08.23.23 - Volume 1, Issue 37

Page 1

Search kicks off, committee to be named

The School Committee met Friday to launch its search for an interim superintendent that members hope will start by November or December.

Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations

Michelle Cresta has been named acting superintendent through

October 31.

The School Committee met via Zoom with two leaders from the New England Schools Development Council, which will assist in the search for an interim superintendent. The district is a member of NESDEC, so the work will be free of charge.

“The check’s in the mail,”

MILEstONE ANNIVERs ARY

joked School Committee Chair Sarah Fox.

After the interim superintendent is in place, the committee will begin the search for a permanent school leader, possibly in February or March. However, if the interim superintendent works out well, it is possible to keep that person in place for a longer period of

Celebrating a century

time (maybe up to 18 months) and launch the search for a permanent superintendent later. The interim may even become the permanent superintendent.

“Start the interim search, see what the candidate pool is. You have time to make the other decisions,” said NESDEC’s Carolyn Burke.

The first step for the interim

search is for NESDEC to send out what’s called a “letter of application,” describing Marblehead and the school district to interested parties. “We’ll dust off the letter from two years ago,” said NESDEC’s David DeRuosi, referring to the district’s last search. “We want

tRAgIC ACCIDEN t Retired teacher pleads guilty to deadly crash at farm stand

A just-retired Marblehead teacher has pleaded guilty to motor vehicular homicide in a crash that killed a woman at her Byfield family farm stand in May 2022. Janet Bach, 71, was sentenced to 18 months in the Middleton House of Correction with her sentence suspended while she serves three years of probation.

The accident killed Sofia Sforza Nico, a 47-year-old stepmother of two and manager at her family’s Byfield Greenhouse and Garden Center. She was working at a cashier stand in the greenhouse when Bach’s Honda CRV lurched backwards and smashed through a wall. Several other people were injured, including an eight-year-old girl. Bach worked as a teacher at the Brown School before retiring two months ago. She is ordered not to drive during her probation and to stay away from all witnesses and victims. She also has to pay nearly $9,000 in funeral expenses and perform 200 hours of community service.

The Sforza family shut down the garden center permanently after the tragedy.

Just about one century ago, leaders at St. Michael’s Church in Marblehead’s historic district opened a “mission church” for farming families on the still-rural outskirts of town. That church, then known as the Community Church of Clifton and now called St. Andrew’s Episcopal, is kicking off a year-long celebration of its 100th birthday on September 10.

“We Episcopals like to have fun,” laughed Ginny Coffin, co-chair of the celebration. “We pray, but we also like to have fun.”

The September 10 party includes a special service with Bishop Alan Gates, a BBQ picnic, ponies, a bouncy house and live music with the band “Morris Meows.” The community is welcome.

“I’ve got goosebumps,” said Coffin, who seemed especially excited about the ponies.

Other events throughout the year include St. Andrew’s popular rummage sale on September 30, a church retreat to New Hampshire, a Mardi Gras party, art exhibits in the church’s Cloister Gallery (including an interactive timeline that people can add to) and a Roaring Twenties party in June.

Chris Stockwell, Coffin’s co-chair, is writing a book about St. Andrew’s history to mark the centennial.

“This is such a sacred place,” Coffin said. “This is a place where you’re valued. You’re challenged intellectually and loved personally.”

The Rev. Clyde Elledge has been at St. Andrews since 2012 and spoke about the church’s “spiritual legacy.”

“This building is literally infused

HIstORY Select Board supports renaming of Brown’s Island Advocates argue ‘Crowninshield Island’ is more appropriate

In a unanimous decision, the Select Board has voted to support the renaming of Brown’s Island to Crowninshield Island. The board intends to petition the U.S. Board of Geographic Names to make the change official.

with the prayers of people from 100 years ago, 50 years ago and three minutes ago,” he said.

St. Andrew’s dates back to the early 20th century when wealthy Marblehead businessman Issac

“Basically, this is the final stop that we need to make before we can submit our official application,” said Marblehead resident Gene Record, who is a distant relative of the Crowninshield family. The Crowninshield family — which arrived in America in the 18th century — has roots in maritime history, politics and literature. They were part of a group of families known as the Boston Brahmins.

Record previously tried to get the fiveacre island renamed about a decade ago, sparking a heated debate, according to the Marblehead Reporter.

YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN BLACK TM August 23, 2023 | VOLu ME 1, I ssu E NO. 37 | MARBLEHEADC u RREN t.ORg | ON sOCIAL @MHDC u RREN t NONPROFIT ORG PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID MARBLEHEAD, MA PERMIT NO. 25
IN tERIM su PERIN tENDEN t OF sCHOOLs
stACEY st REE t Bartlett’s Garage renovation gets initial OK Page 3 OPINION Summer magic in the woods Page 6 EDuCAt ION Tower head hopes to settle in Page 4 IN t HI s I ssu E NEW s FOR PEOPLE, NO t FOR PROFI t
CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER Chris Stockwell (left tor right), Rev. Clyde Elledge and Ginny Coffin stand in St. Andrew’s worship space, which resembles a boat or arc. CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER
SEARCH, P. A4 100, P. A5 ISLAND, P. A3 CP_MBHC_20230823_1_A01
Chris Stockwell (left to right), Rev. Clyde Elledge and Ginny Coffin read entries in a 100-year-old records book at St. Andrew’s Church.
St.
Andrew’s Church is throwing a year-long 100th birthday party, and the public is invited

From TV to Atlantic Avenue

Meet Room Tonic owner Susan Bott

MELISSA STACEY

The following is an interview with Susan Bott, owner of Room Tonic at 22b Atlantic Ave., conducted by Discover Marblehead. To learn more about the store visit roomtonic.com.

Tell us about Room Tonic and why you started it. Room Tonic (the shop) was, in a way, created for me. It was the name of my staging and design company in New York City before I moved to Marblehead in 2017. I had never owned a brick-and-mortar shop, or even worked a day in retail, but it was a dream of mine to open a shop.

Our current location at 22b Atlantic was up for rent, so I decided to do some research. When I went to visit the space, the landlord told me there were five other people interested. I immediately said, “I feel terrible I’ve wasted your time! I don’t even have a business plan or anything!” It wouldn’t be exaggerating to say I kept apologizing and maybe even bowed as I left. The next morning the landlord called and said, “We want you,” to which I responded, “For what?” They said, “To rent the space. This is a family-owned building, and we like your personality and think you’d fit right in.” (Cue the long pause from me). My husband had to come over to check on me, probably because my face was pale and I was stuttering. I was stunned, scared, excited, unsure, (trying not to throw up), but I said “Ok!” So, Room

to

Take your time to learn about the privacy settings on the social media platforms you use and make sure they are set to your liking.

This will help you control who can see your posts and information. How do you do that? Well, we’re glad you asked! (And be sure to read the last part of this column on how to maximize your results on Google.)

Tonic the shop, as I said earlier, was sort of started by the lovely Fagone family believing in me and granting me space. My goal then was to bring color back.

I love the Chinoiserie style because it’s classic, funky and quintessentially Marblehead. Our sea captains here would bring back Chinese exports to show their prominence, and nothing looks better than some beautiful Chinoiserie pieces in our Marblehead historical homes.

I’ve been overwhelmed with the support of Marbleheaders and it thrills me to my core when I hear customers say, “I love everything here!”

What is the best piece of business advice you’ve ever received? A friend who owns his own business told me, “Don’t let the business own you, make sure you own the business.” It’s so easy to let the business run your life. That advice helped me make the decision to be open Wednesday to Saturday to leave time for my family life and my design clients. It’s just me at the shop, so there needs to be balance.

What is your favorite spot in

Managing your privacy settings:

Review your current privacy settings: Take some time to review the privacy settings on all of your social media accounts. Make sure you understand what each setting does and that they are set to your liking. Don’t know how to do this? Google is your friend. Type in “How do I manage my privacy settings in Facebook” (or Threads or Instagram, etc.).

Check who can see your posts: Decide who you want to see your posts. You can choose to make your posts public,

Marblehead, and why? Hands down, my favorite spot is Castle Rock. I moved to Marblehead because my now-husband lived here. We wanted to get married at Castle Rock, but our wedding day turned out to be an unexpectedly cold and rainy day in September, so we moved all the boxes in the home we just bought and got married in our living room. I like to take my walks to Castle Rock whenever possible. I joke that it’s my church.

What is something people would be surprised to learn about you? People are always surprised to learn that I was a working actor in New York City for 25 years before moving to Marblehead. In the beginning of my career, I was building and designing theatrical sets by day and performing in shows or comedy clubs by night. Soon I was working solely as an actor

in television and would take on Room Tonic design clients if time allowed. Later in my career, television and design were blended. My designs were on HGTV and later I was Ty Pennington’s design coordinator for one of his shows before moving to New England. It’s fun when people come into the shop and say, “You look familiar.” I just say, “I have a lot of doppelgangers” rather than tell them they’ve probably seen me on TV.

The business spotlight is a weekly feature published in partnership with Discover Marblehead. Discover Marblehead is dedicated to the promotion of the 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.

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visible to friends only or visible to a custom list of people. Again, Google is your friend here: “How do I check to see who sees my posts.”

Check what others see on your profile: Even if your profile is set to private, other people may still be able to see some information about you, such as your name,

Update your friend list: Make sure you only have friends on your social media accounts who you know and trust. You can also choose to make your friend list private so that only your friends can see it. Restrict access from third-party apps: Be careful about which thirdparty apps you give access to your social media accounts. These apps may be able to access your personal information and posts, even if your

Be aware of the latest privacy settings changes: Social media platforms are constantly updating their privacy settings. It’s important to be aware of these changes so that you can keep your accounts secure. That’s it for this week’s column. As always, consult a technical professional if you REALLY get stuck, or use Google to get your answers. Plus, there’s a new helper on Google that works using AI and is incredibly fast and accurate. If you go to bard.google.com and put your query into the “Enter a prompt here” you’ll get some great answers. The better the prompt, the better your answers. For instance, I would type in: “Give me a step-by-step tutorial with pictures on how to adjust my privacy setting on Facebook”. Try it!

