09.20.23 - Volume 1, Issue 41

Happy ending for man and his bride after he overcomes tragedies

BY LEIGH BLANDER

It’s the stuff movies are made of — a story of triumph over tragedy that ends with a hurricane and a wedding.

Meet Thomas Smith, who lives in Marblehead.

“Growing up, I was a hockey player and on track to be a

Se A SU rprISe

Division I athlete with a good chance of playing professional hockey,” Smith says.

But then, he was paralyzed not once but twice on the ice.

“My first accident was on Aug.

2. 2008,” Smith told the Current.

“Doctors said I made a one-in-amillion recovery.”

They cleared him to play

again. He was injured a second time on Oct. 1, 2009.

“The doctor said I had a better chance of winning the lottery five times in a row” than it happening again.

Smith was paralyzed from

Once in a blue shell

BY WILLIAM J. DOWD

A wife-and-husband crew of a Marblehead lobster boat made a rare catch on Thursday morning, Sept. 14: a lobster with a brilliant periwinkle blue shell.

“It was really blue — like blue-rubber-gloves blue,” Anne Rodgers told the Marblehead Current on Thursday afternoon. “It was beautiful.”

Rodgers and her husband, Marblehead Veterans Agent David Rodgers were on their boat, Liberty, moving traps ahead of Hurricane Lee’s arrival.

“We were on the outside of Tinker’s Island near the Roaring Bull area,” Anne explained.

Her eyes widened as she spotted the blue lobster among the catch.

“I said, ‘Look, it’s blue,’ and Dave said, ‘What’s blue?’” recalled Anne. “I said, ‘The lobster.’”

According to experts, blue lobsters like the one caught by the Rodgers are blue due to a genetic mutation, which causes them to produce an excessive amount of a particular protein. When that protein binds to astaxanthin, a carotenoid pigment that gives lobster shells their typical

SCOU t prOJ eCt

HOUSING

Town to ID zones for denser housing State law mandates multifamily areas

BY WILLIAM J. DOWD

The Marblehead Planning Board is exploring ways to comply with a state law that requires MBTA communities to zone for multifamily housing.

The mandate will help the state “meet our goals for housing, transportation and climate resiliency,” explained Lily Linke of the Citizens Housing and Planning Association at a Planning Board meeting last week. She said cities and towns that don’t comply may lose state funding and grants and face enforcement in state and federal courts.

“All MBTA communities must comply with the law,” Attorney General Andrea Campbell wrote in an August advisory.

Marblehead has until the end of 2024 to zone a total of 27 acres that allow residential development at a minimum density of 15 units per acre. The zones must be located within half a mile of MBTA transportation and suitable for families with children. The total capacity needs to be about 900 units — which is 10% of Marblehead’s housing stock.

The Board talked about holding a working session later this month to study zoning maps and brainstorm potential locations before launching public outreach.

Member Ed Nilsson emphasized the importance of education, outreach and

MHS student leads greenhouse groundbreaking

BY LEIGH BLANDER

After more than two years and 400 hours of work, Marblehead High School senior and Scout Tyler Earp joined Acting Superintendent Michelle Cresta and other school leaders — all with shovels in hand — for a groundbreaking for Earp’s greenhouse project.

“I’m so glad to see this coming to fruition,” Earp said. “It will be nice to see it here.”

Earp started working on his greenhouse idea, an Eagle Scout project, in February of 2021.

“There were six months of planning, three months of approvals from the Scouts and the schools, and then we started fundraising,” he said.

The greenhouse should be completed and ready for use by the end of October.

Earp raised more than $76,000 for the project.

“I have received over 275 donations from individual, corporate and civic organizations,” he said.

The largest donation, $11,000, was anonymous.

The greenhouse will be 17 feet wide by 22 feet long with a peak height of 9 feet. It will be made of glass and aluminum with a concrete foundation. Groom Construction is donating its time and materials to pour the foundation. Local architect Jeff Tucker contributed the plans.

Lobstering couple make one-in-two-million find

COURTESY PHOTO

Anne Rodgers holds the rare blue lobster that she and her husband, Dave, caught on their boat, Liberty. She described the catch as ‘gorgeous.’

CURRENT PHOTO/LEIGH BLANDER

At the groundbreaking for a greenhouse at Marblehead High School are, from left, architect Jeff Tucker, Groom Construction’s Dwight Groom, Tyler Earp, Acting Superintendent Michele Cresta, MHS Assistant Principals Lindsay Donaldson and Dan Richards, and Principal Michele Carlson.

COURTESY PHOTO / THOMSON & THOMSON PHOTOGRAPHY Keeping his promise: Thomas Smith walks his mother down the aisle at his wedding at Abbot Hall, along with his brother. WEDDING, P. A11

BLUE, P. A11 GREENHOUSE, P. A5

P. A4

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

Town employment opportunities

The town is currently accepting applications for several employment opportunities, including building commissioner, Transfer Station operator in the Health Department, mechanic pipefitter II in the Sewer Department and human resources director under Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer. Additionally, there are two volunteer positions open with the Historical Commission.

Improv at the Gerry 5 Silly Theatre Productions and The Gerry 5 VFA are bringing the Accidentally on Purpose Improv Comedy Troupe to 210 Beacon St. on Saturday, Sept. 30. Doors will open at 7 p.m., and the show will start at 7:30 p.m. A cash bar will be available,and dinner can be purchased next door. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door, available at the Gerry or https://bit.ly/3PFjlGH

“I’m excited to be back in my old neighborhood,” said Bruce Whear, co-founder, producer and improv comedian of the troupe. Whear grew up nearby and once worked as a stock boy at The Community Store and is eager to reconnect with the community. For tickets and more information, visit Gerry5.com/ activities.

Old North Festival Chorus rehearsal

Maria van Kalken, director of the Old North Festival Chorus and Orchestra and minister of music at Old North Church, has announced registration and rehearsal details for the 43rd Annual Festival Chorus Holiday Concerts. All are welcome to join.

Rehearsals will begin Wednesday, Sept. 27, at the Old North Church. Registration starts at 7 p.m., followed by rehearsal at 7:30 p.m. Subsequent rehearsals will be from 7:30-9 p.m. on Wednesdays, extending to 9:30 p.m. as the concert dates near.

Two performances are scheduled: Saturday, Dec. 2, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 3, at 7:30 p.m. In her 35th season as director, van Kalken has planned a program featuring works including “Magnificat in D” and “Christus, Part 1” by Felix Mendelssohn, “Fantasia on Christmas Carols” by Ralph Vaughan Williams and other

seasonal favorites.

Section leaders and soloists for the season include soprano Holly Cameron, mezzo-soprano Gabriela Fagen, tenor Kevin Hayden and baritone Andrew Scoglio.

As for COVID-19 protocols, van Kalken said, “We ask that all participants are vaccinated and bring proof of vaccination upon registration. Masks are not required but are welcomed. We’ll continue to practice social distancing during rehearsals.”

High school students in grades 9-12 are encouraged to join. A nominal registration fee and music purchase are required.

For more information, visit the Old North Festival Chorus website at oldnorthfestivalchorus.org.

Clifton Lutheran pumpkin patch returns Sept. 23

Clifton Lutheran Church will host its annual pumpkin patch event on Saturday, Sept. 23, starting at noon at 150 Humphrey St. For seven years, the church has sourced its pumpkins from New Mexico, providing employment to over 700 Native Americans during the harvest months.

Cecropia Strong gala set for Sept. 26

Cecropia Strong is set to host its third annual gala and auction on Tuesday, Sept. 26, at The Landing Restaurant, 81 Front St. The event begins at 5 p.m. and aims to raise funds for the organization’s mission to support people with physical disabilities.

Founded by Julie Hahnke, a Marblehead bagpiper, author and management consultant who herself survived a stroke, Cecropia Strong currently funds five programs. These initiatives include monthly gift donations to disabled patients at Spaulding Rehab Hospital in Boston, sponsorship of assistive technology events at universities, grants to help people with physical disabilities regain their driver’s licenses, aphasia treatment programs and therapeutic riding grants.

Tickets for the event are priced at $100 each and can be purchased online at Crepcopiastrong.org or by mailing checks to Cecropia Strong, 141 Elm St., Apt. 2, Marblehead, 01945. Donations in any amount are welcome.

Seven Minutes of World Peace set for Sept. 21

The Marblehead Ministerial Association invites the public

HELP WA NTED!

Marblehead Children’s Center is looking to hire Infant/ Toddler and Preschool teachers for part and full time positions.

MCC’s philosophy is that children learn best through play

We are seeking enthusiastic dedicated professionals who will engage in and uphold our mission

We provide a collaborative and supportive environment where teachers have oppor tunities to develop their skills through education and training We’re proud of the positive impact MCC continues to have on children, families and our community

Please contact us at 781-631-1954 for more info about salary + benefits (including free childcare)

to join Seven Minutes of World Peace from 9-9:07 a.m. on Sept. 21. The local interfaith event will be virtual and align with the International Day of Peace. A peace bell will ring at the United Nations during the seven-minute period as a call for unity. Founded in 1984 by Indian spiritual leader Sri Chinmoy, the annual event encourages global participation in seven minutes of silent prayer and meditation for peace.

Marblehead faith community unites for youth program

Four local churches have collaborated to launch the Marblehead Youth Cooperative Ministry (MYCM) to create an active Christian youth program for middle and high school students. The leadership board is made up of lay leaders from Clifton Lutheran Church, Old North Church (United Church of Christ), St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church and St. Michael’s Episcopal Church. They are currently seeking a full-time youth minister.

