seeing an even mix of all genders participating.

In your recent article covering

show up to support — or oppose — a proposal they feel passionate about.

But no matter whether topics are hot or cold, the business of the town can be decided by the majority (sometimes a two-thirds majority) of just 300 people. And, yet again: whether they know anything about the topic or not.

There were some hot issues this year, primarily a vote on whether the town should override the restrictions of Proposition 2 1/2 to avoid major cuts in town services. The vote, on Article 31, was taken on Tuesday night, when 764 people attended and voted in favor by secret paper ballot. (More on that later.)

Following that vote, as often happens, the folks who were most interested in the override left. So, by the time Article 44 came up, to change Select Board terms from yearly to staggered, three-year terms, only 545 voters remained in the auditorium. A major change in an electoral tradition of nearly 400 years was passed, 280 in favor, 265

the event, I was shocked and disappointed to see my child’s efforts reduced to the reference, “with projects ranging from a girl who concocted a sports drink to another who studied the osmosis of gummy bears.”

Never in the article was anyone referred to as “a boy” but rather by their grade level and their given name. Why would my child’s gender be more important than her name, displayed proudly on her poster board right below the title?

While eight traditionally male names were mentioned, included in four photos and their projects detailed, only one traditionally female name was mentioned and the child was photographed. Journalists need to be cognizant of gender bias. Female efforts in the areas of science, engineering and mathematics should be celebrated. Seeing my child’s effort reduced and discounted and gender disproportionately represented struck me at my core. I appeal to you, as well as your readers, to leave gender bias in the past and do better in the future.

Alastar Connor Cloutmans Lane

opposed. That’s a majority of just 15 votes. Majority ruled.

Then there was Wednesday night. Because the entire warrant wasn’t completed Tuesday, the Town Meeting was continued for a third night. There were just six articles left. Those of us who arrived at 6:45 needn’t have worried about finding a parking space — there were plenty. We sat in our seats and waited — and waited — until that arbitrary 300 voters, a quorum, had finally arrived. Sorry, but there’s nothing “pure” about this form of democracy. It’s haphazard. It puts the fate of the many in the hands of too few who are too often uninformed.

My version of pure democracy?

The sanctity of the secret ballot box. A legally registered voter, given a ballot with two or more choices, makes her decision, marks the ballot indicating that decision and turns it in, the secrecy of her choice secure. She may or may not be informed, but she has (one hopes) done her dithering in private. Why do you think so many groups of

Kudos to new town moderator, assistant

To the editor:

I would like to congratulate Moderator Jack Attridge and Assistant Moderator Cindy Schieffer on their debut Town Meeting. This was not an easy one to start with as it featured 50 + articles and an override. Along the way there were a few unexpected twists and turns to say the least. But they kept it going through three nights and got the business of the town done. It is worth saying, by law, moderators have quite a bit of unilateral power. But I commend Mr. Attridge’s conservative approach to his first meeting and not over reaching. While this led to some grumbling about early vote calls and adjournment, in the end those were decisions of Town Meeting members. This was the right approach for a freshman moderator. I look forward to next year’s Town Meeting.

Jim Zisson Mound Road

nine voters requested a secret paper ballot on several warrant articles this year? Because they understood the safety and sanctity of secrecy.

One answer to this unwieldy form of government? The representative town meeting. In this form, the voters in a town select a slate of town meeting members whose diligence and/ or opinions they respect to represent them at their town meeting.

Members are expected to be prepared and honorable, and if voters are displeased with the way they carry out their duties, the representatives can be voted out.

This is admittedly a minority opinion. Of the 292 towns in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the vast majority follow the open town meeting/ select board/town administrator form of government. Fewer than 50 towns use a representative town meeting/select board/ town administrator form of government. Swampscott, our neighboring community, has a representative town

‘What’s up with the Tree Department?’

To the editor:

I was pleased to see our tree warden helping with the Sustainable Marblehead tree planting efforts. Giving guidance and helping volunteers planting along Cornell and Dartmouth Streets is commendable.

I’m not pleased that two phone calls to his office, one in midJanuary and again on February 17, were a disappointing waste of time.

The messages left with the office worker asked that some of the newly-planted trees along Atlantic Avenue’s commercial zone be pruned.

During the second call, I was told the project was “on the list” of things to be done.

Given the simple task required to nip off the shoulder and eye level sprigs would be a max of five to 10 minutes, I politely offered to do it.

What’s up with the Tree Department? Who is steering the ship?

LETTERS, P. A9

meeting, which probably isn’t an argument in my favor.

I concede that this is an argument whose time has yet to come. Sadly. There may be signs of hope for our current unwieldy form. Occasionally, a local civic group will hold a forum or course about how our town government works. One such lecture series started May 15, sponsored by the town of Marblehead and the estimable League of Women Voters (those smart women you see counting hands at Town Meeting).

Clearly, only a fraction of the multitudes who could benefit from this course will attend, even though the series will be a hybrid of in-person at Abbot Public Library and streaming. But maybe that especially whiny person who kept asking all those very uninformed questions might decide to learn a bit about our town. Fingers are crossed. Crankily.

Marblehead resident Jo Ann Augeri Silva, a retired journalist, author, public relations professional and educator, was an editor of the Marblehead Reporter.

Wilmot Redd, the town’s sole Salem witch trials victim

BY PAM PETERSON

It happened 331 years ago this month. In May of 1692 the local constable came to arrest Wilmot Redd of Marblehead for having “committed sundry acts of witchcraft on the bodies of Mary Wolcott and Mercy Lewis and others in Salem Village to their great hurt.”

The end of the 17th century was a time of unrest in the American colonies. Many factors were at work, including the reassertion of English control over colonial government, concerns about the French and Native Americans, and the

beginnings of a shift of influence and power away from the Puritan church. There was also genuine belief in and fear of the devil. In Boston, Puritan minister Cotton Mather believed the devil was at work everywhere. He published his account of the prosecution of Goody Glover, the so-called witch of Boston, increasing fear of witchcraft. His work was read by the Reverend Samuel Parris of Salem. Accusations of witchcraft and possession began in Salem Village early in 1692. Wilmot Redd, known as Mammy Redd, was the wife of a poor fisherman, and she

was old and disagreeable. She was known to have cursed those she didn’t like. When she appeared before the judges, several of the afflicted girls became hysterical at the sight of her. Her response to all this was confusion and disbelief. When magistrates asked what Wilmott thought of the girls, she replied “My opinion is they are in a sad condition.”

Some witnesses from Marblehead appeared for the prosecution, including Ambrose Gale. They testified to earlier conflicts and told of a curse that Redd had successfully cast on a previous employer.

One of her victims claimed she was cursed by Redd so that she was unable to defecate for a month, which caused her stomach to swell and inflicted great pain. The possessed girls claimed that Redd flew to Salem to torment them. Redd refused to confess to being a witch. No one from Marblehead came forward at the trial to speak on her behalf. She was convicted

of “detestable arts called Witchcraft and Sorceries” and hanged on September 22, 1692. After her death, her body was not claimed.

The witch hysteria in New England lasted less than a year. It ended suddenly when the wife of Gov. William Phipps of Boston was accused.

Phipps reacted swiftly in defense of his wife and the frenzy ended. As

awareness of the horror of what had happened began to sink in, there were public apologies and attempts to make amends. Twenty-five people died, 19 by hanging, one by being pressed to death and five died in prison.

Redd is remembered as the only Marbleheader accused, tried and convicted in the Salem Witch trials of 1692. Redd’s Pond in Marblehead is named after Redd, but she has received far more recognition and concern in the present than she ever did in her own time.

Many of the accused witches were pardoned in the early 18th century, but Redd was in one of the last groups that finally received pardons and apologies in 2001. There is a recently-constructed memorial to all those convicted of witchcraft in Salem at Proctor’s Ledge, just below Gallows Hill. There is also a memorial marker to Redd on Old Burial Hill in Marblehead.

The Wilmot Redd Memorial marker at Proctor’s Ledge, Salem

‘Superheroes’ rescue dog off Riverhead Beach

BY WILLIAM J.

DOWD

Two people are being praised as “superheroes” for rescuing a dog that swam too far from shore at Riverhead Beach on May 12.

Fire Chief Jason Gillilan told the Marblehead Current that he happened to be there to see David Haley of Marblehead Marine Construction save the pup. “As a witness to a rescue of a dog in distress last Friday, I laud the selfless act of David,”Gilliland said. “Had David not responded with his boat to the rescue of a dog that had swam too far out and became exhausted, the dog most certainly would have met his

ARPA

the ARPA criteria. “We didn’t even consider some of the eligible uses for ARPA funds that are now allowable.” Belf-Becker didn’t think that was necessary.

“Thatcher’s working group has done a stellar job following their parameters, the prioritization criteria adopted by the Select Board with input from a community survey,” Belf-Becker said. “I don’t feel comfortable talking about another meeting like next week, or whatever it would be, because they have work to do.”

Noonan and Singer suggested the working group’s prioritization rubric should be updated to reflect the needs of the Marblehead community now.

“We’re not in a public health emergency — the Center for Diseases and Control has declared it over. We’re not using ARPA funds for personal protective equipment or contract tracing,”

Noonan said, referring to early COVID-19 interventions that ARPA funds covered.

“Circumstances have changed, rendering some of these priorities irrelevant as we’ve already addressed them.” She and Singer believed more attention and support should be placed on reversing students’ learning loss.

Election

From P. A1

Paul Baker

Baker has lived in Marblehead for 22 years and is the head of school at the Devereux School in town and the Devereux at Waring School in Beverly. He is also a board member at the Marblehead Community Charter Public School. Baker has two sons: a freshman at American University and a sixth-grader at Village School.

Baker proudly supports the override.

“I’m happy to share that I voted for the town override and am delighted that the warrant article passed. Allowing the entire town to vote on such an important question at the June ballot is essential. Marblehead can no longer rely on ‘free cash.’

From P. A7

It appears that a simple, not to mention serious eye-safety concern, just didn’t warrant being scheduled over the past three-and-a-half months.

What were the other priorities on the work list? Was the schedule so over-heated that a spare few minutes couldn’t be shaved off?

In the meantime, the warden is planting more trees that his department will have to care for, and neglecting a taxpayer’s

demise.”

The dog’s owner, Jennifer Diamont O’Leary, took to social

media to express her gratitude.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you to Dave Haley

from Marblehead Marine Construction and Jill Dillon Hough for saving my dog’s life

today,” she wrote.

O’Leary said her dog swam out too far while chasing a family of ducks. Jill Dillon Hough and her daughters were there and swam after the dog, but couldn’t catch him. Hough then asked Haley, who was nearby on his boat moving a dock, for help.

“He drove me out immediately, dock attached still and saved my dog who was struggling to swim and breathe,” O’Leary wrote on Facebook.

“My dog would have definitely drowned today if it wasn’t for Dave and Jill,”she wrote. “I was a bit shaken after and didn’t thank you as much as I would have liked but you’re both superheroes and saved a beloved family dog.”

Kezer acknowledged a public sentiment that the working group should work at a faster pace. However, the town has until 2026 to spend its ARPA funds. “We also evaluate projects that have other funding sources,” Kezer explained. “That’s why some of these haven’t moved up because we’re working on identifying grants or state programs to maximize ARPA dollars.”

“I look at where these children are now and about what the impact is on their learning,” Singer said. “They will be the ones paying for this, so how are we accounting for that?” ‘A moral hazard’

Select Board Chair Moses

Grader acknowledged some of Noonan and Singer’s points as “valid,” but he largely concurred with Belf-Becker. He emphasized the criteria’s focus on broader aspects of public health and safety, beyond COVID-19 interventions, and

“Our town and our schools don’t deserve additional funding, our town and our schools need additional funding and I will be campaigning to ensure that the override does pass on June 20.”

Sarah Gold

Sarah Gold has served five years on the School Committee and says she’s looking forward to continuing her work there.

“I look forward to addressing the structural deficit and taking the feedback from district administrators, educators, parents and taxpayers to make sure the children of Marblehead receive an exemplary education in a way that doesn’t overburden residents,” said Gold, who also supports the override.

“As a mental health therapist and current school counselor, I am also laser-focused on

town safety concern; both while his department isn’t properly caring for the trees already in the ground.

So, anyone passing on the commercial end of Atlantic Avenue’s sidewalk, beware. There is the serious possibility of eye damage while passing the trees.

Jody Magee Guernsey Street

An unpleasant stroll

To the editor: I gave birth to my first

expressed hesitation about digressing from the established process. The Select Board, as the town’s executive branch, retains exclusive authority to allocate and expend ARPA funds, meaning they don’t have to seek approval from the town’s legislative body — Town Meeting. While several Bay State communities have already allocated their ARPA funds, about half of Marblehead’s $6.1 million award remains unspent. To ensure fairness, the Select Board established the ARPA

ensuring that the Marblehead Public Schools continue to provide robust behavioral support to students in the postCOVID landscape,” she added.