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COURTESY PHOTO
BusINEss sPOtLIgHt
Room Tonic owner Susan Bott worked as an actor in New York City for years before moving to Marblehead.
REAL EstAtE tRAN s ACtIONs Buyer(s) Seller(s) Address Date Price Marblehead Evan P. and Meghan B. Kirsch Helene J. Levin Trust and Helene J. Levin 1 Red Frank Lane Aug. 4 $619,000 Chelsea W. Cheney and Gregory J. Cheney Katherine G. Norfleet Trust and Christine A. Abowitz 21 Pickwick Road Aug. 4 $1,045,000 Asms Marblehead
and Sasan Tabatabai John M. Liptak Trust and John M. Liptak 25 Foster St. Aug. 1 $4,250,000 Swampscott Elizabeth N. and Jeffrey D. Hockersmith Alexandria Maiocco and Martin Maron 5 Rockyledge Road Aug. 1 $1,866,800 Sarah and Trent A. Faltin Torrance Hanley and Brian P. Lyngaas 91 Nason Road Aug. 4 $890,000 Thomas F. Dole III and Anneka Kumli 216 Windsor Ave LLC 216 Windsor Ave. Aug. 3 $975,000 INDEX Arts 11-12 Business 2-3 Community 11 Culture 11-12 Education 1, 4, 8 Environment 1, 3, 7, 10 Government 1, 3-4 History 1, 5 News 1, 3 Obits 11 Opinion 6-7, 10 Public safety 1, 11 Real estate 2 Religion 1, 5 Sports 9 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
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DOC IN A BOX
marbleheadcurrent.org A2 Wednesday, August 23, 2023 Marblehead Current CP_MBHC_20230823_1_A02 Evan’s New York Style Deli Must be 18+, Will Train. Position includes: Waiting on customers, making sandwiches, using slicing machine, taking customer orders, and general duties. Hours of operation are M-Sat 8am-4pm, multiple shifts avail. To apply call between 8am-10am, or 2pm-4pm or email Evan at evansdeli@aol.com Counter Help Needed Pt or Full Time - Multiple Shifts Available SITE PLAN APPROVAL PUBLIC HEARI NG MARBLEHEAD PLANNING B OARD The Marblehead Planning Board will hold a public hearing on the application of Jon and Jennie Putnam for a site plan approval special permit for a new expanded garage to replace and existing garage which is an accessory structure to an existing single-family home located at 45 Beacon Street in a shoreline single residence district. This public hearing will be held under Section 200-37 of the Marblehead Zoning Bylaw on Tuesday September 12, 2023 at 8:00 pm this will be a hybrid meeting located in person at Abbot Hall 188 Washington Street in the Select Board meeting room or remotely on zoom. Pursuant to Governor Baker ’s Order Suspending Certain Provisions of the Open Meeting Law, G.L. c. 30A, §18 the public can attend in person or listen and or view this meeting while in progress via the remote participation platform Zoom, through any one of the following ways: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87644226061?pwd=SEZveFgveGdqbEpyYVh5SUNONUhyQT09 or Dial in +1 646 558 8656 US Meeting ID: 876 4422 6061 Passcode: 826686 project materials available for viewing or download at Town of Marblehead website planning board page https://www.marblehead.org/planning-board under the date of meeting. Interested persons may submit comment in writing electronically and send to lyonsl@marblehead.org or rebeccac@marblehead.org and the comments, will be read aloud and entered into the record. Robert Schaeffner Chairman
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Board allocates $165K for two projects

Funds to be used to hire financial consultant, engineering firm for Redd’s Pond improvements

The Select Board approved $165,200 in COVID relief dollars from the federal government, known as American Rescue Plan Act funds, to hire a financial consultant and an engineering firm to design infrastructure improvements for Redd’s Pond. A $65,200 allocation will be used to hire a certified public accountant consultant or firm

to assist the town and schools in developing a new catalog of account names, known as a “chart of accounts,” used to categorize transactions and keep the financial history organized. The consultant recommends updating the current system for better transparency and longevity of financial recordkeeping. The updated chart will also make transitioning to new financial software easier.

The other approved project is for Redd’s Pond improvements, with a budget of $100,000. The money will be used for design, permitting and construction preparation, among other costs. The allocation comes on the heels of state Rep. Jenny Armini securing an additional $25,000 in the FY 24 state budget for the project. The funds will make the pond

shovel-ready and provide an accurate cost estimate for permanent reconstruction or repairs, Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer told the Select Board.

Following these approvals, the total ARPA funds for Marblehead stand at $6.14 million. With previous approvals totaling $5.18 million, the remaining balance is now $803,385.

Earlier this summer, the

Select Board approved spending $2.4 million in pandemic relief funds for projects, including modernizing financial software, expanding the municipal fiber network and making accessibility upgrades along the Marblehead Rail Trail.

The largest allocation of $1.43 million will replace two aging pedestrian bridges over the Forest River near the Lead Mills Conservation Area.

Bartlett’s renovation gets initial OK amid opposition Residents express concerns over impact of proposed second-story addition

A proposed renovation to the former Bartlett’s Garage near Old North Church received initial approval from the Marblehead Old and Historic Districts Commission on Aug. 15, despite opposition over the project’s inclusion of a secondstory addition to the Stacey Street building.

“I have many of my neighbors here with me today who are universally in favor of the restoration of Bartlett’s Garage,” said Katherine Howe at a recent meeting.

“We love Bartlett’s Garage. We are excited for it to be restored to its former glory. We’re excited for the windows to be repaired. And we also recognize that there is historical precedent for a change in the outside cladding of Bartlett’s Garage.”

She added, “However, our position is that there is no defensible historical precedent for the addition of a second story or any additional height for a garage of this vintage in this kind of neighborhood.”

In a 3-1 vote, commission members Bob Bragdon, Mariana Vaida and alternate member Duncan Facey voted to approve the renovation plans, while alternate member Michael Fuenfer cast the lone dissenting vote. (Alternate members participate in decisions when regular members are absent.)

The vote came after four public meetings and hearings over the past couple of months at which architect Walter Jacob said his client made concessions.

“We made this smaller than our client wanted it to be. We’ve brought it down in height,” Jacob said. “We’ve compromised a lot … so that we could make sure that we were able to make [improvements] but still be

relatively compatible with the neighborhood.”

The proposed changes to the iconic auto garage, which closed nearly five months ago after being run by the same family for over 100 years.

Marblehead resident Michael Rockett acquired the building from longtime owners Mike and Greg Quillen.

Jacob said Rockett aims to reuse and expand the existing garage structure by adding a second-story addition and renovating the exterior and interior.

‘Be our car-loving neighbor’

“Having a client that can find a use in this that is something other than residential in this historic district,” Jacob said, “I think is a positive thing.”

The existing single-story garage is a block structure with a flat roof, a footprint of about 3,075 square feet and a height of 14 feet and seven inches. There are three garage doors and several windows on the south facade facing Stacy Street, with additional windows on the other facades.

Jacob noted that the proposal does not include changes to the existing lot size, setbacks or zoning for the property. He argued for keeping a nonresidential use, which several

Armini. “It’s fitting to honor their legacy and generosity with this naming change.”

abutters supported. The new second level will have a height of 20 feet,1.5 inches above the first floor. It would also add 785 square feet.

Rockett, Jacob said, plans to continue using the existing ground floor garage space for vehicle storage and maintenance while the new second-story addition will provide room for storage, office and other needs related to his car collection.

“We have lifts that are gonna go partially into that double-height space,” he said. “Parking on the outside doesn’t let us expand the structure horizontally, so we chose to go up.”

The issue was raised of how the renovated building would impact views of the iconic Old North Church steeple, especially from vantage points south and east of the garage. Howe emphasized the importance of considering the impact on the town’s historic skyline.

“The Old and Historic Districts Commission’s job, as I understand it, is to not only safeguard individual buildings and their historical authenticity but also to safeguard the aspects of the historical part of the town,” Howe said

“As we all can agree, Old North steeple is like a navigational aid that appears on all the

navigational charts. It’s actually a very important part of the visual landscape of the historic district.”

Howe concluded by saying that her position, and the position of the neighborhood, is that the garage should be renovated and beautified without raising the height.

“Change the cladding. Repair the windows. Make it beautiful. Give it love. Be our car-loving neighbor, and don’t raise the height,” she urged.

An acceptable balance

In the end, a majority of commissioners felt the adapted design struck an acceptable balance between refreshing an old structure and preserving its heritage. This initial approval indicates the commission agrees conceptually with the changes the applicants are looking to make.

“We’ve done a good job maintaining the garage feel from where we started,” said Bragdon, who voted to approve the addition.

Vaida said the final design strikes a reasonable compromise between respecting Bartlett’s past and allowing upgrades to sustain its future as a garage.

“We’re very lucky that we found somebody willing to put

all this money and effort into maintaining this building,” she said.

But Fuenfer joined vocal neighbors in asserting the two-story addition crosses a historical line.

“Ms. Howe makes a pretty compelling case,” Fuenfer said. “I see this one-story concrete garage architecture throughout Lindsey Street. They’re not pretty, but they are historical.”

Overall, while initial approval has been an important first step, member Gary Amberik — who could not vote on Tuesday night because he arrived midway through the hearing — said there are more details to be worked out before the Bartlett renovation can become a reality.

After receiving the “certificate of appropriateness,” the applicants will need to come back to the commission with more detailed plans.

“They’ll come back, and they’ll have more fleshed out kind of stuff,” said Amberik, adding that this will include looking over everything from “light fixtures” to “the types of doors.”

“It’s specifics, just more specifics,” he said.

The project must go before the Planning Board next.

A formal endorsement by the town government, specifically the Select Board, is required for the name change.

If the federal board approves the change, the island will be officially labeled Crowninshield in maps, signs and other references. Advocates for the renaming argue that the Crowninshield family’s longer association with the island and their significant civic contributions to Marblehead make Crowninshield a more appropriate name than Brown.

“The Crowninshield family has been an integral part of Marblehead’s history for generations,” said state Rep. Jenny

The island off Grace Oliver Beach was initially named Great Island. In 1797, it was sold by Mary Orne to John Brown for $350. In 1918, the Browns sold the island to Francis B. Crowninshield for $1.

The Crowninshield family planted trees and vegetation on the once-barren island.

