05.24.23 - Volume 1, Issue 26

BY LEIGH BLANDER

Warmer temperatures are here, and the Marblehead Bike Bus is back on the road, with a peloton of young students pedaling through town on their way to school.

“It’s fun,” said smiling fourthgrader Sadie Osborne last Friday morning. “I’m always very tired in the morning, and this wakes me up.”

Marblehead dad Peter Fleming started the Marblehead Bike Bus last fall, joining a worldwide movement of neighborhoods and schools organizing groups of students and parents to bike to school in a group.

“Bike buses are kind of magical things. They get more children and parents riding to school instead of driving,” Fleming told the Marblehead Current. “That’s good for everybody involved. It means better mental health, better physical health. And it builds community. It’s a

RESCUE aT SE a

Chief calls for firing of suspended officer

BY LEIGH BLANDER

At a combative disciplinary hearing on May 16, Marblehead Police Officer Chris Gallo, who has been suspended with pay since June 2021, denied multiple misconduct allegations after Police Chief Dennis King recommended he be fired. A resolution to the case is expected in September.

Gallo is accused of spending more than 100 hours at home while on duty over a four-month period and of violating police policies involving a domestic disturbance at his home.

In the first case, the state’s Office of Inspector General received photos from an anonymous citizen in 2021 showing Gallo’s cruiser parked outside his home for hours during his shifts, which began at midnight. Gallo admits to spending some time at home (to use the bathroom, grab a snack or do online training), but claims the photos were fabricated by former Marblehead police officer Tim Tufts. Tufts resigned after Gallo

win-win for everybody.”

Every Friday at 7:30 a.m., Fleming greets several kids and parents at the old Gerry School, with pop music playing from a speaker and a box of Dunkin’ Munchkins for motivation.

They pedal down Elm Street and make their way to the bike path near

Fishing captain saves young kayakers in rough waters

BY LEIGH BLANDER

Marblehead fisherman Jacob Abbisso came to the rescue when a young woman and two little girls out kayaking were caught in choppy waters outside Marblehead Harbor and could not get back to shore.

Abbisso was captaining a fishing charter with two customers late in the afternoon of May 16 when they heard cries for help.

“We realized they were pretty much

defeated and were being blown out to sea,” Abbisso told the Marblehead Current. “They were very tired from fighting the winds and waves.”

The girls are 6 and 10 years old.

Abbisso believes the woman with them was their babysitter.

Abbisso, who owns Big Fish Mojo Sports Fishing, said the conditions were rough, with 20 mph winds and 3-to-5-foot waves. The water

Gilbert & Cole. There, they pick up more kids and parents and ride the path the rest of the way to the Brown and Tower schools.

Last Friday morning, about 20 kids and a handful of parents joined the Bike Bus.

Sadie Codd, 6, loves riding with the group.

“You get in a good workout,” said the kindergartner.

Elliott Parenteau looks forward to the rides.

“There are some cool jumps I like to hit,” he said. “There’s a big rock near Tower [School].” Finishing a chocolate Munchkin,

MEMORI a L Day Weekend activities to honor town veterans

BY LEIGH BLANDER

The town has several Memorial Day weekend activities planned, beginning with a traditional veterans breakfast and culminating with a parade and wreath-laying ceremony.

The veterans breakfast, sponsored by the Masons, will be held at the Council on Aging on Friday, May 26 at 9 a.m.

On Saturday at 9 a.m., the public is invited to place flags on the graves of veterans at Waterside Cemetery, according to Veterans Agent Dave Rodgers. On Sunday at 1 p.m., the VFW will hold a public veterans service at Star of the Sea Cemetery.

Then on Monday, all veterans are invited to muster at the Old Town House at 7:45 a.m. and walk together to State Street Landing. “There’s a brief service there to honor the men and women who lost their lives at sea in the wars, including Merchant Marines,” Rodgers said. “We throw flowers in the water.”

COURTESY PHOTO

Captain Jacob Abbisso runs Big Fish Mojo Sports Fishing.

CURRENT PHOTOS / LEIGH BLANDER

Wyatt Wells, left, in orange, and Bowie Osborne, in blue, pedal to school on the Marblehead Bike Bus.

Parents with the Marblehead Bike Bus created special spoke cards for riders

“ It’s a great way for the kids to be independent. It feels super safe. ”

Lindsay Almeida

BUS, P. A3

CP_MBHC_20230524_1_A02

FOR marbleheadcurrent.org A2 Wednesday, May 24, 2023 Marblehead Current

NEWSROOM

Community Editor - Will Dowd  wdowd@marbleheadnews.org

Consulting Editor - Kris Olson kolson@marbleheadnews.org

Associate Editor/Senior Reporter - Leigh Blander

lblander@marbleheadnews.org

Sports ReporterJoe McConnell jmcconnell@marbleheadnews.org

CONTRIBUTORS

Tristan Ashlock

Stephen Bach

Parent group pushing for $2.5M override

BY LEIGH BLANDER

Local parents who support the $2.5 million permanent tax override on the ballot in the June 20 election are launching a “Vote Yes for Marblehead” campaign.

“Vote Yes for Marblehead will be working in the coming weeks to advocate for the successful passage of the override,” the committee said in a statement to the Marblehead Current. “As residents, taxpayers and parents, we simply could not stand by

NEWS IN BRIEF

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

Democrats to elect state convention delegates June 3

On Saturday, June 3 at 10:30 a.m., Democrats will convene in person at the Village School cafeteria, 93 Village St., to elect 14 delegates and four alternates to represent Marblehead at the 2023 State Democratic Convention.

Registered and pre-registered Democrats in Marblehead 16 years old by May 23 may vote and be elected as delegates or alternates during the caucus. Youth (age 16 to 35), people with disabilities, people of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community not elected as delegates or alternates are encouraged to apply to be add-on delegates at the caucus or by visiting massdems.org/ massdems-convention.

The 2023 convention will be in person at the Tsongas Arena in Lowell on Sept. 23.

Those interested in getting involved with the Marblehead Democratic Town Committee should contact Kathy Hempel at kathy_hempel@yahoo.com or 617-548-8517.

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 handdelivered or mailed.

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

Nominate an unsung hero

Marblehead’s Special Education Parent Advisory Council is set to hold its Unsung

silently while critical public safety and education services are at risk of being drastically reduced.”

The override, which will prevent cuts in the schools and other town departments, including police and fire, passed by more than a two-thirds vote at Town Meeting this month.

School Committee Chair Sarah

Fox is confident the Vote Yes committee is up to the task.

“It’s a great group of energetic parents who are committed to getting out the word about

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.

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 781-631-6404 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, firstserved basis.

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.

what’s represented in the override,” Fox said, adding that the override is critical to the schools.

“We are simply asking to stay at level services. We’re not adding things. This really is because of the financial situation we’re in.”

If the override does not pass, the district will need to cut 33 positions along with several programs, including freshmen sports and language classes, according to Schools Superintendent John Buckey.

Road Race Series returns

The Marblehead Road Race Series is set to restart in 2023, featuring four 5K road races between May 21 and Nov. 5, offering participants the opportunity to compete, win prizes and support charitable causes.

The series, launched by Marblehead resident Bill Park and active from 2013 to 2019, was paused during the pandemic. With road races resuming in 2022, Park and three other race organizers are relaunching the series to foster collaboration, exchange ideas, and build a community among running and walking enthusiasts.

Participation in the Road Race Series is free, aside from individual race fees. Participants who register for and complete all four events will be eligible for a hooded sweatshirt, with potential prizes for overall winners.

The four 5Ks include:

May 21, Head to the Hill 5K: Sponsored by Lynch-van Otterloo YMCA, supporting YMCA Corner Stone, a program providing support to cancer patients, survivors, and families. Register at bit.

ly/3oNdxA1

» Oct. 1, Run for the Fund 5K: Sponsored by Marblehead Dollars for Scholars, supporting need-based college scholarships for local students. Register at bit.

ly/3n8XmNc

» Oct. 14, Miles for Mary 5K Walk/Run: Sponsored by Miles for Mary, supporting brain cancer research at Mass General Cancer Center in memory of Mary Park. Register at milesformary.com

» Nov. 5, Marblehead Rotary

Club: Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Marblehead, supporting a mindfulness program for the mental health and well-being of Marblehead youth. Register at bit.

ly/3NjgeDP Park stressed that it is essential to run the Head to the Hill 5K in order to “preserve your chance to complete a Grand Slam of participating in all four races and earn a Marblehead Road Race Series hoodie designating that accomplishment.” Part of the appeal of the Series is that it boosts all the races and beneficiary charities of these races. Registration links for each of the races can be found on the website: marbleheadraceseries. com.

Staff who might be laid off have already been notified but they won’t receive official pink slips until after the override vote.

Those cuts won’t just be felt next year, Buckey said.

“The downriver is really the problem. The impact to students will be compounded over time.”

Stay with the Current for continuing coverage of the June 20 override vote, along with elections for School Committee, Select Board and other town positions.

Park continued by stating that all four events are “fun events with challenging courses” in Marblehead. “Each event is a wellrun event managed by experienced sponsors and all are organized to support worthy causes,” Park added, noting that all participants in the YMCA Head to the Hill 5K race will automatically be entered in the Series with no need for separate registration.

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 781631-0000. Below is a list of open positions: Task Force Against Discrimination, one-year term.

» Affordable Housing Trust Fund, one-year term.

Bob Baker

Linda Bassett

Nicole Goodhue-Boyd

Scot Cooper

Laurie Fullerton

Mark Hurwitz

John Lamontagne

Christine McCarriston

Eyal Oren

Frances Roberts

Pam Peterson

Chris Stevens

Linda Werbner

Hill

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Virginia Buckingham - President

Gene Arnould

Jessica Barnett

Ed Bell

Francie King

Donna Rice

Kate Haesche

Thomson - Secretary

Richard Weed - Treasurer

EDITORIAL BOARD

Ed Bell

Virginia Buckingham

Kris Olson

Will Dowd

Robert Peck

Joseph P. Kahn

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

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REACT

CO-CHAIRPERSONS RE a L ESTaTE TR a NSFERS Buyer(s) Seller(s) Address Date Price Marblehead Robyn Peterson Schultzmadeline P Est and Eric S. Schultz 10 Ames Road May 5 $565,000 Joseph and Nicole Hanlon Robyn and Marilyn J. Peterson 23 Winthrop Ave. May 1 $1,272,500 Judith A. Zissulis Garage 17 Rt and Eric Levy 38 Intrepid Circle Lot G17 May 5 $32,000 Keith Larsen David W. Cronin and Francine B. Rinfret-Cronin 57 Green St. May 3 $515,000 Joseph Paradiso and Soraya Taleb Bruce A. and Lori A. Ehrlich 84 Robert Road May 4 $2,600,000 Andrea E. Crompton and Benjamin F. Ruback Gary Marcos and Leanne Tirilok 115 Rockaway Ave. May 5 $1,500,000 160 Green Street LLC Phv RET and Peter H. Vallis 160 Green St. May 4 $512,500 Swampscott Ian C. and Kathleen D. Anderson James and Terri Lombard 2 Burke Drive May 5 $1,080,000 Sergio R. Betancur and Jennifer O. Rojo Hannah Stone 12 Clark St. May 5 $560,000 Andrea and Scott Schwartz Denise Singley 2019 RET and Denise Singley 21 Prospect Ave. May 1 $870,000 Robert B. Turner and Mary E. Zick-Turner Alfonso G. Diaz and Blathin Wong 40 Norfolk Ave. May 3 $830,000 Christopher and Stephanie Janian Jackson and Pamela Jaques 87 Eastman Ave. May 4 $549,000 INDEX Business 3, 10, 16 Education 1 Government 5, 9, 16 History 4-5 Library 8 News 1-3 Opinion 6-7 Public safety 1, 9, 18 Recreation 1, 3, 12-15, 17 Seniors 1, 19 Sports 12-14 Theater 10

Farmers’ Market launching season with new offerings

BY LEIGH BLANDER

The Marblehead Farmers’ Market launches its 26th season on Saturday, May 27. The popular market runs every Saturday, 9 a.m. to noon, through November 18. The market attracts up to 900 people a week.

“It’s a great place to get outside and just enjoy the day on a Saturday morning,” said Stephen Fowler, who manages the market. “We honestly have people who come to the market not even to shop but to socialize. Then we have serious shoppers who try to supply their whole week.”

This season, the Farmers’ Market will feature 20 farms and food vendors, with about three craft vendors each week. Of course, the Scouts will be there selling coffee and musical acts will entertain the crowds.

“We have a lot of performers that come back every year. It’s hard to get a spot as a new performer because there are so many returning performers. We have a range of folk and rock. It’s a pretty wide array.” (Music begins June 3.)

So, what’s new this year?

“We have a new baker, Janet’s Cookies. She’s a smaller, homebased baker from Rockport,” Fowler said. “We also have Olive World, with imported olives, olive oils, tapenades.”

Most favorite farms and vendors are returning, with a couple of exceptions.

“Cider Hill is not returning,” Fowler said. After COVID, the popular Amesbury farm decided not to travel. Gibney Gardens is not coming back and Iron Ox Farm is taking the year off.

Here are some of the farms and vendors expected on opening day: Bear Hill Farm, Grant Family Farm, Grant Farm, Brookford Farm, Middle Earth Farm, Cloutman Farms, A & J King, Bucovina Cuisines, Copper Dog Books, Janet’s Cookies, Seafood Express, Valicenti Organico and Crepe du Jour.

The Farmers’ Market is located behind the Veterans School on Pleasant Street. Learn more at marbleheadfm.com.

Town to celebrate pride with art, flag raising, tea dance

To kick off Pride Month in June, Marblehead businesses

Creative Spirit and MacRae’s Sustainable Goods will host a public reception on Friday, June 2, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., for the opening of their next non-juried art exhibit, “Love Wins.” The reception will be held at MacRae’s Sustainable Goods,108 Washington St. Learn more and register artwork at creativespiritma.com.

On Saturday, June 3, at 3 p.m., the town of Marblehead will celebrate Pride Month with its fifth annual flag raising

celebrate at the Pride

Bike bus

From P. A1

first-grader Griffin Cohn added, “I like to bike with my friends.” Parents are definitely on board, too.

“West Shore traffic is horrible,” said Coralie Osborne, Sadie’s mom. “We get to school faster this way, and it’s more environmentally friendly. Everyone is happier.”

Griffin’s mom, Lindsay Almeida, added, “It’s a great way for the kids to be independent. It feels super safe.”

Fleming likes that his son, Charlie, 6, and other kids are learning how to ride safely.

“Some of the roads around here are less hospitable than others,” he said. “Riding in the numbers we do makes it safer.”

Liz Wells was riding with her three sons, ages 4, 7 and 8.

“It’s a great way to start the day,” she said. “As a mother of three active boys, I like that this really gets their wiggles out.”

This school year, the Marblehead Bike Bus ran in the fall and spring, but Fleming says it’s certainly possible to bike to school year-round with the right equipment.

To learn more about the Marblehead Bike Bus, visit loom.ly/-QdDmUY to fill out an interest form.

ceremony on the lawn of Abbot Hall. The ceremony is produced by a small, grass-roots committee of local volunteers and the town. The event is open to the public and will feature speakers including town officials, clergy, youth and members of Marblehead’s LGBTQ+ community. The ceremony is supported by North Shore Pride (northshorepride.org).

On Sunday June 4, starting at 4 p.m., The Beacon Restaurant and Bar, 123 Pleasant St., will host its second annual Marblehead Pride

Party, in the style of a tea dance. Festivities will include hors d’oeuvres and sweets, a disco DJ and dancing. Learn more at thebeaconmarblehead.com.

“This year’s Marblehead pride theme is ‘Joy in Community,’ inviting people to consider what creates a safe, free and kind place to live, work, create and relate as a society of unique and diverse individuals,” said local artist and Creative Spirit owner Peyton Pugmire. “This theme also reminds us that when we are joyfully ourselves, we inspire others to be the same.”

CURRENT PHOTOS / LEIGH BLANDER

The Marblehead Farmers’ Market returns May 27

YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN BLACK

COURTESY PHOTO

Come check out the strawberries when the Farmers’ Market reopens May 27.

A range of folk and rock performers take the mic at the Farmers’ Market each week.

COURTESY PHOTO

Families

flag raising in 2022.

CURRENT PHOTOS / LEIGH BLANDER

Doug Park and his kids, Eleanor, 7, and Griffin, 5, join the Marblehead Bike Bus.

The Marblehead Bike Bus navigates a crosswalk on the way to school.

The tale of Johnny Quelch

BY MARK HURWITZ

In the year 1704, the brigantine Charles commandeered by a piratical crew took refuge in Marblehead Harbor.

The year before, the Charles had left Boston on a privateering expedition against the French. The crew, taking advantage of the illness of their captain, Daniel Ploughman, locked him in his cabin until he died of illness and/or starvation and later threw his body overboard and elected Lt. John Quelch captain in his place.

Several weeks later, the Charles was off the coast of Brazil, and during the next three months Quelch made nine captures of Portuguese vessels. These vessels were the property of the king of Portugal, an ally of the queen of England. From them, Quelch secured rich booty, including gold dust and silver coins taken from vessels leaving Brazil.

When Quelch planned his descent on Portuguese shipping, he may not have known of the treaty of Methuen and alliance between Great Britain and Portugal that was signed in May of 1703.