Brian Ota

Ota served as Glover School principal for five years before being let go last June. Previously, he worked as assistant principal at the Village School and the dean of students in the DennisYarmouth School District.

“One of my goals is to continue building a collaborative working environment within the School Committee, school administration, Select Board and Finance Committee to ensure our students receive the very best education,” said Ota, who will vote for the override.

While working in Marblehead schools, Ota says he accomplished a lot at the district level.

daughter this spring. My husband grew up in Marblehead, and we are temporarily staying with his mom as we adjust to parenthood and get some renovations done at our home. The coastline and neighborhoods of Marblehead have been places I enjoyed walking in my final weeks of pregnancy, and until recently, my first few weeks of motherhood with my little one — when weather and outerwear allow.

On a sunny but windy afternoon, on Sunday, April 2, I put my daughter in a baby carrier and zipped my oversized

working group and its criteria, which functions like a rolling grant program. “We took a decidedly different tack [than other communities], obviously, I think we just cast a very wide net,” Grader said. “And we ultimately pulled together $18 million in funding requests, and it was like, ‘OK, thank God we have these criteria where we can evidence the system that Thatcher is, putting us through.’” He added, “There is kind of a moral hazard with changing criteria midstream.”

“I led a team of principals to develop the first District Curriculum Accommodations Plan which defines best teaching practices to ensure all students — general education and special education — get what they need to be successful. I took over the math adoption committee that replaced the longstanding outdated math books. I was an instrumental member of the District Safety Committee updating and rewriting the safety protocols and helped bring the ALICE protocols into the district.”

Jenn Shaeffner

Schaeffner is hoping to return to the School Committee, where she served five years. She lists several goals for her new term, including “Stop and reverse learning loss” and “Insist, starting immediately, on a

fleece around her and I. Baby gets to stay warm and sleep, mom gets fresh air and some exercise. As I began walking on the causeway towards the Neck, a silver Saab drove by full of teenagers. One stuck his head at the window and said, “What the f*** is that? Look at that fat f***!”

For sure, five weeks postpartum I haven’t lost all of my “baby weight,” and maybe the large lump under my jacket jarred this delicate teenager of his ideal that all women should be thin — especially those who are about to be near the Neck

Currently, Kezer stated that the group’s primary focus lies in addressing infrastructure needs, including water, sewer, drainage and networking technology. They are also committed to supporting the local business community. The May 10 affirmative votes from the Select Board, officials noted, demonstrate a commitment to tackling the issue of learning loss among COVID-era students. The ARPA spending votes approved include the following: — $27,313 for new classroom equipment at local schools, replacing outdated and broken science equipment, such as microscopes, balances, hotplates and centrifuges. — $67,200 for new school technology, including Smart panels for the Village school. These panels will replace outdated projectors and incompatible touch boards.

zero-based budget that creates budgets for each school building from scratch based on existing student headcount, needs and appropriate staffing levels.”

Schaeffner says she supports the tax override “in large part because I am unwilling to punish our children for the misdeeds of adults. If the override doesn’t pass, the School Committee will have to revisit the budget in late June. The currently proposed cuts are not likely to be the final ones, and I commit to reevaluating all options in order to remove the cuts that most directly impact student outcomes.”Stay with the Current for complete coverage of the town’s June 20 election, including the permanent tax override, and races for Select Board, Board of Health, Light Commission and more.

— but shame on me for having expectations as a woman, new mom and innocent walker, that I could take a Sunday afternoon stroll. Too bad this also occurred two days after the conclusion of Women’s History Month. To anyone out there with an outfit, body type or general appearance that could make someone else say “What the f*** is that?” keep on walking and keep the others asking those big life questions. I hope those boys had a wonderful Sunday afternoon.

Alayna Tress Atlantic Avenue

CURRENT PHOTO / NICOLE GOODHUE BOYD

Marblehead Select Board members Alexa Singer and Erin Noonan believe the town should revisit criteria established to guide decision making around federal COVID relief funds.

COURTESY PHOTO / AMY GILLILAND

Moments after a dog was rescued off Riverhead Beach on Friday.

Young entrepreneurs shine at Charter School fair

BY WILLIAM J. DOWD

Everen Tan, a fifth-grade student, started crafting wildlife art featuring tarantulas, eagles, wolves and owls just weeks before the Young Entrepreneur Fair at Marblehead Community Charter Public School. He sold his wildlife portraits for $7 each, adding a personal touch with his autograph on each one.

“I had to purchase all the frames, the tablecloth and also cover the $20 vendor fee,” he said energetically, standing behind his booth where his artwork was arrayed on a round table. “I had to plan everything.”

Tan took home almost $200, planning to use this money to buy a new tablet.

He was one of nearly 50 young participants at the Young Entrepreneur Fair, orchestrated by Charter mom and Marblehead resident, Jessica Gelb. The event took place in the Charter School’s community room and gymnasium and attracted a large, supportive audience.

“I loved the creativity of each child,” Gelb said. “The event was well attended and it was so wonderful to see how many people came out to support

these young entrepreneurs. It was an overall success.” The fair showcased a diverse

HONORING BL aCK HEROES

range of student-run businesses and products including homemade dog treats, soup kits,

Students and Racial Justice Team celebrate Tubman, Lewis

The Marblehead Racial Justice Team held its second annual portrait presentation at the Glover School on May 5, delivering paintings of John Lewis and Harriet Tubman. The portraits, done by local artist Anne Demeter, were displayed at the Brown School last year and will stay at the Glover School for the next year.

Glover School students came together for the presentation and second- and thirdgraders shared what they have learned about Tubman and Lewis. First-graders sang three songs: “This Little Light of Mine,’ “Lift Every Voice” and “What Can One Little Person Do.” Tubman was a conductor on the Underground Railroad helping enslaved people escape the south. Lewis was a civil rights leader who went on to serve in Congress.

jewelry and sea glass. Young entrepreneurs, aged eight to 16, had the chance to exhibit and sell their creative products. Participants came from several schools across the North Shore.

Gelb’s three daughters took part in the event. Samara, a fifthgrader, sold packages of sea glass and pictures, along with bottled messages. She and her sisters gathered the sea glass from local beaches.

“I want to bring the beach into people’s homes,” she shared.

“It’s exciting to see and meet new people.”

Her sisters Maddie and Maya, both in the 8th grade, also participated. Maddie sold soup kits and heating pads, while Maya offered a range of items, from makeup bags to jewelry.

David Bruno, a fifth-grader from Swampscott, manned his round booth with a Norman Rockwell-inspired sign that read, “David’s Local Gifts.” He sold bookmarks themed around Marblehead, Swampscott and Harry Potter for $5 each, mentioning that his parents had helped him.

“I enjoyed making these bookmarks,” he said. “We all love Harry Potter.”

Jessica Gelb highlighted that the fair gave young people a chance to acquire fundamental skills and understand concepts related to entrepreneurship.

“Kids learn about the importance of business planning, market research, product development, pricing and profit margins,” she stated. “They also develop skills in public speaking, financial management and realize the importance of self-reflection and evaluation.”

Marblehead resident named dean of SSU’s College of Arts and Sciences

Brian Vanden Heuvel, PhD, of Marblehead, has been named dean of the Salem State University College of Arts and Sciences. The appointment is effective as of July 2.

“I am thrilled to join the Salem State community and work with the dedicated faculty and staff to offer our students, and the North Shore, excellent teaching and learning opportunities that advance the mission and vision of the university,” said Vanden Heuvel. “I find value in working at an institution that serves the region and the community, a community that my family calls home. I am excited to grow relationships and partnerships for the College of Arts and

Sciences, within academic affairs, university divisions and across the state.”

Salem State University President John D. Keenan said, “Dr. Vanden Heuvel has a record of helping academic programs thrive, and I look forward to what his leadership will bring as our institution prepares to help the North Shore region thrive in the decades ahead.”

Prior to joining Salem State, Vanden Heuvel most recently served as associate provost for academic planning and assessment and professor of biology at Stonehill College.

Prior to that, he held multiple positions in 17 years at Colorado State University Pueblo, a

regional public Hispanic Serving Institution in southeastern Colorado, including professor, chairperson of biology

and executive director of undergraduate studies. During Vanden Heuvel’s time at CSU Pueblo, he secured over $17 million in external grants from the U.S. Department of Education, National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Agriculture, local utilities and city and county governments.

“Dr. Vanden Heuvel’s record of success as a teacher, a researcher and an academic administrator position him ideally for this critical leadership position,” said Provost and Academic Vice President David Silva. “He also arrives at Salem State with a wealth of experience in the securing and implementation of multiple federal grants funding

projects that address critical matters of access and success for students from historically underrepresented communities — all of which aligns with Salem State’s emergence as the Commonwealth’s first public four-year Hispanic Serving Institution.”

A native of Colorado, Vanden Heuvel holds a PhD in botany from the University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor’s degree in botany from Colorado State University, where he was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society.

Vanden Heuvel enjoys spending time with his spouse and children, hiking, cooking, rowing, skiing and reading.

Residents help Salem State ‘Meet the Moment’

Donna Katzman and Elliot Katzman of Marblehead are serving on the volunteer Campaign Steering Committee as Salem State University launches Meet the Moment,

a $75 million fundraising campaign that is the largest philanthropic endeavor in the history of Massachusetts’ nine state universities, according to the university.

The Katzmans are both 1978 Salem State graduates, and Donna holds a graduate degree from SSU as well. At the May 6 public launch event, about 400 students,

alumni, donors and community members came together at Salem State’s O’Keefe Complex to learn more about the goals of Meet the Moment. Salem State President John

D. Keenan announced that the university is already more than 50 percent of the way to its $75 million fundraising goal, having raised $40 million to date.

CURRENT PHOTO / WILLIAM J. DOWD

David Bruno, a fifth-grader from Swampscott, took part in the Young Entrepreneur Fair.

COURTESY PHOTOS

Jessica Gelb and her daughter, Sammie, at the Marblehead Community Charter Public School’s Young Entrepreneur Fair held on May 7.

A wide view of the Young Entrepreneur Fair at the Marblehead Community Charter Public School, held on May 7.

Students Antonia Li and Hudson Sheehan receive portraits from Cindy Loewen and Rev. James Bixby with the Marblehead Racial Justice Team.

COURTESY PHOTOS Glover School students perform at a recent portrait presentation.

Brian Vanden Heuvel has been named a dean at SSU.

Reflections as another year nears its end

BY SUPERINTENDENT JOHN BUCKEY

Good people of Marblehead Public Schools:

“The best thing about the past is it shows you what not to bring into your future.”

I came across this quote — without attribution, unfortunately — as I was beginning to think about the close of another academic year nearly upon us.

With a month left until graduation, I find myself beginning to reflect on the year, what we have achieved and what goals and priorities we need to consider for next year.

I am sure our soon-to-be graduates are also beginning to look back on their MPS journey. I doubt many seniors feel they are the same person they were at MVMS or Village.

That is not to suggest they don’t have fond memories from their experiences there, but

they have grown, matured and evolved.

Looking back at our past experiences, successes and challenges allow us to learn, change and grow. We garner insightful lessons from the past. Reflection helps us to evaluate what’s really important. As difficult as some past situations may have been, they can be tools of wisdom in navigating future decisions. The past should always be seen as something to guide us to a brighter and better future.

Friends Soiree

Mark your calendars! The Friends of Marblehead Public Schools Summer Soiree is back!

On Saturday, June 17, join us to raise a glass and celebrate the innovative and inspiring grants we have funded for our schools this year. These grants and the enriching opportunities they bring to all our students are made possible only because of the overwhelming generosity of you, our Marblehead community. So come kick off the summer with us. Head to our website to

purchase tickets, and we will see you on Saturday, June 17 at 6:30 in the evening for what is sure to be a great time had by all!

Annual spring Marblehead High School art exhibit

The exhibit will run at Abbot

Hall, May 22 through June 2. There will be an opening reception on Tuesday, May 24 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Enjoy the student artwork, food, drinks and live music performed by MHS students! Weekend fun

As I end the Update and we conclude Teacher Appreciation Week 2023, I will share an excerpt from a message sent to district educators this week: “Even on good days, teaching is a challenging job, and since the pandemic each year seems in some ways to be more challenging than any of us could have anticipated.... [we] also know that you rely on and appreciate your fellow teachers for support, ideas, resources, a kind word, a shoulder to cry on, and for just being there! Find one of those teacher friends and take a selfie and send it to me with a fun teacher appreciation caption! The first four who email me the photo will receive a special Teacher Appreciation gift from me (both of you will get a gift)!”