The initiative kicks off with a Hope for Haiti event on Sunday, Sept. 24, from 1-2:30 p.m. at Clifton Lutheran Church, 150 Humphrey St. Attendees will learn about Haiti’s history, engage in a video conference with a resident of Haiti and cook Haitian food. Future events include a Halloween/ All Saints party, Christmas tree lighting and gift-giving outreach opportunities.

“The goal is to create an inclusive, progressive Christian youth program that allows young people to explore their faith and engage in outreach,” said Kelly Stevens, a board member and parishioner of St. Michael’s. The program is open to all interested youth from grades 5 to 12, with plans to later divide into separate groups for middle and high school. Participants can join the Zoom meeting — https://bit. ly/3ECUSvA — led by a member of the Marblehead Ministerial Association at 8:45 a.m.

Rummage sale on Sept. 30

St. Andrew’s Church will hold its traditional rummage sale Saturday, Sept. 30, from 8-11:45 a.m. with a stuff-a-bag option from 12-1 p.m.

The sale offers gently-used, quality items including: adult and children’s clothing, shoes, jewelry, accessories, electronics, small appliances and tools, linens, lamps, kitchen things, toys, games, puzzles, gardening

Legal Notice Site Plan Approval Public Hearing Marblehead Planning Board

items, sports equipment, artwork and some small furniture. The community is invited to attend. Proceeds benefit St. Andrew’s and its missions and ministries. The Church of St. Andrew is at 135 Lafayette St.

MCC accepting grant proposals

The Marblehead Cultural Council is welcoming proposals for 2024.

As part of its mission to foster cultural enrichment, artistic endeavors and scientific exploration, the MCC will allocate substantial financial assistance to both individuals and nonprofit organizations in the community. These grants will aid in advancing arts, humanities and sciences projects.

The MCC has a history of providing financial backing to various initiatives. Over the years, recipients have included live performances, immersive art installations, murals and educational field trips.

In line with its commitment to benefiting local residents and ensuring widespread accessibility, the council insists that all initiatives be accessible to the general public and create a positive impact on the Marblehead community.

A notable emphasis in this year’s selection process is on supporting emerging and established artists, alongside a focus on local venues. The MCC aims to encourage programming that is both racially and culturally diverse.

Applicants are encouraged to submit their proposals online at https://bit.ly/3Pl5vIv. Questions can be directed to MarbleheadCulturalCouncil@ gmail.com.

Sept. lectures at Marblehead Museum

The Marblehead Museum invites the public to several lectures and walking tours this month.

» Trailblazing Women in the Revolution on Saturday, Sept. 23, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Step back in time and witness history come to life at the Jeremiah Lee Mansion.

Meghan Boehmer, a renowned historical interpreter from the Boston Tea Party Ship and Museum, will portray Sarah Griste Mugford, the wife of Revolutionary Naval hero James Mugford. This free living history program is proudly presented as part of Essex County’s Trails and Sails Program.

The Marblehead Planning Board will hold a public hearing on the application

» A History of Whaling lecture on Thursday, Sept. 28, at 7 p.m. Return to the days when the sea was a realm of peril and promise. Join Eric Jay Dolin, a local favorite and esteemed author, as he discusses his sweeping social history book,

A History of Whaling in America.” — Slavery to Freedom

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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Robert Peck

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EDITORIAL BOARD

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Robert Peck

Joseph P. Kahn

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The elusive green herons of Marblehead

BY RICK CUZNER

I came upon this green heron hunting for snacks (frogs) along the edge of Joe Brown’s Pond. I find them to typically be very skittish unless they are on the hunt. Local ponds are an amazing place to watch for wildlife.

According to MassWildlife, this small wading bird has a wingspan of 26 inches and stands about 18 inches tall, although it frequently retracts its neck to appear shorter. Adult green herons have a dark green to black crown, a rufous neck and a gray belly. They primarily feed on small fish and aquatic invertebrates, and they’ve even shown evidence of using tools like sticks to attract prey.

The Marblehead Current is proud to partner with photographer Rick Cuzner. For the past 15 years, he has taken thousands of nature photographs that capture the wild animals who call Marblehead home.

Briefs

From P. A2

Tours on Saturday, Sept. 30, at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., and Saturday, Oct. 7, at 10 a.m. Take a step on the path toward understanding Marblehead’s role in the struggle for freedom. Led by Jarrett Zeman, this new walking tour will explore the town’s historical connections to slavery and abolitionism. Discover the sites and stories of abolitionists who fought for freedom through various channels, including the pulpit, the ballot box and the Underground Railroad. To sign up for the Marblehead Museum’s lectures, visit https://bit. ly/3lRxrJj.

Volunteer opportunities

The following boards, commissions and committees have openings for appointed positions. Interested parties should send a letter of interest

and resume to the Select Board at Abbot Hall, 188 Washington St., or email wileyk@marblehead.org. For more information, call the Select Board’s office at 781-631-0000.

Affordable Housing Trust Fund — one-year term

» Conservation Commission

— three-year term

Finance Committee

— three-year term

Historical Commission — threeyear term

» Marblehead Disabilities Commission — threeyear term

» Measurer of Leather (honorific title)

— one-year term

Task Force Against

Discrimination — oneyear term

» Marblehead Cultural Council — three-year term, four vacancies

The application deadline is set for Oct. 17.

COURTESY PHOTO / RICK CUZNER

A green heron is perched on a log, patiently waiting for its next catch. YELLOW

The Power of Speech aims to help kids communicate, feel empowered

BY MELISSA STACEY

The following is an interview with The Power of Speech owner, Jessica Brown, M.S. CCCSLP, conducted by Discover Marblehead. The Power of Speech provides speech and language therapy for children of all ages. To learn more about Brown’s play-based approach, go to thepowerofspeech.us.

Tell us about The Power of Speech and why you started it. The Power of Speech provides speech and language therapy to children of all ages and abilities. We have a welcoming therapy space right at my house in Marblehead, as well as a backyard that is designed with my clients in mind. Connecting

with each child, building their confidence and growing their ability to effectively communicate in a way that works best for them are a few things I am passionate about. I started my private practice in 2016 after working at two other therapy clinics. I was excited to take what I learned from those experiences and transform it into my own vision. I am so

thankful to be able to say that I truly love what I do.

What is the best piece of business advice you’ve ever received? The best piece of advice I have been given is to “focus on the experience.” I want each child to come to therapy and know that learning can be fun. After that, it’s important to me that parents and caregivers feel comfortable with the therapy plan I have set in place. Ongoing collaboration is encouraged between families, teachers and other therapists. From start to finish, I want the experience at The Power of Speech to feel comfortable, individualized and empowering.

What is your favorite spot in

Marblehead, and why? Forest River Conservation is a favorite spot for our whole family (dogs and kids included). We always see something new while exploring the trails during the different seasons.

What is something people would be surprised to learn about you? People might be surprised to learn that I received therapy from a speech and language pathologist until I was 8 years old, because some sounds were just hard for me to say. I remember wondering if I would ever be able to say the word “world.” Turns out … speech and language pathologists know how to help with that sort of thing!

The business spotlight is a weekly feature published in

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

Family of Heather Walker, others lace up for Jimmy Fund

BY LEIGH BLANDER

Family and friends of Heather Walker, the former Celtics VP of marketing who passed away last spring of glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer, will join other Marbleheaders at the Jimmy Fund Walk Oct. 1.

“I’m walking in honor of my wife, Heather Walker, and everyone who has been hit with a cancer diagnosis,” Stephen Walker told the Current. “The funds we raise will allow for more treatments and hopefully a cure. The days of losing loved ones to cancer must stop.”

Rachel Marco of Marblehead is also joining the Jimmy Fund Walk with her family. They are raising money in memory of Marco’s mother, Lorraine Harrington, who died of ovarian cancer in 2007 at age 59. Harrington had already survived a battle with breast cancer.

“I still miss my mom a great deal, especially now that I have two daughters of my own, so it means a lot to be able to participate in the Jimmy Fund

Walk in her honor,” Marco said. “It’s also a way to remind my girls about how important she was to our family, even if they didn’t have a chance to meet her.”

Marco hopes her walk will help shine a light on ovarian cancer, which is still difficult to diagnose — often until it’s too late.

“They don’t even have a blood test,” Marco said. “Dana-Farber

m A rbLeHe AD HIStOrY

is working on it, but I hope the walk helps raise awareness and funds for research and patient care.”

Marco will walk with her husband and their daughters, Annie, 4, and Emilia, 1. They will start at Dana-Farber and walk to Fenway Park.

Marblehead Police Chief Dennis King will join the walk for his second time as part of the

Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association team.

“The fight to find the cure for cancer never ends, and the Jimmy Fund does incredible work raising funds for it,” King said.

Other Marbleheaders walking include Andrea Onufrychuk, Jason Johnson, Rossana Ferrante, Dana Chicoine and Susan Walton.

The Jimmy Fund Walk has raised more than $167 million

Check out the scavenger hunt at Abbot Hall

The Marblehead Historical Commission is launching a new scavenger hunt at Abbot Hall aimed at engaging children, families and visitors. The hunt will be a year-round activity and is set to feature in this fall’s Trails and Sails events by the Essex National Heritage Area Sept. 22-24.