Upon their return to Marblehead, the men exhibited such an unusual amount of treasure that the people of Marblehead became suspicious of Capt. Quelch, his crew and the voyage that they had just completed.

The silver coins that Quelch’s men spent in local shops and taverns were later confiscated by the authorities.

The owners of the vessel also became suspicious.

The owners of the vessel contacted the secretary of the province and the attorneygeneral. This was in May of 1704 following the publication of the news of the arrival of the Charles, and the attorneygeneral at once set out to capture Quelch and his crew.

Lt. Gov. Povey issued a proclamation informing the public of the crime of piracy committed by John Quelch and his men, which called for their arrest and seizure of the gold and silver they stole from the Portuguese.

Within two days, the attorney-general had John Quelch and several of his crew in custody.

The rest of the men were later arrested after they had fled by boat to the Isles of Shoals.

The governor’s announced intention of a prompt trial resulted in the holding of a court of admiralty in Boston within days of the arrests.

‘Court of Admiralty for the Trial of Pirates

On June 13, 1704, Joseph Dudley, Esq., “captain-general and governor in chief of the provinces of the Massachusetts Bay in New Hampshire and New England in America,” sat as president of the court. With him were Lt. Gov. Thomas Povey; the lieutenant governor of the province of New Hampshire, John Usher; Daniel Byfield, judge of the vice admiralty; Samuel Sewall, first judge of the province of the Massachusetts Bay; Jahleel Brenton, Esq., collector

of her majesty’s customs in New England; her majesty’s council in the province of the Massachusetts Bay, 12 in number; and Isaac Addington, Esq., the secretary of the province.

Fifteen of Quelch’s men pleaded not guilty, and three pleaded guilty. John Quelch pleaded not guilty.

In the end, seven men were found guilty of the charges of piracy and murder, including John Quelch. They were sentenced to death.

On June 30, 1704, Quelch and his men were taken to the gallows for execution.

Final words of John Quelch Quelch’s final words were, “I am not afraid of death, I am

not afraid of the gallows, but I am afraid of what follows; I am afraid of a great God and a judgment to come.”

He then pulled off his hat and bowed to the crowd before being hung.

Pirate booty and Isaac Newton

All the confiscated gold and silver was weighed and turned over to the province treasurer for safekeeping. It was later sent to England as property of the British Crown.

In March of 1705 or 1706, Sir Isaac Newton watched as his assistants lugged a large, securely nailed and corded wooden chest into his office at the Royal Mint.

Newton, having made his fame as a mathematician and astronomer, had become master of the Royal Mint in 1699. The father of modern physics who shaped our notions of light and motion, time and space, also dabbled in alchemy. It was from alchemy’s spurring that he developed a keenness for metallurgy. This in turn made him particularly well suited for the job of mint master.

Findings

John Quelch and his men had stolen nearly 800 ounces (50 pounds) of gold dust and silver coins from Portuguese ships. In today’s money, it would have been worth close to $1 million!

Poem

Wallace Dana Weed of Marblehead wrote a poem about Capt. John Quelch.

“Johnny Quelch Marblehead, 1704

Off the coast of old Brazil, Johnny

Quelch.

The sharks have had their fill, Johnny Quelch.

And it’s you they’ve got to thank, that the rope bound bodies sank, that have walked you are cursed plank, Johnny Quelch.

The foul deeds you’ve done, Johnny Quelch.

Lie putrid to the sun! Johnny Quelch!

For you starved your captain bold, like a rat, down in the hold, and the Black Flag did unfold! Johnny Quelch.

And you sailed for southern seas, Johnny Quelch.

Helpless merchantmen to seek, with the Black Flag at your peak and your hands with the blood a-reek, Johnny Quelch.

Do you think all honors dead, Johnny Quelch?

That you’ve dared all Marblehead, Johnny Quelch?

Do you think us all so meek?, Johnny Quelch?

Do you think us all women weak?

Now we’ve got you by the wool! Johnny Quelch!

That our streets you boldly seek? Johnny Quelch? Now we’ve got you by the wool! Johnny Quelch!

Oh, your sailing log is full! Johnny Quelch! Now we’re going to see that you and your blood, murdering crew, get your wellearned devil’s due, Johnny Quelch!

To the pirate still at sea, Johnny Quelch, a warning you shall be, Johnny Quelch. you shall hang until you’re dead. that your breed may feel a dread of a berth in Marblehead!”

Mark Hurwitz is a Marblehead resident.

Chasing ghosts in the Lee Mansion

Paranormal investigators lead hunts in 250-year-old, historic building

BY CHRIS STEVENS

To paraphrase singersongwriter John Haitt, I thought the Jeremiah Lee Mansion was haunted but no one ever said boo to me … but there were other signs when Boston Paranormal Investigators took participants through the 250-plus year-old building on a ghost hunt.

Some years ago, Margaret Warner worked as a secretary in the Jeremiah Lee Mansion for one summer. She said she never felt or saw anything ghostly there but docents, at the time, knew people who had seen things.

“And I always wondered,” she said. It was that curiosity that brought her and her two daughters, Meghan Warner Denenberg and Ann WarnerHarvey, along with 27 others out Friday, May 19, to walk the shadowy halls and enter the darkened rooms of a mansion built before the lightbulb was invented.

The night started off with a few Ghost Hunting 101 rules, which included:

· Be respectful of the spirits, talk to them like you would a human because they actually

have feelings, too.

· Provoking the ghosts is a no-no. “By that we mean don’t say ‘push me down the stairs if you’re here.’ Don’t say that kind of stuff because it could happen,” warned investigator Jacob Abbisso, one of four ghost hunters on hand that night.

· Respect the religious and spiritual beliefs of all participants and investigators,

museum staff and spirits — everyone believes different stuff, just be mindful. · If you see, hear, feel sense, smell or taste something, say something. Have fun!

Jarrett Zeman, the Marblehead Museum’s associate director of programs and operations, also asked people to be mindful that they were in fact in a museum and to stick with their parties.

“I really don’t want a Scooby Doo situation, where two people get separated and a ghost chases them and we have to set a trap to catch the ghost … so if you could,” Zeman said to boisterous laughter.

Before splitting up into three groups however, BPI investigator Jacob Abbisso said the group first visited the mansion in November where they caught

“a weird misty shadow” going by one of the cameras set up on the first floor. In another room someone saw the shadowy figure of a child. Abbisso said they also heard from museum volunteers stories about spirit lights or orbs on the main staircase, reports of a male figure seen along the third floor hallway and a report that a young boy left the museum upset after seeing some kind of spirit.

“You get the point, we think this place is definitely haunted,” Abbisso said.

Abbisso said there was also one other important item to note, the mansion had been the site of a suicide on May 20, 1869, 154 years ago, almost to the day.

“One hundred percent we did not plan that this way — genuinely —it’s kind of a cool coincidence,” he added.

And some believe Benjamin Sparhawk, who shot himself through the heart in his room after the mansion became the Marblehead Bank Building, made an appearance on his almost- anniversary.

The adventure begins

The small crowd was split into three groups, spread out

COURTESY PHOTO

This proclamation, issued by Lt. Gov. Povey, informed the public of the crime of piracy committed by John Quelch and his men.

CURRENT PHOTOS / CHRIS STEVENS

Ann Warner-Harvey, BPI investigators Bob Pasquale and Kim Bowman, Margaret Warner, seated, and Meghan Warner Denenberger in the Jeremiah Lee Mansion during the Boston Paranormal Investigators Ghost Investigation, which took place Friday and Saturday, May 19 and 20.

Veterans meet back at the Old Town House at 8:45 a.m. and begin the traditional Memorial Day parade at 9 a.m. This year, the parade will feature Glover’s Regiment, fire trucks, marching bands and local leaders, according to Rodgers.

“All veterans are welcome to march,” he said. “They just show up.” There will also be a

Marblehead is gearing up to commemorate Memorial

into three rooms where a paranormal investigator was waiting. Each investigator pretty much took the same approach, asking the spirits to come forward and engage and they encouraged participants to ask questions as well.

“Literally it’s an opportunity to talk to history,” Abbisso said.

In Martha Lee’s bedroom, Abbisso asked participants to take a halfa-minute to be quiet and feel the place out before pointing out his tools of the trade, which included “a combo box I actually made.” The combo box was rem-pod, which if you get close to will light up and emit a tone. On top of the box was a cat toy that also lit up if moved. There were also K-II meters, or electromagnetic field detectors, a voice recorder and dowsing rods. Abbisso said while dowsing rods are often used to find water, they are also used to communicate with spirits.

Denenberg said she saw an image of a woman cooking food in a fireplace.

Museum volunteer Elizabeth said a small nook located at the back of the bedroom held another fireplace, and was a spot they suspected Martha Lee escaped to flee the hustle and bustle of the house. She may have had her tea and entertained friends there “so that image is pretty spot on,” Elizabeth said.

The questions Abbisso first asked went largely unanswered until he handed out the dowsing rods.

Abbisso advised people to try and hold the rods still without inhibiting their ability to swing; crossed rods meant yes, rods that swung wide of each other was a no.

Sometimes the answers were dubious — with one set of rods pointing to yes and another to no. Others were easy to understand.

Jessica Penn asked if the spirit in the room was a male and her rods crossed. Another person asked if he was happy to have company and it was a swift yes. But when another person asked Benjamin Sparhawk to come forward and interact with a device, it was a big wide no. The same when Martha Lee was asked if she minded fielding more personal questions.

Upstairs in the makeshift nursery, Michelle Ross had a device of her own, “we like to call the SP7 spirit box.” It was a machine about the size of a stereo that runs through radio stations at an incredibly rapid pace, she explained. The idea is

that spirits are sometimes able to manipulate the frequencies and say things in real time that investigators can hear. Most of what could be heard was steady raspy static, like someone sanding metal with an occasional twangy burst of voices or music slipping

through.

“We’re listening for more than two words strung together, full sentences, very clear words that associate with our questions,” Ross said. When Ross asked a spirit to knock near something in the room, a clear “maybe” rang out from the

machine, but no knocking followed. Later when she

trolley for vets who do not want to walk.

This year, the parade’s grand marshal is Dan Genis, 95, who served in the Navy during World War II.

“Dan is a former MHS teacher who taught English and German,” Rodgers said. “He joined [the Navy] right out of high school.”

The parade goes to Memorial Park on Pleasant Street, where there will be a ceremony.

mentioned there’d be a party downstairs that the spirits could join, there came a very clear, “I’ll be down then.”

In the dining room back downstairs Bob Pasquale and Kim Bowman also had electromagnetic meters, a rem pod and light-up cat toys. A cat toy illuminated at one point, but Pasquale said it was probably nothing since there was no repeat and didn’t roll. When questions went unanswered by the spirits, Pasquale said it wasn’t unusual.

“This is actually how most ghost hunts go,” he admitted. “Not much happens.”

But sometimes …

The lack of action has not deterred the pair, because when it does happen “it makes it all worthwhile,” Pasquale said.

Pasquale and Bowman shared stories about investigating the Wayside Inn, The Colonial Inn and a theater where EVP meters went off and cat balls rolled without

Congressman Seth Moulton will read the honor roll of veterans in Marblehead who passed away in the last year.

“We re-form the parade and go up to [Waterside] Cemetery, where we place 13 wreaths along the reflecting pond,” Rodgers said.

Another service will be held there.

For more information, contact Rodgers at rodgersd@marblehead. org.

prompting.

The fact that there were no spectral voices or knocking sounds also did little to dampen the enthusiasm of the Friday night crowd.

“I had an awesome time,” said Jessica Penn, a paranormal fan who recorded much of the evening in hopes of hearing something later, on the playback.

Geneva Cann agreed the adventure was worth the price of the ticket. She said although her spidey sense was not triggered “it was really cool to see this in person.” Like Penn, she is a fan of the paranormal and loved the atmosphere of the museum at night.

Shannon Denis also gave the night a thumbs up. She said she was thrilled when the dowsing rods she held crossed and clicked in response to a question and that she heard laughter through the spirit box.

“This was really cool,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to do something like this.”

COURTESY PHOTO / ALL MARBLEHEAD

Day.

Pat Kuzbida, left, and Nan Dumas give the dowsing rods a try in Martha Lee’s bedroom during Boston Paranormal Investigators Ghost Hunt at the Jeremiah Lee Mansion.

Are you aware?

May is Mental Health Awareness Month in recognition that caring for one’s mental health is just as important as caring for one’s physical health, which had not always been the case.

Most, if not all, of our readers know someone who has needed to address mental health issues — perhaps yourself, a family member, a friend, a business acquaintance or someone in your neighborhood. This leads us to wonder how many of you are aware of the existence of the Marblehead Counseling Center.

Located next to Hobbs Playground at 66 Clifton Ave., MCC has been providing a wide range of mental health services to residents of all ages from Marblehead and surrounding communities since its inception in 1969 when a group of parents, concerned about rising drug use in town, joined forces to address the issue.

Over the years, MCC has grown and expanded its scope of mental health and social services such that approximately 7,000 therapy sessions now occur each year, addressing such conditions as severe anxiety, depression, social isolation, substance abuse, marital and family issues, and major mental health diagnoses.

Ten therapists, three interns and a part-time psychiatrist comprise its staff, and a group of volunteer citizens serve on its board of directors, advancing the agency’s mission “to improve the quality of life for individuals and families by providing a high-quality, local source of mental health and family support.”

MCC staff and volunteers work closely with many town departments and community groups, including but not limited to police, fire, public health, schools, housing, local physicians, the Female Humane Society, the Marblehead Mental Health Task Force, Making Ends Meet and the Marblehead Ministerial Association.

MCC derives its funding from health insurance plans, clients’ co-payments, private donations and annual contributions from the Board of Health.

In return for the receipt of town funds, MCC provides free mental health services to individuals who live or work in Marblehead and who are unable to pay for such services.

Social services, another vital component of MCC’s role in the community, are also provided under the MCC contract with the Board of Health.

As we have all endured the COVID pandemic, staff at MCC have addressed its mental health repercussions daily. Suicide rates and drug overdoses have increased. Our children have suffered from feelings of isolation associated with the earlier loss of in-person teaching and interaction with their classmates. Generalized anxiety and feelings of depression have also been exacerbated.

Additionally, social service needs increased during the pandemic. The removal of the eviction moratorium and the impending removal of certain Medicaid benefits have placed further stress on some of our most vulnerable citizens. MCC is working with many of them to find housing or affordable medical care to meet their needs.

We applaud the work of MCC’s dedicated staff and volunteers. We are fortunate to have such a valuable mental health and social service resource in our town. And let’s strive to make mental health awareness something to keep in mind every day of the year.

We want to hear from you

the letter to the writer for editing.

Letters must include:

1. The author’s name.

2. The name of the street the author lives on in Marblehead. Only the street name will be published next to the author’s name — not their full address.

3. Author’s daytime/cell phone number (not for publication) for verification purposes.

4. If letters seek to introduce into a discussion purported facts that are not commonly known, writers may be asked to provide the source for those purported facts.

5. Letters must be received by 5 p.m. Wednesday to be published in the following Wednesday’s print edition of the Marblehead Current. Letters will be published to our website at the earliest opportunity, after verification. Email submissions to info@marbleheadnews.org.

Fill up summer to slow it down

BY VIRGINIA BUCKINGHAM

I’m thinking what you’re thinking. This is the best time of the year to live in Marblehead and New England. This season is our revenge. Those who moved to Florida or Arizona and posted palm tree pictures in my Facebook feed all winter? I’ll see your post with mine of a perfect sunset over the harbor, and raise you an overflowing lobster roll.

Every year at about this time, my husband and I start talking about all the plans we want to make for the summer. Who do we want to invite over for a barbeque? How many cooking fires can we fit in at Goldthwait Reservation? What shows might we try to see? We have to get to Woodman’s. And spend a day at Wingaersheek Beach.

A few years ago, we walked to Little Harbor Lobster Company and sat on a bench and ate cold shrimp and lobster. Let’s do that again, we plan. And take the Salem Ferry into town to have lunch in the North End. Catch a couple Red Sox games.

Inevitably, the Fourth of July arrives about two minutes after Memorial Day. Then Labor Day comes and we wonder where the summer went, and register all the May-dreamt plans that didn’t come together. We say we’ll definitely do them next year. Yes, September and October are often glorious but, no matter our age, the coming of Labor Day marks the end of sitting on the beach and the beginning of organizing, so to speak, our life’s shiny new notebooks and sharpened pencils.

This year, I want it to be different. I want summer to unwind slower, like it did when I was a kid.

Why did summer feel like it lasted forever back then? Each day unfolded pretty much like the one before. I didn’t have any definite plans. My days went something like this: Eat breakfast, get on my bike with the banana seat, ride to my best friend’s house, walk our dogs, watch my brothers and the neighborhood boys play home run derby or basketball and occasionally join them, go for a ride with my dad to get penny candy or with my mom to get fresh corn from a farm stand. Sit on the front stairs at night. Capture fireflies. Feel sad I captured them and let them go. Every day was some variation of this. And summer went by so slowly.

I logically concluded that formless repetitive days were the solution to our summertime time warp. I was about to cancel our May discussion and all summer plans. Long languid days on the backyard deck were all I was going to put on the calendar.