MHS principal honored for work against hate

BY LEIGH BLANDER

Marblehead High School

Principal Dan Bauer was honored by the Anti-Defamation League of New England on May 10 and given its North Shore Community Service Award.

Saugus Police Chief Michael Ricciardelli was also honored.

“In a world where hate and bigotry are all too common, our challenge is to ensure that the communities in which we live, work and learn are built on the foundation of mutual respect, reflecting our core values of justice and inclusion,” said Melissa Kaplowitch of Marblehead, chair of the ADL’s North Shore Advisory Committee. “Our honorees this morning have demonstrated their commitment to that work.”

Holocaust

From P. A1

Bauer was presented the award by MHS sophomore Jared Kaplowitch and his sister Averi, who graduated from the high school in 2018.

Averi Kaplowitch described how Bauer supported her after an antisemitic incident at the high school when she was a sophomore.

“Mr. Bauer has always created a safe and welcoming space for all students and staff,” she said.

“He never brushes an incident of hate of any kind aside. Under his leadership, students have been taught about how to be respectful and kind, but more importantly they have learned about how words and actions can be hurtful and harmful.

Averi continued, “In the world we are currently living in where acts of hate are occurring each

learned. I think they feel empowered to make a difference in their world.”

After leaving the cattle car, students viewed artifacts from the Holocaust, including a yellow Star of David that Jews were forced to wear and a red Nazi armband with a swastika. ShadowLight educator Tara Silberg asked students what they felt in the cattle car. Some responses included:

“I thought it was really sad and scary.”

“It was shocking because you wouldn’t expect something like that to happen.”

“It was very surreal to be in the cattle car.”

“It’s really shocking because so many people died.”

Silberg then asked students if they see any signs of hate or prejudice in their own community. One student mentioned the recent cases of antisemitic graffiti at the Village School.

“Hate isn’t something that skips over our district,” she said.

Silberg urged students to stand up against hate when they see it — whether it’s in their schools, communities or online.

“Kanye West has spread Jewish hate [on Twitter],” said one student.

“When Kanye says, ‘Let’s hate Jews’ it gives people power and people think it’s okay,” Silberg replied. “And when people joke about things, there are people who think it’s okay.”

Silberg wrapped up her presentation by asking, “What can you do to stand up to hatred?”

Teacher Kristina Sholds said, “If you see something, say something.”

Silberg added, “Don’t be afraid to rock the boat. You have the power of one.”

MHS senior Arielle Mogolesko helped organize the exhibit as her senior project.

“We’re the latest generation that has living survivors,” she said. “We carry on their memories. If we don’t learn about history, it can repeat itself.”

and every day, we need more people like Mr. Bauer who can teach students what is right versus wrong while also being a sense of support. I certainly

don’t know how I would have navigated acts of hate and the aftermath I experienced without Mr. Bauer’s guidance, reassurance and help that I was

making the right decision in speaking up, even though it was a scary one.”

Jared Kaplowitch spoke about the recent Hate Ends Now exhibit at the high school where students boarded a replica of a World War II cattle car to learn about the horrors of the Holocaust.

“This is just one example of the many programs Mr. Bauer has brought to Marblehead High School that teaches students more about life and the world more than a textbook,” Jared Kaplowitch said.

More than 300 people attended the ADL Essex County Law and Education Day event, including U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Rachael Rollins who spoke about the importance of combating extremism.

‘This was a moment of horror. This was the last time we were together as a family.’ Marblehead students watch an immersive video featuring Holocaust survivors.

MHS Principal Dan Bauer hugs student Jared Kaplowitch as he is presented with the ADL North Shore Community Service award.

MHS students leave a replica of a cattle car used in the Holocaust, after watching an emotional program about hatred and prejudice.

ShadowLight educator Tara Silberg shows MHS students artifacts from the Holocaust, including a red Nazi armband.

BR IN GO N SU MME R & CA

CURRENT EVENTS

Best bets, May 17-24

Welcome to our new feature, Current Events, spotlighting exciting happenings in the coming week. If you’d like to contribute a listing, please email Current associate editor/senior reporter Leigh Blander at lblander@marbleheadnews.org.

Leigh Blander

Go behind the scenes with ‘Gatsby’

May 17, 6:30 p.m.

In conjunction with Marblehead Little Theatre’s world premiere of “The Great Gatsby: An American Musical,” which premieres June 23, Abbot Library will host a lively discussion with two of the show’s creators: Fred Anthony Marco and Doug Hill, both of Marblehead.

Jazz at the Arts

May 18, 7 p.m.

The Marblehead Arts Association and Gene Arnould present “Jazz at the Arts,” a concert series at the Marblehead Arts Association with the Laszlo Gardony Trio. An internationally-acclaimed, Boston-based jazz pianist and composer, Gardony has performed in 27 countries and released 13 albums. More info and tickets at marbleheadarts. org/jazz-at-the-arts-laszlo-gardony-trio/.

Culture Feast

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” has long been considered one of America’s great novels. Come learn about the artistic process of turning a literary classic into a new, original musical. Learn more at abbotlibrary.org/.

May 19, 5 p.m.- 8 p.m.

The Marblehead METCO program hosts its annual Culture Feast at the high school. The event features several performances, including by Kenyan singer, writer and activist Wangari Fahari. Food trucks Jamaica Mi Hungry, BonMe and Cookie Monstah will be there, too.

Ghost hunt

May 19 and 20, 8 p.m.

Join the team from Boston Paranormal Investigations on an authentic ghost hunt through the Jeremiah Lee Mansion. The team will show the tools they use to talk with ghosts. Find out who may haunt one of Marblehead’s most historic buildings. More info at MarbleheadMuseum.org.

Marblehead’s longest-running plant sale

May 20, 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

The Marblehead Garden Club, founded in 1927, is holding its 92nd annual plant sale in the lower gardens of the Jeremiah Lee Mansion, 161 Washington St. Plants from the mansion’s gardens, as well as those from members’ gardens, will be available. Selections include wildflowers, perennials, annuals, herbs, rock garden plants and ground cover plants. Garden Club members will be on

Me&Thee season finale with the Squeezebox Stompers

May 19, 8 p.m.

hand to answer questions and provide tips.

Details at facebook.com/ MhdGrdnClub.

Me&Thee caps off its 53rd season with CajunZydeco band, Squeezebox Stompers, in a “Mardi Gras in May ‘’ concert and dance. The Squeezebox Stompers are known for their high-energy performances. More info and tickets at meandthee.org.

Spotlight shines on young track stars

BY JOE McCONNELL

On May 6, the Marblehead High freshman and sophomore boys and girls spring track athletes took center stage in Peabody for the annual Northeastern Conference Meet.

Girls long jump

Elise Burchfield led the way for Marblehead with a leap of 14-10 to finish fourth overall.

“Elise was all over the track, participating in the hurdles, high jump and long jump, and she scored an impressive total of 22 points,” said coach Nolan Raimo.

Boys long jump

Colin Hart captured fourth with a jump of 17-0. Elian Colon made his spring debut in the long jump, coming in 15th with a jump of 15-6.

Claudio Gusmao-Gonzalez (155) ended up 17th, James Pulido (14-2) 21st and Casey Gransbury (17-6.5) 25th.

Girls triple jump

Ava Machado was fourth with a jump of 32-7 and Morgan Zion (30-8) seventh. The top seven triple jumpers made the finals. Machado was the top point scorer for the girls team with 24 points.

Boys triple jump

Gusmao-Gonzalez, Marblehead’s jump specialist, was credited with a ninth-place finish with a jump of 32-11.

“Claudio has been locked in on the jumps all spring long, and he continues to make progress. His leadership around the jump pits has been greatly appreciated,” Raimo said.

Girls high jump

Elise Burchfield finished second with a clearance of 4-6.

Campbell Crane also landed on the podium with a jump of 4-2 to place fifth.

“This was a tough day for our high jumpers with so few boys and girls competing, but Campbell and Elise seemingly are veterans at this point and

STILL PERFECT

were still able to compete well to score points,” said Raimo.

Girls shot put

Hannah O’Brien finished 11th with a throw of 20-10.

“The shotput isn’t Hannah’s main event, but the team appreciates her efforts to try and score points in a secondary event,” Raimo said.

Boys shot put

Justin Gonzalez accounted for fourth with a throw of 34-1.25.

Graham Firestone (29-2.5) came in 12th and Grady Norfleet (245.5) 16th.

“Justin competed the day before in the shot against Masco and was back at it just 12 hours later in this meet,” Raimo said. “Justin threw 35-feet-plus against Masco, which would’ve been good for second in this meet. We really appreciate him going above and beyond to compete in back-to-back days.”

Girls discus

O’Brien won the discus with a throw of 82-0.

“Hannah was the top seed in the event, and frankly that’s a lot of pressure, but Hannah handled it well and won it by a nearly 7-foot margin,” Raimo said. “Hannah has made tremendous

Laxmen notch three more wins

Next up: Winthrop at home then trip to Lexington

BY JOE McCONNELL

It was three more wins for the Marblehead High boys lacrosse team (11-0 in the Northeastern Conference, 13-0 overall) as they continued to cruise toward a top seed in the Division 2 state tournament.

One of those victories was against Bedford, New Hampsure on May 10. They are a formidable opponent north of the border that will certainly help in the overall state power rankings. Marblehead is currently ranked 15th.

The Granite State club is coached by former Marblehead assistant Drew Boudreau, who was a member of coach John Wilkens’ staff in 2021.

The Magicians had to stage a late comeback against their out-of-state visitors to beat them, 8-7. They were trailing, 6-4, before outscoring Bedford, 4-1 to pull out the close win.

“(Bedford) is a very good, athletic team,” said Wilkens. “It was certainly a gritty win for us but something we need to get ready for the state tournament.”

progress since the start of the season, and it will be exciting to see how the postseason goes for her.”

Boys discus

Firestone, who has been sidelined with an injury, returned by winning this event with a throw of 92-11.

“Graham has an extraordinary baseline talent, but his investment in improving — even while injured — is what will make him an incredibly successful thrower over the next few years,” Raimo said.

Alexander (69-3) Humphreys finished ninth. Tucker Crane (67-0.5) was 10th and Grady Norfleet (62-8) 14th.

Girls javelin

Sierra Leinberry (78-9) snatched second place after winning the tiebreaker over his Swampscott counterpart.

Mia Mabry (52-11) ended up 10th, Addison Rotigliano (46-5.5, personal best) 12th, Julie Caix (45-11) 13th and Ellie Payson (36-1) 16th.

Boys javelin

Firestone (118-5) came in second with a throw of 118-

5. Phineas Jakiouis (106-0) narrowly missed the podium. Humphreys (98-8) was 12th,

Colin Hart (82-5) 15th and Tucker Crane (64-2.5) 18th.

Boys 400-meter hurdles

Marc Grazado, in a herculean effort while making his debut, came in first with a time of 67.59. He was followed by Nate Jendrysik (12th, 74.73) and Quinn Scheib (16th, 79.17).

Girls 2-mile

Marri O’Connell (12:40.85) won the 2-mile after completing a perfectly executed race.

“Marri went into the meet knowing that she would be tripling her running experience by competing in the 2-mile, mile and 4x800, which is a herculean feat,” said coach William Herlihy. “Her goal was to win the 2-mile, while retaining as much energy as possible, and she nailed it in this race. She took an early 6-meter lead before settling into a comfortable pace, and then on lap seven opened up the gap by about 30 meters to cruise to victory in the final lap, racing like a seasoned veteran while also showcasing her maturity and coachability on top of her already impressive work ethic and talent.”

Boys two-mile Jonah Potach ended up

seventh with a time of 12:10.97.

“It’s not the result Jonah expected or wanted, but for a young runner the experience of racing can be as valuable as running your best time,” Herlihy said. “Knowing Jonah, he will use this as motivation to bounce back in the next couple of weeks. He then would go on to run a leg in the 4x800 relay, which is a challenging double.”

Girls 100/110-meter hurdles

Elise Burchfield, who won the 55-meter hurdles during the indoor Freshman-Sophomore NEC Meet, defended her title, while running a new personal best time of 17.8.

Campbell Crane (21.33) finished ninth. Sierra Leinberry (21.56) was 11th, and Addison Rotigliano (22:11) ran away from her heat to finish 12th overall.

Boys 100/110-meter hurdles Grazado was a double winner in the hurdles after claiming this title with a new personal best time of 18.62, well below his goal of 19.0.

Elian Colon (22.30) was sixth to earn a big point for the team. His 22 points in this meet led the way for the boys team.

Late comeback extends win streak to three

Magicians follow up Masco thriller with close win over host Swampscott

BY JOE McCONNELL

It was a very productive week for the Marblehead High baseball team (6-5 in the Northeastern Conference, 8-6 overall), and it all started with an exhilarating 8-7 triumph over rival Masco at Seaside Park on May 10.