In 1955, Crowninshield’s wife, Louise, donated the island to The Trustees of Reservations, the oldest statewide land conservation organization in Massachusetts. The Trustees have since maintained the undeveloped island as a protected open space accessible to the public.

Record has received support for the name

change from organizations like the Trustees, Peabody Essex Museum, Marblehead Museum and the town’s Historical Commission.

“We support the name change and feel it’s a fitting tribute to the Crowninshield family,” wrote the Historical Commission’s chair, Pam Peterson, in a letter.

Marblehead Museum Executive Director Lauren McCormack said its board of directors unanimously endorsed the change in honor of Louise DuPont Crowninshield.

“Mrs. Crowninshield’s contributions were key in preserving the Jeremiah Lee Mansion and are deeply valued,” wrote McCormack.

Lynda Roscoe Hartigan, the Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo executive

director and chief executive officer of the Peabody Essex Museum, also wrote a letter advocating for the change.

“Mrs. Crowninshield was a significant figure in the historic preservation movement and one of the region’s most generous benefactors,” Hartigan wrote. “As a resident of Marblehead, I can add my personal support for honoring the generosity and achievements of this distinguished American family in this way.”

Marblehead Town

Historian Emerita Bette Hunt said Louise Crowninshield donated several items to the Lee Mansion —- and always quietly.

“She didn’t say, ‘I’m Louise Crowninshield’ when she donated to local causes.”

Just as she did around a decade ago when the topic was debated, Hunt expressed her opposition to the proposed name change. Her stance remains firm: Brown’s Island should retain its existing name.

Hunt, who is 91, highlighted that the Crowninshields were not permanent residents

of Marblehead, residing primarily during the summer months.

With the passage of time, Hunt’s desire for continuity and preservation of tradition has grown stronger.

“The island has and has had so many names,” she said. “The older I get, the more I want things to stay the same.”

COVIDE RELIEF F u NDs
RENOVAtION CON tROVERs
Y
COURTESY PHOTO /WALTER JACOB ARCHITECTS Architectural rendering of the proposed renovation of Bartlett’s Garage, showing the controversial second-story addition that aims to balance modern needs with historic al preservation. CURRENT PHOTO / WILLIAM J. DOWD
Island From P. A1 marbleheadcurrent.org Marblehead Current Wednesday, August 23, 2023 A3 CP_MBHC_20230823_1_A03 Writing / Content / Public Relations Serving Individuals, Brands & Agencies Strategic Campaigns Ghostwriting | Speeches | Voice- Overs Call (617) 480-4430 E-mail jennifer@jenniferkronstain.com Visit www.jenniferkronstain.com Former local print & broadcast reporter proudly suppor ting the rebir th of community news BOSTON | NEW YORK | PHILADELPHIA Ever yone has a stor y. Let me help you tell yours
Architect Walter Jacob presents a rendering of the proposed renovation of Bartlett’s Garage, highlighting the second-story addition that has sparked debate among Marblehead residents.

Tower head hopes to settle in Eveleth sees new job as his last in education

As far as he knows, Todd Eveleth is not related to Dr. Samuel Chester Eveleth, the man for whom the Eveleth School, now serving as the Abbot Library’s temporary quarters, is named.

But the 12th head of school in the 111-year-history of Tower School does have a connection with the town and the school he now leads.

His father lived on West Shore Drive and attended Tower in the late 1940s while his grandfather was working at the General Electric plant in Lynn. The family lived in Marblehead for six years.

As for Eveleth himself, he has landed in Marblehead after serving as head of school at The Nantucket New School, which like Tower serves students in preschool through eighth grade.

As he settles into what he hopes and expects will be his last professional job, Eveleth took a moment to discuss his background, philosophy, some of the challenges Tower School is facing and what excites him most about the move to Marblehead.

Q. Give me a quick sketch of your career to this point.

A. I was out in Nantucket as a head of school for five years. It was a great run. There are complications to living on Nantucket, as I’m sure you can imagine. We increased enrollment by 40% during that five-year period, so I felt very good about that, and built a couple of apartments for faculty housing. In general, it was a great experience. Prior to that, I was at the Fessenden School in West Newton for about 17 years. I was a teacher, coach and dorm parent there. I started out as an English teacher exclusively in the classroom, became the department chair, moved to dean of students and then became division head. We lived on campus. I raised my two children

in dorms all over the Fessenden campus, so we’re very much in tune to living in school-owned housing, as we will be doing at Tower.

If you had told me 25 years ago when I got into education that someday I would be looking at administrative jobs, I probably would have said, “I doubt it.” But along the way, I saw the difference — both good and bad administrators — could have on the full community. That pushed me towards pursuing an admin role, going out to Nantucket. It was an experiment in, is this a role that could work for me? Very quickly, we realized that in a small school where I could know the students and still support leading the teachers, that it would work.

My first job before Fessenden was up at Cardigan Mountain School — a junior boarding school up near Hanover, New Hampshire, and it was all hands on deck there. We were only there for three years.

Prior to that, I was a journalist.

Q. Really? What did you do?

A. I went to Syracuse to get my master’s in journalism, and then I was working for a couple

of newspapers and some golf magazines out in western New York.

Q. And you said you did some coaching at Fessenden, too?

A. I did primarily varsity football, varsity hockey, and then in the spring it was everything from lacrosse, baseball, even tennis. But hockey and football were my two more higher-level coaching roles.

Q. Is that something you’ll have time to get involved in at Tower?

A. I’m not sure at Tower, but I’m looking to be involved in the community. When I was out on Nantucket, I coached youth hockey, both boys and girls, on the island. So, we’ll see how that develops in the coming years.

Q. Is it fair to say that that Tower is just a slightly bigger version of the Nantucket New School?

A. It would be fair to say that. There’s certainly more resources, more people, more students, but I think the culture is very similar in small pre-K to 8 schools. These schools are

about the people, whether it’s the parent constituency, the students or the teachers. I think in COVID, that was so clear. It was about the quality of the people that you had supporting the kids during that crisis that really mattered, and not how many hockey rinks you had on your campus. I love the culture of a small co-ed school where it’s about connecting with the kids at a very intense level.

Q. When you were interviewing for this job, what did the members of the school’s board and faculty say about what Tower needs in a leader at this point in time?

A. It’s my hope that this is a job that I can be at for a very long time. I hope to be a stabilizing force for the long term. At a time where there was a pandemic, at a time where there was been some tragedy [the sudden death on Nov. 15, 2018, of Head of School Tim Delehaunty at the age of 49], [the faculty] did an incredible job kind of maintaining the mission and the incredible experiences that the kids were having. I want to be there to support that work for years and

years to come. I’d also like to buy some vans. It’s kind of a hokey little thing, but it’s such an amazing area. People often talk about the geography of being out on this peninsula a little bit, but the reality is it’s an amazing location for experiential and place-based learning. I want to be able to get my students out into that environment as much as possible.

That’s one of those lowhanging fruit items that I feel like could really make a big difference.

Q. Have you had time to think about Tower’s place in the town of Marblehead more broadly?

A. As I’ve met with every faculty member this summer — I have a couple more to go — but that has been my top item. Time and time again, they talk about these incredible things going on here, but the story is not getting out there.

Our focus is on the students in front of us, but at the same time it’s up to me to let the greater community know that may not have an understanding of Tower, both in Marblehead and beyond, that this is a world-class education.

I’ve worked at schools that were pre-K to 8 or 9 that had wait lists from 20 different countries, and the experience that the kids are getting here is as good, if not better, as those.

We’re sending these kids to incredible secondary schools. They’re finding great success in the local public schools. I think that needs to be a story that is heard with a little more frequency.

I’ve got a teacher this summer who’s leading a group of students to Cuba, there’s so many items like that that are going on in this building, and I’m excited to kind of spread that word about the quality of the experiences that are here.

Select Board breaks silence, praises former superintendent after controversial departure

Breaking their silence, members of the Select Board publicly thanked Dr. John Buckey for his service, just days after the School Committee ratified a nearly $175,000 separation agreement with the former superintendent.

The Select Board had avoided comment on the controversial departure in early August. But at a recent meeting members appeared to feel compelled to acknowledge Buckey’s

contributions, while still avoiding direct criticism of the School Committee.

“All of us have likely faced pressure to comment on the situation,” Select Board Chair Erin Noonan said. “Speaking for myself, I believe there is an unspoken rule of decorum within local government and politics that suggests it is best not to offer opinions, or at least to be reserved, when it comes to elected officials commenting on other elected boards or officials, especially during times of

upheaval and turmoil.”

Noonan went on to “express gratitude for Dr. Buckey’s service to the town and he definitely had passion for the job here and made himself a really nice part of the community.”

Select Board member Jim Nye kept his remarks brief. “I would like to publicly thank Dr. John Buckey for his three years of service to the town. Dr. Buckey was always professional and a pleasure to work with.”

He added, “And I wish him Godspeed going forward.”

Select Board member Moses

Grader offered more expansive praise. He said he worked closely with Buckey over his three-year tenure.

“In my experience, Dr. Buckey has been more than professional. He had an open mind and he worked closely with the town to develop some of our long-term plans that we valued a great deal,” Grader said. “[Dr. Buckey] supported the drive toward more technology and also budget accountability.”

Grader added, “These are issues that were important to

consultant somewhere. What makes you a good fit for this?

Confirm you do have children in the system.”

me, and they’ve always been a friction point with the schools but he was very open about it.”

He said Buckey cultivated “an environment of respectful discourse.”

Grader also spoke to what he saw as a lack of consensus around “why Dr. Buckey was let go” within the School Committee and in the town. He added, “As a result, we’re left with guesses and, unfortunately, negative insinuations about the causes of his departure.”

School Committee for review.

to try and move this fast.”

Fox said she’ll update the letter and send it to NESDEC to post. The job will be posted for three to six weeks. NESDEC will vet applicants and present several finalists to the School Committee.

In the meantime, the School Committee will put together a screening committee consisting of two School Committee members, one teacher, one administrator and two parents.

Cresta will name the teacher and administrator. Fox said that interested parents should

send her a letter at fox.sarah@ marbleheadschools.org. She encouraged parents to

include information like, “Why you think you would be a good fit. Perhaps you’re a hiring

Fox said she’d like to see some new faces get involved.