The commission has placed small clue cards and pencils in the Select Board Room for participants. The scavenger hunt is free and open to all ages.

The initiative was spearheaded by a team

clear communication to assuage residents’ concerns about adding density.

“The fear goes away if you make a good presentation, excellent graphics and answer questions ahead of time that you think you’re gonna get,” Nilsson said.

Linke explained that Marblehead has significant flexibility in choosing where to place the district and in tailoring dimensional standards like height limits, setbacks, lot coverage percentages and more. The law mandates the allowance of multifamily housing by right, meaning the developer wouldn’t need any special approval by the town or have any set housingproduction targets.

“Zoning is meant to create opportunity,” Linke said. “This

of volunteers, including newcomers to Marblehead. Jennie Cohen moved to town a year ago and leveraged her media and website experience for the project. High school student Zara Monks also joined the team, developing answer code images for the hunt.

Abbot Hall, built in 1876, serves not just as the town hall but also as a repository for Marblehead’s historical artifacts. The scavenger hunt will take people through the building’s first and second floors, directing them to find items such as a

letter from George Washington, two small seaplanes, a large bust of Elbridge Gerry and other objects of interest.

Those who find themselves stumped can scan a QR code on the back of the clue card, which leads to the Marblehead Historical Commission’s website and provides an answer key.

For more information, visit marbleheadhistory.org/ or stop by the Select Board Room at Abbot Hall, 188 Washington St.

particularly affecting lowerincome households. Proponents see the new state law as a tool to help narrow the gap and create more inclusive neighborhoods, while opponents argue it overrides local control over development.

Tight deadline

for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in its 34-year history. People can walk a 5K, 10K, half-marathon or full marathon route. They can also walk virtually in their own communities.

Here are the links to some Marblehead Jimmy Fund Walk fundraising pages: » Walker family: https://loom. ly/IippqCs

Marco family: https://loom. ly/iLtwgSw » King:https://loom.ly/Hsl-vgk

is about creating capacity for the future.”

All of this comes as Marblehead’s median home price exceeds $1 million. The zoning change aims to facilitate more inclusive, transit-oriented housing.

Massachusetts has among the highest home prices and rents in the nation. The median sale price for a single-family home

reached $550,000 in August 2022, a 10.8% jump from the previous year, according to the Massachusetts Association of Realtors. Rental costs have followed a similar trajectory, rising nearly 20% from the first quarter of 2021 to $2,852 in the first quarter of 2022.

A mismatch between supply and demand creates intense competition for available units,

Members plan to leverage guidance from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council throughout the transition process. The Board faces a tight timeline, Town Planner Becky Cutting said.

“Zoning changes must be approved at the May 2024 Town Meeting to meet the December deadline,” she told Planning Board members.

The board discussed holding public forums next month to gather input on preferred locations, sizes and styles of housing, as well as design

standards.

Cutting suggested policies to encourage affordable units and using design guidelines to minimize negative impacts. She mentioned engaging residents through “forums, focus groups and surveys.”

“We want to be prepared to answer questions and alleviate concerns about changes in Marblehead,” said Planning Board Chair Bob Schaeffner. He emphasized understanding options fully before public input.

“There will be much discussion ahead at public meetings before any final decision at Town Meeting,” Cutting said.

Members stressed complex trade-offs around opening up zoning while maintaining quality of life. School impacts and public perceptions pose challenges, but the law doesn’t leave much wiggle room, they said.

CURRENT PHOTO / WILLIAM J. DOWD

Marblehead must zone for multifamily housing within 1/2 mile of at least one MBTA bus stop, like this one on Humphrey Street.

Jessica Brown started her Marblehead speech therapy practice in 2016.

COURTESY PHOTO

Explorers can examine artifacts and hunt for clues during the Marblehead Historical Commission’s new scavenger hunt at Abbot Hall. The self-guided activity engages visitors of all ages with the town’s rich history.

COURTESY PHOTO

The family of Heather Walker will join the Jimmy Fund Walk Oct. 1.

COURTESY PHOTO / STEPH STEVENS

The Marco family, left to right: John, Annie, Emilia and Rachel walk at Fort Sewall.

Letter sheds more light on Buckey departure

BY LEIGH BLANDER

A letter written by thenSuperintendent John Buckey to the School Committee and dated July 19 has revealed new details about his controversial departure.

The letter was released Friday, Sept. 14, at 5 p.m., after a follow-up public records request by the Current seeking attachments to previously released email.

Buckey wrote the letter before the School Committee scheduled two executive sessions to discuss his status but ultimately never sent it. Buckey agreed to a $175,000 separation agreement with the School Committee on Aug. 2.

In the letter, Buckey outlines events beginning early July.

“On Sunday, July 2, 2023 at 3:59 PM I received an email from Sarah Fox, Chair of the Marblehead School Committee with the agenda that she sent to the Town Clerk to post a meeting for Thursday, July 6, 2023,” Buckey wrote. “This was the first time that an agenda was posted without any input from the Superintendent’s Office.”

The July 6 meeting agenda included a “public records request discussion.” At the meeting, the School Committee requested an executive session (private meeting) to determine if a bullying investigation triggered by an anonymous complaint against the now-former

Marblehead High School girls soccer coach had been handled appropriately.

“As no one had shared any additional specifics regarding the executive session with me, I was left to assume that since there was a bullying investigation as part of one of the public records requests, they were attempting to make the case that I knew about bullying and did not act.

That is categorically false,” Buckey wrote.

Buckey also described two alleged conversations between Fox and now-Acting Superintendent Michelle Cresta.

“[Fox] told the Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operation, Michelle Cresta, that John and [then]-High School Principal, Dan Bauer, ‘are really going to look bad’ or words to that effect, after this upcoming Executive Session,” Buckey wrote. “This made Michelle uncomfortable and she came to my office immediately after to inform me of the Chair’s comments.”

Buckey continued, “After the Town Election on June 20, Chair Fox had a telephone conversation with Michelle on the evening of June 22 around 7:00 PM where she discussed new Committee member Jenn Schaeffner ‘getting her way (about Freshman sports being reinstated) and that John should find a way to do it because it’s his job that is on the line,’ or words to that effect. This also

LIGHtS, CA mer A, ACtION

made Michelle uncomfortable.” Reached for comment, Fox told the Current, “I recall no such conversations.”

Cresta responded by saying, “At no time have I ever been uncomfortable with any conversations I have had with School Committee members or Dr. Buckey.” She added, “I don’t recall exact conversations from June, nor can I comment on what Dr. Buckey stated to members in a letter or email. I just know that the discussions back in June on budget cuts included a lot of back-and-forth negotiations with Dr. Buckey and the School Committee and my recommendations to both on how to potentially fund the reinstatement of some of these cuts.”

Coach investigation

Minutes from two executive sessions on July 21 and 31 revealed that the School

Committee had discussed the bullying investigation of the former MHS coach leading up to those meetings.

Fox and the School Committee have declined to offer any specifics as to how Buckey’s handling of the case might have contributed, if at all, to efforts to oust him.

Buckey’s attorney Mike Long has said the former superintendent handled the coach situation appropriately, and Buckey laid out his case in the letter.

“So, as to what I knew and when I knew it, I became aware of a bullying complaint at the end of October, 2022,” he wrote.

“As our policies dictate, the investigation was initiated by the Student Services Director, Paula Donnelly. For reasons of ensuring the integrity of the investigation I did not contact the investigator, nor was I instructed to do so. In fact, it would have been inappropriate

for me to do so, as our policies, the law and good sense do not permit me to thumb the scales one way or another.”

Sharing the letter

Buckey shared the letter in draft form with School Committee member Meagan Taylor and asked her to review it.

“This document was going to be provided to the full School Committee,” Taylor told the Current Friday evening. “I have reviewed other documents from other district personnel before.” Taylor also pointed out that she reviewed the document before the executive sessions.

Nina Pickering Cook, a municipal attorney, told the Current there is nothing inappropriate about a School Committee member reviewing materials from a superintendent to the full committee.

“There is nothing at all illegal, improper or even ill-advised about sharing a draft letter with one of your supervisors to get feedback before sending it out,” said Pickering Cook. “I’m quite certain it happens in workplaces everywhere, everyday. Nor was it inappropriate for Ms. Taylor to act as such a sounding board. I would be shocked if any member of the School Committee believes that speaking directly with the superintendent about matters involving the district is improper.”

Buckey’s attorney declined to comment on the letter.

MHS senior’s movie features teens, local landmarks

LEIGH BLANDER

Marblehead High School senior Wyatt Foley is making final edits on his debut movie, which he co-wrote, directed and filmed. The Warwick Cinema plans to screen it this winter.

“It’s a dream come true. We worked so hard on it,” Foley told the Current.

The 40-minute movie is called “Currently a Paperboy” and features Marblehead teens and locations.

“It’s a coming-of-age movie,” Foley said. “It is an expression of me growing up in Marblehead and my observations about growing up.”

The movie focuses on two brothers.

“The older brother, Jackson, is going into his senior year. He plays football, he’s a jock,” Foley explained. “His younger brother, Willard, is just coming into high school, and they don’t get along.”

In an effort to salvage their relationship, their mom forces Jackson to bring Willard out on a Friday night.

“You know, anything can happen,” he added with a smile.

MHS senior Brady Weed stars as Willard. Weed has performed in many plays and musicals, but this experience stands out.