The Magicians fell behind early, 6-0. The home team then got four back in the third before the Chieftains tacked on an additional run in the fifth to go up by three. The Marblehead boys then forged ahead with four in the sixth.

The Chieftains threatened again in the seventh with two quick hits off reliever Chris Cannuscio. They had runners in scoring position, but Cannuscio got out of the jam with two clutch strikeouts to earn the save that secured this memorable win for his teammates, which could catapult them into the postseason with a higher seed.

Ian Maude started the Masco game on the mound, going six innings and

giving up six hits, four walks and seven runs, but only three of them were earned. He whiffed four along the way.

The Marblehead offense banged out nine hits. Cannuscio (two singles, two RBI) and Chris Dewitt (single, two RBI) led the way with added support from designated hitter Stefan Shepard with a single and a double, and Brooks Keefe, who doubled home a run.

Third baseman Riley Schmitt singled in a run and scored twice. Second baseman Bodie Bartram singled in a run. Shane Keough chipped in with a base hit.

The Magicians then went on to beat host Swampscott the next night, 6-5.

The game against Swampscott was almost the complete opposite from the comeback against Masco. This time as the visitors, Marblehead had a 6-0 lead, but Swampscott kept chipping away, only to come up one run short.

The Big Blue had the tying run on in the seventh, when it was

Cannuscio to the rescue again for the second straight day to pick up another save. He got the final five outs, yielding just two hits while fanning one.

Drew Whitman pitched the first four innings, allowing three hits, two walks and three runs with just one earned. Cody Selvais got the next four outs, giving up two walks and two earned runs. He struck out one.

The Magicians collected 10 hits, led by Whitman, who doubled in two runs. Schmitt and Cannuscio also doubled, knocking in one run apiece. They each walked once as well.

Keefe and Shepard were credited with run-producing singles. Keough contributed two singles to the winning cause while scoring one run.

The rematch between these two ancient rivals was set to take place on May 15 at Seaside, after the Current’s press deadline. Beverly was then set to head to Marblehead May 17 to take on the Magicians at 4 p.m., before Peabody takes on the home team May 18 at the same time.

COURTESY PHOTOS/CAT PIPER

Marblehead High spring track sophomore Marc Grazado wins the 110-meter hurdles at the annual NEC Freshman-Sophomore Meet in Peabody on May 6.

Marblehead High spring track freshman Marri O’Connell runs in the 4x800 relay at the annual NEC Freshman-Sophomore Meet in Peabody on May 6. O’Connell also won the 2-mile and mile, while helping her team finish second in this relay.

Wednesday, May 17

4 p.m. baseball vs. Beverly at Seaside Park 4 p.m. softball vs. Winthrop at Winthrop High 4 p.m. girls tennis vs. Masconomet at Masconomet

p.m. boys tennis vs. Masconomet at Marblehead High

4:30 p.m. girls lacrosse vs. Masconomet at Marblehead High Piper Field

Thursday, May 18

p.m. baseball vs. Peabody at Seaside Park

4 p.m. girls lacrosse vs. Winthrop at Winthrop High

4:30 p.m. boys lacrosse vs. Winthrop at Marblehead High Piper Field

Friday, May 19

4 p.m. sailing vs. Winthrop at Pleon Yacht Club

4 p.m. boys tennis vs. Brookline at Waldstein Park, Brookline

4:30 p.m. softball vs. Swampscott at Marblehead Veterans Middle

Saturday, May 20

11 a.m. girls tennis vs. Salem at Salem High

3 p.m. boys lacrosse vs. Lexington at Lincoln Fields, Lexington

4 p.m. boys and girls track NEC League at Peabody Veterans Memorial High

Monday, May 22

4 p.m. baseball vs. Winthrop at Seaside Park

4 p.m. softball vs. Danvers at Great Oak School, Danvers

4 p.m. boys tennis vs. Manchester-Essex at Marblehead High

4 p.m. girls tennis vs. Lynnfield at Lynnfield Middle

4:15 p.m. girls lacrosse vs. North Reading at Marblehead High Piper Field

Tuesday, May 23

4 p.m. softball vs. Malden Catholic at Endicott College

4 p.m. girls tennis vs. Hamilton-Wenham at Marblehead High

4 p.m. boys tennis vs. Hamilton-Wenham at Tea House Courts, Wenham

4:30 p.m. boys lacrosse vs. Newburyport at Newburyport High

POSTSE a SON BERTH SECURED

Tennis: Magicians ace past Swampscott, Malden Catholic

BY JOE McCONNELL

The Marblehead High boys tennis team (9-0 in the Northeastern Conference, 10-2 overall) won two more matches to remain undefeated in the conference, while also clinching a Division 2 state tournament berth.

The Magicians defeated host Swampscott on May 9, 4-1, before shutting out non-league host Malden Catholic two days later, 5-0. There was high-caliber tennis played on all five courts at Swampscott, and the results were the same as the first time around.

First singles player Mika Garber played his best yet this season while defeating Swampscott junior Charles Schepens in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4, according to coach Elisabeth Foukal.

Jost Eggebrecht kept it up in second singles, beating Charles’ brother Sam, 6-3, 7-5. Mathew Sherf then played his solid lefty game

REELING ONE IN

to outmaneuver Maxim Zeissig in third singles, 6-2, 6-2. Etan Farfel and Jayden Janock had no easy time of it against the seasoned first doubles team of Nick Custer and Trevor Talebian, but according to Foukal still managed to persevere with smart doubles tactics and excellent play, 6-2, 6-4.

Senior co-captain Jimmy King and sophomore Luke Miller took their Swampscott second doubles opponents Szymon Wabno and Julian Flacke to three sets, only to lose, 6-2, 4-6, 3-6. It was a marked improvement from the first time around, when they lost to the Swampscott tandem in straight sets.

In sub-varsity action, senior co-captain Jack Wykes and sophomore Anthony Vizy took care of James Dicker and Max Mandee, 6-2.

Sophomores Austin Bacon and Leo Winocour lost to juniors Tex Graff and Matt De La Puente, 6-2.

Sophomore Quinn Fletcher and Ben Zaltsman beat Jess McKinley and Lucas Beread, 6-0. Against Malden Catholic, the Magicians dominated the Lancers in both the varsity and sub-varsity matches.

Bacon made his varsity singles debut, and he did so in style beating his third singles counterpart Matt Zubricki, 6-1, 6-1. Anthony Vizy stepped up to play first doubles with Janock, and together they prevailed over Richard Recturo and Joh Tran, 6-0, 6-0, on Vizy’s birthday.

Eggebrecht beat Andrew Webb in first singles, 6-1, 6-0. Farfel followed a similar script to defeat Rylan Scallion in second singles, 6-1, 6-1. Miller and Sherf took care of Shugh Guan and Lucas Wang in second doubles, 6-0, 6-0. In sub-varsity play, sophomores Fletcher and Zaltsman won their doubles match, 6-0. Winocour and Farfel did the same, 6-0.

Girls lacrosse tops Gloucester for fourth win

BY JOE MCCONNELL

The Marblehead High girls lacrosse team (4-7 in the Northeastern Conference, 4-11 overall) recorded its fourth win of the year, 16-6, against Gloucester on May 8.

Lucy Wales (three goals, one assist), Caroline Scroope (one goal, four assists), Ramona Gillett (five goals, one caused turnover), Maddie Forbes (two goals, two assists), Sydney Langton (four

goals, three assists) and Isabelle Ferrante (one goal, one assist) were the leaders among these Magicians throughout this triumph over the visiting Fishermen.

Prior to the Gloucester win, the Magicians dropped a 16-3 decision to host Reading on May 6. The Rockets were ahead at halftime, 11-3.

Wales (one goal), Scroope (one goal), Gillett (one goal,one assist) and Forbes (one assist) were the Marblehead standouts against the host Rockets.

The Marblehead girls closed out the week with a 16-9 loss to visiting Peabody on May 11. The Tanners led at halftime, 9-2.

Wales (one goal, one assist), Gillett (four goals), Langton (three goals), Caitlyn Ryan (one goal), Forbes (one assist) and Avery Wysor (one assist) paced the Marblehead attack throughout this high scoring game.

Goalie Kate Santesanio came up with 10 saves to help keep her teammates close in the game.

Sweeps week for girls tennis team

BY JOE McCONNELL

With three straight wins — starting with a 3-2 conquest over Danvers on May 8 — the Marblehead High girls tennis team (9-1 in the Northeastern Conference) is rounding into form for a long June run in the Division 2 state tournament.

Coach Tracy Ackerman called the Danvers victory “a great team win.” “Danvers came out strong, and we were down in all singles matches,” she said. “But we clearly stayed the course, mixing up consistent and aggressive play to secure the win.”

First singles Pauline Geissler went up against a much-improved Madison Savage and lost, 1-6, 3-6. Second singles player Andrea

Potvin had a super close match against Abby Lyman before losing 3-6, 6-4 (10-8). Third singles player Charly Cooper played a consistent match to get the win over Sophie Sanidas, 6-2, 6-3.

The first doubles team of Courtney Yoder and Aviva Bresnahan beat Eva Nadeau and Josie Vogel in a close first set and then cruised the rest of the way, 7-6 (7-4), 6-1.

The Marblehead second doubles team of Anna Ratner and Victoria Quagrello shutdown Jenny Patel and Raince Langbis, 6-0, 6-0.

The team beat rival Swampscott by the exact same score the next day. Geissler got it started by defeating Veronika Isagulya, 6-2, 6-2. Potvin dropped a 4-6, 3-6 straight-set second singles match

to Laine Foutes. But Cooper got the point back after cruising to a 6-1, 6-1 win over Sydney Antonelli in third singles.

Yoder and Bornstein fell to Anna Ratner and Victoria Quagrello in first doubles, but Levin and Bresnahan took care of Ana Eccles and Tessa Prendergrast in second doubles, 6-2, 6-2.

Last Thursday, May 11, the Magicians shutout Saugus, 5-0. Eight games of pro sets were played in order to avoid the pending rainstorm.

Geissler, Potvin and Cooper all won their singles matches against the Sachems, 8-0. Yoder and Levin teamed up again in first doubles to win, 8-1. Sami Dosch and Reese Friedman experienced the same results in second doubles, 8-1.

SPRING

Magicians come up short twice

Teams keep Masco meet close with outstanding efforts

BY JOE McCONNELL

The Marblehead High spring track teams lost a couple of close meets to Masco at Salem on May 5, with the boys (2-2-1) losing, 70-66, while the girls (3-2) dropped a 80-56 decision.

“With the Northeastern Conference FreshmanSophomore Meet scheduled for the following day, we didn’t deploy our full team against Masco, with the majority of our freshmen and sophomores competing in shorter events or no events at all,” said coach Nolan Raimo.

Girls sprints Ava Machado (12.8) ran away from the pack in the 100 meters against the Chieftains to finish up with her best time of the year.

Le’Daisha Williams (26.6) won the 200, and Cate Trautman (61.9) the 400.

“Considering Cate’s workouts during the week before the meet, floating around the one-minute mark is impressive,” Raimo said.

Boys sprints Harrison Curtis won the 100 with a time of 11.4, beating out Masco’s Nathan Molina, who is one of the top sprinters in the Northeastern Conference.

Sebastian Pantzer (23.8) secured a victory in the 200. David DiCostanzo and Curtis (53.8) battled for the top two spots in the 400, with DiCostanzo (53.3) coming out on top.

The boys 4x400 relay team of Ryan Thompson, Gabe Bayramian, DiCostanzo and Magnus McCarthy, deserve much recognition for their efforts, according to their coach.

“We didn’t know the score going into the relay, and we thought the meet was on the line, but Ryan, Gave, David and Magnus ran superbly to win it in a time of 3:42.1,” Raimo said.

In the 400-meter hurdles, Errol Apostolopoulos (62.6) took home the top spot.

In the 110-meter hurdles, Alex Hersey trucked hurdle seven but still won it in 16.3. Apostolopoulos finished second with a time of 16.7, a .05-second personal best.

Whalen remains perfect in two events

Devin Whalen was a double winner in the 400-meter hurdles (73.3) and the 100-meters hurdles (16.2) to remain undefeated in both events.

Hersey wins long jump, triple jump

Claire Davis finished third in the long jump with a leap of 16-4.5 and also the triple jump (32-.05). Keira Sweetnam cleared 5-2 on one attempt to easily win the high jump.

Alex Hersey finished first in both the boys long jump

(20-5.5) and triple jump (40-5)

“Alex outjumped Nathan Molina in the long jump, who jumped 22 feet last season,” said Raimo. “Technically, they tied their first jumps, but the tiebreaker is the next best jump, and that’s where Alex clinched it.”

Raimo added, “Alex’s triple was a great jump, and in the context that he competes in five-plus events it was even more impressive.”

Ryan Thompson joined the high jump squad following a two-month layoff, but still cleared 5-6 to tie for second.