Turns out, I’ve got it all wrong. First of all, some research shows children perceive time differently than adults, at least very young children, so the comparison to childhood summers doesn’t hold up. It feels like summer passed more slowly when we were children, because we perceived everything passing more slowly. Our “working memory, attention and executive function” were still developing and our “neural transmission is in effect physically slower compared to adults. This in turn affects how they perceive the passage of time,” according to neuroscientist Patricia Costello, PhD, in an NBC news report on the subject.

What, then, is a better strategy to slow down summer as an adult?

“Modern research supports the 1885 advice of philosopher Jean-Marie Guyau. He said to lengthen time, ‘Fill it, if you have the chance, with a thousand new things.’” That’s the advice Claudia Hammond, a radio presenter and psychologist, gave in a fascinating BBC “All in the mind” episode.

“When you do lots of different things, time flies. But we perceive time in two different ways: we judge how fast it’s going right now and we also look back, asking ourselves how long it felt. We partly make that judgment by considering how many new memories we made, so the more different things you pack into one weekend, the longer that weekend will feel when it comes to Monday morning,” she said, adding “A weekend spent at home lazing and reading the papers will feel relaxing at the time, but gives rise to so few new memories that the weekend will not stand out from any other, making time appear to have gone faster.”

A slower summer is one where we actually do all the things we planned in May. It’s a summer filled with a thousand new things. I’m thinking what you’re thinking — that sounds exhausting! But I’ll try it. I can nap after Labor Day once I organize my pencils. Virginia Buckingham is the president of the Marblehead Current’s board of directors. Her column appears weekly.

The magic of a baseball field is universal

BY COURT MERRIGAN

When I told my son, Waylon, that we were moving to Massachusetts, his very first reaction was, “Oh, man. Do they even have baseball out there?”

“Son,” I said, “I’m pretty sure they’ve heard of baseball in Boston.”

Now, I don’t want to say that the first thing I Googled about Marblehead was “baseball league.” But I’m pretty sure Waylon did. The boy loves to play baseball the way only a 12-yearold boy can, an enthusiasm almost dire in its intensity. At his oft-repeated request, back in Wyoming he and I used to spend hours in the batting cage. You know the drill if you know the game: toss a bucket, pick balls. Toss a bucket, pick balls. Repeat until dinner.

In fact, we worked at it so much that I worried we’d worked the fun clean out of the game. After all, when God reached down from heaven and tapped Abner Doubleday on the epaulet, He intended for every kid who ever

picked up a summertime bat to have fun swinging it, not to turn it into a job. Those long sessions started to seem like one. But then the lad started slapping the ball around the park, and it all paid off. Work hard first, and the fun follows.

As for myself, I couldn’t get enough baseball. I joined in with a few others back in Torrington, Wyoming, who decided to found a travel ball club, because the only thing better than baseball is more baseball.

In keeping with the distances back home, travel ball in Wyoming means travel ball. We hit the road for days at a time, crisscrossing

Wyoming, Nebraska and Colorado for games, even making the long haul down to Phoenix for a tournament. Then came Little League, All-Stars, Districts... whew. By the time I looked up, summer was over, and by the time I blinked again, we were moving to Marblehead. Since we’ve moved here, people have been talking about this ballpark called Gatchell’s. The kids love it down there, they told me. They hang out there the whole season long, and when they’re not playing, they watch their friends play. Sure, it gets a little chilly down

Ota has strong record of service

To the editor:

I will be supporting resident and former long-time Glover Elementary School principal Brian Ota in his desire to serve on the School Committee, and I hope you will too. Knowing Brian for more than a decade, I was pleased to learn about his decision to serve in this important role, and I can’t think of a better or more qualified candidate.

Brian’s years in the United States Marine Corps instilled in him the values of dedication, honor, reliability, attention to detail and service to others. He has clearly carried those values with him throughout his life and

into the education profession. As the Glover School principal, these traits made him an excellent role model for both the children and his colleagues.

As an early morning riser myself, I regularly saw Brian’s car at the school by 5:30 a.m. each day, well before any school employee would be expected at work. Watching and listening to him as he interacted with the children, the staff (whom he appeared to treat as co-workers and not subordinates) and parents, it was clear that he valued all opinions. While always one to look for consensus, he was also not afraid to tactfully put his foot down and take a stand or make a decision when one was needed. This occasionally included being on the unpopular side of

issues and having the courage and character to speak truth to power (a trait largely absent in today’s world).

Brian will bring a tremendous amount of experience onto the School Committee, as he is uniquely suited to understand the complexities of the budget process from having to complete one each year while a principal.

As a former manager, he is well versed in the various contracts between the district and its diverse unions. I am confident that he will bring a high degree of fiscal responsibility to the committee and the district that will be beneficial during difficult future financial times.

Brian continues his commitment to helping others through his appointment with a local marine patrol as an

assistant harbormaster, taking only a year off for himself following his active years in Marblehead’s school system.

“Service above self” appears to me to be Brian’s unspoken motto.

Please consider entrusting Brian once again with the safety and welfare of the town’s young people and the taxpayers’ assets. I believe he has earned our confidence by his years of exceptional service.

Matthew Freeman Willow Road

Thank you to Essex Tech students

To the editor: We are writing to publicly thank students and staff from

Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School, who came to Marblehead to help plant the native species garden at Chandler Hovey Park on April 24 and 25. Sustainable Marblehead worked with the Marblehead Recreation and Parks Department coordinating with garden designer Larry Simpson to plan and prepare for the installation of the garden, which was financed with donated funds from the Hannaway family.

We also thank Marblehead’s Mark Strout, school committee chair for Essex North Shore, for his help to start the process and the many other volunteers who made this project possible.

Palma Bickford Sustainable Marblehead

Investing in Marblehead Harbor’s future

BY ROB HOWIE

Marblehead Harbor is our town’s greatest asset, a source of pride and enjoyment for everyone and the lifeblood of our local economy. When the muchawaited Marblehead Harbor Plan is presented to the Select Board and the public next month, will we be prepared to implement it? Planning is important, but it’s the execution that counts.

The state’s Seaport Advisory Council funded the first Marblehead Harbor plan in 2009 which examined infrastructure needs, harbor uses and challenges. It detailed:

Addressing environmental and safety concerns

» Improving public access, including ADA compliance

Dredging Little Harbor and rebuilding the public launching ramp there

» Repairing seawalls and piers at State, Cliff and Commercial Streets

» Rehabilitating Crocker Park landing

Promoting commercial fishing

» Improving Parker’s Boatyard with better public access, launch facilities and ADA compliance. It noted

that Parker’s is “underutilized … and the best candidate for improvements within the harbor.”

For a variety of reasons — including focus, funding and lack of an implementation capability — the town acted on only a few of these.

The state funded another Marblehead Harbor plan in 2021 (to be released in June). Some 14 years after the first plan, the new one, unsurprisingly, finds the same environmental and safety concerns and carries forward most of the same recommendations, including repairing existing infrastructure, assessing seawalls’ condition, improving public access to the water, promoting commercial fishing, ensuring public safety and more effective use of Parker’s as a community boating center and boat launch facility.

The new plan also recommends adding a second trawl line for Town Class and other small boats, installing electric charging stations accessible to boats in the water and adding kayak storage at Riverhead and Gas House Beaches. It also suggested

improving recreational boating facilities and services, including ADA compliance, on the West Shore at Stramski’s and Village Street.

A parallel planning process undertaken in 2022, led by Salem Sound Coastwatch and Woods Hole Group, focused on resiliency to sea level rise and climate change.

Among the most important recommendations of the new harbor plan is forming an implementation working group to turn it into reality in the months and years ahead. This step should be immediately embraced by the Select Board, which is charged with appointing the group and providing a clear mandate and accountability to execute the plan. It should be a collaborative and cooperative effort consisting of representative stakeholders from town boards, non-profit organizations focused on the harbor, commercial fishermen, the recreational boating community and land-side and water-based businesses. This was the model for the Harbor Plan Working Group, which worked well.

The new plan identifies goals, priorities, actions, the responsible parties, timeline and estimated costs. With these in hand, the implementation group can get to work and begin to make things happen. They will be required to submit an annual report to ensure accountability for the steady progress needed to implement the recommended projects. Working with the town Planner and newly-approved Sustainability manager, a key responsibility of the implementation group will be to secure funding, most of which is available through an abundance of federal money earmarked for coastal resiliency projects. More than 20 federal, state and private funding sources for project studies, construction drawings and actual construction have been explicitly identified in the plan, and advice on how to apply for the money. Specific publicprivate partnerships also have potential to get traction. Despite the good intentions of the 2009 plan, it largely ended up on the shelf. We cannot let the same fate happen to the 2023 Marblehead Harbor Plan. Our work now is to implement

its recommendations with purpose and progress in the best interests of the town and its citizens.

While a first-rate, comprehensive harbor plan is now complete and ready to be implemented, make no mistake. To be successful, implementing it will require leadership from the Select Board, setting clear expectations, a bias for action, accountability for all parties and requisite governance changes that will ensure we don’t slip back into business as usual.

In a community like Marblehead, where the harbor defines so much of our history, quality of life and why we choose to live here, we have an obligation to protect, enhance and make sustainable our greatest resource for future generations. When we look back years from now, let it be said that this is the time when we committed ourselves to the future of Marblehead Harbor. Rob Howie is a member of the Marblehead Harbor Plan Working Group, Sailors for the Sea Skipper for Marblehead and a board member of Sustainable Marblehead.

Top 10 common misconceptions about computer use

BY STEPHEN BACH

1: Macs are virus-proof.

While it’s true that Macs are less vulnerable to viruses than PCs, they are not completely immune. It’s important to be cautious when downloading files or visiting websites and antivirus software is helpful.

2: Deleting files means they’re gone forever. Many people believe that once a file is deleted, it’s gone forever.

Merrigan

From P. A6

there from time to time, but it’s where the magic happens. So I’ve had half an eye cocked to the calendar ever since, waiting for baseball season to arrive.

It did arrive, finally (not that you could tell from the cold weather). Waylon got selected to the Orioles, and I volunteered to help coach. Now, I’d told myself prior to coming to Marblehead that this season I would just be a spectator. For one thing, I felt like I’d gotten

However, this is not true. In many cases, deleted files can be recovered using data recovery software. If you have accidentally deleted a file and then emptied the trash, don’t panic! Shut down your computer and bring it to a computer professional. There is a very good probability that your “deleted” file(s) can be recovered. However, if you do want to delete, it’s important to use secure file deletion methods if you want to ensure that your data is truly gone.

3: The more expensive the

to town five minutes ago, maybe I didn’t need to be yelling at kids to hustle? (Why don’t they, though?) Second, I thought Waylon could use a break from Coach Dad. But two other things are true, in Wyoming or Massachusetts or any other state: first, every youth organization takes volunteers. And second, I don’t do well on the sidelines. I like to jump in.

Waylon and I loaded up the car for the short drive to Gatchell’s recently for the first game of the season. Both nervous and excited to be headed back out there, me probably more than

computer, the better it is. Not really a misconception, but I’ve added it here anyway. There are many factors that go into determining the quality of a

him. An hour prior to game time, it was perfect sunny baseball weather. I felt about as good as you legally can stepping with a mouthful of sunflower seeds and a pitch counter in my hand. The field was in lovely condition, a credit to all the volunteers with Marblehead Youth Baseball, and all was ready. But then a very Marblehead thing happened: five minutes before first pitch, a sea fog rolled in to blanket the whole park. I’d never been in such conditions for baseball before. Could you even see a pop fly up there in all that mist? (Yes – the Oriole outfielders handled

computer, including hardware components, software and support, but as a general rule, a more expensive computer has better quality components, a faster processor and/or more memory or hard drive size.

4: Closing apps doesn’t make a difference. Many people believe that not closing apps (applications/programs) will not matter in terms of performance. This is not always the case. Closing some apps may free up system resources on computers with less RAM memory or a slower hard drive.

it well.)

Then someone flipped on the stadium lights. The green grass shimmered and the chalk lines fairly glowed. Mist rolled across the outfield. The boys in their bright uniforms trotted like sprites across the grass. Baseball sure does lend itself to poetry. That evening there in Gatchell’s, it wrote itself. You just have to take it in.

The Orioles won in a nailbiter over the Yankees, 4-3. Waylon played a decent game, snagged a couple hits, tossed a couple good innings from the mound. I got to coach third. It was glorious

5: All online information is trustworthy. With the abundance of information available online, it’s easy to assume that everything you read is trustworthy. This is not the case. It’s important to verify the credibility of sources before using information found online, as there are many nefarious operators out there.

6: Pop-up ads indicate a virus. Pop-up ads are a common annoyance when browsing the

COMPUTERS, P. A8

and pure and all baseball ought ever be.

I’ve been involved in maybe a couple hundred youth baseball games now. So while it wasn’t exactly a first time, it was my first time here, and in the fog, and with a new group of kids, on the cusp of a new season. Still, the same game we played back in Wyoming is the same game we played in Marblehead. And I’m happy just to be out on the field.

As always, if you’ve got an idea upon which I can embark for a Marblehead First Time, drop me a line at court.merrigan@gmail.com.

SUSTa INa BLE M a RBLEHE a D

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.

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.

Computers

From P. A7

internet, but they do not necessarily indicate a virus. It’s important to use antivirus software (built-in with Windows 10/11) and be cautious when clicking on ads or downloading files. When in doubt: don’t.

7: Updates are not necessary. Some people avoid software updates because they think they are unnecessary or inconvenient, or are afraid something “bad” will happen. However, updates often include important security patches and bug fixes that can improve the performance and stability of your computer. It’s important to keep your software up-to-date to ensure that your computer is secure and running smoothly.

8: Formatting a hard drive is a permanent solution. As in #2 above, formatting a hard drive

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 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

will erase all data on it, but it is not a permanent solution. In some cases, data can still be recovered using specialized software. It’s important to use secure data-wiping methods if you want to ensure that your data is truly gone.

9: Your internet speed is determined solely by your ISP. While your internet service provider (such as Xfinity/Comcast or Verizon) plays a role in determining your internet speed, it’s not the only

renovations, visit abbotlibrary. org/news/renovation-news.Sign up for the library’s newsletter at tinyurl.com/Abbot-News.

Fines no more

Abbot Public Library is now fine-free. Visit abbotlibrary.org/ about/general-info to learn more about borrowing materials and to get a library card.

Tech and misc. things

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

factor. Your computer hardware, router and distance from the router can all affect internet speed, especially on a wireless network.

10: Restarting your computer is not necessary. Some people believe that restarting their computer is not necessary or that it can cause damage. However, restarting your computer can often help resolve issues with performance or software. It’s important to regularly restart your

to learn more.

Need to use a copier?

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

Make a craft to take home

Abbot Public Library is offering a “Make A Craft To Take Home” program every Thursday in May 25 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Children’s Room. The program provides materials for a themed craft

computer to ensure that it’s running at its best. As a matter of fact, The Docs recommend shutting down your computer every night.

These are just a few of the most common misconceptions about computer use. By understanding these misconceptions, you can

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 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.

become a more informed and savvy computer user.

Stephen Bach is the owner and chief of surgery at The Digital Docs in Marblehead.

Let’s get ‘cheffy’

BY LINDA BASSETT

You eat first with your eyes, before you smell or taste. A beautiful plate is often love at first sight. When food looks good, the cook looks good. Now, you don’t need to dollop a baked potato with caviar. Or spend hours tweezing food on a plate. Beautiful plates cost pennies in cash and seconds in time.

Here are some quick tricks, from professional kitchens, to make food look glamorous.

Fresh herbs

Fresh herbs in bunches at the Marblehead Farmers’ Market to use right away. The leaves, chopped and scattered over a whole platter of food, look and smell great. My favorites: mint, basil, chives, cilantro, in any combination or separately. I sprinkle them over fish or chicken or vegetables. (Be careful of cilantro. To some palates it tastes like soap, not lovely lemon-and-lime.) I also buy herbs in pots to keep on the back porch so I don’t have to wait until Saturday.

If you have a green thumb, get packets of seeds from Ace Hardware or the Marblehead Garden Center to grow near the kitchen door. Long ago, that was a custom in this town. Note: the scent of mint growing outside the front door is welcoming.

Fresh greens

A tiny box of micro-greens goes a long way to “cheffy-ness.”

These are teeny, barely-sprouted

arugula, cabbage, radish or other boldly flavorful leaves boxed in small plastic in the greens section of the produce aisle. Choose a mixed assortment or a single green. Rinse off the sand quickly by swirling through a bowl of cold water. Lift them out, shake, roll in a paper towel to dry. One box lasts a couple of weeks.

Now broil that piece of fish, or serve up a plate of pasta, scattering or piling micro-greens over each serving. They’re good on most foods, except possibly

birthday cake. For extra dazzle, drizzle a bit of good olive oil over the top.

Olive oil

Invest in a small bottle of the good stuff. It’s not cheap: it is liquid gold, strictly for drizzling. High heat ruins it. Pricey French olive oil is good. Italian, especially from Sicily, is somewhat less expensive and more full bodied. California now presses great olive oil. Shubie’s always carries those precious bottles. Drizzle just a little over

a green salad, a bowl of pasta, a thick broiled steak or a piece of broiled fish. Even a slice of takeout pizza benefits.

Celery and fennel tops

Fennel, the vegetable, looks like pregnant celery and tastes deliciously like ice cold licorice. The leaves, feathery little clusters at the top, add subtle flavor and visual punch without work or expense. You’d normally throw them out. Just place them on the side or on top of food. Or in a citrus-flavored cocktail.