“This movie’s all us, every last bit of it,” Weed said. “We all came together and decided that yeah, we were gonna make a movie, and it was gonna be hard, and we would be pretty stressed about it sometimes, but we’d come out of it with a movie that we could watch and laugh at and talk about. And that’s what we did. We worked on, bonded over, fought for this thing, and now we’re getting close to the finish

line.”

‘Art in its purest form’

Foley, who is president of the MHS Film Club, co-wrote the movie with MHS seniors Gwyn Anderson and Alex Hersey last year. They held auditions in June and filmed for more than 60 hours over the summer.

“We shot all around old town, Abbot Hall and down to The Landing, Stramski’s, Seaside Park, the lighthouse. We shot the majority of it at the Hersey’s house and outside the Scoglands’ house.”

Jake Scogland has a role and is composing the soundtrack.

Foley shot on a digital singlelens reflex camera and borrowed other equipment from MHS TV production teacher Henry Christensen.

“It’s a budget-free film,” Foley said. “That’s why it’s so special. It’s art in its purest form.”

‘Always thinking about film’

Foley has written a 60-page TV pilot called “Nor’easter” and many screenplays. In fact, he won an international screenwriting award for his script “Too Late,” a climate thriller.

use the greenhouse and beds, which are located in an outdoor classroom area right behind the school.

You might say Foley came by his directing skills naturally. His dad, Tom, is a director — mostly of commercials — and Wyatt spent time on several sets growing up.

“Watching my dad really helped me,” he said. “Also, as a kid I watched a lot of cartoons. And I made stories with my Legos. I had crazy set-ups and stuff, with different characters.”

Foley’s role models are Wes Anderson and Francis Ford Coppola. His favorite movie is “Apocalypse Now,” which he watched during the pandemic.

classes. English classes can use it for nature writing. Art classes can use it for sketching.”

“It was the first movie I understood from a filmmaker’s perspective,” he said.

It’s not an exaggeration to say Foley thinks about film most of the time. He plans to go to film school next fall.

“I really always try to practice my passion for film and learn how to express myself,” he said. “I’m always thinking about film and different concepts I have.”

‘We made a damn movie!’

Asked about the highlights from the experience making

“Currently a Paperboy,” Foley paused for a moment and answered, “There are so many. One of them is spending time with the cast and crew. We bonded over our shared passions. There was never a dull moment.”

He continued, “A big part of me doing this was to inspire others coming to the high school that this is possible, that we can make movies. Art should be a bigger part of the Marblehead culture.”

Weed had another final thought: “What can I say? We made a damn movie! How many high schoolers can say that?”

“Currently a Paperboy” stars Brady Weed, Matias Watts Cruz, Sienna Velandry, Izzy Scogland, Will Corsini, Lani Gilmore, Alex Hersey, Dante Genovesi, Gretchen Smith, Sabrina Valendry, Keith Hersey and Nathaniel Weiss.

Crew members include Alex Hersey, Gwyn Anderson, Piper Morgan, Quinn Schieb, Rachel Albert, Aidan McKiernan, Livia Weiss, Jacke Scogland, Gretchen Smith, Ava Genovesi, Evie Riegle, Micky McCormick, Gabby Hendry and Adelyn Cruikshank.

The project also includes four raised garden beds.

Several MHS classes will

“Cooking classes can use the fruits, vegetables and herbs,” Earp said. “Science and bio

The MHS National Green School Society will maintain the greenhouse as a service project. “I’m so excited,” said MHS

Principal Michele Carlson. “It’s wonderful for the high school and will provide students with some great learning opportunities.”

As Earp, his parents, grandparents and school

leaders started shoveling, English teacher Jennifer Billings stuck her head out a school window to shout words of encouragement.

“This is so good, isn’t it?” she said with a smile and a wave.

COURTESY PHOTOS

MHS senior Wyatt Foley directs and films a scene from his movie, ‘Currently a Paperboy.’

MHS senior Wyatt Foley directs two of his stars while filming ‘Currently a Paperboy.”

‘Currently a Paperboy’ cast and crew: front row, from left, Sienna Velandry, Gwyn Anderson, Aidan McKiernan, Foley Wyatt, Matias Watts Cruz, Quinn Schieb, Brady Weed; back row, Will Corsini, Jake Scogland, Izzy Scogland, Ava Genovesi and Rachael Albert

CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER

The School Committee at a Sept. 7 meeting

The spirit of Marblehead

What’s the “spirit of Marblehead”?

The answer that immediately jumps to mind is the iconic Archibald Willard painting that hangs in the Select Board’s meeting room at Abbot Hall.

“The Spirit of ‘76” was exhibited at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia and toured several major cities before Gen. John H. Devereux purchased it and brought it “home.” It was hung in Abbot Hall in 1880 by the artist and Devereux’s son, Henry, who had also served as the model for the young drummer on the left side of the painting.

But in recent days, we have been reminded that the spirit of Marblehead has other facets, too.

The spirit of Marblehead is resilient, as Thomas Smith demonstrated on Saturday. Smith overcame two hockey injuries and a subsequent car accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down and walked down the aisle at his wedding with his mother by his side.

Not even a hurricane, which caused a last-minute location switch — kudos to the Select Board for the prompt Abbot Hall approval — could stand in the way of Smith fulfilling his promise.

Embodying a similar quality is Gail Perry Borden, the leader of the Choose Happy Parkinson’s Network, a new support group based at the Marblehead Council on Aging.

The group aims to combat the type of isolation that might otherwise set in without such an opportunity to laugh with and learn from others with Parkinson’s.

The leader of a Parkinson’s fitness class at the YMCA for seven years until COVID-19 hit, Borden reports that she got “inspired again” as the pandemic lifted. The town is better for it.

The spirit of Marblehead is also generous. Johnny Ray, owner of The Beacon Restaurant, read the Current’s story about Ed Bartholomew, the father of Marblehead resident Ivy Walsh, and immediately reached out to ask, “How can I help?”

Bartholomew, a retired science teacher and active artist, lost all his work and his art supplies — along with his house, his neighborhood and his community — in the wildfires that ravaged Lahaina, Hawaii.

The result was a fundraiser, co-sponsored by the Current, at The Beacon last Thursday, Sept. 14. With the help of donations to a silent auction by generous local businesses, the event raised thousands to help Bartholomew rebuild his life.

The spirit of Marblehead is enterprising, too. There are myriad ways one can earn an Eagle Scout badge. But Tyler Earp did not just want to check a box.

This week, with school leaders by his side, he broke ground on a greenhouse at Marblehead High School, a watershed moment in a project in which he has invested more than two years and 400 hours of work, raising more than $76,000 along the way.

The greenhouse will continue to offer crosscurricular learning opportunities to Marblehead students long after Earp goes on to accomplish other great things, as we are sure he will.

The spirit of Marblehead is also respectful — of tradition, of karma and of creatures great and small. Some may have been surprised to learn that Anne and Dave Rodgers released back into the ocean the blue lobster that they discovered to their delight in the traps they were pulling in ahead of the storm. But they agreed that it would be bad luck to do otherwise.

In a week where the Chamber of Commerce aptly honored as its Rey Moulton Person of the Year Dan Dixey — whose documentary on the town’s lobstering history has had repeated sold-out screenings recently — the universe seemed to be sending the Rodgers a message. They listened.

The Current salutes the spirit of Marblehead, in all its forms.

e

V erY tHING WILL be OKAY

What’s in a name?

BY VIRGINIA BUCKINGHAM

What name is it under? Uh, try Buckingham? Nope. Try Lowy. Nope. Try Buckingham-Lowy, even though that’s not really my name. Yes, I know that’s what it says on my license. The introduction of the hyphen is a Registry of Motor Vehicles story I’ll tell in a few minutes. Your passport, you say, that’s the definitive answer? The surname on it is Buckingham Lowy. No hyphen. Not my name. Birth certificate – Virginia Beth Buckingham. Used to be my name. Marriage certificate? Virginia Buckingham Lowy. Bingo. My legal name. Except I never use it. My name conundrum is a cautionary tale I share mostly because it’s a pain in the neck. Some 30 years ago when I got engaged, I wanted to keep my maiden name because I already had an established career. I also wanted to have the same last name as my future children. What to do?

I know many in my generation and since have grappled with the issue. A dear couple I know and love opted recently to take a new name altogether, an amalgamation of their two middle names but the megillah of all the bureaucracy they have to navigate to accomplish the change is daunting. It seems there’s no easy answer.

I just saw a national poll by Pew Research on the name-after-marriage issue. In it, 79% of women in opposite-sex marriages say they took their spouse’s last name. There wasn’t a big enough sample of those in same-sex marriages to analyze, but overall, no matter their sexual orientation, 33% of women who have never been married responded that they would change their name, 23% would not and 17% would hyphenate. What about married men, you ask? Just 5% took their spouse’s last name and 1% hyphenated.

In political polling, when you’re testing the power of an argument for your candidate or your issue (or against the opposing side), you typically ask someone’s perspective before you show a potential ad, then you show the ad, and then you measure if the person’s perspective changed after viewing.

So, let’s pretend I am running a ballot question about whether I should have changed my name when I got married. Think what you would say now. And then you have to vote yes or no after my name “ad.”

Ready?

(Romantic scene, fireplace burning, a newly engaged couple chatting on the couch.)

Ginny: Honey, I’ll change my last name if you change

AD FIrSt tIme

your middle name to Buckingham.