Albert perseveres to clinch discus

Rachael Albert won the discus with a throw of 91-7.

“Rachael had a couple of fouls early on, but she persevered to still win the event,” Raimo said. “Rachael also had a personal best in the shotput to finish second with a throw of 28-11.”

Asher Oren (115-3) threw nearly a 10-foot personal best in the javelin to finish second.

Graham Firestone (852.5), who rejoined the team after an injury sidelined him for most of this season, ended up fourth in the discus.

Piper leads way in 2-mile

In the 2-mile, Cat Piper (13:02.4, a four-second personal best) came out on top.

“This was the best race I’ve ever seen from Cat Piper,” Raimo said. “She stayed consistent throughout it to push the pace on the final two laps, which concluded with a great closing kick.”

Isaac Gross (10:06.9) won the boys 2-mile.

In the girls mile, Martha Heffernan (7:05.6) was fourth, just ahead of Summer Genovese (7:25.4), who ended up fifth.

Gabe Bayramian (4:56.1) officially broke the fiveminute mark to come in third in the boys event.

Ryan Blestowe (5:06.3) was fourth.

In the girls 800, Kate Twomey had her best race of the season, staying right on the heels of her Masco counterpart Elizabeth Green (2:26.4), who is one of the fastest mid-distance runners in Division 3.

Twomey finished second with a very fast time of 2:26.9, a foursecond personal best and a 10-second improvement in just two weeks. Cat Piper (2:53.6) and Max Arbo (3:12.6) rounded out the Marblehead runners in fifth and sixth place, respectively.

Thompson (2:11.6) won the boys 800, while Xavier Grazado (2:16.1) and James Marcey (2:31.6, a nearly three-second personal best) came in fourth and sixth, respectively.

May schedule at Abbot Public Library

All Abbot Public Library programs take place inside the public library’s temporary location at the Eveleth School, 3 Brook Rd. To register for programs, visit abbotlibrary.org. 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.

New digs

The Abbot Public Library is temporarily located at 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 closes at 6 p.m. on Wednesdays. Returns are accepted inside

Lacrosse

From P. A13

Sophomore Reece Moore (two goals), Charlie Grenier (two goals, 1 assist) and Connor Cronin (two goals, one assist) paced the offensive attack against Bedford. Carter Laramie and Baxter Jennings chipped in with one goal and one assist apiece.

Goalie Finn Maniaci stepped up to make 11 saves to do his part in the comeback effort.

“(Maniaci) made several big

Track

From P. A13

Girls 100

Ava Machado (12.91, personal best) and Sadie Halpern (13:05) led the way in impressive fashion while topping the ticket. Machado’s time is second in school history, just .06 seconds behind the record holder Emma McGuirk, who set it 12 years ago.

Halpern’s time is fourth all-time.

Arielle Kahn (14.58, personal best) was 12th.

Maren Rowe (14:66) stepped down from the 400 to finish 13th. Olivia Vanden

Heuvel (14.88) was 19th, Grace Rowe (15.11) 23rd, Mia Mabry (15.65) 36th, Julie Caix (15.75) 39th and Ellie Payson (18.10) 53rd.

Boys 100

Jacob Bobowski led the way for Marblehead with a time of 12.20 to finish 10th overall.

Aidan Vizy (12.86) was 25th, Isaac Brenneman (12.89) 26th, Ethan Horgan (13.16) 28th, Joseph Proulx (13.30) 32nd, Nate Jendrysik (13.97) 44th, James Pulido (14.21) 46th, Nick Flores (14.30) 47th, Cole Goodwin (14.50) 48th, Ari Gold (14.70) 50th, Sam Tanger (14.84) 52nd and Pietro Rose (15.22) 54th. Girls mile

Less than 30 minutes after winning the 2-mile, O’Connell took to the track again for the mile.

“Based on the seed times, this was going to be a closer race than the 2-mile, and she was the only runner in the field who had already competed,” Herlihy said. “She took control of the race early, breaking the pack in the first 200 meters and never looked back. She won her second event of the day in 5:43.08, beating out second-place finisher by over 10 seconds. This

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.

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

» The House of the Seven Gables

The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston

» Isabella Stewart Gardner

Museum

» Museum of Fine Arts

saves for us late in the game that certainly got his teammates motivated to get the comeback going,” said Wilkens.

The Magicians began the week with a 19-4 win over Gloucester on May 8.

Laramie and Cronin led the way on offense with five goals apiece that also included two and four assists for them, respectively.

Grenier accounted for three goals and three assists. Jennings ended up with two goals and two

was insanely impressive stuff by Marri.”

Angie Fischer was the second Marblehead runner to finish, coming in 12th with a time of 6:32.50.

“She was making her season debut, and it was a great time for her first race,” Herlihy added.

Emma St. George (7:19.95, five-second personal best) was the third and final Marblehead runner in the race, finishing 14th.

Boys mile

In the best race of his young track career, Nate Assa set the tone early on with a blazing fast first lap, according to Herlihy.

“Nate held on as long as he could to finish second with a time of 4:52.04, which is a fivesecond personal best for him,” the coach said.

Herlihy added, “Henrik Adams (4:57.59, eight-second personal best) battled to a fourth-place finish while also running his best race of his scholastic career, albeit with a little less experience. It was also his first sub five-minute mile.”

He continued, “Between the indoor and outdoor seasons, this team has seen three underclassmen break the fiveminute barrier this year, which is a rare and pretty special event and is a great sign for the future.

Zach Pike placed 17th with a time of 5:43.54, a 13-second personal best, and Jeremy Sorkin was 21st with a time of 6:15.28, a nine-second personal best, to round out the Marblehead runners.

“To have everyone in this group hit a big personal best was awesome to see as a coach because these guys work so hard at practice and really earned these times,” Herlihy said.

Girls 4x100

Due to injuries, the 4x100 underwent quite a few changes

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.

Music with Dara

Abbot Public Library is hosting “Music with Dara” on Friday, May 19, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Program Room. The event is aimed at children ages 2-5 and combines music and movement. Registration is required for this program and interested individuals can register by calling the Children’s Room at 781-631-1481.

Story and sing along Abbot Public Library is hosting “Story & Sing-Along” with Jeana Khan on Monday May 22, from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Program Room. The program is for children ages 3-5 years old and requires registration. Interested individuals can register by calling the Children’s Room at 781-631-1481. Children will have the opportunity to hear music and stories from local children’s book author Jeana

assists against the Fishermen. Cam Waldman shot home two more scores. Nick Whitaker had one tally. Gio Garibotto and Moore each assisted on one goal. Maniaci was credited with six saves in this game.

The Marblehead boys closed out the week with a 16-4 triumph over Peabody on May 11. Cronin was the points leader in this game with five goals and one assist. Moore was next in line with three goals and one assist. Garibotto notched the hat

from the beginning of the meet until they actually ran.

Mia Mabry, Gabby Hendy, Liv Carlson and Morgan Zion finished second overall with a time of 55.35.

“Mia had never practiced a handoff, but she still stepped up and ran a fantastic first leg to put her teammates in position to take second,” Raimo said.

Boys 4x100

Jake Bobowski, Joseph Proulx, Isaac Brenneman and Slater Johnson finished second with a respectable time of 49.17.

“This group of boys has a great competitive spirit that is always on display in practices and meets,” Raimo said.

Girls 400

Gabby Hendy, running her second ever 400, finished third with a time of 64.02. Charlie Roszell (64.09), while battling an illness, was fourth.

Boys 400

Logan Doody (59.14) finished 11th and Casey Gransbury (68.64) was 13th.

“Logan ran a stellar 400-meter leg at the state relays, and he carried that momentum to run a sub-60 again,” Raimo said.

“Gransbury is a fan favorite with one of the loudest cheering sections in every race he runs, and it’s well-deserved.”

Girls 800

Juliet Burchfield (2:32.61, personal best) was the lone Marblehead competitor in this event, and she finished third overall in a very competitive field.

“Juliet came in as the fifth seed, but she defied expectations by giving 100% and then some to finish where she did, and anyone who saw her afterwards can attest to the fact she left it all out on the track,” Herlihy said.

“Juliet has consistently improved her times this season, and this progression is a great sign for

Khan during the program.

Make a craft to take home

Abbot Public Library is offering a “Make A Craft To Take Home” program every Thursday in May (May 18 and 25) from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Children’s Room. The program provides materials for a themed craft that children and caregivers can make together. No registration is required to participate in this drop-in program. Grow it Wednesday Abbot Public Library is offering “Grow It Wednesdays” on Wednesdays through May 17, 24 and 31. Children ages 4-12 can drop in anytime from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Children’s Room to take home a Grow It kit with everything they need to grow their own flowers or vegetables. No registration is required to participate in this program.

Beginner’s crochet for adults

Abbot Public Library is offering a three-week program, “Beginner’s Crochet for Adults,” on Tuesday May 23, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Program Room. The program is designed to teach the basics of crochet, and materials will be provided by the library. Interested individuals can register on the

trick. Waldman scored twice. Laramie was credited with one goal and two assists. Grenier came through with one goal and one assist. Jack Whipple had one marker. Zander Danforth, Bodie Smith and Jennings setup one goal apiece.

Maniaci came up with 10 saves while he was in there before freshman Finn Gallup took over the goaltending chores. He went on to stop four more Peabody shots.

After recording yet another

the upcoming postseason.”

Boys 800

Peter Sullivan (2:19.43) ended up fourth.

“Peter’s performances this year have shown how much of a step forward he’s taken physically from last year and is a great indication for what his future will look like as he continues along this trajectory,” Herlihy said.

David Alpert (2:33.24), Zach Plum (2:38.05) and Sam Tanger (2:50.22) rounded out the Marblehead participants, finishing in 11th, 15th and 23rd, respectively.

Girls 200

Coming through with her second victory of the day, Machado won the 200 with a new personal best time of 26.57. It’s the third best time in school history.

Halpern (27.21) battled through blisters on her feet to finish third. Liv Carlson (30.11) was 10th.

Boys 200

Jacob Bobowski flew to a fifthplace finish with an impressive time of 25.10. Slater Johnson (25.51) just missed the podium with an eighth-place finish.

Ethan Horgan (27.10) was 18th, Sebastian Mellen-Bloom (29.06) 23rd and Nic Flores (29.98) 29th. 4x800

Both 4x800 relay teams deserve a ton of credit for how they raced, according to Herlihy.

“All of them were at least doubling up from one other event, and a couple stepped up in a big way as replacements,” he said. “Hats off to both teams for competing hard at the end of a long day in the sun to pick up some points for the team.”

Angie Fischer was the opening leg in the girls relay, splitting a 3:05, which was a great time for someone who has no experience at this distance, according

library’s website. Registration is required.

‘The Great Gatsby: An American Musical’ Abbot Public Library is hosting a discussion on “The Great Gatsby: An American Musical” with the creators of Marblehead Little Theatre’s production on Wednesday, May 17, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Program Room. The creators will discuss the process of turning a classic novel into a musical production. Interested individuals can register on the library’s website to attend the discussion. Registration is required.

Adult book club Abbot Public Library is hosting an Adult Book Club via Zoom 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. April’s pick is “West with Giraffes,” a novel by Lynda Rutledge. Copies are available in the Reference Room. Interested individuals can register on the library’s website to attend the book club. Registration is required. For more information, contact Assistant Director Morgan Yeo at yeo@noblenet. org.

win, the Magicians have since been getting ready for Masco, a team that they defeated in overtime last month at home, 11-10. This time, they were heading to the Boxford campus on May 16 after the Current’s press deadline.

Following that clash, they will come home to take on Winthrop Thursday, May 18, at 4:30 p.m., before going to Lexington for a Saturday afternoon contest against the non-league Minutemen, beginning at 3 p.m.

to Herlihy. She previously competed in the mile.

“Maren Rowe, a sprinter who has never raced or trained for anything at this distance, also split a 3:05,” he noted. “She deserves a ton of credit for being willing to step up and compete in this event, despite her lack of experience. Maren also competed in the 100-meter dash.”

Herlihy continued, “Emma St. George also stepped up in a big way 20 minutes before the event, and her split was a 3:36 after already competing in the mile.

O’Connell was the anchor leg, and she wasted no time pulling her team back into second place after receiving the baton. In her third event of the day, she split a 2:40, a time that would have been seventh in the 800.

The boys relay team was led by Adams (2:24 split), who got the team out to an early lead. Potach then took the baton and split a solid 2:30 to keep his team in the top group. Sullivan finished the third leg with a 2:35 split. Assa closed it out with a 2:28 split to secure a second.

Girls 4x400

Vanden Heuvel, Grace Rowe, Arielle Kahn and Cora Gerson (4:40.82) finished fourth.