“In the last few years we’ve turned over 67% of our principals, we’ve done an assistant superintendent search. We’ve done a lot of searches and I’ve seen a lot of repeat names on there,” she said, referring to past search committees. “It’s important to open it up to people who haven’t been able to,” to do it before.

The screening committee will narrow down the field of applications to about three to five, and send them to the full

During the public comment section of the meeting, Chris Bruell Zoomed in to ask about the cost for the permanent superintendent.

“It really ran the gamut last time,” answered Fox. “In the single digit thousands range. It will depend on the next steps. If we find an interim that becomes a permanent, there may be no cost.”

Since 2005, Marblehead has had a revolving door of superintendents, including Ellen Minihan, long-term interim Phil Devaux, G. Paul Dulac, interim Brian Salzer, Gregory Maass, Maryann Perry, interim Bill McAlduff and John Buckey.

WELCOME tO tOWN
The School Committee has launched its search for a new interim superintendent to work at the district’s Widger Road offices. COURTESY PHOTO New Tower School Head of School Todd Eveleth stands on the rail trail next to the school’s athletic field.
Search From P. A1 TOWER, P. A8 marbleheadcurrent.org A4 Wednesday, August 23, 2023 Marblehead Current CP_MBHC_20230823_1_A04
Arriving from The Nantucket New School, Eveleth began his new job July 1.

Chauncey Wyman donated the land (where his family had a small burial plot) to his church, St. Michael’s, which later built a chapel on the spot. St Michael’s opened the satellite church for people who couldn’t make the two-mile trek into town.

St. Andrew’s worship area was built by local fishermen, and the ceiling resembles the inside of a boat or arc.

St. Andrew’s quickly flourished. On Easter Sunday, April 12, 1925, the first baptisms were performed for children Dexter Thomas Bowden, Donald Thomas Curtis and Stephen Robert Cook, done by The Rev. David Haupt.

In 1927, The Reverend Roy M. Grindy was named rector and remained at St. Andrew’s for the next 39 years, performing 1,422 baptisms, marriages and funerals, according to Stockwell.

Today, St. Andrew’s serves about 200 families and offers several programs and activities, including its cooperative nursery school and a collaboration called “Welcome the Stranger” with interfaith partners Temple Emanu-El and Old North Church.

About six years ago, the church launched a $750,000 capital campaign for improvements to its campus, which will be completed in time for the centennial celebration. Those improvements include a new outdoor plaza where concerts are held.

The campus also includes the SPUR garden, a labyrinth where people can walk and meditate, the Cloister Gallery, a bright parish hall and a small chapel off the main worship space.

To learn more about St. Andrew’s centennial celebration and how you can participate, visit standrewsmhd.org/ wordpress/?page_id=2699.

Back to Scho ol

YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN BLACK 100 From P. A1
COURTESY PHOTO
marbleheadcurrent.org Marblehead Current Wednesday, August 23, 2023 A5 CP_MBHC_20230823_1_A05
An old photo of St. Andrew’s dating back to 1927
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tHINg WILL BE OKAY

EVERY

Shining a light on solutions

What’s going right.

At its most fundamental, is it a journalist’s main role to expose wrongdoing and serve as a watchdog of institutions and leaders? Or is there more to the job description these days, particularly at small community newspapers like this one? We ask because we see our role as broader than reporting on problems and challenges. We want to shine a light on solutions, too.

Don’t get us wrong, we take our responsibility to objectively report the conduct of town business seriously, as our coverage of the termination of School Superintendent John Buckey attests. But should it stop there, or do we have a broader responsibility to our readers?

As we begin year two of operation, we believe we do. And on our pages in the coming months you will find stories not only of what’s going wrong, but what’s being done to fix issues, and how effective these fixes are.

There’s a name for this approach. It’s called “solutions journalism.” There are four basic tenets, shared by a national network that supports such efforts:

“A solutions story focuses on a response to a social problem — and how that response has worked or why it hasn’t.

The best solutions reporting distills the lessons that makes the response relevant and accessible to others. In other words, it offers insight.

Solutions journalism looks for evidence — data or qualitative results that show effectiveness (or lack thereof).

Solutions stories reveal a response’s shortcomings. No response is perfect, and some work well for one community but may fail in others.”

We have used and will continue to use Open Meeting and Public Records laws to assure transparency in our local government. We will continue to monitor the use of the ARPA millions granted the town by the federal government. We also want to be clear that these solution stories aren’t meant as advocacy. That’s what editorials are for, and we will continue to share our opinions in this space.

Solution stories are meant to illuminate. No town is an island. Well, okay, some towns are, but we can learn from the experience of others on tackling issues like sustainability, mental health and fiscal management, and share our success stories as well.

Let us know if you have ideas about solution stories we should cover. It’s hard to remember sometimes, but a heck of a lot is going right.

POLICY

want to hear from you

All sentient beings, great and small

I’ve officially gone cuckoo. It’s been coming for a while. But the minute I grabbed a plastic cup and a napkin and headed to the garage, it was confirmed. I was off to rescue a spider. Yes, a spider.

I’m afraid of spiders. Just like my dad was. A man grown increasingly gentle with the passage of time, my dad loved most creatures, great and small. Except spiders and flies. He could handle a fly swatter as well as his hero Mickey Mantle handled a bat. I don’t remember him killing spiders with it that he came across in the house, but he must have, albeit with a bit more trepidation than he did his fly foes. I find suddenly I cannot. Kill a spider.

When did this happen? And why?

Back to the spider rescue. The spider did not consider itself at risk, thus my “rescue” is a bit of arachnid hyperbole. It was just hanging out, literally, in the garage, right next to the button we push to open and close the door. Having a button to open and close the garage is a brand-new experience that came along with the life-improving pleasure of having a garage for the first time in my almost 58 years. Raining? No problem, the car is IN THE GARAGE!

The other day I went to push the garage button and eeek, right there next to it was a gigantic, sinister, poisonous-looking creature. How big? Well, imagine a dime and then put the dime under a magnifying glass until it reaches silver dollar proportions. Or. Imagine a dime. Trust me, it was scary looking.

What to do? Never use the garage again? I ran through the possibilities and decided, no, in woman versus spider I would simply dispatch the insect with a

thwack of a folded-up newspaper. My dad would be so proud.

But I couldn’t do it. The spider didn’t know this was our first garage. Or that the button was adjacent to that nifty silken string it was napping on.

I needed a plan B. Thus, the plastic cup and napkin. David asked what I was doing and commented it was an act befitting of Papa Bucky. I didn’t remind him spiders and flies weren’t among those my dad had a soft spot for. But each generation is supposed to be an improvement on the last, no?

Alas, as I crept into the garage ready to capture and then release the cute, amazingly now shrunken to a dime-sized little being, its spot was empty. Had it intuited my earlier evil intention? I craned my neck and yes, there it was up against the ceiling, having a good little laugh for itself. A ladder lay nearby but there were limits to my altruism, such as keeping my bones intact.

I’m not a student of Buddhism though some day I’d like to be. In some Buddhist teachings, the concept of sentience, awareness, is not just reserved for those that are capable of thought and can respond to sensation. Rather sentient beings can be anything that shares consciousness, even spiders.

Recently, we relocated a giant hydrangea plant that was full of glorious blooms from the bottom of our steps to the corner of the house. It was not happy, as anyone who observed its drooping leaves could plainly see. The kind contractor who was working in the front took care to keep it watered. A normal reaction.

I approached it and stroked its leaves and apologized for the disruptive move. Yup, I have officially lost it. Dad would be proud.

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

Summer magic in the woods and beyond

Ever since we arrived in Marblehead, everyone has said, “Wait till summer!” Well, wait I did and it was indeed worth it.

Now to be fair, I didn’t have a terribly high expectation. My idea of “summer” is a touch skewed. Summers growing up on the farm weren’t barbecues and ball games. A shovel, a hoe, a tractor seat, dust and weeds and sweat. These are the ingredients of a farm kid summer. They made the moments of joy and play shine like jewels — climbing down from an open tractor seat to chug a cold cherry Coke on a broiling afternoon, or a baseball game under the lights after a hot day in the fields. I learned young that good things come to those who wait.

So I waited. Through a winter and cold spring here that did seem interminable. Back in Wyoming, winter can be bone-cracking cold, sure enough. But then a chinook wind blows up and the temps quickly get reasonable again. (Have you heard of a chinook? It’s a warm westerly wind that blows down the east side of the Rockies onto the plains and is heavenly in the midst of a frozen February). The snow melts. The sun shines.

Then spring hits, the wind blows. Boom, suddenly it’s 101 degrees

out and you can’t remember what “cold” feels like. August in eastern Wyoming gets hot enough to fry an egg on a summer sidewalk, as the song goes, and the lack of humidity makes it a nice, dry bake. Not so in Marblehead. The cold gray spring seemed like it lasted about 17 years. I couldn’t believe staring down the barrel of June and still wearing a hoodie to a baseball game. But almost imperceptibly, as I waited, the cold faded from the air. When I recently took an evening walk through Wyman Woods, the sunlight painted the fading day with such warm primeval magic that I’d not have been surprised had a wood sprite dashed to my side. I wonder if this was how Massachusetts looked in

its pre-colonial state, or if those woods are instead a product of some carefully managed magic? Either way, I stayed there till the mosquitoes drove me away. My walk through Wyman is just one of those small moments of joy that made my first Marblehead summer so worth waiting for. We recently walked out to Gas House Beach at low tide to make the walk out to Gerry Island. It was an easy jaunt across the rocks and we lingered a while in the sunlight, sitting on a bench at the far edge of land, wondering what purpose the old machinery slowly rusting amongst the trees had served, avoiding the poison ivy. We hung

Generally, letters should not exceed 500 words. The Marblehead Current reserves the right not to publish submissions over the word limit and may instead return 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. LEttERs
Opinion
We
EDItORIAL
MY MARBLEHEAD FIRst tIME
MERRIGAN, P. A7
marbleheadcurrent.org A6 Wednesday, August 23, 2023 Marblehead Current CP_MBHC_20230823_1_A06
CURRENT PHOTO / COURT MERRIGAN Wyman Woods in the summer

Hopes for a more transparent School Committee

To the editor:

The following is what I said at the August 11 School Committee meeting during public comments. Several people suggested that I send it to the Current for publication.