Fiance: No way.

Ginny: You stink.

Still Ginny: But I want our kids to have the same last name as me so what do I do?

(Inspirational music rising)

Ginny: I know, I’ll change my last name legally but I’ll use my maiden name professionally!

Fiance: You’re so smart.

(A slightly older Ginny, holding a cell phone in one hand and a landline in the other)

Ginny (into cell phone): This is Ginny Buckingham, can you get me a conference room for my 2:00?

Ginny (into landline): This is Ginny Lowy, can I get my daughter in for a strep culture?

Ginny looks knowingly into the camera and gives a thumbs up as if saying, “I got this.”

An even older Ginny in the car talking hands-free: “Um, I’m pretty sure I have a reservation? Did you check under Lowy? How about Buckingham? How about Buckingham-Lowy?”

A chagrined Ginny looks at the camera and gives a thumbs down.

Fade to black.

A quick side note on “my” hyphen. Which isn’t mine. Because I never chose it willingly. I was working in the State House when the registrar at the time was demonstrating fancy new equipment in the Great Hall. My license was expiring and I had recently gotten married so I volunteered to get it renewed as part of their presentation. When we got to inputting the name, I said, “My middle name is Buckingham and my last name is Lowy.”

“No can do,” said the friendly technician. “Buckingham can’t fit as your middle name.” Since I wanted my professional name to be on my license, the only option was to hyphenate.

So where do you land on my name choice? Oh, you say, it’s not a yes or no answer because if you stuck to using your maiden name in professional circumstances and your married name in personal ones, there wouldn’t be a problem.

There’s a name for that. Disorganized.

Recently, we were talking to our daughter about whether she would change her name. My husband passionately argued she shouldn’t.

There’s a name for that, too. No, it’s not hypocrisy. In politics, we say his position has “evolved.”

Sigh. Next week, I’ll tackle something easier. Like nuclear détente.

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

From dusty farm fields to the wild blue sea

BY COURT MERRIGAN

It will not be news to the seafaring folk of Marblehead that in order to get out to a boat in Marblehead Harbor, you have to get into another boat. I have observed this from the safe shore of Crocker Park many times. Recently, a kind neighbor invited my partner and I out onto his boat over Labor Day. And so as we stood on the dock at the Boston Yacht Club waiting for a ride, what caught my attention was the youth of the taxi pilot: a young man, barely out of his teens if he’d made it there at all.

Back home, I was literally raised on a tractor seat. That photo is me on my dad’s lap at bean harvest, circa 1979. The open-cab combine had manual steering and whirring blades of death a few feet below my perch. A scene so commonplace on the farm back then that my mom thought nothing of snapping this picture.

Today it remains quite common to see teenagers and even younger kids piloting heavy equipment back home. I myself ran a tractor before I hit double digits. At that time, this meant an open cab with gears you had to yank into place by main force, a throttle that sent clouds of black smoke into your face and a jouncing seat perched a few feet above several tons

Amateur teach lucks out

BY BOB BAKER

It’s the ’60s, and I’m riding a lucky streak so hot my rogue Irish face is on “NOT WANTED” posters all over Vegas.

Just a couple years graduated UConn with a double major (English lit and keg draining), and I’m on a fast track at Harper’s Magazine, having gone from assistant to the publisher to start with to a specially created administrative editor position with my name on the masthead and a salary spike — in just 15 months. Don’t cry for me, Argentina. But wait… it gets better. I’ve also lucked into a rentcontrolled studio apartment in Manhattan’s way-cool West Village. Are you sitting down? $65 a month.

Given the hundreds of entries to the Harper Prize Novel Contest I’d been reading at the time, I was in a groove and missing the classroom scene with its lively interchange of ideas. So I signed up for a Great Novels night school course at the New School just a few

LetterS

Grad expresses gratitude to Shattuck Fund

To the editor:

Abbot Public Library extends its heartfelt appreciation to the Harold B. and Elizabeth L. Shattuck Memorial Fund for their invaluable support.

Most recently, the Fund played a pivotal role in fostering an enduring partnership between the library and Salem State University. This collaborative journey commenced in the autumn of 2022 when the esteemed archives department at the Frederick E. Berry Library graciously agreed to safeguard the precious contents of the Marblehead Room during the extensive renovations taking place at 235 Pleasant St. This extraordinary partnership encompasses a forthcoming internship initiative, set to commence in mid-September, generously underwritten by the Shattuck Memorial Fund. The primary focus of this internship lies in the creation of digital content from a clippings

blocks from my vast 16 Abingdon Square estate.

The third session of class we discussed the epic Russian novel “War and Peace,” and I expressed some ideas gleaned from the sparks-flying genius UConn Prof Robert Wooster Stallman.

To my total surprise, Professor Orlovsky said, “Mr. Baker, that is good thinking. Would you be willing to conduct our next class, Dostoevsky’s masterpiece, ‘The Brothers Karamazov,’ for us? I’d like that.”

Despite being the original poster child for stage fright, I agreed.

Over the next week, I crashread “The Brothers K,” crashwrote an essay-cum-lecture on “Christ Symbols in the Brothers Karamazov” and symbolically kicked myself in the ass for having agreed to do it.

Long story short, the night came, I (figuratively) “killed” the Brothers K. Professor Orlovsky even volunteered, “Mr. Baker, with some little more thinking you could have that published.”

Next day, I get a call at Harper’s: “Bob, I’m Louise Armstrong… just across from

you at the New School… wondering if you’d like to get together for a drink sometime.”

Bingo! The attractive brunette I’d had my eye on (both eyes, actually). Copywriter at Compton who’d earlier studied piano with Nadia Boulanger in Paris. We didn’t exactly rewrite “The Book of Love,” but we lit the light for more than a New York minute or two.

My next teaching gig came to pass in ’64 when I was at Little, Brown-Boston, renting a garden apartment on Story Street just off Harvard Square. One of my great pals at L,B was dynamic editor Herman Gollob.

In addition to our liquid-andlaughter lunches at Two Beacon, Herman would stop by my pad Wednesday evenings for scotch and munchies before teaching “Writing and Publishing” at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education, just around the corner.

One evening in October, Herman announced he was heading off to New York to become editor-in-chief at Athenaeum ... and he’d recommended me to teach the spring semester of “Writing and Publishing”!

My reaction was, “You have got to be (seven-letter word) kidding!”

He said he wasn’t, and I’d have no problem with it.

Wrongo. Read the Center’s course description: “Taught by Robert Baker, formerly editor of Harper’s Magazine,” and you understand why the only person on the planet who could’ve taught it was Herman Gollob, who later became editor-in-chief of Doubleday.

Herman was an appreciator of my writing as well, even recommending I send a Marblehead novel manuscript to colorful author Jimmy Breslin’s editor — which, to my abysmal discredit, I never did. As to my teaching “Writing and Publishing,” the best I can say is nobody died from it… that I know of.

The very excellent Jean Howe asked me if I’d teach an advertising course for the 1976 Marblehead Community Education session. I said I didn’t want to teach advertising, but I’d love to have fun with my favorite subject — the creation of ideas.

My Idea Workshop course description: “Course involves students with idea-making

as a practical art. Will deal with a problem-to-be-solved, with instructor guidance and exploration by the group of the best and most innovative solutions. Students then work up their own ‘ideas’ for discussion at the next class. Sample projects will include humor, new products, storytelling, utopia, games, etc.”

We had a ball. It did turn out to be a “we” thing, too — our idea brainstorming sessions. In the 1980 iteration of the class, a few six-packs of frosty foamy even found their way into the now-Veterans Middle School classroom upon occasion. A good time was had by all.

At the last class, “students” Janet Blood and terrific cartoonist Dave Moynihan created a wonderful card thanking me for the “panache” (word meaning “style” we’d discussed) I’d — allegedly — conducted the course with. Having fun with fun people… life doesn’t get any better’n that.

Bob Baker is a creative resource in Marblehead whose memoir-inprogress is “Outlucking Gatsby: From Greenwich to The Green Light.”

file formerly housed in the Marblehead Room. Furthermore, it entails a comprehensive exploration of the Salem News photography collection spanning from the early 20th century to the 2000s, with a specific aim to unearth images bearing a significant connection to Marblehead. These historic images shall undergo digitization and subsequently become part of the esteemed Salem State digital repository.

Through the unwavering support of the Shattuck Memorial Fund, Abbot Public Library has achieved significant milestones. These include the establishment of a robust digital archives program encompassing the invaluable content of the Marblehead Messenger and the Marblehead Reporter. The Fund’s contributions have also facilitated website development, executed on two distinct occasions, culminating in a highly successful re-launch in July 2021. Additionally, they have made it possible for us to conduct extensive studies of the Marblehead Room

collections, curate captivating exhibits within the Virginia A. Carten Gallery and procure much-needed new chairs for our Meeting Room.

With profound gratitude, we extend our sincerest appreciation to the Shattuck Memorial Fund. We eagerly anticipate the unveiling of the new digital content, a testament to the enduring impact of this esteemed partnership.

Kimberly Grad, executive director of Abbot Public Library

‘I’m back with another letter to the editor’

To the editor:

Well, good people of Marblehead, I’m back with another letter to the editor. Unfortunately — or perhaps not— the audio and video at the last school committee meeting were not working properly. I wonder why. So, I guess you missed me asking Chairwoman Fox if she intended to apologize to the stakeholders she called

lunatics. Her explanation was that she only meant those who complained in front of her children. Forgive me for being suspicious of her answer. First, it was her child who erased her text messages and contact information to and from Committee member Alison Taylor. Truth be told, I am very vocal about this school committee. However, I would not send a balloon or speak rudely in front of anyone’s children. My issue with this committee is its lack of transparency.