“The 4x400 team was shuffling around the entire meet due to injuries, and specifically Kahn and Gerson selflessly scratched their individual 200 races to compete in this relay to score points for the team,” Herlihy said.

Boys 4x400 Hart, Doody, Grazado and Vizy (4:03.37) finished second, barely missing the sub four-minute mark.

“Special credit to Vizy, who stepped up to run his first 400 on short notice and was able to cruise to a respectable 61.0 split,” said Herlihy.

Healthy Kids Day a success, lace up for 5K

BY BRIAN FLYNN, LVO YMCA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The Y kicked off the countdown to summer with its annual Healthy Kids Day with fun activities for the whole family. More than 300 children attended and enjoyed a variety of activities, including gardening, making camp friendship bracelets, swimming in the pool and jumping in the gymnastics studio.The day ended with a special family yoga session.

We were thrilled to have the Swampscott Police and their adorable canine team member Sora visit, as well as the Salem Fire Department which shared safety tips and touch-a-truck fun. A special thank you to all our vendors for sharing important opportunities and information, including Foster Massachusetts, Marblehead Mental Health Task Force and Happy Joy Balloons.

Healthy Kids Day is the Y’s national initiative to improve the health and well-being of kids and families. For over 30 years, YMCAs and their communities have hosted free community events aimed to inspire kids and families to keep their minds and bodies active throughout the summer months and beyond.

More Y events to keep you active and connected this summer include our 2nd

annual ‘Head to the Hill 5K. This run through Swampscott and Marblehead is just days away. Join us Sunday, May 21, at 9 a.m. There is still time to register. This 5K begins at the Y and goes through Swampscott, past Preston Beach and back up to Leggs Hill Road through Marblehead neighborhoods.

In 2022, the YMCA of the North Shore reinvested $4.3 million to ensure 4,000 families and individuals in our communities, including Marblehead, had access to programming, services and resources they need through financial assistance and scholarships. In 2023, participation in our road races will continue to allow our Y to

say ‘yes’ to those who need us most.

Shirt & bib pick up at the Y will be Thursday, May 18, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday, May 19, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sunday, May 21, beginning at 7:30 a.m. Register at raceroster. com/events/2023/66709/ head-to-the-hill-5k-road-race.

The ‘Head to the Hill 5K Road Race is also part of the relaunched Marblehead Road Race Series featuring four 5K road races between May 21 and November 5. In addition to ‘Head to the Hill, the series includes Run for the Fund 5K (supporting financial, needbased college scholarships), Miles for Mary 5K (in memory

of Mary Park and supporting brain cancer research at Mass General Cancer Center) and the Rotary Club 5K (providing a mindfulness program to all Marblehead schools to support mental health for local youth).

These events will provide runners/walkers opportunities to compete, win prizes and support charitable causes. Register at marbleheadraceseries.com/.

The Road Race Series, first launched by Marblehead resident Bill Park, founder of the Miles for Mary 5K Walk/ Run, was active from 2013 to 2019. Park and three other race organizers saw an opportunity to relaunch the series with a goal to collaborate, exchange ideas

and ultimately build community among those who enjoy running and walking. Participants who register for, and complete, all four events will be eligible to receive a hooded sweatshirt.

Y’s first-ever tournament at Tedesco Country Club

This tournament is Monday, June 12. Registration opens at 10:30 a.m. and the tournament begins at noon. Learn more at northshoreymca.org/ communityevents.

The Y is better together, refer a friend

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 at rizzaj@northshoreymca.org.

About the YMCA of the North Shore

The Y is one of the nation’s leading nonprofits, strengthening communities through youthdevelopment, 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 50,000 members and program participants in 25 cities and towns across the North Shore and in southern New Hampshire.

A decade in, the JCC Sea Serpents keep growing

BY CHRISTINE MCCARRISTON

Ashley Vieira was recruited for an aquatic instructor position at the JCC of the North Shore 10 years ago and she wanted the job but would only take it if she could start a swim team. She never wavered in her goal to develop a team and started with 10 swimmers. Today, that team, the Sea Serpents, has more than 100 members ages 5-18.

Vieira graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design in 2008 with an art degree, focusing on photography and painting. However, she seemed destined for a career that involved swimming and coaching. “I was a swim instructor and lifeguard since I was 14,” she said, adding she worked with the Blue Fish Swim Club, one of the top swim programs in New England, for about seven years. She then moved to MIT as a pool deck manager. She also was part of the group who opened the first Ray and Joan Kroc water park in Dorchester.

After college, she found herself missing coaching. “I wanted to bring it back into my life.” She certainly has done that, growing her idea of a JCC swim team more than tenfold in 10 years.

“I love helping kids achieve their goals, fostering a sense of community and being a safe place for them,” she said about coaching.

The COVID pandemic reinforced the need for a safe place for her team members. The lockdown posed obvious challenges for the team as it did with most things, but Vieira and her fellow coaches rose to those challenges. Some Sea Serpents met on Zoom for evening story time thanks to Brandon O’Donnell, the aquatics manager, swim instructor, lifeguard and coach of the younger swimmers.

“He read sea serpent themed books, did activities with the kids,” Vieira remembered. “We did dry land exercises and even held scavenger hunts,” she said, noting the goal was to keep the team bonded and, more importantly, to let the swimmers know their coaches were there for them despite the JCC being closed for three months.

The team even held their banquet via Zoom in 2020.

“We never stopped having our banquet. I’m proud of that.

If you got an award (in 2020) it was announced on Zoom, a coach delivered it within 15 minutes, put it at your door, then backed up and took a picture.” The following year the

team held the annual ceremony outside with tents. Recently, it was held inside like the preCOVID days.

What makes the JCC’s Sea Serpent team unique is that they are all at one site, Vieira said. “Everyone knows each other,” adding the most important thing is the positive team culture the coaches cultivate. “We want kids to be successful and have fast times, but that takes a back seat. Everybody is equally valued, equally included,” Vieira said. Vieira pointed out that all the

swimmers have different reasons for taking up the sport. Some swim to get or stay fit, others enjoy the social aspect while others are preparing for D1 or D3 college programs. “We find what the goal is and support them,” she said.

Building a team from 10 to 110 in 10 years took a lot of organization, reprogramming, structure changes and hiring of coaches, but the model has led to team success. Recent graduating Sea Serpents went on to swim at Carleton, Colorado and

Union colleges. Three members participated in Speedo USA Sectionals, a handful have held New England Top 10 swimming times and more have made age group zones. “We are still very young in a lot of ways, but we are slowly filling out as a team,” she said, noting the largest age group is made up of high school juniors.

Next up for Vieira, her fellow coaches and swimmers is to continue building the program. “We have a really great group of coaches right now and all are really motivated to work on having the older kids work with the younger kids,” adding that helps them all come together as a team.

While Vieira is the one who started the Sea Serpents, the name was voted on by the JCC Board of Directors and the coach is quick to say she couldn’t do any of this alone. “The J has been amazing. My boss, Tom Cheatham (CFO and Vieira’s direct boss) and Marty Schneer (JCC executive director) have been supportive and wonderful. I thank all the coaches.”

This art major’s love of photography and painting has become a hobby while she continues to build a growing and successful swim program at the JCCNS.

Spring programs, classes, events for seniors

All programs are held at the Judy and Gene Jacobi Community Center, 10 Humphrey St., unless otherwise stated. For more information or to RSVP for programs, call 781-631-6225 or email councilonaging@marblehead.org

Lunch 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.

It’s Bocce season

The season has started.

Games are played at the COA on Mondays and Thursdays at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. The Friday Travel Team plays 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. Cost is $15 for the season.

Sign up at the front office. Contact pbibbo@aol.com for more information.

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.

Movie Days

On May 19, at 11 a.m., come watch the movie “House of Gucci,” starring Lady Gaga. RSVP.

Calling all veterans

Celebrate veterans at this breakfast hosted by the COA and the Masons on Friday, May 26, at 9 a.m. RSVP by Friday, May 19.

Guess who’s coming to dinner COA Outreach Coordinator Sharon Dolober and Stacey McCarthy will lead this caregiver support group on Wednesday, May 17, 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Flying Solo road trip

This group, designed for people who live alone, will be taking a road trip to Winter

Island in Salem. Meet at Winter Island in the function hall on Tuesday, May 23, at 1 p.m, and learn about the history of the area. The group will then get ice cream at Salem Willows. RSVP by Friday, May 18.

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

Ashley Vieira started the JCC Sea Serpents a decade ago.

COURTESY PHOTO

Volunteer Hannah Fessenden (left) and Y Membership Engagement Specialist Lauren Pohlmeyer welcome families at Healthy Kids Day.

Light board discusses battery storage, demand

Board: Municipal Light

Commission

DATE: May 4

LWVM OBSERVER: Maggie Smist MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE:

Jean Jacques Yarmoff, Michael Hull (chair), Simon Frechette, Adam Smith, Lisa Wolf; Joe Kowalik, general manager; Greg Chane, MMLD distribution manager

Meeting called to order at 4:04 p.m. Minutes

Approve minutes of March 28 and April 10 open discussion and executive session. Motion approved and passed after edit made to the April 10 open session. Public comment

There was no public comment. Battery storage policy update Wolf asked to table this conversation and discuss with solar rates and battery incentives. This topic will be tabled until the next meeting.

Kowalik said he is reaching out to other municipals about battery storage. Kowalik said he met with the wire inspectors in town. Purpose was to discuss the MMLD using the system they use that searches permits to determine who takes out solar, battery, generator or EV permits. It will be a public record.

MMLD is looking for automatic pushes to their system. Yarmoff said we should be pushing people for the incentives. Smith said we should look at the order of the steps to get a battery, generator or electric vehicle permits. The best practice is to develop a policy with clear steps. He also thinks a onepage document for customers should be provided in addition to a policy. Smith offered to work on this procedure and the document. Wolf said it makes sense for MMLD to look at permits FIRST before customers begin the process of obtaining solar, battery, generators or EV permits.

Demand charge discussion

Yarmoff reported MMWEC discussed the future of the grid out to 2050 at their conference on May 3. A regional monthly graph was discussed covering supply and demand.

Supply — replace emitting capacity with non-emitting capacity and expand technologies.

COA

luncheon and 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.

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.

Tai Chi/Qigong

Tai Chi/Qigong is an excellent form of exercise for low-impact strengthening, stress relief, balance and flexibility. Qigong is an ancient Chinese system that combines breathing, movement and meditation to cultivate health and wellbeing. Thursdays at 1 p.m. $5.

Chair Volleyball

Chair Volleyball is now at

Demand — implement demand flexibility and electrify energy consumption. Discussed demand especially during winter months. They are projecting an increase in demand of 236%. There was a graph on capacity planning and the current gap.

A slide presented with a NuScale nuclear power plant design was discussed and reviewed. It is a carbon-free power product. The safety conditions were covered, and they discussed the possibility of producing renewable energy with this product. A timeline and price of a small nuclear reactor was presented. The price of the plant is going up due to supply chain costs.

Yarmoff discussed battery types and how it is becoming harder to manage peak times.

He discussed that the world is not stable — our problems in Marblehead are not unique, but we know what our problems are in Marblehead. We have a lower number of layers of decision makers and can be more proactive. Our scale is also a smaller capacity than others. Marblehead will need to get the Legislature to assist us with money to help us implement programs. He suggested working with other municipalities.

General manager updates

» Michael Hull has approached Rockett Realty to sell 75 feet of property for the Village 13 project. He is meeting with Rockett Realty again tomorrow. There was discussion on spaces and needs of the MMLD. MMLD also met with Public Works regarding the same space.

Greg Chane has been appointed the new MMLD distribution manager.

(The distribution manager organizes materials and manages the field employees).

Chane was in attendance and gave his background and experience. He mentioned the need to do general maintenance on the systems.

Chane also discussed his staffing. There was further discussion on his next steps in his new role.

» Brown School solar project EV update. Kowalik has received solar quotes and has turned it over to MMWEC for analysis. After hearing back, they will get together to

the COA on Wednesdays and Fridays, 1 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.

Muscle Conditioning

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

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. The 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.

make a call on the project. A joint meeting with the School Committee will be arranged.

Next meeting

Next meeting is on Monday, May 30. Motion to adjourn the meeting at 5:15 p.m.

nnn

Board: Water & Sewer Commission

DATE: May 1

LWVM OBSERVER: Steven Levy

STAFF PRESENT: Amy McHugh, superintendent, and Dianne Rodgers, office manager COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: F. Carlton Siegel, chair; Gregory Bates, Thomas Carroll, Thomas L. Murray, Barton Hyte

The meeting was called to order at 6:33 p.m.

The meeting was held before the Town Meeting at the Veterans Middle School. Revised Articles 15, 16 and 17 as reported on the May 1 Finance Committee Report were approved.

Next Water & Sewer Commission meeting will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 6.