Lemons & tomatoes

Lemons, squeezed, add zest. That outside yellow portion of the skin adds more. Peel it in long thin strips and drape it over chicken cutlets, crab cakes — any main dish or appetizer. Or grate and brighten a sauce or softened butter with a spoonful.

Tomatoes in May are barely edible. Except for hothouse grape tomatoes. Make a wreath around fried chicken pieces piled high in a bowl. Or pierce them through with toothpicks and marinate in bloody mary spices — with or without vodka — for a cocktail snack.

Creamed spinach

You only see creamed spinach on upscale steakhouse menus today, a vestige of two centuries ago. Once, prepping it made a major mess — washing out sand, paring stringy ribs. Today, we have triple-washed baby spinach by the bag! You will need two: it wilts a lot when cooked.

Just melt butter in a large skillet. Walk a garlic clove through it (or not) until it turns pale gold, then throw it (the

garlic) out. Add spinach leaves, stir. Cover the skillet and wait a few minutes. Take it off and swirl in as much or as little cream, or whole milk, or even part-skim, as you like. Add a shake or two of nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add a little grated parmesan. Toss. A steakhouse delight in a minute!

Irish butter

The Irish have a way of bringing a lilt to butter, by slightly souring the cream. Don’t cook with Kerry Gold (brand name found at major supermarkets). Spread it over biscuits and banana bread, melt into a bowl of peas or a fat baked Idaho. Tastes “cheffy.”

A rose

Buy one rose, or cut one from the garden. Any color. Pull off the petals.

Years ago at another publication, I submitted a romantic recipe for a roast garnished with rose petals. The editors were sure their “blue collar” readers would disregard it as too “cheffy.” I argued in favor of hard-working home cooks, like my grandmother, who spent days preparing spectacular celebratory meals. Rose petals scattered over a platter of sliced roasted pork, soaked in winey juices? Little expense, little effort, huge impact. And to anyone who wants to taste one or two petals, best wishes!

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

reported him for allegedly carving a swastika into a car.

“This isn’t a fact-finding hearing,” Gallo complained. “The photos aren’t real, okay? That is non-corroborated evidence.

“Throw the photos out,” he added, raising his voice.

The Marblehead Current contacted the IG’s office to ask if it had authenticated the Gallo photos, but a spokesperson there said it does not comment on investigations.

In a second case, police were called to Gallo’s home in July 2021 when his then-girlfriend reported that he was abusing her, her children and her dog. Gallo was never charged, but King did launch an investigation into the incident because the responding officers said alcohol was involved and children were on the scene. Gallo, his girlfriend and their children had spent the day boating.

King said the investigation showed Gallo enabled his girlfriend, who was a person with alcoholism, by not stopping her from drinking that day and even getting her a beer at a restaurant.

Gallo argued that it is impossible to stop such a person from drinking.

“I cared about this girl.

I didn’t enable her. Saying anything else is friggin’ dirty,” he said.

King determined that Gallo exhibited “conduct unbecoming an officer” and accused him of dereliction of duty and falsifying records. King also said Gallo violated policies relating to professional image, off-duty use of alcohol and cooperating with investigations.

“Officer Gallo’s actions put the police department in a light that was unfavorable and had negative consequences on public trust,” King said. “The number of times that the cruiser was observed at his residence showed he was not devoted to duty.”

Relating to the domestic incident, King said, “We have a violent domestic call that resulted in neglect of the children involved. The decisions by Officer Gallo affect the reputation of the department. The decisions throughout that day make me question his fitness to be an officer.”

Through a public records request, the Current learned that Gallo had 11 “sustained” complaints against him, more than any other Marblehead officer. In addition to seven suspensions, Gallo has received four reprimands during his 22-plus year career on the

Marblehead force.

Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer oversaw the hearing and asked attorneys for Gallo and the town of Marblehead to submit closing briefs by June 30. He will release his recommendation within 30 days from there and speculated that the Select Board may want to schedule a special meeting to address this case, probably in September.

After the hearing, the Current asked Gallo what he hopes will happen next.

“The problem is I’m too young to retire,” he said.

Gallo said he is working, running heavy equipment.

“I love, love, love what I’m doing now, and the money is good,” he said.

It is tough to live in town with the accusations against him, he said.

“I live, work and socialize here. It’s horrible… I just want to clear my name.”

This crab cake is garnished with kitchen extras — lemon zest, chives and a fennel top.

Police Chief Dennis King (right) recommends that Officer Chris Gallo be fired, while Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer oversees a disciplinary hearing.

PHOTOS / LEIGH BLANDER

Suspended Marblehead Police Officer Chris Gallo speaks at his disciplinary hearing on May 16.

Compass Coaching wants to help you find your way

BY MELISSA STACEY

The following is an interview with Amy Tate Berenson, owner of Compass Coaching, conducted by Discover Marblehead. To learn more about Amy’s coaching business, go to navigateahead.com.

Tell us about Compass Coaching and why you started it. At some points in my life, I’ve been uncertain about what work I really wanted to pursue. It can be unsettling, undermining one’s confidence. After 35 years in corporate forprofits and nonprofits, I sought a different, more fulfilling direction. When I discovered coaching, I knew it was the right fit and a culmination of my prior experience. I became a professionally-certified career and fife coach and started Compass Coaching to help adults find work that aligns with who they are and what’s important to them. Most of my clients are in a place where they are thinking about a career transition or are already making a change. Some have other life goals such as making an important decision, clarifying direction or building confidence. Sessions run about an hour,

typically every other week. It isn’t a quick fix — the process takes approximately four to six months. To make the time most efficient, I work online. I also believe it’s important to offer a preliminary session at no cost (or obligation) so people can experience coaching, ask questions and learn about the process.

What is the best piece of business advice you have ever received? After college, I was uncertain about what I wanted to do for work. I met a family friend, a retired successful banker. He gave me an important piece of advice: “Don’t make your goal about the money. If you want to be happy in your work, find a job that’s right for who you are and what you enjoy. That is the place where you will be most successful — and the money will follow.” It’s part of the reason I became a coach later in life.

The other key advice was from a dear friend: “I believe most people want to do the right thing and do the best they can.” We humans don’t always get it right, so it’s important to assume positive intent before judging someone’s actions or words.

What is your favorite spot in Marblehead and why? There are two places I love to visit in town, and each offers a different perspective. At Fort Sewall, the view up harbor and out to the sound is spectacular. I love sitting on “our” bench given in

memory of our loved ones. The view is especially beautiful on a summer’s afternoon when the setting sun lights up the Neck and the green lawns and blue harbor colors pop. There’s also the junction of Pleasant and Washington. My husband and I love to observe all the people and goings-on anytime of day. And we always enjoy running into old friends and making new ones.

What is something people would be surprised to learn about you? Maybe some don’t

know I am ambidextrous. I use both hands for all racquet sports, write with my left and golf with my right.

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.

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Jazz Age elegy becomes an MLT musical

BY LINDA WERBNER

When it comes to writer F. Scott Fitzgerald, Doug Hill jokes half-seriously that he is “somewhat obsessed.” The past president of Marblehead Little Theatre considers himself something of an aficionado of the American novelist whose books and short stories examined and celebrated the exuberance and dissipation of the Jazz Age.

So when Hill’s friend, Fred Anthony Marco, presented him with a script last spring transforming “The Great Gatsby” into a musical, something which had never been done before, Hill’s expectations were somewhat subdued, to say the least. After all, the novel has been adapted four times—and counting—into big-budget films including Robert Redford and Mia Farrow’s 1974 version and most recently Leonardo DiCaprio’s take in 2013. What more could be said about this iconic novel, Hill wondered. And a musical?!

But what he read took his breath away. Marco’s script had done the nearly impossible, Hill recalls. “It was an original and fresh take on the story. Fred’s script moved quickly and beautifully and really pulled you in,” he says. “It didn’t take long to convince me to get onboard.”

Fast forward a year and Tuesday, May 16, the cast of “The Great Gatsby: An American Musical” will gather at the Marblehead Little Theater on School Street for its first rehearsal with Marco’s script, music by Frank Schiro, choreography by Will Fafard and direction by Alexandra Dietrich.

The next night, the Abbot Public Library hosted a discussion moderated by Library Director Kimberly Grad on “The Great

Gatsby” with Hill, who is one of the three producers, along with Andrew Barnett and Steve Black. Lyricist and book writer Fred Anthony Marco was also there.

Now that Fitzgerald’s novel is considered “public domain” the creators were not faced with the arduous process of securing rights and paying royalties, Hill explained, so the time was right. Plus, no one had ever attempted to tell the ill-fated love story of Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan through music and dance.

Hill recounts being contacted by Grad, whom he met when he was on the committee to select the town’s new director of the library. “She reached out to me and said she heard that the MLT was doing ‘The Great Gatsby’ and that she would love to have a discussion about the production at the library. That’s the beauty of this community. We are all connected and there is such wonderful alignment.”

“I’m a big believer that things happen for a reason,” he adds. “We’re doing a show that’s never been done before right here at the Marblehead Little Theatre.”

Hill has nothing but praise for the team that is putting the musical together. From the caliber of the talented ensemble cast to the unique and captivating set design by Jeremy Barnett and spot-on direction by Dietrich. “That’s the beauty of community theater. We’ve brought together a creative team that is absolutely in sync.”

Hill traces his love of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s oeuvre to his years serving in the American Air Force. “I’ve always been an avid reader. When I was stationed in Turkey, I read everything of his I could get my hands on.” That included the letters Fitzgerald wrote to his wife and muse Zelda as well as memoirs and biographies.

Hill marvels at how this novel written in 1925 continues to captivate and engage readers. It is

surprisingly fresh and its themes of greed, power, the American dream and wealthy narcissistic characters are not dated at all in our celebrityobsessed culture. “This book, written nearly 100 years ago, still sells 500,000 copies a year. When Fitzgerald wrote it, barely 25,000 copies were sold. That means something.”

Hill grew up in a military family and also served in the Air Force for 20 years. He states he bounced around all over the world before settling in Marblehead in 1985 when he became smitten with the charm and natural beauty of the town while visiting a friend.

Once he became a resident, he began attending MLT productions and even appeared onstage in several productions including “South Pacific” before assuming the role of MLT president not once but twice. In 1999, he was instrumental in securing and restoring the firehouse on School

Street from the town as the MLT’s permanent home. “It was a great fit for everyone,” he says of the move.

His enthusiasm for the theater and the town is palpable. “This is a town where anything can happen. It’s not a typical place. People are so supportive of the theater.”

Hill is tickled about being part of the creative team bringing his favorite writer’s masterpiece to the musical stage. “People will experience the pull of the novel. It’s been anointed. It just captures the times, the Jazz Age, so perfectly.”

He is looking forward to see how Dietrich will present the characters, whom he admits are not very admirable. “These are not good people,” he concurs, adding that his favorite is Nick Carraway, the narrator.

“The Great Gatsby, An American Musical” will run June 23 to July 2. For more information, visit mlt.com.

‘THE GRE aT G aTSBy ’

Amy Tate Berenson runs Compass Coaching.

‘The Great Gatsby: An American Musical” producer Doug Hill (far right) at an event with Abbot Public Library Director Kimberly Grad and the show’s writer/lyricist Fred Anthony Marco.

Still a big part of the mix

Salem Hospital considers local nonprofit’s fundraising vital

BY KRIS OLSON

In hindsight, Lindsey Walker could not be happier with the decision she and her husband made to bring their twins, who had been born prematurely, closer to home to continue their care.

To be sure, the doctors and nurses at the Boston hospital where Mac and Marnie had been born were top notch, the technology state-of-the-art and gleaming.

But there was something special about having the twins at Salem Hospital, beyond sparing Walker two-plus hours in the car round trip.

Now, Mac and Marnie are thriving 17-month-olds, while their mom is excited to be in the first year of her three-year term on the 16-member board of the Merry Mixers. The Marbleheadbased 73-year-old nonprofit organization has become one of the most important allies for newborns and their care providers at Salem Hospital.

“To say the Merry Mixers are essential is an understatement,” said Kate Bailey, director of development at Salem Hospital. “Their consistency in funding specific projects for us is tremendous, and we can count on their generosity every year.”

In recent years, those projects have included helping to create a one-of-a-kind outdoor play space to be used by pediatric psychiatry inpatients.

That play space allows the hospital’s youngest mental health patients get some fresh air and sun on their faces in a setting that also affords them some privacy, so they are not on display.

One doctor, Dr. Jefferson Prince, has found it particularly effective to take his patients out to shoot hoops rather than always conduct sessions in his office, Bailey noted.

For its 70th anniversary year in 2020, Merry Mixers presented Salem Hospital with $73,000 to help beautify the pediatric unit in the Epstein Center for Behavioral Health with artwork and murals while also updating technology in the Special Care Nursery. It also continued funding of the Behavioral Health Family Resource Center, which had begun in 2014.

Last year, the Merry Mixers set a new standard for themselves, making their largest annual donation of $90,000.

Current co-chair Alexandra Fenty said the group is particularly proud of how the Merry Mixers roared back after the pandemic loosened its grip.

“The COVID years were tough for us,” she said. “It was hard to fundraise because we couldn’t have a lot of events. So last year, we were back in the swing of things, and we did really well.”

The Special Care Nursery’s recent acquisition of a retinal scanner — previously, babies would need to be brought to MGH in Boston for such scans — is a typical example of the kind of project the Merry Mixers fund: technology the lack of which the staff at Salem Hospital might be able to work around but that provides real benefits to local families when it exists in house.

The Merry Mixers raise the money for these donations with a series of fundraising events during the course of the year, one of which is its annual gala, to be held this year on June 3 at Kernwood Country Club.

One of the Merry Mixers’ other major fundraisers is a 50-50 raffle, the winner of which is drawn during the tree lighting festivities in the parking lot of

National Grand Bank during the Christmas Walk.

Beyond those annual staples, the group has been trying to “keep it fun for everyone” by injecting some new ideas into the mix. One example is a winter wellness program, which offered virtual and in-person fitness classes, along with a fitness clothing shopping event.

The group also held its first paddle tennis tournament this year.

“We’re just trying to have people in the community meet each other, do something physical in person, while also raising money,” Fenty said.

Where that money will be allocated specifically is an annual conversation between the Merry Mixers and hospital staff.

But Fenty said that, generally speaking, in recent years, the funds have been earmarked for three areas of the hospital: the

pediatric psychiatry unit, the general department of pediatrics and the Family Resource Center.

The Family Resource Center provides behavioral health education, support and resources for children, adolescents, teens, adults and professionals throughout the year. People need not be patients to take advantage of the offerings.

“The Family Resource Center is a benefit to the community that is especially important right now, where we are in the middle of a mental health crisis,” Bailey said.

Through webinars and other programs, families can seek out a little bit of help to get them through tough times, she added.

The Merry Mixers are the only external source of funding for the center, Fenty noted.

With respect to the pediatric psychiatry unit, Merry Mixers

GALA SET FOR JUNE 3

The Merry Mixers’ annual Heart in Hands Gala will be held Saturday, June 3, 6:30 p.m. at Kernwood Country Club in Salem.

This year’s event will have the theme, “A Night in Monte Carlo,” with casino table games like blackjack, craps, roulette and Texas Hold’em poker part of the festivities in addition to a live band, a beer-and-wine open bar, food stations and an always-popular silent auction.

In last year’s silent auction, the opportunity to develop and name a sandwich at Shubie’s Marketplace was a hot commodity, noted Merry Mixers board member Lindsey Walker. This year, Walker said one big ticket item will be a trip to attend a taping of “Watch What Happens Live” with Andy Cohen.

Tickets are $150, and there are sponsorship opportunities available as well. Purchase tickets and learn more about the event at merrymixers.org/ annualgala.

pediatric “pods” instead of being wheeled down to the radiology department, Bailey said.

She added that this summer should see the completion of a Merry Mixers project delayed by COVID to install an LED lighting system that will allow children receiving treatment to be distracted by a waterfall or the solar system rather than having to look at a bare ceiling. An LED fish tank in the waiting room is already a “huge hit,” Bailey. This year, funding will be targeted for the purchase of a Babyleo, a state-of-the-art incubator for babies born prematurely.

It is the type of technology that Walker knows the value of all too well.

But Walker said that she is also grateful that volunteering with the Merry Mixers affords her the opportunity to give back to doctors and nurses who bring palpable joy and uncommon dedication to their jobs.

“They are not just clocking in and out,” Walker said.

Walker and her husband, Ian, spent their babies’ first Christmas in the Special Care Nursery. She watched as the nurses and staff arranged for a photographer to come in for holiday photo shoots and dressed the children in coordinated festive outfits — all on their own dime, at least as of then. Walker said the Merry Mixers hope they can step in and support such efforts as well.

funding this year will purchase Chromebooks for inpatient patients to use, which will enable them to keep up with school work during extended stays while allowing hospital staff to have more control over the usage of the technology than with the patients’ personal devices.

Additional funding for the pediatric psychiatry unit will be earmarked towards staff training with the goal of reducing what is currently a long waitlist for outpatient services.

With respect to the general pediatric department, the Merry Mixers funding often purchases equipment that may be less than mandatory but still provides great comfort to patients and their families. An example is the mobile X-ray unit that the Merry Mixers helped purchase that allows patients to remain in the relative security of their

The Walkers have their own story of one particular nurse’s devotion to her patients. As often happens with premature twins, one — in this case, Mac — was ready to go home before his sister. Lindsey recalled one nurse, Sierra Johnson, who dedicated the better part of a day to getting Marnie to bottle feed so that she could reunite with her brother in short order.