“As I try to step back and look at the uproar that arose in the past couple of weeks, I want to express some hopes that a lot of good people have going forward since what is done is done and we must move on.

Here’s what I hope can happen going forward:

» — I hope that the school committee will be up front with your agenda – spelled out honestly and clearly for all of us so that we don’t have to guess at what you might really be planning next.

» — I hope that you don’t have a hidden agenda such as banning books or disparaging DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) workshops and staff, that help us all better recognize our built-in cultural blind spots.

— I hope that you will look for someone with true vision in a new superintendent, not just someone you can manage easily with your own biases and certainties.

— And, finally, I hope that in the future you will indeed be truly transparent and not just cleverly politic in what you think you can get away with not disclosing, as happened in this past election. It’s the hidden agendas that caused the current uproar. I speak as one who, like you, spends many hours a week as a volunteer for important work in our town.”

$1.4M for rail trail bridges?

To the editor:

An open letter to Town

Administrator Thatcher Kezer:

As someone who has walked Marblehead’s rail trail almost daily for 25 years, particularly the Wyman Woods area including the two bridges under recent discussion, I would like to weigh in on the $1.4 million improvement plan. It was officially stated that the top priorities in trail planning are “accessibility, safety and aesthetic.” Yet for anyone who’s used the trails, the bridges are not the main obstacle for any

of those priorities. The bridges are fully accessible and safe for all but a small number of wheeled vehicles that can’t fit between the bollards. Go ahead and remove bollards and smooth out the lip on the bridge closest to Lafayette Street. But please use the bulk of this money to make THE TRAIL itself more accessible and safe. (The aesthetics take care of themselves... just stop, look, listen and smell. Notice the bald eagle hanging around lately.) Once someone crosses the bridges they may be confronted with impassable puddles. In winter these become treacherous ice causing many falls, as does the metal bridge near the Tower School. Throughout the town, these and the trail’s deep ruts and jagged rocks (not to mention private pumps draining onto the trail) are the real problems.

Please listen to the people who use the trail regularly and reconsider how best to spend the $1.4 million on genuinely improving the trail, a wonderful local resource, throughout the town.

Rail trail improvements can mitigate our climate crisis

To the editor: I’m sure you’ve all heard the saying “Think globally, act locally.” With the climate crisis affecting our weather systems so profoundly — fires from Alaska to Hawaii, floods from Vermont to Pennsylvania, water shortages and droughts from California through the Southwest — one often feels overwhelmed by the problem. However, we can begin mitigation right here and now. There is money to improve our rail trail. We have been informed that it will be allocated to replace the two small bridges at the Salem end. As someone who bikes this path many times weekly, unless ugly is a structural hazard, they do not seem threatening. Meanwhile, the path in recent weeks has suffered from the following: huge, long gouges that threaten bikers’ stability, some substance dumped to absorb the now ever-present rains that allows zero wheel traction, endless rocks jutting out that are losing the bright orange paint helpful scouts put on them to aid in speedy identification and encroaching invasives.

One of the primary contributors to our enormous

sustAINABLE MARBLEHEAD

load of greenhouse gasses is emitted by the transportation sector. Many people will not ride bikes because they are afraid to ride on the roads. Our bike path is not much more inviting these days. For our health, our children’s health and our town and planet’s health, safe, wellmaintained bicycle paths can make a real impact. People will get out of their cars, breathe the fresh air, appreciate the beauty of nature and get where they are going. Please, work on the utility of the path rather than the aesthetic of the bridges.

Shout-out to Leigh Blander

To the editor:

Congrats to Leigh Blander on the front page for the last two weeks!

This is why we continue to need local newspapers; I hope she continues to pursue answers as to why we taxpayers are paying about $200K to fire a man and not state why.

Was the negotiated ouster inclusive of an NDA? On whose part? Did the man steal, molest or harm anyone?

Did he promise not to seek further legal recourse against a town for sexual discrimination?

How can the Board not expect speculation without submitting any justification or reasoning?

“You will never know the reason for his termination…” I hope Leigh takes that frustrating quote as a challenge and continues to research the “why.” Only then can people properly demand recourse.

‘Who is to blame? Look in the mirror.’

To the editor:

Let me get this straight, the School Committee is alluding that the reason for Dr. Buckey’s dismissal was due to the girls soccer coach controversy?

“The minutes speak for themselves” is the quote by Chairwoman Sarah Fox. Please point out those minutes and any evidence that these issues were due to Dr. Buckey’s mishandling of this situation. From reported stories concerning this issue, there were meetings with parents, the student athlete, principal, athletic director and superintendent. Concerns/ frustrations were brought forth at first of playing time, roster placement, communications

with coach and athletic director of allegations of favoritism. Nothing at the time was mentioned of “bullying or hostile environment.” Dr. Buckey stated he had not heard anything about a complaint about bullying until a complaint was filed in October. At that point, Paula Donnelly informed Dr. Buckey she was hiring an independent investigator to pursue the complaint.

The investigator spent several weeks interviewing 11 families, including five current and former players and assistant coaches. The coach was not asked back for the fall season. As we all know an investigation is not completed overnight. As the nightly news showcases, it takes time!

So where is there any evidence that Dr. Buckey, Mr. Bauer or the athletic director tried stonewalling the investigation? It seems to this “stakeholder,” that all avenues were addressed. Have issues of policy been brought to the attention of the administration and School Committee to be addressed, yes. Issues will arise in all avenues of running a town or city and steps will be implemented to correct them or update them. This town has gone through more superintendents than most districts. Most of you have sat in these seats on and off through the years, I bet you didn’t realize that some things had to be updated as in the athletic department. Marblehead School District has had its share of instability for years. This affects the morale of teachers, staff, students, parents and taxpayers.

Dr. Buckey stepped into his role as superintendent (which three, maybe four of you voted for him, three short years ago) after years of instability. I believe he went methodically step by step to identify the immediate concerns facing our school district to bring us up to date with state guidelines. Teachable hours, new curriculum, grading system, technology, building confidence with schools. Again, this is not achieved overnight. Something called Covid or the pandemic creeped into everyone’s lives. Some experienced devastating heartbreak, where for others it was just a nuance. Where we had to work from home and a more common word was used called remote learning. Many of us had to pivot, but had no idea how, when, where and for what extent of time we would be pivoting. We are not the only district that is having difficulties with incorporating new changes. I have called around other

districts. I think the new way of teaching math is stupid, grading is mind boggling and how parents want more recess but no homework I again do not understand. They want more family time. First try taking away their phones, switches, video games. Computers are for homework assignments.

Do I blame Dr. Buckey, no! If we have to blame something, it’s changing with the times. As far as I have seen, these changes have made life more difficult, more divisive, less caring, more bullying and a bad example for our children. Who is to blame? Look in the mirror, it’s not Dr. Buckey, but each and every one of us. Transparency is the first step. Then each step after is to forge ahead and do what is best for the children, and The Good People of Marblehead.

Dr. Buckey, thank you for your hard work, sweat and tears you have spent over the last three years. I am sorry you are the causality for the townspeople to open their eyes, minds and hearts to do what is right.

Community’s support much appreciated

To the editor:

I am writing to express my thanks to the people of Marblehead for their outpouring of support for me and my family after the loss of my daughter, Andrea.

People have stopped me on the street, and wherever I go, to hug me and express their condolences. I have received countless cards and letters — many from people I don’t even know — who have told me how Annie changed their lives, or the lives of their children.

In spite of numerous health issues and surgeries over the past 14 years, Andrea never complained and never stopped smiling. It seems everyone she knew loved her. I told the Corinthian Yacht Club to expect 65-75 people at her celebration of life, yet well over 300 attended — a wonderful tribute to my daughter.

Andrea was my best friend and the light of my life, and things will never be the same for me without her. But knowing how much she was loved and how much joy she gave to all who knew her gives me hope and strength to go on.

Thank you again for your affection and support.

Trees are essential to our planet, and to us

Long ago, with the rise of urbanization brought on by industrialization, the Victorians saw a need for green spaces in barren cities. They planted parks, established sanitary infrastructure addressing community disease and created the model for modern cityscapes we know and love today. Research shows that trees and green spaces are critically

squishing with sea water.

important to our life on earth

— they improve air quality by absorbing carbon dioxide, capture dust and pollution particles, dampen noise, shade streets and buildings, absorb pollutants, including bacteria, and prevent erosion. Additionally, the shade alone reduces heat by an average of 30 degrees Fahrenheit.

A walk through our green conservation areas so carefully maintained by the Marblehead

Conservancy can reduce your blood pressure, increase positive thoughts, lower “fight or flight” stress and give you time to think.

Long-term stress in all animals and plants reduces life expectancy, so we would all do well to spend more time outside.

If you need further reason to spend time amongst nature and trees, significant new evidence exists that myopia is increasing as children and young adults

spend more time indoors reading, studying and gaming. A BBC article published last year reported: “In the United States, about 40% of adults are shortsighted, up from 25% in 1971. Rates have similarly soared in the UK. But their situation pales in comparison with that of teens and young adults in South Korea, Taiwan and mainland China,

TREES, P. A10

around long enough that when we decided to head back to the mainland, the tide had started to come in! Creatures of the heartland that we are, we had simply forgotten! But our toolong wait gave us another first time: we waded back to shore through ankle-deep water and then trekked home, shoes

We’ve done yoga outside in the soft summer air. Sat out on the open air patio at the Sea Salt Restaurant for drinks and dessert. Zipped down the rail trail on bikes — it’s a different place this time of year, nearly overgrown with verdant vegetation you’d never see back in Wyoming. Met with friends at The Landing, talking and laughing until closing time.

Played baseball under the lights at Gatchell’s. Dined on fresh mussels, and sipped on boba tea while overlooking a harbor of bobbing boats. Stood under the gazebo on Old Burial Hill in the early morning, watching the light catch the mirrored sea.

nnn

The other day between business meetings, I walked out to the benches at the far end of Devereux Beach and caught a

glorious power nap on the grass to the sound of the surf crashing below. I’ve watched turtles sunning themselves at Redd’s Pond and enjoyed gigantic gin and tonics at Maddie’s. I was glad to have my sister visit from Colorado, to affirm my experience of summer here.