So, I will move on to a new topic that unfolded at the last meeting. Surprise, surprise: I did not get chosen to sit on the screening committee in the search for a new interim superintendent. But, as I suspected, they chose one of their friends. There was a request for a seat for someone from the SEPAC community. That request was turned down. Meagan Taylor tried to bring up the subject again about adding a seat. Meagan got the gavel.

The committee decided to go with the recommendations

of the consulting company in choosing two school committee members, Sarah Fox and Alison Taylor, their friend, a staff person and Michelle Cresta as administrator. There is no hard and fast rule saying you could not add others. Lynn’s search for a new superintendent included a teacher, a principal, SEPAC, METCO, a parent, school committee members and an administrator. Lynn also has DEI personnel. Granted, Lynn has more students and more diversity; it’s a city, not a town. Should the size of a community matter? No, it should not. Please add one unbiased seat from both the SEPAC and METCO communities. In my last letter to the editor, I asked if we could trust this committee to support all students. Committee member Meagan Taylor tried. Well, folks, we got our answer at the last meeting: They do not. Good people of Marblehead, you need to raise your voices and demand the inclusion of all children and stakeholders.

Mary McCarriston Pinecliff Drive

of soil-piercing farm equipment. The only power steering was whatever power you had in your arms and you’d best know your way around banks of knobs, instrument panels, gears and hydraulics. Certainly, there was no thought of seat belts or protection from the elements: this was a farm, and the field lay before you. Hop to it, son, my dad would say. Come home when it’s dinnertime or you’re done.

I have found the experience to be invaluable later in life. Even piloting the most twisty of Boston streets is no biggie compared to steering a singlefront 1956 Allis-Chalmers across a fresh- plowed field in the full knowledge that Dad will be along later to check whether you kept your lines straight.

What does all this have to do with a pleasure ride around Marblehead Harbor? Because the easy-going competence of that young water taxi pilot impressed

me. Working out in the sun and the sea, and a gentleman to boot, as he held out a hand to help my partner aboard. I foresee good things in that hard-working

young man’s future. It was a short jaunt from out to our gracious host’s vessel, Colours, a Wasque 30 designed and built at CW Hood Yachts

in Marblehead. I was assigned a job, releasing the mooring line from the cleat. This involved a tightrope walk along the edge of the hull out to the bow. Easy enough on a calm day, but I imagine a much harder task when the seas are up.

We made a circuit of the harbor. Now the easy skill of our captain impressed me as he steered amongst the maze of moored vessels while pointing out all the sights and even offering me a beer. I can report two things: first, I was never offered a beer while anywhere near a tractor back home. Two, Marblehead floats like a lovely storybook postcard from the water.

We then made north for Manchester Harbor, passing Salem, Beverly, Children’s Island, Misery Island (looked pleasant enough to me!) and Baker’s Island. This latter is peopled by what must be a hearty group of folks, who commute to the mainland by boat and clearly enjoy isolation.

I also took note of the old

buoy our captain noted outside Marblehead Harbor. It still has bells for foggy days to warn a ship’s captain operating with no visibility. At least, that’s how it would have been back before GPS, the same sorts of days as when I was piloting an old Case 1070 tractor by sight across a dusty field. I tried to imagine what it must have been like, trying to get back to a safe harbor in fog and rough seas on a ship crewed by men likely not much older than that water taxi pilot. Not an easy thing to picture on a beautiful, modern boat with a seasoned captain and a beer in your hand.

I felt that strange, hollowing singing of which Hemingway wrote as we rounded Fort Sewall for home. I’m as novice a seafarer as they come, but I was ready for my second tightrope walk of the day and ready, already, to head back out again. 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.

The author riding a tractor in his dad’s lap in 1970.

Merrigan

Becomeapar to ft he Fe st ival of Ar ts !

To all friends of theM arblehead Festival of Ar ts:

The Marblehead Festival of Ar ts is re achingout to inquire: Wouldyou like to play apar tinsuppor ting theArtsinM arblehe ad?

Re cognized as theold est and larg est free ar ts festival in thenation,The Marblehe ad FestivalofArts(the Festival)standsasa testam enttocre ative expression.Comprising adedicated assembly of residents, visitors,and students, we functionentirely through volunte er ef forts.

For ne arly sixdecad es,the Festival hasb eenadriving forceb ehind theartsinM arblehead —encompassingdiverseforms such as visual ar ts,crafts, literature,photography, performing ar ts,mixed media,and various otherartistic expressions. Ourcommitmentrevolvesaround maintaining thevibrancy, relevance, andever- evolving nature of thearts in Marblehe ad

TheN ominatingCommittee forthe Festivalisactively se eking volunte ers to guid eour endeavors in theupcoming year(s). Open positionsawait on ourBoard of Dire ctorsbothfor of ficers anddirectors forthe upcoming season.Weenvision individuals who can contribute to this exceptional organization stepping forward.

Whether or notyou consideryourselfanartistorpossess ar tistic aptitude your involvem entisvaluable to us.The only prerequisites aread edication to nurturingand conserving theartsand areadinesstocontribute uniqu ely to thiscause

We arelooking forindivi duals who possess sp ecificexper tisethat can enhance ourcolle ctiveeffor ts.I fyou believe your skills and experience cancontributetothe grow th of theFestival,weinviteyou to submit your resume alongwith your contactdetails by emailing theFestival

NominatingCommittee at Nominating@marbleheadfestival.org by Septemb er 10 th

Amemberofthe NominatingCommittee willb eintouch,coordinating aconvenientm eeting tim e, either in person or virtually.This gathering will of fera plat form to delveintoyourinterests, expertise, and address any inquiri es youmight have

We look forwardtohaving youjoinus.

Warm re gards, The Marblehe ad FestivalofArts

2023 -2024N ominating Commit te e

Eric Knight,Chair

PeterJackson

Maggie Raftus IliseRatner

Bill Smalley

Nominating@marblehe adfestival.org

Football Magicians off to rough start

Plus updates from cross country, volleyball and golf

BY JOE MCCONNELL

Football Magicians fall to perennial Super Bowl contender to begin season 0-2

It was certainly not the easiest of ways for any high school football team to open up its schedule, especially if it has a lot of first-year starters on the roster. But that’s what the football Magicians had to deal with when they saw they were first playing Bishop Fenwick, always a talented squad that was extra motivated by the excessive penalty imposed by the MIAA (Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association) on the entire athletic program. After staking Marblehead to a 10-0 lead at halftime, the Crusaders came roaring back with two unanswered touchdowns, before their stout defense took over to shut down the home team’s offense to win the game, 14-10.

The Marblehead boys then only had to deal with King Philip six days later at home, a team that has played in the Super Bowl the last two years. Their overall experience was just too much for the young Magicians from the start, and as a result the Hockomock League club routed the home team, 34-6.

The Warriors led after one quarter, 7-0, while Marblehead had trouble running with the football. But their passing game had much better results.

Junior quarterback Colt Wales on one series found classmate Brady Selvais with a screen pass that went for 40 yards to midfield. But the drive stalled at that point.

On their next offensive series, Wales hooked up with Crew Monaco to account for a 73-yard touchdown late in the first half that trimmed the deficit to seven, 13-6. But the Warriors got it right back just before

GIrLS SOCCer

With

halftime to increase the margin of difference to two touchdowns once again, 20-6.

King Philip added another score in the third quarter to lead, 27-6, and one more in the fourth to account for the final score, while holding the Magicians scoreless in the second half.

The only thing coach Jim Rudloff’s crew can do now is head back to the drawing board, and get ready for North Andover Friday night (Sept. 22) in North Andover, starting at 6:30 p.m.

The Scarlet Knights began their season last Friday night, and they came away with a 21-6 victory over non-league Beverly. But the Magicians want to make sure they don’t make it two in a row against a Northeastern Conference opponent.

Boys cross-country wins second straight meet, makes history in annual Clipper Relays

The Marblehead High boys cross-country team defeated Beverly, 24-32 at Gatchell’s Park

Magicians hope to return to the win column

BY JOE MCCONNELL

After beating host Beverly to begin the Lisa Wales era on a successful note, the Marblehead High girls soccer team made it two in a row on Sept. 11, when they shut down Swampscott, 2-0.

The game against the Big Blue was pretty much even throughout, with Marblehead holding a slim 13-12 advantage on shots on goal.

Marblehead’s Liv Carson netted the first goal against Swampscott from Ava Machado at the seven-minute mark of the first half.

Goalie Kate Burns made a diving save early on in the second half to help maintain the shutout, before Talia Selby gave her teammates some breathing room at the 25-minute mark “on a beautiful bar down goal,” according to Wales.

Kate Twomey anchored the team’s defensive effort to preserve the shutout in front of Burns, who was credited with 12 saves in the game.

But then, the Magicians (2-1) ran into the Danvers Falcons on Sept. 13. The perennial Northeastern Conference (NEC) juggernaut was able to pull out the close win, 3-2 after jumping out to a 2-0 lead.

Marblehead was limited to just eight shots on goal in this game.

Grace Mortensen on a comer kick from Ava Larco accounted for the first marker. Sadie Halpern netted the second tally on a solo effort.