Mac and Marnie are now 17 months old and are “doing great,” hitting all the benchmarks for children their age.

“All the care they received up to this point has been crucial,” she said.

Walker knows stories like her family’s are unfolding daily at the Special Care Nursery. Through her work with the Merry Mixers, she is happy to have a hand in writing other happy endings.

One of the projects the Merry Mixers have funded is the creation of an outdoor play space that caregivers like Dr. Jefferson Prince have used to great effect with their patients.

COURTESY PHOTOS Mac and Marnie Walker are now thriving 17-montholds, thanks in no small part to the care they received in the Special Care Nursery at Salem Hospital.

Marnie Walker, top, took a little while longer to be weaned off a feeding tube but was able to reunite at home with her twin brother, Mac, thanks to the dedication of a nurse in the Special Care Nursery at Salem Hospital. Now, their mom, Lindsey, is serving as a board member of the Merry Mixers, raising funds for the pediatric care of others.

In addition to raising funds to support pediatric care at Salem Hospital, the Merry Mixers also undertake an annual toy drive for patients spending the holidays in the hospital.

BR IN

N

MME R &

temperature was about 53 degrees.

“They were cold, tired and wet,” he said. “I could see the salt caked on their skin. The young girls were pretty hysterical. We went up to them and told them, ‘We’re here to help. We’re not going to let anything happen to you.’

I called the harbormaster on channel 16, which is for distress calls.”

Abbisso, who is 23, took the kayakers aboard his boat until harbormaster crews arrived. Marblehead

“They were cold, tired and wet. I could see the salt caked on their skin. We went up to them and told them, ‘We’re here to help. We’re not going to let anything happen to you.’ ”

Harbormaster Mark

Souza is grateful Abbisso happened to be in the area.

‘Eyes on the water’

“The big thing here I appreciate is that these fishermen, who are struggling to make ends meet because of regulations, are a very important part of the waterways,” Souza said. “They are our eyes on the water. This could have been a tragic event.”

This is not Abbisso’s first

rescue at sea.

“A long time ago, when I was a kid, my father and I found a man in a sailboat who was drifting toward rocks, and we towed him to a safer area. Another time at the mouth of Salem Harbor, there was a boat that started smoking, a thick, black plume of smoke. We got people off that boat.”

Souza said this can be a learning experience for all kayakers.

“They didn’t have a cell phone or radio on the boat, and the conditions were not conducive to being in a small kayak,” he said. “You should always have some kind of communication, a cell phone, with you and be wearing life jackets, not just have them in the boat.”

Dolphin intervention?

Abbisso wonders if he had a little help finding the kayakers that evening.

“We spotted a dolphin close to Children’s Island,” he explained. “It popped up a couple of times and came toward us, then turned and went in the direction of the kayakers. I can’t say 100% that it was trying to point us in the right direction, but it kind of correlated.” Balloon Dude Some people may remember Abbisso as Balloon Boy. As a kid, he created balloon animals for kids (and adults) at private and town events, raising money for the Marblehead Animal Shelter and other charities. He still “twists balloons,” as he puts it, but now goes by the name “Balloon Dude.”

Track athletes compete with state peers

BY JOE MCCONNELL

The Marblehead High spring track teams traveled to Norton on Saturday, May 13 to participate in the annual Massachusetts State Track Coaches Association Invitational

Meet.

Girls 2-mile

A sure sign of excellence in sports is when someone makes something very difficult look very easy. That’s exactly what freshman Marri O’Connell did in her 2-mile run, according to coach William Herlihy.

“Marri finished second with an incredible time of 11:23.10, which comes with a series of impressive accolades: a 46-second personal best that ranks her seventh in the state and a time that beats the autoqualifying standard for the Meet of Champions (to be held on June 1, 3) by 20 seconds, which also puts her second behind only Shalane Flanagan in the MHS record books,” Herlihy said.

Herlihy added, “Marri elevates her game against the best competition in a way that very few athletes can, and it’s a blast to watch her compete at this level.”

Boys 2-mile

“Isaac Gross finally got the chance to race this season, and he did not disappoint,” said Herlihy. “His 9:40.88 finishing time was good for fifth place. It was a nine-second personal best, ranking him 15th in the state. He also hit the Meet of Champions auto-qualifying time, and is also second all-time in the MHS record books. The current record holder A.J. Ernst was

SOFTB a LL

also a prodigious runner, who had a successful college career and still competes at the highest level.”

Herlihy added, “Hats off to Isaac. This race was masterfully run by him, and since he’s only a junior we may not even have seen his best just yet.”

Girls 400-meter hurdles

Devin Whalen was in the seeded heat against the best hurdlers in the state, and she cruised to a sixth-place finish with a personal best time of 70.05, good for 23rd in the state.

“Devin’s new focus in this event has been incredible to see,” said coach Nolan Raimo. “She has trimmed five to six seconds off her time from last

Young Magicians still alive for postseason

BY JOE MCCONNELL

The Marblehead High softball team (6-6 in the Northeastern Conference, 7-9 overall) shut down host Winthrop, 12-0, in a six-inning mercy rule game on May 17.

Pitcher Ruby Calienes scattered three hits and issued no walks while striking out 11 along the way.

Freshman Isabel Mortensen had two hits in as many at-bats, including a triple, to help pace the offensive attack. Luka Bornhorst and Eve Walton also collected two hits in three at-bats. Sophia Hallisey went 2-for-4 during this blowout win.

Anna Bobowski knocked in the final run of the game with a hit after making solid contact in her other three plate appearances that went for naught, according to coach Johnny Gold, who wanted to single out his senior infielder for taking an aggressive offensive approach against the Vikings.

It was more of the same for the Magicians against visiting Swampscott last Friday afternoon on Senior Day. They defeated the Big Blue going away, 12-1.

Before the game, Bobowski was honored for her contributions to the program throughout the last four years. Bobowski’s counterpart on the Big Blue, Meghan Baker, was also appreciated for her efforts during her tenure as a scholastic standout.

Calienes gave up just three hits again to go along with 10 strikeouts. She also helped her own cause at the plate with two hits.

Left fielder Sophia Hallisey (2-4), second baseman Eva Walton (2-4) and Mortensen (3-4) were the team’s leaders on offense.

Freshman third baseman Tessa Andriano returned to the lineup after being out for several games with an ankle injury, and she made her presence known with an excellent catch in foul territory, as well as driving home two runs with a double to deep center field, noted Gold.

year, and a large part of her success is a result of sheer drive.”

Boys 400-meter hurdles

Errol Apostolopoulos (1:01.69, personal best) finished 11th.

“Errol sprinted easily through the first 200 meters and was able to build up a significant lead going into the final 200,” said Raimo. “But he got caught up in the final hurdle, which impeded his time. Without that final hurdle, I think he could’ve finished in the top five, under 60 seconds.”

Girls 200

Cate Trautman (26.31) led the way for Marblehead with a third-place finish, a half-second better from her time last year. It

BOy S TENNIS

now places her 23rd in the state and second in the school record books.

Ava Machado (26.41) was close behind, coming in fourth. She’s 30th in the state and fourth in the school’s record books.

Le’Daisha Williams (27.20) was 18th, and Sadie Halpern (27.22) ended up 19th.

“To have four of our runners qualify and land in the rop 20 at a competitive invitational is incredible,” said Raimo.

Boys 200

Harrison Curtis (22.97) cracked the 23-second barrier to place 11th overall. Sebastian Pantzer (23.9) finished 12th. Thomas Carlson (23.82) was 26th. Ryan Thompson (23.83)

came in 27th.

“Harrison’s time slots him 49th in the state and second in school history,” said Raimo. “Sebastian Pantzer battled through mono at the end of the indoor season and into the outdoor season, and his time considering his month of no training is truly remarkable.”

Boys mile

“Nate Assa has been a man on a mission this year,” said Herlihy. “His racing continues to improve from a time and execution perspective, and even as his times keep coming down, he always wants more.”

Herlihy added, “Nate ran an awesome mile, finishing 28th in one of the most stacked fields that day with a time of 4:50.85, which is a two-second personal best. Nate works so hard every day at practice, and his workout times keep getting faster and

Magicians set to complete sensational regular season

Eighth-ranked team remains undefeated in NEC

BY JOE MCCONNELL

Beginning a new week against St. Mary’s of Lynn on May 15, the Marblehead High boys tennis team (10-0 in the Northeastern Conference, 13-3 overall) shut down its non-league counterparts, 5-0.

Coach Elisabeth Foukal rested her regulars, but their replacements were quite effective to maintain the team’s winning ways.

“I was really proud of our singles players, who had to play their best to beat their solid counterparts from St. Mary’s,” Foukal said.

Sophomore Jayden Janock was not expecting to play, but as a result of a last-minute illness he stepped into the No. 1 spot to play a smart, balanced game, winning it going away against senior Mark Wood, 6-1, 6-4.

Sophomore Luke Miller played a hard-fought second singles match, ultimately beating sophomore Thomas Shea in a third-set tiebreaker, 6-4, 3-6, 11-9. Senior co-captain Jack Wykes then completed the singles sweep with a solid win over senior Gif L’Italian in third singles, 6-1, 6-1. The first doubles team of

sophomores Austin Bacon and Leo Winocour took care of seniors Chris Lutchman and Brendan Zollo, 6-2, 6-0.

Sophomores Ben Zaltsman and Quinn Fletcher upended seniors Dan

COURTESY PHOTOZ/CAT PIPER

Marblehead High boys spring track senior captain Harrison Curtis, center, and sophomore Thomas Carlson, right, compete in the 200 during the state coaches invitational meet in Norton on May 13.

Marblehead High girls spring track senior captain Devin Whalen competes in the 400-meter hurdles.

COURTESY PHOTO

Before the start of their match with St. Mary’s of Lynn on May 15, Marblehead High boys tennis coach Elisabeth Foukal and her players meet with Morris Rapaport, who played on the Lynn English tennis team in 1941. The team’s sportsmanship award is given in Rapaport’s honor every year at the banquet following the season.

marbleheadcurrent.org A14 Wednesday, May 24, 2023 Marblehead Current CP_MBHC_20230524_1_A14

MHS Va RSIT y SPORTS SCHEDULES

p.m. boys and girls track MIAA divisional meet at Fitchburg State University 4:30 p.m. softball vs. Medford at Columbus Park Softball Field, Medford 6:30 p.m. baseball vs. Salem at Haverhill High

p.m. softball vs. Ipswich at Bialek Park, Ipswich 6 p.m. boys lacrosse vs. Melrose at Marblehead High Piper Field Saturday, May 27

TR

SPRING

BY JOE MCCONNELL

The Marblehead High spring track teams came away with a couple of victories against neighboring Salem at home on Monday, May 15, which also closed out the regular season.

The boys (3-3-1) won going away, 88-40, while the girls (5-2) also dominated their longtime Northeastern Conference rivals, 94-14.

Girls high jump

Keira Sweetnam (5-0) won the high jump.

“It was a tough jumping day because of all the swirling winds, which forced jumpers to adjust in order to take off properly, but Keira still had a successful day,” said coach Nolan Raimo.

Campbell Crane (4-4) ended up second.

Girls long jump

Claire Davis won the long jump with a leap of 156.5, which caps an incredible regular season for her, according to Raimo. She has won most of her long jumps, with hopefully more to come in the postseason meets, the coach said.

Ana Vina de Garnica (14-5) was third.

Boys long jump

Thomas Carlson (18-10) won the long jump.

“Thomas has been nursing a hamstring injury throughout most of the spring, and jumping around 19 feet is a good sign for the postseason,” Raimo said.

Colin Hart (17-5) came in fourth, Claudio GusmaoGonzalez (15-0) fifth and Casey Gransbury (14-0) seventh.

Girls triple jump

Sweetnam and Davis were battling for the top spot, which Sweetnam (33-8) won, and Davis (33-3) was credited with a close second.

Elise Burchfield (31-4) completed the sweep in third place. Morgan Zion (31-0) finished fourth.

“The headwinds and crosswinds at the triple-jump pit made it difficult, but seemingly these jumpers had no problem (mastering the weather),” said Raimo.

Boys triple jump

Gusmao-Gonzalez (32-4) finished second. Seth Cushinsky (29-11, personal best) was third.

Girls shot put

Rachael Albert

Pimentel and Rowan Sherpwell in second doubles, 6-1, 6-1.

Morris Rapaport, who played on the Lynn English tennis team in 1941, attended the St. Mary’s match. The team’s sportsmanship award is given in his honor every year at the banquet following the season.

The Marblehead boys went right back to work the next day to defeat Salem, 5-0, despite resting six of their top seven players, reinforcing once again the considerable depth on this year’s roster.

Sophomore Etan Farfel beat senior Jackson Werten, 6-0, 6-0 in first singles. Sophomore Anthony Vizy then topped senior Matt Quikennan in

(28-5) continues to be impressive throwing the shot put to win the event once again.

Hannah O’Brien (22-1) came in third.

Boys shot put

Justin Gonzalez (37-0, a personal best by more than a foot) picked up the five firstplace points for his teammates.

Alex Hersey (36-6) came in second.

Asher Oren (32-6) completed the sweep in third place.

Lycurgus Cohen (31-4) was fourth.

“This group of shot put throwers was relatively new to the event at the beginning of the season, but nonetheless their progress this year has been great to see,” Raimo said.

Girls discus Albert won for the second time on this day — something she has done quite frequently this spring — with a discus throw of 99-4.

O’Brien (76-0) finished second.

Samantha Clock (52-10) was fourth and Siena Day (50-4) fifth.

Boys discus

Angelo Knight (84-1) finished second. Graham Firestone (81-3) was right behind him in third place. Tucker Crane (790) was fourth and Alexander Humphreys (70-7) fifth.

Girls javelin

Sierra Leinberry racked up another win in the javelin with a throw of 73 feet.

Adelyn Cruickshank (64-0), Mia Mabry (51-10) and Siena Day (45-9) rounded out the

second singles, 6-0, 6-1.

Senior co-captain Jack Wykes maintained the same winning script against Dewa Trisna in third singles, 6-0, 6-1.

Sophomores Bacon and Winocour teamed up to defeat Mark Quikennan and Brooks Workman in first doubles, 6-0, 6-0.

Sophomores Quinn Fletcher and Ben Zaltsman closed out another varsity win, defeating Rillan Workman and Will Towne in second doubles, 6-0, 6-1.

The Magicians, playing their third consecutive match in as many days, beat a formidable Masco team at home, 5-0. It was Senior Day, and co-captains Jimmy King and Jack Wykes were honored before the Chieftains match for their contributions to the program the last four years. They then

Marblehead throwers coming in third through fifth place, respectively.

Boys javelin

Asher Oren was victorious with a throw of 106-6, which is quite good considering the gusty headwinds, according to Raimo. Knight (101-10) came in second.

Phineas Jakious (93-0) was third and Graham Firestone (846) fourth.

Boys 400-meter hurdles

Ryan Thompson ran away from the field in his first official 400-meter hurdle race with a time of 61.7.

“Ryan is an accomplished 400-meter runner, and his transition now to the hurdles was seamless,” said Raimo.

Magnus McCarthy (66.1) was credited with a second-place finish. Tomasso Santoni (68.2) was third, Marc Grazado (68.3) fourth, Nate Jendrysik (76.7) fifth and Logan Doody (80.1) sixth.

Girls 100/110-meter hurdles

Elise Burchfield ran into a headwind but still won with an impressive time of 18.3.

Crane (21.7) and Sierra Leinberry (22.1) completed the sweep, with Addison Rotigliano (22.5) coming in a close fourth.

Boys 100/110-meter hurdles

Hersey (16.0) completed the regular season undefeated in this event. Errol Apostolopoulos (16.8) was second.

Grazado (19.4) came in third and Santoni (20.2) fourth.

Girls 100

Ariella Kahn (14.2) led the way with a first-place finish.

teamed up to prevail in second doubles that went to a third set tiebreaker.

Junior Mika Garber topped Masco’s Mark Trull in first singles, 6-0, 6-0. Junior Jost Eggebrecht won a straight-set second singles match against senior Kyle Trull, 6-0, 6-1. Farfel experienced similar results against junior Jack Eaton in third singles, 6-1, 6-0.

Sophomores Janock and Vizy were victorious over Justin Sagnior and Parker Kurtz in first doubles, 6-3, 6-0. The aforementioned King and Wykes persevered against Kai Hird and Carson Bakunas in second doubles, 3-6, 6-2, 10-8.

In sub-varsity play, Fletcher lost a singles match, 6-2. Bacon and Winocour were leading 5-1 when the match was abruptly

The Marblehead girls are wrapping up the regular season schedule this week with four road games.

Needing just two wins to clinch a Division 2 state tournament berth, they have already taken on Danvers and Malden Catholic on Monday and Tuesday, after the Current’s press deadline, then it was

off to Medford’s Columbus Park on Thursday to face the Mustangs, starting at 4:30 p.m.

The Cape Ann League Ipswich Tigers will then provide the competition the next day with a game beginning at 4 p.m.

If all goes well, the youthful Magicians will win at least two of those four games to qualify for the postseason that begins next week.

against the Witches.

Slater Johnson (57.3, personal best) accounted for third. Colin Hart (60.5) was fourth.