Marblehead is like a page lifted from a fairy-tale book.

Yes, good things indeed come to those who wait. Apropos,

this phrase describes how I got here in the first place. You see, I am often asked, just how did you come to Marblehead from Wyoming?

Well, like a balmy, dreamy Marblehead summer, that story is worth waiting for. Until next time!

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.

LEttERs
Merrigan From P. A6 marbleheadcurrent.org Marblehead Current Wednesday, August 23, 2023 A7 CP_MBHC_20230823_1_A07

Q. Do you have goals or a mandate to meet in terms of enrollment?

A. I think there is a mission-appropriate level of enrollment. I think there’s a balance between maintaining a culture that we are so successful in as a small school and moving the needle on enrollment. That’s a process that we’ll approach in a very thoughtful way.

But absolutely, we are looking to tell the Tower story out there to make sure that we are increasing our enrollment.

Things are good at Tower. There’s an endowment that’s growing. There’s a sense we haven’t done a capital campaign here in a long

time. There are literally people coming to me excited about the next capital campaign. On the financial side, I think the view is pretty rosy, considering what’s been going on here in recent years. Are we going to grow? Absolutely. But it’s coming from a position of strength in terms of what the kids are getting. That’ll be a big part of my job, for sure. But we are excited to open with almost 240 kids this fall, and that number will hopefully grow steadily and thoughtfully in the coming years.

Q. Can you describe your educational philosophy or the culture you hope to bring to Tower?

A. I want to make sure that every student, every teacher is finding joy when they come into this building. I think that you can absolutely have kids who are engaged in challenging, thoughtful, project-based work that’s going to challenge them, but at the same time, they are thrilled and happy and running from the cars [into school] each

morning. I want to make sure we’re that kind of school where kids are happy and glowing and you can hear it in the hallways.

Q. Do you have any “signature moves” as an educator?

A. I wouldn’t say I have a signature move, but you won’t see me at this desk very often if you’re around campus. Part of why I like to be in a small school is so that I can know these children on a very high level. I wouldn’t want to run a school with 1,000 students where I was just pushing numbers and managing spreadsheets. I want to be out in the hall, bringing a little glimmer of connection with each one of these students.

I have a letter hanging on my wall — a faculty member at my first school gave it to me — from John Steinbeck about the qualities of the three best teachers he ever had in his life, and part of that is about connection. Even though I am removed from the classroom, I hope that my go-to will be making connections with these kids.

I want to be a presence

both here in the hallways and around the greater community. I want to be at the core of the community as much as I can be. It’s going to be home for us, and my wife and I are excited about that.

Q. Given the population you are working with, what is your approach to diversity, equity and inclusion?

A. We want to be a school that reflects the diversity in the surrounding communities. We want all of our students to have an understanding of what it means to feel like they belong in a place, regardless of their background. That’s important work.

The world is getting more and more diverse. Any person that graduates from Tower should be able to operate in a very diverse environment.

I think that will be the focus that we bring to the DEI process — making sure that our kids both feel like they belong and understand how to make others feel like they belong in the community.

Q. When you’re not working, what do you like to do?

A. I love to golf, fish. I love to cook, be with family. My wife’s family and my mom both live up in Maine, so we do get up there pretty regularly to connect with them.

I’m an avid reader. I’m from Maine originally, so I’m a big Stephen King fan when I need to take a book on the beach.

YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN BLACK
Tower From P. A4 marbleheadcurrent.org A8 Wednesday, August 23, 2023 Marblehead Current CP_MBHC_20230823_1_A08 781.592.3135 |groomco.com | RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL NATIONAL RETAIL 218Beacon Street Marblehead, MA 01945 Open Monday-Friday8a.m.-5 p.m. 781-886-7075 We inviteyou to learn about TowerSchool’sengaging academic and social-emotional curricula, thebenefits of small classsizes, and whyarts education constitutes avital component of the curriculum at TowerSchool. Inquireonline or schedule time foraconversation with our admissions team members at towerschool.org/admission INQUIRE TODAY ABOUTFALL ENROLLMENT. 75 West ShoreDrive, Marblehead Pre-K–Grade 8 The only thing we love morethansailing is helping youget out there. Look forour team members on the waterthroughout thesummer racing season. 978.740.5950 •96SwampscottRd, Salem We’d rather be sailing.(Infact, we probablyare.) Preser ving fa mil y, cor porate & or gani zati on hi sto ries since 1997 WRITERS C W CAMDEN Marblehead, MA Camden, ME CamdenWriters.com 781 929 5057 camdenwriters@gmail.com We work both nationally and inter nationally References available Ever yone has a significant stor y to tell. We can help you tell yours. STORIES BRING HISTORY TO LIFE

Classic yachts compete in Corinthian regatta

The Corinthian Classic Yacht Regatta (CCYR), presented by Doyle Sailmakers, took place Aug. 12 and 13. This annual event is sailed off Marblehead Harbor and hosted by the Corinthian Yacht Club. Black Watch, skippered by Trevor Fetter of Newport, R.I. came out on top. Van Brown’s Neith of Mystic, Connecticut, was second. Matt Brooks’ Dorade of Newport came in third. Finishing next: Lars Forsberg’s Vintage Schooner Spirit, also of Newport; Marblehead’s David Walton’s Black Magic; Marblehead’s Marc Migliazzo’s Vagabond; Marblehead’s Quin Vaillancourt’s Rozi; Marblehead’s Tom Egan’s Misirlou; Annisquam’s John Tagiuri’s Galavant; Rockport, Maine’s Carter Bacon’s Solution; Marblehead’s Chris and Andrea Morse’s Dream; Marblehead’s Greg

gIRLs sOCCER

Mancusi-Ungaro’s Viking; Marblehead’s Peter Frisch, Andrew Flaherty and Alan McKinn’s Trilogy; Marblehead’s Bill Widnall’s Javelin; Marblehead’s Jason Panos’ Cynara; Marblehead’s Carolyn Corbet’s Elektra; Marblehead’s Jennie Aspinall’s Mistoffolees; Marblehead’s Thomas Hunter’s Pompano; Andover’s Unidos Estados’ Kungsornen; Gloucester’s Jonathan Harvey’s Nova; Marblehead’s Rachel Morrison’s Tango; Marblehead’s Peter Ogren’s Menage-A-Trois; Greenland, New Hampshire’s Thomas King’s Valkyrie; Marblehead’s Lawrence Garrett’s Border Ally; Hingham’s Michael Herde’s Grace; Gloucester’s Roger Gould’s Acadia; Nahant’s Herb Motley and Becky Linhart’s Mistral Trio; Boston’s Matthew Twomey’s Sisyphus; Marblehead’s Charles Rippberger’s Morning Watch; and Marblehead’s Charles Bertrand’s Gem.

Magicians ready for fresh start with new coach

Lisa Wales got word that she’s the new head coach of the Marblehead High School (MHS) girls varsity soccer team just last Wednesday, succeeding John Dormer after he was let go amid controversy.

With tryouts just five days later on Monday, Wales understands she has to hit the ground running to get to know the personnel. But the good news is that she already has a familiarity with the team, having served in the Marblehead Youth Soccer Association as a coach and age group coordinator throughout the past decade.

“The goal this year is to move forward as a team,” said Wales, who added that she enjoys working with student-athletes, and wants to be a positive role model for them.

Wales grew up in Newton and attended Newton South High School, where she played soccer, lacrosse and basketball. She moved on to Connecticut College

to continue both her soccer and lacrosse careers, and was a captain of both squads during her senior campaign. She was also named Regional All-American in soccer at

the conclusion of that season.

When her kids, Caroline and Ben, came of age to start playing youth sports, she got involved with Marblehead Youth Soccer in 2008. It has historically been a tremendous feeder system for the high school soccer programs, and Wales expects that to continue.

“Marblehead Youth Soccer has always been a strong program, and the commitment to the sport the players have had on the high school level was first developed down there,” Wales said.

The first-year varsity coach welcomed 60 to tryouts on Monday, 13 of them were returning veterans, who finished up last year with a 9-4-5 regular season record, before losing to host Stoughton, 1-0 in the first round of the state tournament.

Goalie Kate Burns, Talia Selby and Grace Mortensen are this year’s captains. Amy Gochman is the varsity assistant coach. Veterans School teacher Phil Witt is in charge of the JV1 team while Brown School kindergarten teacher and former MHS athlete Abby LeBlanc, a 2014

graduate and Navy veteran, is calling the shots on the JV2 club.

With Burns in net and Selby in front of her anchoring the defense, opposing offenses will be hard-pressed to get many scoring opportunities this fall. At the other end of the field, sophomores Sadie Halpern and Sydney Ball will be factors on offense, along with Mortensen.

“I think we have a healthy number of players this year who can play,” said Wales, who’s now a self-employed personal trainer who worked at Leap Fitness for 10 years. “But they can’t all be on the varsity.”

Wales promises they will be competitive in every game this coming season, and she will get a better understanding of what she has once the scrimmage season begins on Saturday, Aug. 26, at home against Pingree, starting at 2 p.m. They will be at Rockport on Sept. 2 for another exhibition, beginning at 10 a.m. The regular season gets underway at Beverly versus the rival Panthers on Sept. 8 at 4 p.m.

Sports ALsO IN tHIs sECtION AROUND THE COMMUNITY Government | Education | Police Library | Obituaries | Religion Senior News | Business
s AILINg
Lisa Wales is the new MHS varsity girls soccer coach. Marblehead’s Greg Mancusi-Ung skippered his Viking boat to a 12th-place finish during the annual Corinthian Classic Yacht Regatta earlier this month in Marblehead Harbor.
marbleheadcurrent.org Marblehead Current Wednesday, August 23, 2023 A9 CP_MBHC_20230823_1_A09
COURTESY PHOTOS / BRUCE DURKEE Newport, Rhode Island’s Trevor Fetter skippered Black Watch to a first-place finish during the annual Corinthian Classic Yacht Regatta in Marblehead Harbor.

Marblehead, stop peaking!