A public hearing for the rate study was set for Monday, June 26 at 8 p.m.

The meeting was adjourned at 6:36 p.m.

nnn

BOARD: Fair Housing Committee

DATE: May 8 (hybrid, not recorded)

LWVM OBSERVER: Bonnie Grenier

MEMBERS PRESENT: Thatcher Kezer, Becky Cutting, Erin Noonan, Debra Larkin, Mimi Hollister, Teri McDonough Mission statement

A discussion of the mission statement as it now appears on the website was first on the agenda. The current mission statement reads as follows:

“The mission of the Fair Housing Committee includes helping the public and town officials to understand and support fair and affordable housing through education, advocacy and awareness of

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,

opportunities; continually developing the committee’s expertise and acting as a resource to the public officials and the public at large; and developing and implementing programs that expand, enhance or rehabilitate the fair and affordable housing stock in Marblehead.”

After some discussion, members agreed that the statement is well written and reflects the mission of the FHC. No changes were recommended at this time. Missing from the meeting was Dirk Isbrandtsen who had submitted suggestions for “guiding principles” that might be relevant to the mission statement. This matter will be taken up again at the next meeting when Isbrandtsen is present. Website update Members reviewed the FHC website and discussed what updates/changes could be made. Some suggestions included:

Additional “quick links” that would help answer general questions people might have. However, too much information/too many links could be overwhelming for those conducting searches.

» A link to HUD guidelines would help people determine if they might qualify for affordable housing. Provide information that would walk those interested in affordable housing through the steps required.

» Highlight the resources available for help finding affordable housing, including the Marblehead Housing Authority, the Council on Aging, the Marblehead Counseling Center. CHAPA (Citizens Housing & Planning Association) and Mass Housing. Add existing affordable housing opportunities to the home page so they would be immediately visible.

» Identify rental vs. home ownership opportunities. Is information about dealing with evictions diversion measures or fuel assistance appropriate for the FHC website, which is meant to focus on affordable housing?

» Have a place to sign up for email notification when new affordable housing opportunities become

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.

Learn more about insurance

Trained SHINE counselors offer free, unbiased, confidential counseling on all aspects of Medicare and related insurance programs. Appointments are available at the COA. Call 781-631-6225.

Get a senior Charlie Card

People who are 65 years or older are eligible for reduced

available. A section entitled “Why Worry About Affordable Housing?” would provide information on the need for and benefits of affordable housing in Marblehead. For homework, members were asked to review the website and send their suggestions for changes/improvements to Debbie Larkin who will bring that information to the next meeting.

Press release

It was suggested that a press release explaining what’s going on with local affordable housing efforts in town would be a good idea. In the not-too-distant future, affordable units will be available at Vinnin Square and in Marblehead at the Sailmaker Place development.

In addition, the town just voted in new zoning bylaws to allow accessory dwelling units in town.

More information about the Housing Production Plan would also help educate the community on the efforts being made to increase affordable housing in Marblehead.

Coffin School update Hollister mentioned that the School Committee had met and discussed the Coffin School property. No decisions will be made on the school until after the June election; however, amongst current members there is a reluctance to turn the property over to the town. Kezer reminded members that once a school property is declared surplus, it must be released to the town. He also reminded people that if a former school property is sold, the benefit to the schools would be the revenue generated by the new growth. Resignations

Larkin announced that Katie Farrell would be stepping down from the Fair Housing Committee. The Disabilities Commission will nominate someone to fill the vacancy.

In addition, McDonough announced that she has taken a new position with the Salem Housing Authority and will have to step down from the FHC as well. She will be replaced by someone from the Marblehead Housing Authority.

The next meeting will be June 12 at 1 p.m. at Abbot Hall.

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.

Want a lift?

The COA offers transportation services to both in-town and out-of-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.

From P. A16

For 136 years, Pleon has offered young sailors rare form of freedom

BY LAURIE FULLERTON

Over the course of 136 years, Marblehead’s Pleon Yacht Club has retained its unique status as a club for — and run by — those 18 and younger.

This tradition began with its first commodore Arthur Goodwin Wood and a group of young people who laid the cornerstone for junior yachting in the United States, making the Pleon the oldest junior yacht club in the world.

One of the club’s golden rules since its earliest days is that the adult presence is not visible during the summer. Parents serve on the board and help organize regattas, but day-to-day operations and problem solving fall to the young flag officers and Pleon members.

“In the era of helicopter parenting, this does remain a space for kids and is a place

POLICE LOG

where kids can make mistakes and learn,” said Pleon Board member Matt Hooks.

While the focus is on fun, the Pleon is also a renowned center for teaching, coaching and competition among youth sailors, which has produced some of our country’s bestknown and most influential sailors for generations.

These include world-renowned sailmaker, America’s Cup sailor and Sailing Hall of Fame member Robbie Doyle; two-time Rolex Yachtsmen of the Year, winner of nine world championships and America’s Cup sailor Jud Smith; pioneer in women’s sports Emmy Magoon; and, more recently, America’s Cup sailor Trevor Bird and collegiate All-American and current U.S. Olympic Sailing team member Ian Barrows.

“We also see Pleon as a huge opportunity for youth sailors to

consider joining college sailing teams,” Hooks added. “There is a benefit in that at Pleon we can collaborate with other junior sailing programs in town, and we feel that Pleon really can be a place all along the East Coast where junior sailing can thrive.”

Whether or not Pleon alumni have gone on to illustrious careers in the sport of sailing, as youngsters they shared a common experience of gaining leadership experience from a young age that continues to serve them well.

Marblehead High School senior Lane Kaeyer, the Pleon’s 18-year-old commodore, attests that what you learn about yourself and how you grow at Pleon is not always about sailing.

“I came to Pleon at age 9 and at that age I was super quiet and didn’t know any of the other children,” said Kaeyer, who is now a senior on the MHS sailing

team and will continue to sail competitively in college. “After my first few days meeting kids from lots of different towns, before long I really came out of my shell.”

She continued, “I have learned that Pleon gives a foundation to all sailors, and we are able to coach kids through any fears. I realize that this gives me an opportunity to give that back now.”

Emily Croteau, 26, noted that the history and sense of connection she finds at Pleon is something that continues for many adults, long after their youth sailing days are past. Now a full-time school teacher, Croteau began at Pleon at the age of 12 and became Pleon commodore in 1999. She then returned as a coach and now runs its programs.

“I think Pleon does a great deal for a young person, and

what I see to this day is that the youth are both having great fun in the moment, but they also take responsibility for the club at a young age,” she said. “Whether they are on the house committee or the flag committee, you see people grow to become confident and empowered kids. That is really rewarding.”

Over time, Pleon has developed a curriculum for every path, including adventure sailing with multiple friends in a boat with instructors to a more advanced racing curriculum.

“As a lifelong activity, we continue to facilitate meaningful opportunities for both younger sailors and teens,” said Pleon board member Jim DaSilva. “The community of sailors and friendships made with kids from all over, not just in town, is what makes a summer at Pleon so special.”

Driver targeted with Nerf gun; woman survives rollover

Thursday, May 4

4:19 a.m. Person found himself wondering, “Dude, where’s my car?” so he called the police.

9:30 a.m. A walk-in reported finding a ticket that had been issued to a vehicle on Pleasant Street.

9:38 a.m. An officer spoke by phone to a Marblehead woman who had been a victim of identity theft and unemployment fraud. The woman’s employer had discovered earlier in the day that an unknown person had applied for unemployment benefits using the woman’s personal identifying information. The officerI advised her to contact the state’s Department of Unemployment Assistance online and to fill out its fraud report, and to monitor her credit and speak with her bank about the incident.

10:12 a.m. An officer was on patrol in a marked cruiser when he observed a blue Honda Civic drive through a red light on Pleasant Street at Ocean Avenue. The vehicle continued outbound until police stopped it by 265 Pleasant St. The officer approached the vehicle and asked for the license and registration from the driver. Using a cellphone, the officer worked through a language barrier with the driver by having the vehicle’s owner, the driver’s cousin, translate. Unlike the driver, the vehicle’s owner had a valid license and came to the scene to take possession of the vehicle. The driver was told to be on the lookout in the mail for a court summons related to this incident.

12:30 p.m. A case of larceny, forgery or fraud was reported on Village Street.

9:48 p.m. A caller reported having received annoying phone calls.

Friday, May 5

8:44 a.m. An officer had pulled his vehicle over facing inbound on Ocean Avenue when he noticed a green Acura pulled over on the side of the road. He noticed a “no parking either side” sign in front of him and conducted a computer search of the plate attached to the Acura, which confirmed that the vehicle was unregistered. He then went to place a town citation on the vehicle when a Hispanic male in the driver’s seat rolled down the tinted window. Another Hispanic male was in the front passenger seat. The officer explained that he was going to place a citation on the vehicle because it was illegally parked and had an expired registration, which the driver said he knew. The man told the officer that he did not have a valid driver’s license, either from Massachusetts or another country. The man did produce an ID that showed a picture of himself with an address matching the registration of the vehicle. The officer requested that the vehicle be towed. The man indicated that his boss would be able to pick him and his passenger up. The officer confiscated the vehicle’s license plates.

9:35 a.m. A report that a boat had pulled a wire down on Chestnut Street was referred to another agency.

3:14 p.m. A running hydrant was reported on Coolidge Road.

4:19 p.m. A group of kids smoking was reported on Wyman Road.

6:48 p.m. Officers were dispatched to West Shore Drive and Jersey Street for a report of a person hit with a gel blaster gun while driving. The dispatcher informed the officers that it was a group of three boys. One officer arrived on West Shore Drive and noticed three kids walking outbound on Jersey Street by Village Street. He immediately pulled over and asked the three young men, one of whom was holding a gel Nerf gun, to stop. The officer explained to the boys that the police had just gotten a call that someone was shooting a Nerf gel gun at a vehicle. He asked the boys if they had shot the gun at a vehicle, and they confessed that they had done so twice, and one of the boys admitted he was the one who had pulled the trigger. The boys said the driver had turned his vehicle around and started to throw pennies at them, prompting the boy with the gun to shoot back approximately three more times. They explained that they were only shooting at the vehicle and were not trying to hit an individual. After getting this statement from the group, the officer radioed to another officer to get a statement from the reporting party. The officer stood by with the boys while the other officer was speaking with the reporting party. The other officer reported that the gel bullet had hit the reporting party in the eye but that the

reporting party did not want to press charges at this time. The officers explained to the boys that the reporting party did not want to press charges but that the police would be continuing to investigate. The officer gathered all the boys’ parents’ information and sent the boys on their way, but not before seizing the gel gun for evidence. While at the station, one of the boys’ fathers called. The officer and the father discussed the severity of the incident, and the father said he would be having a further discussion with his son.

8:29 p.m. Officers assisted with rendering aid to a person who had suffered burns when hot oil splashed over. The person was transported to the hospital.

Saturday, May 6

10:53 a.m. A caller on Redstone Lane reported receiving annoying phone calls.

12:29 p.m. An officer investigated a complaint regarding kids skateboarding on Prospect Street.

5:11 p.m. Officers could not locate the source of suspicious activity reported on Norman Street and Calthrope Road.

5:29 p.m. Officers investigated a report of a stolen key on Community Road.

10:06 p.m. An officer investigated a report of an assault on Ocean Avenue.

Sunday, May 7

12:03 a.m. Two officers were dispatched to Prospect Street to investigate a report of a hitand-run crash that had just occurred. Upon his arrival, an

officer came upon a Honda CRV that was parked legally on the side of the road with significant damage to the front driver’s side of the vehicle. There were also car parts scattered all throughout the roadway. The officer was met by the registered owner of the vehicle and his wife who had been in bed when they heard the crash. By the time they looked out the window, the suspect vehicle had already taken off, and they could not get any description or license plate. Upon investigating the crash scene, the officer discovered car parts belonging to a vehicle manufactured by Nissan, including the front grille emblem, a part of the front left fog light and a piece of another front light. The officer secured these car parts in his patrol vehicle as some of them had serial numbers on them. He cleared the crash scene and joined other officers in the search for the suspect vehicle. While looking, one of the other officers found a large chunk of the front bumper and splash guard belonging to the suspect vehicle at the intersection of Rowland and Prospect streets. After searching the area with no luck, the officer returned to the police station to run the serial numbers off the evidence he had taken. He discovered that the suspect vehicle was a Nissan Altima manufactured between 2007 and 2013, and either light gray or silver, based on the color of the front bumper piece that he had. He printed a list of

COURTESY PHOTOS

From left are Pleon Yacht Club Commodore Lane Kaeyer, program director Emily Croteau and Pleon Board member Matt Hooks.

One of the Pleon Yacht Club’s golden rules since its earliest days is that the adult presence is not visible during the summer.

vehicles matching this description registered in Marblehead and went around to check if any of them were the car in question, but he was unable to locate the suspect vehicle.