Girls 800

Max Arbo (3:07.9) ran well while running alone in this middle-distance event.

Boys 800

James Marcey (2:29.5) achieved a personal milestone while also snagging a secondplace finish after a great kick heading to the finish line.

Crane (15.8) was a last-second addition to the varsity 100, and she still finished an impressive fourth.

Boys 100 Jacob Bobowski (11.7) sprinted to a first-place finish.

“Jacob has always had an impressive acceleration out of the blocks, but he’s made progress this season on the back half of his sprint races,” Raimo said.

Michael Carlson (12.4) was third and Isaac Brenneman (12.8) fifth. Girls 200

Cora Gerson (28.8) came through with a first-place finish. Morgan Zion (29.7) was second.

Olivia Vanden Heuvel (30.3) stepped down from the 400 at the last minute to run the 200 and accounted for a third-place finish and another point for her teammates.

Boys 200

“David Di Constanzo (24.0) was the favorite going into the 200, and he was able to hold off Errol for the victory,” said Raimo.

Apostolopoulos (24.8) settled for second. Gabe Bayramian (26.9) stepped down from the 800 to run the 200 and ended up fifth.

Girls 400

Ariella Kahn (67.5, personal best) was another double winner for the girls team on this day with a first-place finish in this sprinting event.

Maren Rowe (69.5) ran a sub70 to finish second. Grace Rowe (74.8) was third.

Boys 400 In preparation for the decathlon later on this season, Hersey (55.2) won the 400

stopped, with twilight hovering over the courts.

Foukal’s squad then closed out a busy week on the road at Brookline, where they lost to the non-league Warriors, 5-0.

Garber lost to Devin Nahata in first singles, 8-2. Eggebrecht fell to Peter Khudyakov in second singles, 8-0. It was more of the same in third singles, when Farfel dropped an 8-2 decision to Owen Esker.

Janock and Vizy were defeated by Ravin and Kiran Bhatia in first doubles, 8-0. King and Winocour did the same against Grady Ames and Anish Shrivastana, 8-0.

In sub-varsity play, Bacon and Zaltsman lost, 8-0, while Fletcher was on the short end of a competitive singles match, 8-3.

Luke Roth and Quinn Sullivan recorded the lone Marblehead

Zach Plum (2:36.8) finished just off the podium in fourth place. Harrison Curtis made his way through the two-lap race in 2:58.1.

Girls mile

Maren Potter (6:16.1), Martha Heffernan (7:07) and Emma St. George (7:19.3) swept the mile.

Boys mile

The boys also swept the mile, with Peter Sullivan (5:30) taking first, followed by David Alpert (5:41.4) and Zach Pike (5:47.1).

“Among the JVs, Sam Tanger (5:53.4) ran a great race to break the six-minute barrier, thanks in part to Nate Assa’s pacing,” said coach William Herlihy. “Nate was next with a time of 5:56.6, while Jeremy Sorkin completed the course in 6:16.9.”

Boys 2-mile Jonah Potach (12:17.9) got his first win of the season in this long-distance event.

“Despite some excellent eye black, Will Cronin had to drop out of this race just 1 mile in due to leg fatigue,” said Herlihy.

Girls 4x100 Mia Mabry, Cora Gerson, Morgan Zion and Abigail Ross came together at the last second to participate in this event, and despite not practicing any handoffs they were still able to run an impressively combined time of 58 seconds.

Boys 4x100 Michael Carlson, Ethan Horgan, Joe Proulx and Isaac Brenneman raced to a secondplace finish while also cracking the 50-second mark in 49.9.

Boys 4x400 Will Cronin, Jeremy Sorkin, Peter Sullivan and James Marcey (4:42.5) were the victors in this relay.

win among all three levels on this day in a JV doubles match, 6-3.

Graydon Waller and Nico Altonian (6-2), T.J. Kelly and Jeffrey Kucharsky (6-5), Evan Murtagh and Adam Loughlin (6-2), Travis Ehrhardt and John Bender (6-1) and Connor Dunleavy and Nico Altonian (6-0) were beaten in their JV doubles matches.

Marblehead is wrapping up the regular season this week with three more non-league road encounters against ManchesterEssex (May 22), HamiltonWenham (May 23) and Boston College High School (May 24).

The locals, ranked eighth out of 51 Division 2 teams in the latest power rankings, will begin the postseason the following week.

Marblehead High spring boys track junior Alex Hersey sees the finish line in sight as he completes the 110-meter hurdles against Salem.

Softball

P. A13 Tennis

YMCA staff spotlight: Children’s Island Dir. Kasey Kennedy

BY BRIAN FLYNN, LVO YMCA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

When all campers, old and new, arrive on Children’s Island this summer they will be greeted by the familiar face of longtime Islander Kasey Kennedy. This summer will be Kennedy’s 18th year on the island and her ninth year as a staff member. Her love for Children’s Island started when she was just a little camper, then a teen leader, and after that a CIT (Counselor In Training). Kennedy also earned the coveted Ranger Red patch, a longtime island tradition recognizing a camper’s ability to understand the nature features of the island and the outdoorsman skills required to preserve its beauty.

A Swampscott native, Kennedy has been a Y member since she was 5 when she joined the YNS Sharks swim program where she competed through high school with legendary swim coach Sue Guertin. She was a member of the teen leaders

M aGICI a NS NOTEBOOK

program at the Y for several years and went on a service trip to Puerto Rico in 2015. She volunteered in the Y’s Special Olympics swim program, which inspired her to teach in the Y’s Water Wise swim program for children with Autism and other various disabilities. Kennedy

has been leading the Water Wise swim program in Marblehead for the last two years.

Kennedy says, “Water Wise connects me with a variety of families across the North Shore community. The relationships myself and my staff have developed with the children in the program have allowed the families to feel comfortable and supported. The experience of this program is very mutual. The kids get an individualized experience with their staff members, and the staff gain important perspectives of people with different abilities. The smiles and small victories make this a cherished experience.”

Children’s Island summer camp, located on a 29-acre island one mile northeast of Marblehead, delivered an enriching, “unplugged” experience in nature. The island features beaches and a salt water pool, as well as an art barn, dedicated lodges for camp groups, a sports field, gaga pit and archery range.

“My philosophy as Island director is centered around a few things,” Kennedy explained. “Kids are our greatest natural resource. On the island we focus on providing our campers with an inclusive and safe space for them to feel comfortable enough to be themselves. I also believe that Children’s Island helps to develop empowered young adults, by practicing principles of respect and responsibility. It allows people to find their passions, foster meaningful relationships and develop important life skills to be successful in any capacity they see fit. As a matter of fact, for the last few years, many of the staff members on the island have been my former campers and it has been amazing to see them transform from young children to strong leaders who really want to make an impact in our community.”

There are still a few spots left for YMCA summer camp. Learn more at northshoreymca.org/programs/ lynchvan-otterloo-ymca-camps.

Girls tennis winds down regular season

BY JOE MCCONNELL

The Marblehead High girls tennis team (11-1 in the Northeastern Conference, 12-4 overall) began a brand new week with a shutout against Peabody, 5-0, on May 15.

“Though we won 5-0, the Peabody players show positive signs of growing into a strong program,” said coach Tracy Ackerman. “Their number of participants have increased since last year. It is impressive to see the growth of the players from one year to the next.”

Ackerman added, “But we have a very challenging remainder of our own season, with matches against Masco, and two nonleague (encounters) against Lynnfield and HamiltonWenham, which should prepare us for the upcoming state tournament.”

First singles player Pauline Geissler defeated her Peabody counterpart, 6-0, 6-1. Andrea Potvin prevailed in second

singles, 6-4, 6-4. Charly Cooper shut down her third singles opponent, 6-0, 6-0.

The first doubles team of Courtney Yoder and Aviva Bornstein won in straight sets, 6-2, 6-0. Aoife Bresnahan and Lucia Levin completed the sweep in second doubles, 6-2, 6-1.

Two days later, the Marblehead girls took on state powerhouse and NEC rival Masco, and the Chieftains ended up rolling over the home team to the tune of 5-0.

“Masco showed why they are the defending state champions,” said Ackerman. “Their singles players plowed through Marblehead without dropping a single game.”

The veteran Marblehead coach added, “Hats off to Masco. They still have very talented players, all of whom have returned from last year. We wish them the best of luck in defending the state title. Their girls displayed tremendous sportsmanship.

There’s always great camaraderie between the two teams, and my team had some takeaways from this match, which will hopefully serve us well in the postseason.”

Geissler, Potvin and Cooper all lost their singles matches by identical 6-0, 6-0 scores. Yoder and Bornstein played a competitive first doubles match before losing, 2-6, 3-6.

“Courtney and Aviva got their Masco counterparts off balance by playing different formations that we have been practicing,” said Ackerman.

Bresnahan and Levin then lost to a super strong Masco team in second doubles, 1-6, 1-6.

The Magicians defeated Salem, 5-0, on May 20 to close out the week before wrapping up the regular season against Lynnfield (May 22) and Hamilton-Wenham (May 23) after press deadline. The postseason gets underway next week.

The Marblehead High girls lacrosse team (6-7 in the Northeastern Conference, 2-6 in Dunn Division, 6-11 overall) edged Masco in a high-scoring comeback effort, 9-8, on May 17. The Chieftains were on top at the half, 8-5.

The Dunn Division consists of Beverly, Danvers, Masco, Peabody and Marblehead.

Lucy Wales (one goal, one ground ball, one interception), Ramona Gillett (one goal, one assist), Sydney Langton (six goals, one interception, one ground ball) and Maddie Forbes (one goal) stood out for the Magicians against the rival Chieftains. Goalie Kate Santesanio made 10 saves to help secure this close win for her teammates.

The Marblehead girls then defeated host Winthrop the next day, 18-8. They were also ahead at the half, 11-1.

up with four goals and one assist against the Vikings.

Gillett (one goal, one ground ball), Forbes (two goals, two assists, one interception), Wales (three goals, two assists, one ground ball), Caitlyn Ryan (two goals), Caroline Scroope (one goal, two assists), Isabelle Ferrante (two goals), Neely Payne (one goal) and Tamia Johnson (one goal) also contributed to the win over Winthrop. Santesanio made eight saves to help prevent the Vikings from getting any closer in this contest.

The Magicians had one more regular season game left on the schedule against North Reading at home on Senior Day May 22 after press deadline. They are 16th in the latest May 19 Division 2 power rankings, with the Top 32 teams qualifying for the postseason that begins next week.

There was a special moment in this game when Langton scored her 100th career goal. She ended

Boys freshman mile

“People say that track isn’t a contact sport, but as Henrik Adams learned the hard way in this meet that isn’t always the case,” Herlihy said. “This event had 21 competitors in one heat, and through three laps of the race 15 to 20 of them were separated by only a couple of meters.”

Herlihy continued, “There was a lot of jostling and pushing for positioning, and late in the third lap Henrik got his foot caught up with another runner, and he fell. Not to be denied, Henrik bounced back up and surged past a pack of three runners before holding on to finish ninth with a time of 4:56.77. He raced like a warrior and, despite falling, still matched his best time at that distance.”

Girls 100/110-meter hurdles

Whalen ran a 16.61 in the prelims, which secured the eighth and last spot in the finals, where she went on to run a 16.54 to finish seventh, which is good for 36th in the state.

Claire Davis (17.25) ended up 14th and Elise Burchfield (17.70) 21st to round out the Marblehead participants in this event.

Boys 100/110-meter hurdles

Errol Apostolopoulos finished 21st in the state with a new electronic personal best time of

16.78.

“Errol, like in most of his meets, was competing throughout the whole day,” Herlihy said. “When he finished this event, he walked straight to the long jump pit to jump on tired legs, and right after that he finished up with the long jump. Errol is a savvy veteran at this point, but in the heat of the competition, it’s always impressive to see him navigate them so well.”

Girls 100

Ava Machado led the way for Marblehead with a two-tenthsof-a-second personal best to place fifth in the prelims at 12.78 and sixth in the finals with a 12.89. She took down an 11-year-old school record (12.85).

Le’Daisha Williams (13:05) finished 18th. Cate Trautman (13:10) was 19th.

Boys 100

Harrison Curtis was shot out of a cannon in the prelims to run an 11.09 right beside one of the top sprinters in the state. His time was 23rd in the state and is technically first in the school record books.

Joe Doherty’s 11.06 is currently in front, but with a 3.2 wind reading. A reading of 2.0 is the legal threshold for records.

“Curtis did not hesitate to let me know that he ran faster than my high school time,” said Raimo.

Thomas Carlson bounced back after a slight stumble in the 200 to run a very impressive 11.42 as a sophomore. Sebastian Pantzer (11.55) finished 22nd in the state.

Girls freshman 100

Sadie Halpern competed in

Girls lacrosse takes down Masco, Winthrop

the freshman division, where she finished first in the prelims (12.97) and second in the finals (13.15).

“Sadie has battled blisters on both feet over the past couple of weeks, but yet she’s still able to run these remarkable times without any complaint because of her sheer will and determination,” said Raimo.

Girls 800

Kate Twomey continued her excellent season with another personal best in the 800. She finished ninth overall with a time of 2:24.19, a two-second personal best, which solidified her standing as one of the best 800 runners in the Northeastern Conference and Division 3. She’s also ranked 48th in the state.

Boys 800

Gabe Bayramian (2:03.99, four-second personal best) also had the best race of his career at this meet, finishing 18th. This time also qualifies him for the upcoming state meet.

“It’s simply a testament to the work he puts in at practice,” said Herlihy. “He had been hovering around 2:09 for a couple of weeks but was able to break through at this meet in a big way after running excellent splits between laps one and two before closing it down with a strong kick to stave off any competition.”

Girls 400

Gabby Hendy, who has only run the 400 for a couple of weeks, finished 21st with a time of 63.13.

“Gabby from day one of her freshman year has been a disciplined, hardworking runner,

but after she was sidelined with an illness during the indoor season, she has since dominated spring track across all of the sprint events,” Raimo said. “Her 400 time of 63.13 is fourth in the school record books, while it’s also only her third time running an open 400.”

Boys 400 Ryan Thompson (52.57) led the way for Marblehead with a 13th-place finish.

“Ryan has been battling a knee injury since the Masco meet, but he still ran a great race considering the swelling and discomfort in the knee,” said Raimo.

David DiConstanzo finished 20th with a time of 53.45.

“David has had a great spring training-wise, and I think we will see this time drop quite a bit over the next couple of weeks,” said Raimo.

Girls discus

Hannah O’Brien finished 24th with a throw of 76-9.

“Hannah has seemingly cracked the code this season with a season-best throw of 86-foot plus, and I’m excited to see Hannah approach the 90-foot barrier at NEC Championship Meet or the Division 3 State Meet,” said Raimo.

Girls long jump

Davis finished 17th overall with a leap of 15-6.5. Elise Burchfield (14-10) was 24th.

Boys long jump

Apostolopoulos finished 26th with a jump of 19-5.

“Errol participated in the 400-meter hurdles but then was immediately required to

jump before his flight closed,” said Raimo. “The hurdles sap everything out of the legs, and for Errol to jump 19-5 into a headwind with lactic gunk all in his legs is a remarkable feat.”

Notre Dame of Hingham is the top seed with an 18-0 record. faster, indicating that his best race of the season may still be on the horizon.”

Girls triple jump Davis, the newest addition to the triple-jump squad, reached 34-10, which is 29th in the state and third in the school record books.

Girls 4x800

O’Connell opened this relay running a 2:33, followed by Cat Piper with a 2:51, Juliet Burchfield with a 2:42 and Kate Twomey with a 2:30 that combined for a solid 10:37, which was good for sixth place.

Girls 4x100

Ava Machado, Cate Trautman, Sadie Halpern and Le’Daisha Williams sprinted to a 50.77 to come in fourth overall.

“Ava, Cate, Sadie and Le’Daisha were on their third or fourth race of the day, but yet they fought the entire way, narrowly missing their time of 50.63 at the state relays, where they all had fresh legs,” Herlihy said. “The sub-50 mark is inevitable, and I’m looking forward to seeing them competing against the best in the state in a few weeks.”

Boys 4x100

Jacob Bobowski, Harrison Curtis, Thomas Carlson and Sebastian Pantzer finished fifth with a 44.55, which is also a new school record.

Girls 4x400

Cora Gerson, Maren Rowe, Gabby Hendy and Devin Whalen ended up seventh with a time of 4:39.92.

Kasey Kennedy will lead the summer fun on Children’s Island.

Board of Health gets transfer station update

Board of Health

DATE: May 9 (hybrid)

LWVM OBSERVER: Tom Krueger MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE: Todd Belfbecker, Joanne Miller and Helaine Hazlett, along with Health Director Andrew Petty Transfer station update

On May 4, Petty, Dana Weaver (architect) and Ray Quinn (site tech) presented to Massachusetts DEP, asking for a modification of the residential site permit.

The transfer station is considered a small handling facility, which can process up to 15,000 tons per year, two trailers a day.

The transfer station takes all the residential curbside trash, residents with stickers who bring additional trash, and those who “weigh and pay” with municipal solid waste, some construction waste, etc. They were looking for permission to do dedicated loads of construction demolition material once or twice a week. So, this would be pulling a trailer off, putting an empty trailer on, and doing dedicated construction/demolition material.

This would all go “across the scale” and work with waste management to move this material (using CWT for hauling), not part of the existing contract. This would begin only after all the construction of the transfer station was completed. DEP was open to this idea.

