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COLUMN
EDUCATION
Pond-ering Redd’s Pond
Catching up with a Dollars for Scholars recipient
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IN THIS ISSUE
DIXEY COLLECTION
When the circus came to town
NONPROFIT ORG PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
MARBLEHEAD, MA PERMIT NO. 25
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NEWS FOR PEOPLE, NOT FOR PROFIT.
TM
August 09, 2023
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VOLUME 1, ISSUE NO. 35
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MARBLEHEADCURRENT.ORG
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ON SOCIAL @MHDCURRENT
REVOLVING DOOR
Town says goodbye to another superintendent BY LEIGH BLANDER After weeks of speculation, private School Committee meetings and community conflict, Superintendent John Buckey reached an agreement to step away from the Marblehead schools last week. Assistant Superintendent for Finance Michelle Cresta has been named interim superintendent.
On Aug. 2, School Committee Chair Sarah Fox sent out what she labeled a “joint press release” on behalf of the committee and Buckey saying, “The Marblehead Public School Committee and Dr. John Buckey have come to an acceptable agreement resulting in his resignation as superintendent of schools.” The statement continued,
“Dr. Buckey’s resignation comes after several days of contract negotiations. Dr. Buckey deeply John Buckey appreciates the opportunity to have served his community, and the Marblehead Public School Committee thanks
Dr. Buckey for his three-plus years of service. The committee wishes him the best as he pursues other opportunities in the field of education.” The agreement will pay Buckey his normal salary through December, approximately $80,500. The School Committee will also pay Buckey the $94,350 specified in his contract for terminating it without cause,
BEYOND WALLS
’Header uses ‘epic street art’ to strengthen communities
bringing the total to nearly $175,000. Both Buckey and the School Committee have agreed to release one another from any legal claims they may have. However, that release will be voided if either side violates the mutual non-disparagement clause in the agreement. BUCKEY , P. A5
HISTORY
Town charts course for Old Burial Hill restoration Funding, commitments secured for Lost at Sea Monument, Glover’s tomb, 10 grave markers BY WILLIAM J. DOWD
CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER
Beyond Walls founder Al Wilson, who lives in Marblehead, stands in front of a mural in downtown Lynn.
BY LEIGH BLANDER Sitting at the back of a cavernous former machine shop in downtown Lynn, Al Wilson talks about two of his favorite things — art and soccer — and how they both build community. “For me, soccer is a great connector,” he says. “It’s the world sport. Art is another connector, by creating shared stories.” Wilson, who lives and plays over-40 soccer in Marblehead, was playing
in Lynn in 2016 when he made new friends and started attending community meetings in the city. “They were talking about helping the downtown area by adding more lighting,” he remembers. That was the beginning of Beyond Walls, Wilson’s nonprofit that creates public art and experiences. It is based in that old machine shop on Mount Vernon Street. “We hung 11 vintage pieces of neon artwork in spring 2017 to better light
Lynn’s downtown streetscape,” he said. A few months later, Beyond Walls installed 16,000 square feet of colorful LED lighting at three Lynn underpasses. The team’s mission is to “activate spaces to strengthen communities.” It works in gateway cities, which Wilson defines as “former industrial cities with underutilized
Old Burial Hill is set for a restoration after a comprehensive survey revealed deteriorating and damaged monuments, grave markers and tombs. The assessment by monument conservator Ivan Myjer from Building and Monument Conservation pinpointed 17 headstones, five footstones and 166 grave markers across the storied burial ground that require attention. Myjer’s survey suggests nearly $75,000 worth of restoration and conservation work. The immediate focus will center on the Lost at Sea Monument, colloquially known as the Fishermen’s Monument, Gen. John Glover’s tomb and about 10 other grave markers, Town Planner Becky Cutting said. “We received a grant to do the initial master plan, then a grant for the priorityone markers that were identified from the Massachusetts Historical Commission Massachusetts Preservation Projects Fund grant program,” Cutting said. “We also plan to look for some others.” Budgets earmarked for restoration include approximately $11,000 to $13,000 for the Fishermen’s Monument, about $10,000 for 10 other headstones and an estimated $3,500 to $4,500 for Glover’s tomb. Cutting said the good news is that the initial funding for restorations is in place, thanks to the efforts of the Old Burial Hill Oversight Committee. “The committee has requested that Myjer and the subcontractors who will work on the stones and monument complete eight or nine markers with the money available,” said Pam Peterson, a member of the oversight committee and chair of the Marblehead Historical Commission. “The Lost at Sea
WILSON, P. A3 RESTORE, P. A4
JAZZ LUNCH
With its 93-year-old leader, The Insight Band delights seniors BY LEIGH BLANDER
CURRENT PHOTO/ LEIGH BLANDER
Bob Tyler, leader of the Insight Band, has been playing music for decades.
BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW
On a recent Wednesday, the JCC was swinging with the sounds of the Insight Band, led by 93-year-old Bob Tyler on the piano and saxophone. Tyler and his band have been performing at the JCC for decades, drawing standing-room-only crowds at their monthly jazz lunch. “I just love playing here,” Tyler said. “They’re a great audience. You can tell they dig it.”
The Insight Band features Tyler’s wife, Fran, on vocals and another eight local musicians playing everything from the drums to accordion to violin. They perform jazz hits, pop songs and show tunes. “This is the highlight of my life,” said Pearl Bass of Salem, who never misses a jazz lunch at the JCC. “They’re fabulous.” Bass and Bea Paul, of Marblehead, JCC, P. A11
CURRENT PHOTOS / WILLIAM J. DOWD
The tabletop of Gen. John Glover’s tomb at Old Burial Hill awaits restoration.