In many Marblehead households, we follow a similar weekday routine when we get home in the late afternoon from work, school and daily activities. We turn on lights, air conditioners, ovens, cooktop ranges, washers and dryers. We run the dishwasher, turn on the television and charge electronic devices. In a growing number of households, we’re plugging our electric vehicles into chargers. This all generally occurs between the hours of 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.

This window of increased demand for electricity isn’t just happening in Marblehead, it occurs across Massachusetts and the rest of New England at the same time. The organization responsible for planning for the generation and transmission of this increased electric demand is our regional grid operator, the Independent System Operator for New England, or ISO-NE, which has established a detailed set of rules that retail utilities like the Marblehead Municipal Light Department (MMLD) and National Grid must comply with.

Each year, the single hour in which the electric grid experiences its highest — or peak — demand typically occurs on a hot weekday in the summer,

Trees

From P. A7

whose prevalence rates are between 84% and 97%. If current trends continue, half the world’s population will be short-sighted by 2050. And the problem seems to be spreading at a faster rate than ever.” bbc.com/future/ article/20220927-can-youprevent-short-sightedness-inkids.

Our seniors, so often alone in their houses and apartments, also need outdoor socializing time with plenty of shade in the summer and protections from winds year-round.

In Marblehead, there has been a renewed interest in the state of our tree canopy, but we need to do more than just express interest or horror. An urban tree’s life expectancy is at best 50% of that of its wild brethren — the effect of several stressors. In our town, we are seeing the impact of intensive tree planting in the 1970s and 1980s that subsequently was not well managed. Maintenance, including periodic trimming and replanting, was not a focus and as a result, many of our shaded streets and neighborhoods are transforming into heat islands as dangerous and dead trees must come down. Countering this trend requires a sophisticated management plan and hard work over multiple years by many parties — it also requires money and focused labor.

Our town Tree Warden Jon Fobert, our Parks Department, Marblehead Conservancy and Sustainable Marblehead all work, with limited resources and volunteers, to improve and maintain our green spaces. Fobert has made replanting a priority by: 1) reviewing and responding to the multiple page/multiple year list of tree requests, 2) planting 25-30 neighborhood trees in April for the past three years, with the

tREA

between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. A handful of other days each year will also have demand that comes close to the annual peak.

Providing enough electricity to meet the relatively few peak days that occur each year has important environmental and economic impacts.

First, ISO-NE pays electric generators, such as Marblehead’s Wilkins diesel generator, to be “on call” — ready to supply additional energy on demand.

The ISO also assesses all retail utilities like MMLD a “capacity” charge to cover the costs of ensuring there is enough electric power capacity to meet the anticipated annual peak demand.

This capacity charge is based solely on the town’s total energy use* during the ONE annual peak hour on the grid. This charge is added to the wholesale energy (kWh) cost that MMLD pays for one full year. In recent years this charge accounts for about 37% of a customer’s total energy charge. (*Energy use is the kWh charge you see on your bill, and includes generation, transmission and capacity charges.)

Locally, the town’s distribution system — poles, transformers and wires — must also be sized to meet peak demand. The greater the peak demand, the greater the cost to the

Providing enough electricity to meet the relatively few peak days that occur each year has important environmental and economic impacts.

distribution system. Proactively managing peak demand therefore also helps defer the town’s electric distribution system’s capital expenses, which are reflected in MMLD customers’ monthly base charge. Second, not all electrons flowing to meet our demand are created equal. Electricity produced by sources like nuclear, solar and wind are cleaner than fossil fuel alternatives. Some of these carbon-free sources of electricity are now also proving to be more cost competitive.

During times of high demand, generators that are on stand-by most of the year are dispatched by ISO-NE to run. Like the Wilkins diesel generator, these “peaker plants” are dirtier and less efficient fossil fuel sources, generate higher levels of air pollutants and greenhouse gasses, and because they are standing idle most of the year, are much costlier to operate. Reducing demand during gridwide peaks therefore displaces more greenhouse gas emissions than at other times, by reducing the use of these dirtier energy sources.

So what can we do? Here are four easy tips.

Tip one: Simply be aware of peak demand and what the best times to use energy are: weekdays before 4 p.m. and after 8 p.m., and on weekends.

Tip two: Manage your energy use. Appliances that heat or cool like dryers, air conditioners and heat pumps, electric cooktops and ovens, use a lot of power.

So do car chargers. Plan to shift your non-essential usage on weekdays to before 4 p.m. or after 8 p.m. If your cooktop range and oven are electric, consider grilling or eating cold meals on peak demand days.

You can earn up to $10 per month, per device, from MMLD if you enroll your car charger, thermostat or other smart device in the Connected Homes program, allowing MMLD to manage your demand during system peaks. The program is specifically designed to better manage the electric load, reduce costs and keep rates low. Find out more at nextzero.org/ marblehead/connected-homes/.

Another option is to program air conditioners, thermostats or

heat pumps to run a few degrees higher during warm days. You can do this manually as well.

Tip three: Talk this up. Tell neighbors, friends and family members about the importance of limiting energy use during peak demand hours. Let them know it impacts our local communities in terms of the environment, cost and health, especially for economically disadvantaged communities where many peaker plants are located. All of our small changes can have a big effect when adopted on a large scale.

Tip four: Sign up to get peak demand notifications and heed the alerts. You can sign up at https://loom. ly/2y1aymI for notifications through Marblehead’s CodeRed (reverse 911) program. More information on the importance of peak shaving can be found at greenenergyconsumers.org/ shavethepeak.

The whole community benefits with lower rates and lower polluting emissions when we manage our energy demand and reduce usage during peak times. For the good of our community, we all need to be smart about our energy use.

Lisa Wolf is the newly elected chair of the Marblehead Municipal Light Board.

help of Sustainable Marblehead,

3) establishing an inventory process and 4) regularizing the ordinance for town trees to be planted on private property.

The Parks Department has used donations to create native plantings at the Community Center and Chandler Hovey with more ideas in the works.

The Conservancy continues to make major improvements to our wilder lands with an allvolunteer crew.

While all that is positive, we need to do more. In 1975, Tree

Warden Loring Clark established a Tree Fund to replace the stately elms around Abbot Hall which had been ravaged by Dutch elm disease. There

The Marblehead Museum will host its annual Tag & Treasure Sale at the Lee

is a plaque in Abbot Hall that lists the trees planted and the generous donors. That fund still exists and it needs your support. The Emerald Ash Borer has come to town and all the ash trees, whether public or private, will need to be removed. Beech Leaf Disease is also attacking our trees. Beeches are quite prevalent in the conservation areas. As with Dutch elm disease there are no cures for these scourges and Marblehead’s budget can’t possibly pay for all the work that needs to be done. We need to step up as volunteers and donors to make a difference.

If you’d like to contribute to Marblehead’s Tree Fund to

Mansion Gardens, 161 Washington St, on Saturday, August 26, 8 a.m.-2p.m.

(Rain date is August 27.) The museum has hundreds of fun and unique items up for sale, including framed art, collectibles, antiques, vintage pieces, collectible books, accessories, decorative items, jewelry, kitchen items

fund tree replacements, please contact the Tree Department at 781-631-2721. Come join Sustainable Marblehead again next April for more planting.

The Recreation and Parks Department has an excellent donation website for developing landscaped native plantings in our parks. People who in the past might have sponsored benches should consider memorializing their loved ones and organizations with green spaces. Visit mhdlandscape.org/ for more information.

The Marblehead Housing Authority properties are also heat islands with almost no seating or gathering areas. Outdoor rooms with benches,

and more. Donations of items can still be made to the sale every Saturday morning, 10 a.m.-noon, at the 147 Washington St. driveway. Donations are tax deductible. Pick up a receipt when you drop off. All proceeds benefit the educational programs of Marblehead Museum, a 501c3 nonprofit.

planters, shade trees, picnic tables and umbrellas are all needed as well as the volunteers to make the hands-on changes to these areas. To learn more contact https://bit.ly/3siIDBu. Sustainable Marblehead is working with our town and other superb volunteer groups to protect our open spaces. Many of you already belong to SPUR, Scouts, Rotary and garden clubs. We cross pollinate in our efforts to provide the social, educational and structural needs of our town together. Thank you and please keep your support coming.

Palma Bickford is Sustainable Marblehead’s Town Tree & Urban Forestry Working Group leader.

ENERgY
An outline for the so-called Abbot Hall Tree Walk.
su RE H u N t
Marblehead Museum Tag & Treasure sale
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Me&Thee announces 54th season lineup

The 54th season at Me&Thee Music will kick off Friday, September 8, with the woman the Orlando Sentinel called a “fearless folkZinger.” Christine Lavin will perform songs from her latest solo album, her 25th, “On My Way to Hooverville.” The album includes a retelling of the time Lavin was an entourage driver for the first week of Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue tour.

Me&Thee founder and board member Anthony Silva is excited for the new season.

“This really is the little Miracle on Mugford Street,” Silva told the Current. “We’ve become one of the longest running, all-volunteer, acoustic music series in America. With our growing volunteer staff, we have upgraded our sound system,

OBItuARIEs

Sarah Jane Drewry, 95

Sarah Jane Drewry, 95, of Marblehead died Aug. 12. Born in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, she was the beloved wife of Kenneth Drewry, whom she met at the University of WisconsinMadison. They shared 74 years of marriage. She was the devoted mother of James Drewry (Jo Schmidt), Thomas Drewry (Marie Drewry) and Jayne Drewry-Leahy (Dick Leahy). She was the cherished

Audrey Loretta Tirrell, 94

Audrey Loretta Tirrell, 94, of Marblehead died Thursday, Aug. 17 after a long illness. She was the daughter of the late G. Wilbur Tracey and Loretta Ryan Tracey and the stepdaughter of the late C. Marguerite Tracey.

A lifelong Marblehead resident, Tirrell graduated from Marblehead High School in 1946 and Lasell College in 1948 with an associate’s degree. She studied voice in New York City for a year before returning to earn a bachelor of science in business from Boston University.

After graduating from Boston

implemented a fee-free ticketing system and signed some of the finest touring artists anywhere to welcome back our community this fall.”