Last year, the transfer station did about 12,500 tons (7,500 was residential and 5,000 was commercial), leaving 2,500 tons that could be used for construction and demolition waste. This would permit the use of two additional trailers of up to 50 tons per week for these materials.

This material would be subject to the “weigh and pay” process and would be limited to Marblehead residents, account holders and active building permits. The use of these trailers would not be subject to a trucksize limit. (This solution was suggested and worked on by one Marblehead local contractor.)

DEP will require an operations and maintenance plan and a waste compliance plan. DEP will issue an updated operations approval, which can be renewed through transfer station certification. The town will submit this by the end of June.

After receiving such an

application, DEP takes up to 90 days to approve. They want to expedite this so that bidding might begin in mid-September.

Now that this is done, it gives the architect the ability to move forward and put a schedule together for design, etc., which should be available in the near future. The Planning and Zoning Board approvals come only after the work schedule is available.

Other updates include:

The compactor that will have to be custom built and takes about 30 weeks to deliver is coming in under budget. The timing of the compactor will be able to jive with the construction project, e.g., repair the chute.

—The access road gate will be done by the end of June and will be automated so that it can be opened with a remote control. Each truck will have one. The bid came in at $20,600. This should be less of a problem for the residents of Arnold Terrace. Later, this access will be open to residents after a presentation to the Planning Board.

When the access road is open, an employee will be stationed there so that he/ she can check stickers, help with unloading items, e.g., an air conditioner, etc. At the same time, more of the transactions will be moved online, e.g., pay and print out a sticker and attach it to the item before drop off.

» —On a separate topic, there is a need to look at the cost of handling “white goods,” etc., to keep in line with what other towns are charging.

Mental Health Task Force update

Miller discussed the work of the Mental Health Task Force.

A meeting scheduled for May 8 had to be postponed for lack of a quorum and was rescheduled for the next week.

The MHTF had a booth at the Health Kids Day at the YMCA, and there was a great turnout. MHTF is hoping to have an activity at the Farmers Market.

» Gina Hart was to share updates on the YBS survey (a youth risk survey) with data collected at the high school that would be helpful to the group.

» A discussion initially about adding members to

SUPERINTENDENT UPDaTE

the group ensued to bring more perspectives, expertise, etc. The task force now has subcommittees, a monthly column in the newspaper. Questions about the size, who approves the member, length of term involvement, etc. were all discussed.

Director’s report

» There was a tobacco violation that occurred on March 16 and April 18 at Marblehead Village Market, which is their third violation and results in a $5,000 fine and a 30-day suspension. The market can choose when it starts.

Narcan rescue kits are available at the Health Department, which are available to the public, and the nurse can go over their use.

The diaper drive was very successful — 1,753 diapers and 16 boxes of wipes, which will go to local resources, food pantries, etc.

» Beach water sampling to begin soon, which is usually the first or second week in June and will run through Labor Day.

» Camp inspections will start soon, and applications are being reviewed. Once camps start, the public health nurse and inspector will go to the camps. » Still have COVID test kits, just received more from the state. These expire in September.

At Town Meeting, a vote was made for operation manuals for town departments and boards. The state of Massachusetts puts out a legal handbook for health departments, which is very detailed and complete. This would be the BOH operations manual. Each member is provided with a manual.

» Leave collection will occur on trash collection day during the weeks of May 15 and June 5, grass and leaves only, must be in leaf bags. Public comment

There was no public comment.

Housing Plan Implementation Committee

DATE: May 9 (hybrid)

LWVM OBSERVER: Bonnie Grenier

MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE: Erin Noonan, Thatcher Kezer, Becky Cutting, Kurt James, Barton Hyte, John Buckey, Teri McDonough, Louis Meyi.

OTHERS: Cathy Hoog, executive director of the SalemMarblehead Housing Authorities New secretary needed Teri McDonough announced that since she will be taking a new job she would no longer be able to serve as secretary.

Noonan will look for volunteers to take minutes in the future.

Technical assistance grant sought

Cathy Hoog informed the committee that she had just submitted an application to the Massachusetts Housing Partnership for a technical assistance grant to explore the redevelopment of the Broughton Road Housing Authority property. The grant is approximately $35,000 to hire a consultant to develop a feasibility study. As the process moves along, Massachusetts Housing would have additional grants available.

Leveraging public assets for mixed-income housing

John Buckey, superintendent of schools, spoke to the fact that the current School Committee is divided as to what to do with the Coffin School property. The June 2023 town election will bring new members to the School Committee, so the feeling is that any decision should wait until after the election.

Thatcher Kezer reminded members that once it is determined that the property will not be used for educational purposes, it must be turned over to the town by a vote at Town Meeting. He explained that the financial benefit to the schools from turning this property over to the town would come with increased revenue from new growth once the property is developed.

Superintendent Buckey mentioned that there is an RFP out for the cost for demolition of the Coffin School.

Expand existing Smart Growth Overlay District

The committee needs to review and update proposals from the study that was done in 2009. A consultant will need to

be hired to identify which areas in town can be developed, and the owners of those properties will have to be contacted.

Grant money may be available from the MAPC for technical assistance from a consultant. For those property owners who might be interested in redevelopment, an initial meeting with Kezer and Cutting would be the way to proceed.

MBTA Communities Act compliance

To comply with the MBTA Communities Act, the town needs to designate at least 27 acres in total for possible development of multi-family housing. The minimum lot size is 5 acres. The Historic District would be exempt from this development. The Planning Board would have to draft new zoning bylaws for town counsel for review. They would then have to be approved by a vote at Town Meeting.

It will be helpful to reach out to other communities to see how they are handling the requirements of this new legislation. It has been made clear by the state that communities that do not comply with the new law will have reduced access to state grant money in the future.

There was mention of the fact that development projects take significant time and effort, and that public procurement laws need to be revisited to facilitate more affordable housing projects.

HOME Consortium ARPA funds

McDonough announced that the HOME Consortium has a significant amount of ARPA money available to address homelessness. She mentioned that every year in February there is a statewide count of homeless people. In Marblehead, this survey is conducted by the Police Department.

Louis Meyi suggested that the School Department and Council on Aging be included in the survey since they are likely sources of information about homeless people in town. State rep invite Noonan would like to invite state Rep. Jenny Armini to a future meeting to talk about opportunities for affordable housing.

The next meeting is scheduled for June 27 at 3:30 p.m. at Abbot Hall.

Signing day, art exhibit and Unsung Heroes

BY SCHOOLS SUPT.

JOHN BUCKEY

Good People of Marblehead

Public Schools:

Last week I wrote in the update about the importance of keeping a focus on the future.

This week I am happy to share two wonderful manifestations of that advice that have happened in the district. First, yesterday, Athletic Director Greg Ceglarski hosted a “signing day” for Marblehead High School student-athletes, who have committed to compete at the college or university level next year. Student-athletes, their families and coaches posed for pictures (by resident athletics photographer extraordinaire Muffy Paquette) in front of an MHS step-and-repeat while donning gear from the college or university where they have signed. It was such a tremendous

testament to the dedication of these student-athletes and the experiences they had in our programs and with our coaches that they will have the opportunity to carry into the future the lessons learned from participating here.

Also, this week, the Office of Teaching and Learning announced our new literacy curriculum, Wit & Wisdom, which will be implemented next fall. It represents a significant step forward for MPS as for years there has not been a formal, aligned curriculum for English Language Arts kindergarten to grade six.

The adoption process, outlined at loom.ly/fB7mfVk, was inclusive, rigorous and thorough. It sets what I would call a gold standard for the future of curricula adoptions, which will now follow a cyclical five-year curriculum review process: Mathematics, English Language Arts, Social Studies, Science and Unified Arts. Similar to the mathematics adoption two

years ago, we were able to move forward with Wit & Wisdom through grant funding. As we focus on the future, curriculum adoption work needs to be part of our normal operating budget, which has not been the case in the past. I want to thank all of the educators who participated in this process and look forward to sharing news about implementation of this exciting new curriculum, designed to help our youngest learners become outstanding readers, writers and communicators.

Friends Soiree

Mark your calendars! The Friends of Marblehead Public Schools Summer Soiree is back! On Saturday, June 17, join Friends to raise a glass and celebrate the innovative and inspiring grants they 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

our Marblehead community. So come kick off the summer with them. Head to their website, to purchase tickets. See you on Saturday, June17 at 6:30 p.m. for what is sure to be a great time had by all!

National Anthem

The Village School Choruses will be singing our National Anthem at the Marblehead High School varsity baseball game for Youth Night at Seaside Park on Monday, May 22. The Village Choruses will sing at 3:50 p.m. and the game will begin at 4 p.m.

Unsung Heroes

The Board of Directors of the Marblehead Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) wants to recognize all the Unsung Heroes in our community who have made a difference in the lives of our children with special needs. Share the story of your Unsung Hero of the Special Education Community. Go to loom.ly/ Mlsyxc4 to nominate your

Unsung Hero.

Unsung Heroes can be anyone in the community or school — anyone who has shown exemplary work, made a significant contribution and/or impact beyond their expected responsibilities. Each nomination should highlight one person and include a brief story about how this person has impacted the special education community or a person within the special education community. The Marblehead SEPAC wants to collect your stories before June 2 so we can honor all heroes in June.

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 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Enjoy the student artwork, food, drinks and live music performed by MHS students!

CURRENT EVENTS

Marblehead’s best bets, May 24-31

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

Downtown Walking Tours

May 25 & 26, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m and May 27, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

June is National Preservation Month and in celebration Judy Anderson of Marblehead Architecture Heritage and Tours will lead two-hour walking tours of the town’s historic areas. Meet at Abbot Hall, no reservations necessary. Donations are welcome. More information at MarbleheadTours.com.

MHS Spring Art Show

Through June 2

Marblehead High School has launched its annual spring art exhibit at Abbot Hall. The show features 400 works by students in grades 9-12, including drawings, paintings, sculptures, photography, graphic design, woodworking and architecture.

Hayley Reardon Concert

May 26, 7:30 p.m.

Marblehead’s own Hayley Reardon, a criticallyacclaimed folk pop artist, will perform a Homegrown House Concert on Friday, May 26, in town. The show will be held in a living room or outside if the weather cooperates. There is space for up to 35 people. There’s a suggested donation of $20 per person. For details and location, visit loom.ly/zF2ki0s.

Bird-watching Walk

May 26, 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Mass Audubon is hosting a free birdwatching walk at Marblehead Neck

COUNCIL ON aGING H a PPENINGS

Wildlife Sanctuary. Participants will learn about bird migration, breeding behavior and basic identification skills regardless of their skill levels. Although the event is free, registration is required at bit. ly/3Mnmtpy.

Painting & Pottery

May 28, noon

Marblehead artist Mark MacKay will display his painting and pottery at the Marblehead Unitarian Universalist Church.

MacKay is a graduate of the Mass College of Art, where he studied graphic design and worked in multimedia.

Mark MacKay

Before moving to Marblehead in 2022, he had his own studio in Newburyport, where he worked in acrylics, clay dishes and sculpture. His paintings are inspired by his time in the woods and living by the ocean.

Spring & summer 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

Calling all veterans

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

Juneteenth

The COA is closed on June 19 to mark this federal holiday.

Election day June 20

All COA classes are canceled on election day. Transportation to polling places is available.

Speaker Series

The COA Speaker series continues Friday, June 21, at 12:30 p.m., with Mike Michaud, fleet captain at the Boston Yacht Club. Michaud will discuss the history and importance of Marblehead’s sailing tradition. RSVP by June 16.

Are you an artist?

If you need help with the online registration for exhibits at the Marblehead Festival of Arts, come to the COA on Thursdays,

June 1, 10 a.m. to noon; and June 15, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., and Festival representatives will help you. Bring information about your artwork and a credit card to pay for entry. Visit marbleheadfestival.org/ artistapplication to review what is required to register. Do not bring your artwork to the COA. Festival reps will also discuss volunteer opportunities.

Movie days

Enjoy movies at the COA. On Friday, June 9 at 10 a.m., watch “23 Walks,” the heartwarming comedy drama about finding love later in life.

Then on Friday, June 23, at 10 a.m., watch “Young@Heart,” a documentary based on the Young@Heart Chorus, a group of New England senior citizens who perform worldwide. RSVP.

June Book Club

This month, the COA is reading “Fellowship Point” by Alice Elliott Dark. This is a longer book, so the plan is to split the book into thirds and meet three Wednesdays, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. The dates are June 7 and 21, and July 5.

Need a laugh?

Come hear comedian Johnny Pizzi on June 27, at 1 p.m. Pizzi

has been entertaining audiences for more than 30 years around the country and overseas. RSVP by June 21.

iPhone photos

KevTech returns on June 7 at 11 a.m. with his popular class, “Taking & Organizing Photos on Your iPhone.” You’ll learn more about your iPhone’s camera app and explore the types of photos you can take. You’ll also discuss how to organize photos in favorites and albums. $20. Register ahead.

Support group

Have you lost a loved one or partner recently? Come to the COA support group on Friday, June 16, 10 a.m.

Guess who’s coming to dinner

Join COA Outreach Coordinator Sharon Doliber and Stacey McCarthy on Wednesady, June 21, at 5:30 p.m. The group may meet at the picnic bench

at Devereux if the weather cooperates. RSVP.

Flying solo

Join Sharon and this caregiver support group on Tuesday, June 27, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

RSVP by June 23.

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.

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.

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 noon. Cost is $15 for the season. Sign up at the front office. Contact pbibbo@aol.com for more information.

Boat and water safety

Harbormaster Mark Souza will come speak about boat and

water safety on June 14, at 11:30 a.m. Register ahead.

Traveling Chef

Enjoy a special lunch by the Traveling Chef on Friday, June 23 at noon. There will be no grab-n-go lunch that day. RSVP by June 6.

Trips & Tours

The COA is planning several trips and tours this spring and summer, including a 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.

In ongoing beef, man doused at grill; ‘free massage’ prank rubbed out

Thursday, May 11

8:18 a.m. An officer was dispatched to Green Street to investigate a report of a group of painters threatening one of the neighbors. Upon his arrival, he was met by a man who explained that when he pulled into his driveway, there was a painter’s truck parked in the parking lot. The man said that he asked the painters to move the vehicle into another spot, which made them angry and caused them to shout an expletive at him. The officer then walked down the driveway and was met by the owner of the painting company, who said that when the painters arrived, the man had come outside and started yelling at him and his crew. The company owner said he tried to explain to the man that the owner of the building as well as the tenant who has the rights to the parking spot had given them permission to park in the spot, but the man kept yelling at them to move. The painting company owner acknowledged that he had directed unkind words (though different ones) at the man before walking off. The officer advised both parties to keep their distance from each other, and the man was satisfied that the officer had spoken with the painting crew and understood that they were allowed to park where they were.

9:27 a.m. An officer spoke by phone with a man who had been notified by the Department of Revenue and then the CFO of his company that someone had been using his personal information to collect unemployment benefits. The man said that had already been in contact with the unemployment office. The officer advised the man to monitor his bank accounts closely and to report any additional fraudulent activity and to contact one of the three major credit bureaus and place a fraud alert on his credit. The officer then provided the man with the information for reporting identity theft to the FTC.

10:09 a.m. A Beacon Street resident reported having received annoying phone calls.

2:39 p.m. An officer investigated a report of larceny, forgery or fraud on Fox Run Lane.

4:26 p.m. An officer investigated a report of suspicious activity on Front Street.

8:13 p.m. An officer investigated a report of vandalism on Gingerbread Hill Road.

Friday, May 12

7:59 a.m. An officer was sent to the area of the Glover School to investigate a complaint about someone placing traffic cones on the public roadway, which the town had not approved. The officer confirmed the existence of the cones and assisted the man who had placed them there with removing them. According to the officer’s report, the man did not specify why he had put the cones in the roadway, but he did request the officer’s name and take note of his badge number. The officer explained that he had been told by the officer-in-charge to remove the traffic cones, and the man asked for the name of the OIC as well. The officer wrote that he told the man to have a good day and went on his way.

9:35 a.m. An officer spoke by phone with a man who had been informed by his employer that someone had filed for unemployment benefits using his personal information. The

officer advised the man to report the fraud to the state unemployment office and to monitor his bank accounts closely and to contact the major credit bureaus to have them place a fraud alert on his credit. The officer then provided the man with the information for reporting identity theft to the FTC.

11:39 a.m. An officer spoke in the police station with a man who believed that his roommate and his roommate’s girlfriend had stolen a Roku WiFi Fire stick and laptop charger from the living room of their apartment, which belonged to his girlfriend. The girlfriend of the man in the station had sent a Facebook message to the roommate, and he denied taking the items. The man in the station asked to have the incident documented. The officer asked the man if he had any proof that his roommate and his girlfriend had stolen the items, and the man said no. The officer advised the man to get a lock for his bedroom door and to keep his valuables locked inside the bedroom when he was not present. The man agreed and stated that he hoped to move to Florida in two months. The man thanked the officer and left the station.

12:06 p.m. An officer responded to the scene of a vehicle crash on Commercial and Prospect streets.