“We got off to a slow start against Danvers,” said Wales.

“We then picked up our play in the second half after some mental errors.

“But credit Danvers. They have

to go to 2-0 on the season.

Isaac Gross, Nate Assa and Will Cerrutti respectively owned the top three spots in this meet to lead their teammates to another victory. Henrik Adams

and Jonah Potach also ran well against the Panthers, according to veteran coach Brian Heenan.

The Magicians also competed in the annual Clipper Relays at Maudslay State Park in

Newburyport on Saturday, Sept. 9.

“It’s a unique meet in which we split the team into teams of three to compete in a six-mile relay race, where each member of a team completes a twomile loop before handing off the baton to their teammate,” said Heenan. “The boys ran really well. Cerrutti, Assa and Gross combined for a time of 30:50 to finish third out of 108 teams. This is the highest place any Marblehead team has ever finished in this meet, and we have been going to this meet for over 20 years. A team from Lexington finished first, followed by a team from Billerica this year. The boys faced some of the best teams in the state from some of the largest schools in the state, and they still placed third overall. It’s a remarkable achievement. We had seven teams compete overall in Newburyport.”

incredible speed, and as a result were able to capitalize on their opportunities,” added Wales.

“It was a competitive match and I proud of the way that the team responded after being down 2-0.”

The Magicians now get ready to host Saugus on Sept. 20, at 4:30 p.m., before non-league Melrose comes to town for a Saturday morning game on Sept. 23, starting at 10 a.m.

COURTESY PHOTOS / COLETTE RODRIGUES Marblehead High girls soccer captain Talia Selby clears the ball out of the defensive zone in front of goalie Kate Burns, also a captain, during a game against Swampscott on Sept. 11.

Sydney Ball (16) takes a shot on net against Swampscott with teammate Kate Twomey (17) alongside her.

COURTESY PHOTOS / EYAL OREN

the team’s young fans cheering in the background, Marblehead High football junior wide receiver Crew Monaco heads to the endzone for a touchdown to get the Magicians on the scoreboard late in the first half against King Philip on Friday night, Sept. 15, at Piper Field. As it turned out, it was the Magicians’ lone score of the game. They ended up falling to the Warriors, 34-6.

Marblehead High junior quarterback Colt Wales runs hard for a first down during the game against King Philip.

ROUNDUP, P. A10

mHS VA rSIt Y SCHeDULe

Wednesday, Sept. 20

4 p.m

girls cross country vs. Swampscott at Swampscott High

4 p.m. boys cross country vs. Swampscott at Swampscott High

4 p.m. golf vs. Gloucester at Tedesco Country Club

4 p.m. boys soccer vs. Saugus at Saugus High

4:30 p.m. girls soccer vs. Saugus at Piper Field

5:30 p.m. volleyball vs. Masconomet at Masconomet Regional High School

Thursday, Sept. 21

4:30 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 22

6:30

field hockey vs. Swampscott at Blocksidge Field

Friday,

Saturday, Sept. 30

TBD

bOYS

Magicians scratch out two ties during competitive week on pitch; Saugus next

The Marblehead High boys soccer team faced a tough slate of opponents — Beverly, Swampscott and Danvers — in just its second week of the season. They ended up going 0-1-2 during this stretch of games.

On Saturday, Sept. 9, the Panthers came to town for the first of two matchups this fall. At the outset, Beverly played an aggressive style of soccer at a heightened pace.

But the Magicians struck first on a nifty, spinning high ball by captain Jack Burke. Later in the first half, forward James Achterhof displayed his strength in getting through not one, not two, but three Swampscott defenders, before releasing a shot. In a near collision, however, the Beverly goalie still managed to make the save to keep the game close. But nonetheless, Achterhof’s efforts put the Panthers on notice that this game was not going to be easy. There were many numerous changes of possession for the remainder of the first half, but Beverly was still able to convert on a direct kick to tie up the

proceedings at one just before halftime. The second half was scoreless, giving each side a wellearned, hard-fought point in the Northeastern Conference (NEC) standings.

On Monday, Sept. 11, the Magicians traveled to Swampscott to face a muchimproved Big Blue squad.

Swampscott scored early on, catching the Marblehead defense off guard with a long bouncing strike from 20 yards out.

On defense, Swampscott was relentless in its pursuit of the ball, while they played a high tempo game on offense. They notched another goal in the first half to lead, 2-0.

But then, Marblehead came alive and created several opportunities to close the gap.

Forwards Kyle Hart and David Magan challenged the Big Blue defense, before midfielder Luke Miller redirected a long spinning ball by London McDonald that would have hit the back of the net if not for the brilliant diving effort of the Swampscott goalie.

Marblehead goalie Rory Zampese kept the game close with his own diving save of a direct kick by Jack Raymond.

The Marblehead boys were able to consistently bring the ball downfield in the second half, but ultimately were unable to score. The Big Blue ended up winning the game, 3-0.

The Marblehead boys then took on host Danvers under the lights amid a steady drizzle on Sept. 13.

The visitors were able to control possession throughout

most of the game, showing the many fans who were in attendance, despite the rainy conditions, on how well they could open up the field with a controlled, sustained attack. In keeping the ball on the ground most of the time, Marblehead was able to put together dominant downfield runs to set up the strikers for high percentage shots. As fate would have it, the Falcons were able to capitalize on only a handful of set plays and a breakaway run to keep the game close.

Jared Halpern scored the first Marblehead goal on a sweet corner kick from fellow midfielder Ilan Druker. A beautiful Halpern-to-Burke combination then tied the game up at two in the waning minutes that secured a point for their efforts.

After facing Peabody at home Monday, Sept. 18, they will be at Saugus to go up against the Sachems on Sept. 20, beginning at 4 p.m. They will then hook up with non-league host Andover on Saturday, Sept. 23, starting at 1 p.m.

p.m.

The team of Will Cruikshank, Ryan Blestowe and Adams combined to finish 19th. The team of Zach Pike, Potach and Cronin was 39th.

The Marblehead boys head to Swampscott Sept. 20, looking to remain undefeated on the season against their longtime rivals.

Girls cross-country team up to escape past Beverly

The Marblehead High girls cross-country team defeated Beverly, 25-31, at home to remain undefeated after two meets. “It was a true team win,” said coach Will Herlihy, “because our top six runners turned in significant personal bests on the 3.05-mile home course at Gatchell’s.”

Sophomore assistant captain Marri O’Connell captured first in a blistering fast time of 19:40, only 15 seconds off the course record set by Beverly in 2019.

Senior captain Cat Piper finished third in 21:46, shaving nearly a minute off her personal best time on the home course. Junior assistant captain Maren Potter

came in fifth in 23:56. Shannon Hitscherich (25:17) ended up seventh. Jesslyn Roemer took ninth in 26:08, over a 1:30 faster than her time in the previous meet against Salem. Abbie Goodwin (26:31) was 10th. Avery Barbeau (27:57) rounded out the top seventh 15th overall.

“Maren, Shannon, Jesslyn and Abbie were particularly outstanding in the third mile that created separation from the Beverly runners, which locked up the meet for the team,” said Herlihy.

Junior Aria Hoover had the biggest improvement on the day, taking a full 6:30 off her time from the aforementioned Salem meet. Hoover was Marblehead’s eighth runner to finish against Beverly.

The Marblehead girls head to Swampscott Sept. 20 looking to remain undefeated on the season against their longtime rivals.

Volleyball team earns split

The Marblehead High volleyball team (3-1) lost its first match of the year in four sets to Peabody on Sept. 12.

Eva Burke was the leader

in assists with 28. Mari Modrzynska was credited with 15 kills. Deysha Amadis and Greta Sachs each tacked on six more. Defensively, Alyssa Gentile accounted for 13 digs.

The Magicians wasted little time to bounce back from the Peabody loss to beat Winthrop in three sets the very next night. Megan Parkman led the way

against the Vikings with seven aces and three digs. Amadis collected six kills. Burke chipped in with nine assists.

After taking on non-league Woburn on Sept. 18, the Marblehead girls head to Boxford to take on MascoSept. 20, starting at 5:30 p.m. They will then be facing host North Andover Friday at 5

Golfers perfect after five

The Marblehead High golf team remains undefeated after beating Saugus at Tedesco on Sept. 12, 64.5-7.5. All eight Marblehead golfers won their match.

Charlie Grenier (7-2, shooting a 36) finished on top against the Sachems, followed by Simon Quicken (6.5-2.5, 37), Jacob Hershfield (8.5-.5, 39), Marty Ryan (8.5-.5, 38), Adrian Baron (9-0, 39), James Bickell (8.5-.5, 40), Matt Mahan (8.5.5, 39) and Toby Grenier (8-1, 39).

Coach Bob Green’s team then made it five in a row after beating Salem, 66.5-5.5 on Sept. 14. Once again, the entire lineup won their matches.

Charlie Grenier (7-2, 39) bested the entire field for the second straight match, followed by Quicken (7.5-1.5, 38), Hershfield (8-1, 42), Ryan (9-0, 36), Baron (8.5, 39), Bickell (9-0, 38), Mahan (8.5-.5, 42) and Joy Meshulam (9-0, 47).

After facing Peabody on Sept. 19, the Magicians head back to Tedesco the next day to host Gloucester at 4 p.m.

COURTESY PHOTO / RICH BIBBINS

Marblehead boys soccer goalie Rory Zampese is shown leaping to make a save during a recent game, with a coach looking on.