After the Lavin show, the Me&Thee fall season will continue on Friday, September 22, with folk-rock star Jon Pousette-Dart. The PousetteDart Band was a mainstay of album radio and the college circuit in the 1970s and became one of the busiest groups in the US touring with such acts as Bonnie Raitt, The Byrds, Little Feat, The Eagles, James Taylor, The J. Geils Band, Eddie Money, Manfred Mann, Jonathan Edwards, Emmylou Harris, Billy Joel and many more.

He is touring again with singer-guitarist Jim Chapdelaine. In one of her few concert appearances since the pandemic, Catie Curtis brings her

socially- conscious music to the Me&Thee on Friday, October

6. An award-winning singer/ songwriter and philanthropist, Curtis toured for more than 25 years full-time in the U.S. and throughout Europe, releasing 14 recordings and selling more than 250,000 CDs. She has performed

twice at the White House.

Fresh from the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center in Washington, the Me&Thee welcomes back Chris Smither on Friday, October 20. For more than 50 years, Smither has been a songwriter, bluesman, interpreter and poet. His latest album, his 18th, “More From The Levee,” offers more of his back-porch acoustic blues with his own boot-heel-on-wood rhythms.

The contemporary African music of the Wangari Fahari Trio comes to the Me&Thee stage on Friday, November 3. Wangari is a Kenyan singer, writer and activist who was mentored by Grammy Award-winning South African singer Miriam Makeba and civil rights activist Joan Baez.

Rani Arbo and daisy mayhem return on Friday, November 17,

with their brand of barefoot, front porch, tap-your-feet Americana music.

Me&Thee Music concludes the first half of its 2023-2024 season on Friday, December 8, with a special concert by Marbleheaders Mason Daring & Jeanie Stahl, celebrating their 50 years of singing and collaboration.

Tickets are $25-$35. Students and children are $10. Locally, tickets are available at Arnould’s Gallery on Washington Street. Online info and no-fee tickets are available at meandthee.org. No phone orders are accepted and no other ticket websites are authorized.

Doors open at 7:15 p.m. and the music begins at 8 p.m. Me&Thee Music is a non-profit, allvolunteer organization located at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 28 Mugford St.

grandmother of Lindsey and Locklin McKinnon, Hillary and Michael Sarvary, Shauna and Matt Travaglini, Trisha and Ryan Labbe, Kenneth Drewry, Brian

Leahy, Kevin Leahy and David Leahy. She was the dear sister of Paula Chandler of Appleton, Wisconsin.

Drewry and her husband moved to Marblehead in 1955 and raised their three children. She was a longtime member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lynn in Swampscott, the Marblehead League of Women Voters, Corinthian Yacht Club and the Historical Society of Early American Decorators.

Drewry volunteered for many years at Marblehead Junior Aid Society, was a secretary

maintaining an interest in music throughout her life. She performed locally, served as a soloist for several churches and worked as a church choir director.

to the Marblehead Housing Committee, an assistant teacher teaching ESL and living skills at Operation Bootstrap in Lynn (now Pathways Lynn).

She was taught to sail by her husband and sailed alongside him for 30 years in the Lightning, 210 and IOD class. She enjoyed downhill skiing, gardening and sharing produce with everyone, decorative arts, bell ringing at the church and volunteering in many organizations, making everyone feel welcome. Drewry was noted for her kindness, devotion and sincerity. She cherished her time

with her eight grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and many friends.

A celebration-of-life service for Drewry will be held at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 31 at UU Church of Greater Lynn, 101 Forest Ave., Swampscott. A reception will follow at the church.

Instead of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Pathways Inc., Lynn or online at pathwayslynn.org.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy for the Drewry family can be shared at eustisandcornellfuneralhome. com.

of Salem.

University, Tirrell worked at General Electric in Lynn, where she met her future husband, John A. Tirrell. They married in 1952 and enjoyed 61 years of marriage until John’s death in 2013.

Audrey became a homemaker and mother to four daughters,

Robert “Bobby” J. DiGiammarino, 84, a long-term resident of Marblehead, died Aug. 1. Born in Malden on July 19, 1939, Bobby graduated from Malden High School. He earned a bachelor of science from Boston University and a master’s in secondary education and teaching from Salem State University.

Bobby was a devoted father, grandfather, brother and uncle, valuing family and his Catholic faith. He began teaching at Beebe Junior High before moving to Malden High School, where he taught, coached football and baseball and mentored students. He later became vice principal and held the position until retirement.

He was the youngest of five sons born to the late Frank and Margaret (Ciaraldi) DiGiammarino and the beloved husband of the late Helen “Chee Chee” DiGiammarino, his wife

An avid reader and animal lover, Tirrell owned many dogs over the years and raised, bred and showed Persian cats. She loved entertaining, traveling and hosting friends and family in Bermuda and Key West, as well as in her backyard. Known for her beauty, style, large personality, strong opinions, impressive wardrobe, funloving companionship and encouragement of others to enjoy life, Audrey will be missed.

She is survived by three daughters, Loretta Bogosian (Zaven) and Cynthia

Tirrell-Norton (Edward), all of Marblehead, and Mary Beth Tirrell (Bobby Shah) of Marblehead and Essex. She was predeceased by her daughter Tracy Tirrell, son-in-law Scott Snow and grandson John-Pietro Valentini of Marblehead.

She is also survived by grandchildren Ashley Valentini of Dorchester, Adam Bogosian (Cory) of Northport, Maine, Aliza Bogosian of Marblehead, Luke Norton of Manchester, New Hampshire, Liam Norton of Ithaca, New York, and Phaedra Tirrell of Marblehead and Essex. She is also survived by great-granddaughter Adleigh Tracy Briar Bogosian of Northport, Maine, many nieces and nephews, sister-inlaw Rose Tirrell of Nahant and longtime friend Wendy Phillips

Tirrell’s family thanks the caregivers who extended her stay at home, Pauline, Abie and Jacqueline, and the many caregivers, especially Ruth Corridon, at Wellspring Village in Brightview, Danvers, when a homestay was no longer possible. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or Care Dimensions of Danvers, whose oversight at both locations was invaluable.

A celebration of Audrey’s life will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Aug. 28, at Eustis & Cornell of Marblehead, 142 Elm St. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy for the Tirrell family can be shared at eustisandcornellfuneralhome. com.

Anne Steere Beattie, 72

with countless friends.

Bobby enjoyed gardening, crafting and spending time with family and friends. For over 40 years, he volunteered with his wife as a team leader for the Marriage Encounter Team, the Pre-Cana Program and led ARISE at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church in Marblehead.

Anne Steere Beattie, 72, formerly of Marblehead, died Aug. 9 at Salem Hospital.

of more than 52 years. He is survived by his children, Scott, Craig and Rick DiGiammarino; daughters-in-law, Shelley and Beth DiGiammarino; brother-in-law, Ralph Desimone; grandchildren; great-grandchildren; and a dedicated extended family of nieces, nephews and cousins, along

Friends and family are invited to a wake from 4 p.m.-8 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 25, at Eustis & Cornell of Marblehead, 142 Elm St. A funeral mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 26, at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, 85 Atlantic Ave. Burial will follow in Waterside Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, Tennessee, 38105. Share memories and condolences at eustisandcornellfuneralhome.com.

Born in Salem, she was the daughter of Frederick S. and Elizabeth G. (Hawley) Beattie. Raised in Marblehead, Beattie graduated from Marblehead High School in 1969 and attended Marian Court College in Swampscott. Beattie was a longtime waitress, serving for about 50 years at Wardhurst Restaurant in South Peabody. She loved to cook, travel to Kennebunkport, Maine, and dote on her nieces and nephews.

She is survived by her sister, Martha Nicholson and her husband, Donald of Severna Park, Maryland; brother Dexter “Duke” Beattie and his wife, Maura of Lynn; nieces Debbie and Kathy Nicholson; and nephews Dexter and Douglas Beattie. Beattie’s funeral services will be private. Arrangements are under the care of Eustis & Cornell of Marblehead. Share memories and condolences at eustisandcornellfuneralhome.com

M usIC MAgIC
COURTESY PHOTO Christine Lavin will kick off the Me&Thee season.
Robert
J. DiGiammarino,
The Marblehead Current publishes obituaries online for free and in its print edition for a flat fee of $200. Submissions or inquiries should be sent to notices@marbleheadnews.org. Submissions should include the name of the funeral home serving the deceased’s family, along with a daytime phone number for a person to contact, in case we have any questions about the obituary. Photos, preferably in JPEG format, are welcome. Photos should be of high enough quality to reproduce well in print. Generally, an image file created by a digital camera or smartphone will be fine; images copied from websites will not. su BMIssION POLICY marbleheadcurrent.org Marblehead Current Wednesday, August 23, 2023 A11 CP_MBHC_20230823_1_A11
‘Bobby’
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Marblehead’s best bets Aug. 23-30

Current Events spotlights 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

Epic ARTI party

Saturday, Aug. 26, 6 p.m.-11:30 p.m

The ARTI Gallery is closing its summer season with music, art, drinks and dancing. Derek Rando and his combo will play live music. Andrew Fish’s art is on display. ARTI is located at 70 Washington St. arti-gallery.com/events

Jazz in the Garden: Stan Strickland

Fund the Field soiree

Tuesday, Aug. 29, 6:30 p.m.

The Marblehead All-Sports Booster Club is hosting a Fund the Field summer soiree at the Corinthian Yacht Club. The fundraiser is part of a campaign to replace the turf field at Marblehead High School. The evening will include appetizers and a cash bar. Marbleheadboosters.org

Full moon yoga

Improv fun

Saturday, Aug. 26, 7:30 p.m.

Silly Theatre Productions, Marblehead Little Theatre and Bentwater Brewery team up to bring Accidentally on Purpose Improv Comedy Troupe to MLT at 12 School St. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Mltlive.org

Sunday, Aug. 27, 2 p.m.-4 p.m. Come hear musician and Berklee professor Stan Strickland play right here in town. Strickland is in several bands and plays sax and flute, and he sings. Reservations are recommended.

Donation for musicians $20 to $35 per person, kids $10 or free. Info at earthsongherbals.com/ jazz-in-the-garden/.

Tuesday, Aug. 29, 7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Enjoy the end of summer and a full moon at this yoga class with Yoga Loft instructor Gurdeep Bhogal. Class will be held outdoors at the Lee Mansion gardens. Reserve a spot at theyogaloftmarblehead.com/

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