4:42 p.m. Officers were dispatched to Lincoln Avenue to investigate a report of a neighbor dispute. One of the two people involved explained that he had been outside about to put some food on the grill when his nextdoor neighbor reached over the fence with a hose and began to spray the grill and the man with water. The officer confirmed that the man was “extremely wet,” and there was water on the ground by the grill. The man explained that, as far as he knew, he had not done anything to provoke the hosedown, though he acknowledged that he has had ongoing issues with the neighbor. He admitted that, in the immediate aftermath of being sprayed, he had thrown a piece of the grill over the neighbor’s fence, and the neighbor had responded by throwing rocks into his yard. Another officer spoke to the neighbor, who “had a similar story.” Both were advised how to obtain a harassment prevention order.

5:15 p.m. An officer investigated a report of an assault on Atlantic Avenue.

5:20 p.m. An officer spoke by phone with a woman who had received a letter postmarked May 8 and sent to her parents’ address from the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance. She had not filed for unemployment assistance, as she was still currently employed. The woman had been able to log into the account using her Social Security number and reported the fraud to the department. The officer advised the woman to notify her employer about the fraud and file a report with the Federal Trade Commission via identitytheft.gov.

5:28 p.m. An officer was dispatched to Roosevelt Road to investigate a report of past vandalism to a vehicle. Upon his arrival, he was met by the vehicle’s owner who stated that he had recently noticed his vehicle’s windshield wiper had been broken off. The man said he rarely uses this vehicle and could not say for sure when the damage may have occurred.

After a quick look around the neighboring houses, the officer

was unable to locate any cameras in the area that might have captured the event. The man stated that he does not know of anyone who would target him but indicated that, based on his profession, he understood that his vehicles could be targeted.

7:26 p.m. Officers investigated a disturbance on Lincoln Avenue.

8:08 p.m. An officer investigated a disturbance on Creesy Street.

8:49 p.m. Officers investigated a disturbance on Gerry Street.

10:31 p.m. Officers restored the peace after a disturbance on Phillips Street.

11:49 p.m. An officer investigated a report of vandalism on Pleasant Street.

Saturday, May 13

1:02 a.m. Officers investigated a disturbance on Sagamore Road.

7:55 a.m. Police received a report that bikes had been left on Smith Street.

8:55 a.m. An Abbot Public Library employee reported damage to solar lights at the library’s temporary home at the Eveleth School. The staff member showed the officer several lights along the library’s walkway that had been pulled up from the ground and knocked over, clearly intentionally. The officer also saw several trash and recycle bins that had been tipped over and a half-empty beer bottle by the doorway. The officer walked the property and did not see any cameras that could have caught the incident. The staff member told the officer that this was not the first time the lights had been knocked over, but now that some had been broken, she wanted to report it. The officer advised her to ask her supervisor about putting up cameras and said he would ask officers who work the overnight shifts to increase patrols in the area.

9:53 a.m. Vandalism was reported on Phillips Street.

12:09 p.m. An officer went to Jersey Street to investigate a report that someone had thrown a glass vodka bottle at a home, damaging one of the clapboards. The resident had heard a loud thud in the front of her house around 9:30 p.m. the night before but did not think anything of it until she discovered the broken bottle in the morning. In response to a question from the officer, the resident said it was possible that the bottle had been thrown by an employee she had recently fired, but she did not provide the name of the employee because she was not sure the employee would do something like this. The resident pointed out a neighbor’s house with a camera on it, and the owner of that home invited the officer in to review the footage, but the incident had not been captured. The officer provided that update to the woman whose home had been hit with the bottle, and she said she would report back to the police if she found out any more information about the incident.

1:38 p.m. An officer went to Pond Street to investigate a report of an aggressive dog. A resident told the officer that her upstairs neighbor does not keep her dog on a leash and is aggressive towards her small dogs. The resident also mentioned that she thought her neighbor and her daughter had walked into her apartment and stolen her Nintendo video game system. The officer asked the resident if she had any proof, and she said no. The woman said she now has security cameras on her door because she has no

idea where her Nintendo went. The officer explained that there is a leash law in Marblehead and recommended that the woman have a conversation with the animal control officer about her neighbors’ dog. The officer tried to contact the upstairs neighbor, but no one answered the door.

2:23 p.m. A woman yelling was reported on Ida Road.

2:39 p.m. An officer assisted at the scene of a vehicle fire on West Shore Drive and Rainbow Road.

2:49 p.m. An officer investigated a past hit-and-run reported on Washington Street.

4:06 p.m. An officer investigated a hit-and-run reported on Atlantic Avenue and Hawkes Street.

6:52 p.m. An officer assisted at the scene of a grill or propane tank fire on Cornell Road.

Sunday, May 14

3:52 p.m. An officer investigated a report that an iPhone had been stolen on Pleasant Street.

4:33 p.m. An officer responded to the scene of a vehicle accident on Clifton Heights Lane.

7:53 p.m. A boat complaint was made on Village Street.

Monday, May 15

7:28 a.m. An officer investigated a report of vandalism on Atlantic Avenue.

9:46 a.m. An officer investigated a report that a hose had been taken and replaced on Frost Lane.

11:17 a.m. An officer investigated a report of larceny, forgery or fraud on Rainbow Road.

2:18 p.m. An issue with brush and branches was reported on Clifton Avenue.

Tuesday, May 16

7:07 a.m. An officer stopped a vehicle while conducting targeted speed enforcement on West Shore Drive and Bayview Avenue and found that the driver, a Randolph man, did not have a license. The officer confiscated the plates and had the vehicle towed, while the driver was picked up by a friend.

8:25 a.m. An officer spoke in the police station lobby with a woman who reported being sprayed with water that had come from a vehicle earlier in the day by the Neck side of the causeway on Ocean Avenue. The woman reported that she had been walking on the sidewalk when a black Audi Q5 approached her and stopped. She said the back window then opened, and she saw two black tubes pointed at her. Moments later, she was sprayed with water. The woman then said the vehicle then did a U-turn and headed back to the mainland of Marblehead. The woman was clearly upset about the incident and frightened, according to the officer’s report. The officer notified detectives of the incident and planned to reach out to the school resource officer to determine if there were any “games” or “internet challenges” going on that could explain this incident. The officer also intended to look in the area for cameras that might have caught the incident or could be helpful in identifying the vehicle.

11:23 a.m. An officer investigated a report of larceny, forgery or fraud on Clark Lane.

4:43 p.m. An officer spoke at the station with a man who had received a text message about a $989 unknown purchase on his Amazon account. The man had called the number included and provided his address and the last four digits of his Social

Security number. The man had gone to the ATM and withdrawn all the money from his bank account so he could hold it for safekeeping. The officer confirmed that it was most likely a scam attempt and to reach out to the bank the following day to report the incident. The officer then called the number through which the man had contacted the alleged scammers, and it was disconnected.

5:58 p.m. An officer was dispatched to Gas House Beach to investigate a report of overdue kayakers. A woman reported to me that her daughter had gone out on a kayak with her friend and another girl. The woman was worried something went wrong because they had left at 4 p.m. and should have returned no later than 5 p.m. After the Marblehead harbormaster did not answer its radio on several attempts, the officer asked dispatch to request that the Salem and Beverly harbormasters assist with the on-the-water search as Marblehead police officers checked the waters around the coastline. At 6:30 p.m., dispatch notified officers that the Beverly harbormaster had located the kayakers near the south coastline of Children’s Island. The kayakers had been picked up by a passing pleasure boat whose captain noticed they were in distress. The officer returned to Gas House Beach and informed the woman of the Beverly harbormaster’s findings and to respond to State Street landing to pick up her daughter and friends. The officer went to the landing as well and spoke with the adult who had taken the girls out on the water who reported that she had underestimated the wind force when she left Little Harbor and was not strong enough to row back in. Without a phone or radio on board, she had attempted to make landfall at Children’s Island. All three of the kayakers declined medical attention and were reunited with family members. (See related story, Page 1.)

6:50 p.m. An officer spoke by phone with a woman who had been notified by the IRS two days earlier that someone had tried to file taxes in her name. The woman said that she had filled out the affidavit with the IRS and had also notified the credit bureau. The officer advised her to notify her bank and credit card companies and that a report would be on file.

7:07 p.m. An officer was dispatched to Pleasant Street to investigate a woman’s complaint that her neighbor had been verbally confronting her about a past incident between her son and the neighbor’s friend. The woman did not want the officer to speak to her neighbor but wanted the incidents documented. The officer advised the woman about how to obtain a harassment prevention order.

9:25 p.m. An officer monitoring traffic in the Star of the Sea Church parking lot off Atlantic Avenue stopped a speeding vehicle and found that the driver did not have a license in his possession. Another man, who did have a license, said he would come to the scene to pick up the vehicle.

Wednesday, May 17

5:55 a.m. Traffic lights on flash were reported on Smith and Pleasant streets.

7:59 a.m. An officer spoke with a man regarding a past breakingand-entering of a vehicle that he had been parked in a Lafayette

Ferol S. Breymann, 97

Ferol Stark Breymann died peacefully on Dec. 12, 2022, at the age of 97 in Williamstown, Massachusetts, surrounded by her family. She was born Nov. 1, 1925, in Milwaukee. She was predeceased by her parents, her former husband, John B. Breymann III, her longtime

Phillips C. Cooke, 91

Phillips Carter Cooke, 91, of Marblehead passed away peacefully on May 14, 2023. He was born to parents Theodore Carter Cooke and Florence Phillips Cooke, on Feb. 28, 1932, in Lynn, just a few minutes before Leap Year Day.

Of his close childhood relatives, he is predeceased by his brothers, James Henry and Donald James, and leaves his sister, Nancy Cooke Latta of Pompton Plains, New Jersey.

He is survived by his three children, their spouses and six grandchildren: Jonathan Cooke and wife Sarah and their children, Rachel and Josh, of Newton; Peter Cooke and wife Mary Ann and their children, Maddie and Jake, of Westwood; and Jennifer Cooke Rotman and husband Richard Rotman and their children, Matt and Sam, of Westborough. He also leaves many loved nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Phil and his loving wife, Sally

COA

From P. A17

New! Tap & jazz classes

On Thursdays at 8:30 a.m. This two-hour program will keep you moving. You can also attend just tap at 8:30 a.m. or just jazz at 9:30 a.m. $5.00

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 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.

Smith Cooke, had a storybook marriage for 50 years and one day, until she passed away on July 10, 2010.

Phil grew up on Bradlee Avenue in Swampscott, where he attended junior high school. He graduated Kimball Union Academy in 1950, where he played on the football and tennis teams, and excelled on the ski team.

From there, he attended Dartmouth College, receiving a bachelor of arts in geography and a minor in history, where he ran cross country, was coxswain

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.

partner, Donald B. Connors, and her brother, Donny Stark. She is survived by her daughters, Meg Breymann, Kerry Breymann, Annabelle Keil (Rodrigo Corazon) and Rebecca Leiter (Mark); her grandchildren, Will Breymann (Bailey Sheran), Jackson Mansfield, Maggie Mansfield (Sam Perkins), Ben Keil and Peter Keil (Frances), Gabriel Leiter, Nicky Leiter and Noa Leiter; and her great-grandson, Pace Breymann. Ferol graduated from

for the crew team, and raced and ski jumped for the Dartmouth ski team. He remained a devoted Dartmouth alumnus.

After graduating college in 1954, Phil entered the U.S. Air Force as a ROTC second lieutenant, serving as an intelligence officer in the 363rd Reconnaissance Technical Squadron and earned his honorable discharge at the rank of captain in 1957.

Following discharge, he spent many years in business as president of Hume Pipe Corp. and vice president and director of Lynn Sand and Stone Co, both family-owned companies based in Swampscott.

After sale of the family businesses in the early 1980s, Phil pursued a second career as a financial planner affiliated with Mass Mutual Life Insurance Co. He had many interests and hobbies, including photography and especially genealogy. He researched his, his wife Sally’s and his three in-law children’s genealogies over the span of 30 years or more.

Phil was a longtime member

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.

Learn more about insurance

Trained SHINE counselors offer free, unbiased, confidential counseling on all aspects of Medicare and related insurance programs. Appointments are

Marquette University with a bachelor’s in journalism and from the Boston University School of Communications with her master’s. Her many volunteer activities in Marblehead included the Festival of Arts, the Historical Society and the Girl Scouts. She was a member of the North Shore Writers Group. Breymann was an energetic and creative feminist. She inspired her daughters to love beauty, the outdoors, healthy eating, exercise and chocolate. “We thought she would live

of the Old North Church in Marblehead, a former member of Tedesco Country Club, a 50-plus year member of the Corinthian Yacht Club and a member of the American Legion as well as the New England Historical and Genealogical Society.

Phil was loved dearly by his family and had many close friends. He lived a full and active life, including many adventures shared with others.

He skied Tuckerman’s Ravine at age 12 in 1944; bicycled from Swampscott to Mackinac Island, Michigan, at the age of 16 in 1948; tried out for the Olympic ski team; climbed the Grand Teton in Wyoming via the Exum Route; fought forest fires in Oregon; skied at 121 ski areas over 78 years; climbed all 48 of the White Mountains over 4,000 feet in New Hampshire with his children and golfed at least 146 golf courses.

He also traveled extensively with his wife Sally to many parts of the world on six continents, to name some. An avid train enthusiast, they took many scenic train routes during their

available at the COA. Call 781-631-6225.

Yoga with Evie

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

Chair Yoga

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

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

Get a senior Charlie Card

People who are 65 years or older are eligible for reduced MBTA fares with a senior Charlie Card. These cards are valid for eight years. Call Nadine Lepick at 781-631-6225 Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. to ask questions or make

forever,” they said. “We would like to appreciate the staff of Williamstown Commons and Golden Living in Newton for their humor and kindness towards our mother. We are deeply grateful.”

A memorial Mass will be held on Saturday, June 3, 1 p.m., at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church in Marblehead. Memorial gifts may be sent to the causes of her favorite women, Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama, or your favorite cause. For updated information, visit flynndagnolifuneralhomes.com.

U.S. and world travels.

Visiting hours for Phillips will be held Wednesday, May 24, 2023, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Eustis & Cornell of Marblehead, 142 Elm St.

Family and friends are kindly invited to his graveside committal service with military honors to be held on Thursday, May 25, 2023, at 10 a.m. at Waterside Cemetery, 294 West Shore Drive, Marblehead, followed by a memorial service at 11:30 a.m. at Old North Church, 35 Washington St., Marblehead.

A reception and continuation of the celebration of Phillips’ life will immediately follow the memorial service at the Corinthian Yacht Club, 1 Nahant St., Marblehead.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Dana Farber Sally Cooke Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, 450 Brookline Ave., Boston, MA 02215, or via www.dana-farber.org.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy for the Cooke family may be shared at eustisandcornellfuneralhome.com.

an appointment to process an application. Cards can also be reloaded with cash on any bus.

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.

Street driveway at approximately 5 p.m. the night before. He woke up to find that his wallet was missing from the vehicle, which he believed he had locked. At approximately 1:38 p.m., the man called the police department to let police know that he had found his wallet.

9:49 a.m. An officer was dispatched to Maverick Street to take a report on a possible neighbor dispute. Upon his arrival, he spoke with a woman who reported that she has had multiple issues with the family next door over the seven years she had lived there. She explained that about a week earlier, she heard the couple next door calling to her dog, which was outside in her yard. The woman said she found

that strange, as the families do not get along, and she did not believe they liked her dogs. The woman said that the reason she had called was that, the night before, she had gone to call her dog in from outside, and the dog was in her neighbors’ yard. She explained that her dog let out a small bark, and there was a delay in the dog returning to her property. She said that she did not see her neighbors holding the dog, but it was her opinion that someone must have been holding the dog’s collar, which is why it barked when she called for it. The officer then went and rang the doorbell next door, and there was no answer. The officer explained to the caller that he would document what he had been told and that a report would be on file. He then explained the process on how to obtain a harassment prevention

order. The officer advised the woman to keep her dog on a leash, even on her own property, as she does not have a fence, which might help keep him from going onto other people’s property.

11:45 a.m. An officer spoke in the police station lobby with a woman who had received a debit card in the mail from Bank of America with her name on it for which she had not applied. The woman contacted Bank of America who informed her that they had already deactivated the debit card when it was flagged in their system. Bank of America also informed the woman that they had notified the credit bureaus as well as the Social Security office to flag anything suspicious in her accounts.

Bank of America instructed the woman to file a police report and to inform any other banks

she uses about the fraudulent activities. The woman had not noticed anything else wrong with any of her accounts but said she would keep police informed if that changed.

4:30 p.m. An officer was dispatched to Ramsdell Road to speak to a woman who had a sign placed in her front yard reading, “Now Offering Free Massage.” A short time later, a man had come to her door requesting his free massage, and she had to explain that the sign was fake. The officer was unable to find the man who had come to the door and did not see any other “free massage” signs in other yards.

5:12 p.m. A tree or branch was reported down on May Street.

5:19 p.m. An officer spoke in the police station lobby with a woman who said she had been subjected to an anonymous person who had called her

employer to report that she was intoxicated on the job, which a co-worker could verify was false. She said that this was not the first time that an anonymous caller had contacted her employer to complain about her. She theorized that it was a tenant in her building with whom she has had constant issues. She was advised to continue to report issues with her neighbor to Salem Police and to consider applying for a harassment prevention order.

7:11 p.m. An officer responded to the scene of a vehicle accident on Alexander Circle.

8:30 p.m. Officers responded to Fairview Road and arrested a 62-year-old Peabody man who was charged with domestic assault and battery and assault with a deadly weapon.

8:36 p.m. A missing flag was reported on Atlantic Avenue.