8:51 a.m. An officer spoke at the police station with a man whose son’s bicycle — a twoyear-old black Big Flyer with red spokes — had been stolen the night before from a front yard on Susan Road. The man planned to try to track down the serial number. The officer planned to search the immediate area in case it had been abandoned nearby.

10:03 a.m. An Atlantic Avenue resident called to report a smashed rear window on his mother’s vehicle, which the officer then went to the scene and observed. The resident’s mother had stopped driving, and the vehicle, which was for sale, had been parked at the man’s house for greater visibility. All of the vehicle’s doors were locked, and there was no other damage. The resident had last seen the vehicle without any damage at around 8 p.m. the night before.

10:20 a.m. A minor vehicle accident was reported on Atlantic Avenue.

2:57 p.m. Speeding vehicles were reported on Waterside Road.

5:36 p.m. An officer responded to the scene of a vehicle accident on Pickett and Washington streets.

8:38 p.m. An officer assisted with a disabled vehicle on

RELIGION

Pleasant Street. 10:11 p.m. Officers were dispatched to the area of Puritan Road at West Shore Drive for a rollover vehicle crash. The first officer to arrive found a Honda CRV flipped over and laying on its roof in the middle of Puritan Road. Bystanders immediately told him that there was a woman still in the vehicle who was conscious. The officer approached the front passenger side window and cut away the deployed airbag with his pocket knife. The officer discovered the driver laying in the driver’s seat and on the phone with her daughter. The woman told the officer that she was driving from her daughter’s house on Overlook Road towards West Shore Drive when she struck a parked vehicle and flipped. The Marblehead Fire Department had by then arrived on scene and began to stabilize the vehicle and extricate the woman from being trapped. Parked legally on the side of the roadway in front of 1 Puritan Road was the vehicle that had been struck, a Honda Accord. There was damage to the front driver’s side as well as to the sunroof of the car. The owner of the Accord was not present at the scene; however, she had been alerted to the situation by a friend who was on scene. The Accord’s owner elected to have her vehicle stay on Puritan Road until she could arrange for her own tow the following day. The overturned CRV, which had damage to the entire vehicle, was eventually uprighted and hauled to a tow yard in Salem.

Monday, May 8

7:24 a.m. Officers assisted with the investigation of a gas odor on Ocean Avenue.

8:03 a.m. An officer took a report of harassment from a walk-in to the police station.

2:58 p.m. An officer responded to the scene of a minor twovehicle accident on Driftwood Road.

4:42 p.m. An officer spoke by phone with a man who reported that someone had filed for unemployment by using his Social Security number. The officer asked the man if he had shared any of his information lately or reported to the inspector general’s office about someone having access to his Social Security number. The man said that he had not shared any information lately and had already reported it. The officer advised him to keep a close eye on his information as well as his bank accounts.

6:41 p.m. An officer spoke by phone with a woman who explained that her bank had called to let her know that someone tried opening another bank account using her Social Security number. The woman said that she advised the bank that she did not open any new bank accounts. The officer then told the woman that she needed to have her Social Security number flagged by the state as stolen. He also told her to report back to her bank that she filed a formal police report and to keep a close eye on her accounts for suspicious

activity.

Tuesday, May 9

2:48 p.m. An officer spoke in the police station lobby who explained that he had been trying to sell a car on Craigslist and had recently been contacted by a man who said that he would purchase the vehicle for $1,200 and also add an additional $4,000 onto the sale price for shipping. The next day, the Marblehead man had received a check from the would-be purchaser from an unknown business. The local man tried to cash the check but got cold feet and had Marblehead Bank reverse the transfer and came immediately into the Police Department. The officer called both numbers from which the alleged buyer had called, and they were both out of service. The officer informed the man that it was, in fact, a scam and offered him further assistance.

5:21 p.m. An officer was dispatched to Evans Road to investigate a landlord-tenant dispute. The resident reported to the officer that he had just returned home from work and discovered the lock had been changed to the commonway front door. The tenant had not been provided a key to the new lock and had to force entry into his apartment through his back door. The tenant claimed he had called the property manager who instructed him to call the landlord. The officer advised the tenant that the issue was a civil matter and to consult with an attorney. But the officer offered

to call the landlord and advise him of the legal eviction process. Back at the station, the officer spoke by phone to the landlord, who admitted that he had the lock changed, citing various reasons. The officer explained to the landlord that he had to provide his tenant with a key and could not just make his tenant homeless. The officer also explained the eviction process, which the landlord claimed does not work. The officer explained the process does work, but it takes time, as with all court cases. The landlord, “to his dismay,” said he would respond to the residence and leave a key for the tenant, according to the officer’s report.

Wednesday, May 10

7:42 a.m. A water break was reported on Pickett Street.

10:02 a.m. An officer investigated a report that a person had given another person the finger on Ocean Avenue.

10:52 a.m. A 58-year-old Peabody woman was arrested and charged with shoplifting by asportation after officers were called to Washington Street.

12:55 p.m. An officer investigated a report of larceny, forgery or fraud on Intrepid Circle.

4:39 p.m. An officer conducting traffic enforcement in the area of Ocean Avenue observed around 14 vehicles in the span of a half-hour with an average speed between 22 and 27 mph.

7:50 p.m. A disturbance was reported on Pond Street.

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

» Rosary Group: Thursdays, following the 9 a.m. Mass (approximately 10 a.m.).

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.

Saturday, May 13: 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 a.m., First Holy Communion; 2 to 3:30 p.m., church tours offered as part of the Marblehead Chamber of Commerce and Discover Marblehead’s “Spring Celebration”

Wednesday, May 17: 7 p.m., Parish Pastoral Council meeting

Thursday, May 18: Ascension

Thursday, Mass at 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.

» Sunday, May 21: noon, Family Rosary; 5 p.m., fourth installment of concert series, Ensemble Lyrae, “Star Bright”

» Tuesday, May 23: 4 p.m., Parish Altar Society volunteer information session

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

A link to watch a replay of the

recent free online lecture on Christian Science, “How to Make Change for the Better,” 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 » Sunday, May 21: annual meeting and potluck lunch after 10:30 a.m. worship gathering

CONGREGATIONAL

OLD NORTH CHURCH, THE FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST IN MARBLEHEAD 35 Washington St. 781-631-1244 » onchurch.org

» Tuesday, May 16: 9 a.m., Lectio Divina; 7 p.m., Prudential Board meeting; 7:30 p.m., bell choir

Wednesday, May 17: 10 a.m., worship planning meeting; 1 p.m., Scrabble group; 7:30 p.m., final choir rehearsal

»

Sunday, May 21: final service with choir; 8 a.m., capital campaign celebration, worship service; 9 a.m., choir rehearsal; 10 a.m., worship service

» Monday, May 22: 6:30 p.m.,

women’s AA

»

Tuesday, May 23: 9 a.m., Lectio

Divina

Wednesday, May 24: 1 p.m., Scrabble group; 6:30 p.m., piano recital; 7 p.m., book club

» Friday, May 26: 7:30 a.m., men’s

breakfast

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, 2:153:30 p.m., Parish Hall open for exercise

» Wednesday, noon: Eucharist

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

Saturday, May 20: 8:30 a.m., Coffee Cups (rescheduled due to Rummage Sale)

» Sunday, May 21: Rogation Sunday morning of activities, including a special hospitality/luncheon after the 10 a.m. service ST. MICHAEL’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH

» 26 Pleasant St. 781-631-0657 stmichaels1714.org

Sundays: 10 a.m., Holy Eucharist, Rite II (with music), in-person and online on church’s YouTube

Channel

» Mondays: 11 a.m., Prayer Shawl

Ministry

Wednesdays: 9:30 a.m., Holy Eucharist, Rite II; 10:15 a.m., Bible study

» Thursdays: 7:30 p.m., choir

rehearsal

First Sundays: 5 p.m., Choral Evensong (September through May), in-person only

» Sunday, May 21: 5 p.m. Organ Concert Series with Raymond Hawkins, director of music at St. Michael’s. The program will feature work by Bach, Bruhns, Brahms, Barber and others.

Friday, May 26: 10:30 a.m., Wisdom & Friendship

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

» Thursday, May 18: 7 p.m., Brotherhood/Sisterhood monthly

cooking

Friday, May 19: 6 p.m., 12th-grade

graduation

» Sunday, May 21: 4 p.m., family

rabbi “send off” event at Devereux Beach

Tuesday, May 23: noon, Lunch and Learn: Shavuot

» Thursday, May 25: Erev Shavuot;

7 p.m., Confirmation service

» Friday, May 26: office closed; 10:30 a.m., Festival service

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.

» North Shore Minyan: Congregation Shirat Hayam in Swampscott and Temple Sinai unite to provide a joint daily morning and evening North Shore Minyan. The schedule is as follows:

» Sunday, 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. (Temple Sinai, Zoom only).

» Monday, 7:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. (Temple Sinai, in person and Zoom)

Tuesday and Wednesday, 7:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. (Congregation

Shirat Hayam, online only).

» Thursday, 7:30 a.m. (Congregation Shirat Hayam, Swampscott, in person and online).

Thursday, 7 p.m. (Congregation

Shirat Hayam, online only).

Friday, 7:30 a.m. (Congregation

Shirat Hayam, online only).

LUTHERAN CLIFTON LUTHERAN CHURCH

» 150 Humphrey St.

» 781-631-4379 cliftonlutheran.org

Weekly worship service: Sunday, 10 a.m., live stream on Zoom

» Sunday School: Sundays, 9 a.m.

» 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.

» Saturday, May 13: 8 a.m., work in church yard

Friday, May 19: 6 p.m., cultural feast at Marblehead High 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)

Wednesday, May 31: 7 p.m., Wednesday Evening Vespers service

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, May 18: 7:30 p.m., Board of Trustees meeting

» Sunday, May 21: 9 a.m., Sunday Seminar; 10 a.m., celebration of Rev. Wendy von Courter; 10:30 a.m., Sunday Services; 11:30 a.m., After Service Social Hour; noon, Social Action Committee meeting; 1:30 p.m., Rev. Wendy von Courter celebration

Thursday, May 25: 7 p.m., choir rehearsal

Eastern screech owlet perched in forest canopy

BY RICK CUZNER

Historically, Mother’s Day weekend is when I usually start finding baby eastern screech owls while walking through the local woods. Some appear a bit early, while others arrive a bit later.

During one of my walks to check out a nesting cavity where I have witnessed several owlets grow up over the past couple of years, I spotted a recently fledged screech owl perched on a branch, not more than 2 feet off the ground. It wasn’t a great hiding spot considering all the other wildlife around.

When I returned the following day, I discovered the owlet far up in the canopy of a group of trees.

Calling all writers: Literary Festival taking submissions

BY LEIGH BLANDER

The Marblehead Festival

of Arts is bringing back its Literary Festival, originally known as Writers World,

for the first time since 2019. The Festival’s writing contest is also returning, along with several speakers, panels and workshops. The Marblehead Current is a presenting media sponsor of the MFoA.

“Despite the limited resources and a small, all-volunteer committee, Marblehead’s Literary Festival can stand with the best of them in terms of programming and quality of speakers — all at no cost to attendees,” said Margo Steiner, who has been involved with

the Festival since 1980. “We may not be the largest such festival in the country, but we like to think that our annual celebration of writers, readers and all things literary speaks to many within the community and beyond who still revere the written word and enjoy the opportunity to explore it.”

The writing contest has three categories: fiction, nonfiction and poetry.

“In addition to adult entrants, the Literary Festival has encouraged and promoted young

writers as well by offering awards in the same three categories for those 18 and under,” Steiner said. “I’ve always been overwhelmed by the number of entries we receive from young people. More importantly, however, I am continually stunned by the quality of their writing.”

A panel of judges includes authors Laurie Stolarz, Carla Panciera and Dawn Paul, along with Marblehead Current Board President and memoirist Virginia Buckingham and Current Consulting Editor Kris Olson. There are prizes in each category.

Writing submissions should be sent by May 26 at midnight. Learn more at marbleheadfestival.org/ literaryfestival.

The winners will read their works to the public on Tuesday July 4, at 11 a.m., at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Marblehead.

The Literary Festival also features several author talks. Children’s author Tui

T. Sutherland

will share tips on writing for kids; author Rich Rubino will discuss writing about politics; Harry Christensen and Richard Santeusanio will talk about their recent book, “Murder in Marblehead,” and novelist Elizabeth DeVeer will explore ways to get works published.

The Literary Festival will also have panel discussions on poetry and local news, as well as workshops on memoirs and creative writing.

The MFoA runs this summer Saturday, July 1 through Tuesday, July 4 at several venues around town. Learn more at marbleheadfestival.org.

M a RBLEHE a D FESTIVa L OF a RTS