COURTESY PHOTO / EYAL OREN

Marblehead High senior football captain Chris DeWitt tries to make a spectacular one-handed catch down the sideline.

Wedding

the waist down and was hospitalized for months.

“It was really hard the first couple years. It wasn’t looking good,” he said. He was told he would never walk again.

Hoping to encourage his heartbroken mother, Smith made her a promise.

“I told her if I ever fell in love and got married, I would walk her down the aisle,” he said.

On Jan. 11, 2010, Smith was out of the hospital, and his father was driving him to physical therapy. Their car was struck by a distracted driver at Bell Circle in Revere.

“I didn’t walk for almost three years,”

Smith said.

But he never gave up, enduring grueling physical therapy and workouts. He can now walk using Lofstrand (forearm) crutches.

“The paralysis is in my right leg. By the grace of God, I made another onein-a-million recovery,”

Smith said.

He has even competed in several Boston Marathons.

He met his bride, Rachel Cox, while boating in Marblehead Harbor.

“I knew after our first date that she was the one,” he said.

The couple was set to get married Saturday, Sept. 16, at Crocker Park, down the street from their home on Darling Street. They created an aisle, so Smith could walk down it with his mother, fulfilling his promise from a few years earlier.

Then, Hurricane Lee started churning up the coast, and Marblehead was forecast to get hit with rain and winds on their wedding day.

“We saw the forecast and honestly started laughing,” he said.

Smith reached out to the Select Board in a letter, sharing his story and asking for emergency permission to use Abbot Hall, and its aisle, for his wedding.

The Select Board gave its unanimous support.

“A promise is something you have to keep,” said member Jim Nye.

So on Saturday, Sept. 16, Smith (with the help of his brother) walked his mother down the aisle at Abbot Hall. Cox walked with her father down the aisle, and the happy couple exchanged their “I do’s.”

The newlyweds are heading to Europe for their honeymoon.

Learn more about Smith, his story and the foundation he started to help others living with paralysis at thomasesmithfoundation. org.

HEARD ON SOCIAL

Once in’a.

Our social media followers decided the blue lobster found by Anne and Dave Rodgers and now back roaming the ocean floor off Marblehead’s shore needed a name.

Suggestions included the following:

reddish-brown color, the shell turns blue as it hardens.

Blue lobsters are what one might call a oncein-a-blue-moon find — about one in two million, according to experts at the New England Aquarium. While rare, blue lobsters are not the most uncommon variation. Yellow and calico lobsters appear just once in every 30 million lobsters, while orange occurs in only one out of every 10 million, according to experts.

The couple, who have fished for lobster together for over 10 years, had never before seen a blue lobster in person, despite decades in the industry. Anne said her husband has more experience on the water and has caught lobsters with hints of blue pigmentation but nothing as vibrant as this one.

On Liberty Thursday morning, the Rodgers confirmed their blue lobster was a legal size to keep. They then considered their options. Anne said she briefly entertained visions of having it mounted as a trophy.

“My head started going, ‘Oh, I’d love to get this mounted or something,’” Rodgers recalled. “It was beautiful.”

Anne said they also briefly considered contacting the New England Aquarium or a seafood distributor, envisioning the rare lobster on display.

But after getting over their initial excitement, Dave expressed concern that their luck could worsen if they profited from the rare catch by selling it or giving it to an aquarium.

“We decided, with the storm coming up, it’s bad luck to keep the blue lobster,” she said. “In the end, we decided to throw the lobster back in the water.”

Rodgers enjoys the months she spends lobstering with her husband each year. But

Blue Bayou.

Cordelia (Celtic girl name meaning “daughter of the sea”).

» “My 6-year-old self says ‘Blooey.’”

Indigo Child. The Blue Crustacean of

Happiness.

Bluey McBlue Face.

Skye.

» Cerul, short for Cerulean.

To keep up with the news in real time, follow us at Instagram.com/MHDcurrent, Facebook.com/MHDcurrent or Twitter.com/MHDcurrent.

COURTESY PHOTO

A close-up view of the vibrant blue lobster, a genetic mutation and one-in-two-million catch, that Anne and Dave Rodgers landed on their boat, Liberty, on Thursday, Sept. 14.

she said rough fall ocean conditions as storms roll in and dense fog can make the work exhausting and even dangerous.

She looks for creative outlets like crafting lobster-claw Christmas ornaments during the winter off-season.

COURTESY PHOTOS

Thomas Smith proposed to Rachel Cox at Crocker Park.

Thomas Smith in the hospital. He promised his mother that he would walk her down the aisle at his wedding someday.

Thomas Smith grew up playing hockey and had big dreams of going pro.

Thomas Smith never gave up and never stopped training to walk again, even after three tragic accidents.

From P. A1

COmm

Historian/photographer Dixey is Person of the Year

Current receives special recognition award

BY LEIGH BLANDER

The Marblehead Chamber of Commerce honored historian and photographer Dan Dixey as the 2023 Person of the Year at its 71st annual meeting Thursday night at the Corinthian Yacht Club.

Dixey has more than 5,000 photographs of historic Marblehead and his feature The Dixey Collection appears regularly in the Current.

Dixey has published photography books and recently produced a documentary on lobstering in Marblehead. His wife, children and grandkids all cheered him on as he accepted

his award.

Other award recipients included: Frank Regan Community Service Award: Kyle Wiley, administrative assistant at Abbot Hall

Frank Regan Community Service Award: Teri McDonough, social services coordinator at the Marblehead Counseling Center and housing advocate

Business of the Year:

Marblehead Animal Hospital

Nonprofit Organization of the Year: Marblehead All-Sports

Boosters

Harbor Award: Bill Conly, author of “Marblehead’s

Waterfront: The Marblehead

Transportation Company, Ferries, Police Boats and Harbormasters”

Special Recognition: Marblehead Current

Special Recognition: Marblehead Weekly News

Leading Parkinson’s fitness expert starts support group

BY LEIGH BLANDER

When Gail Perry Borden was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease 12 years ago, she felt completely alone.

“When I got it, there was nothing,” Borden said, referring to the lack of local support programming for people living with Parkinson’s. “I was researching online as best as I could.”

Parkinson’s is a progressive, degenerative disease that affects the nervous system. Symptoms include uncontrollable tremors, impaired balance, rigidity, and trouble speaking and swallowing. Symptoms worsen over time.

Borden learned about neuroplasticity-based exercises that can help Parkinson’s patients and started studying, eventually leading her own workshops. She taught a Parkinson’s fitness class at the YMCA for seven years until COVID hit.

Now, she has started Choose Happy Parkinson’s Network, a support group, at the Marblehead Council on Aging.

“I got inspired again,” Borden said.

About a dozen people attended the group’s recent meeting.

“It gives people a place to go for camaraderie,” she said. “We become very isolated. Not just with people dissing and dismissing us, but our own lack of motivation. That keeps us isolated.”

COA HA ppeNINGS

Borden added, “People need a place to go that’s all their own, where they can talk about anything, that’s nonjudgemental. And I have a wealth of information to give. We share ideas and issues with each other.”

The group will meet monthly at the COA.

Hugh Jamieson, 72, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s 20 years ago. He has been taking classes with Borden for years and attended the first patient support group meeting.

“I saw a few people I’ve known for years,” he said. “Gail handed out pamphlets, different things about Parkinson’s. We got to

know a little bit about each other and talked about different things like medications we take, how we’re doing.” Jamieson said there’s a lot of value in talking to other people living with the disease.

“You go to your doctor and neurologist and ask what’s the next step. They just shrug their shoulders,” he said. “At the support group, I get a lot more information from people who have the disease and have been fighting it for years than I do from going to the doctors.”

Fitness instructor Kim Crowley also leads a Parksinson’s fitness class at the

COA Mondays at 10 a.m. and Wednesdays at 11 a.m. Borden said it is important to keep moving.

“Absolutely. Totally. Because with Parkinson’s, it’s brain change,” she said. “What we lose we can borrow from other parts of the brain. And before you know it, if you are walking a lot and playing ball, something else might be better because of what you’re doing. It’s about losses and gains.”

To stay fit, Borden teaches a chair yoga class at the COA Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11 a.m.

“I do have my deficits now, but I’m still totally independent,”

she said. “I’m too scared to drive on the highway with my tremor in my foot and my hands. It does stop with the medicine here and there.

She laughed, “Nobody forgets me because of my tremor.” Jamieson said he is looking forward to next month’s meeting.

“Definitely, I was in a good mood afterwards,” he said. “It’s good to talk.”

To learn more about Borden’s support group and Crowley’s Parkinson’s fitness class, visit marblehead.org/council-agingdepartment or call the COA at 781-631-6225.

Council on Aging updates fee information

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

Increased fees

The Council on Aging Board voted August 31 to increase many fees, including most fitness programs by $1, Lunch by Doug by $2 and Instructional Bridge by $5. These increases will offset instructors fees,

fuel and food supply costs. All participants, including online participants, are required to pay for classes.

New Fitness/

Recreation prices

» Balance & Mobility $ 4

Instructional Bridge

$10

Bocce/Curling $15 per

season Chair yoga $4 Fitness Center $3 visit Fitness $15 for 5 visits

» Monthly Fitness Center $35

» Line Dancing $6 class Muscle Conditioning

$4class Osteo Prevention $4

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF MARBLEHEAD BANK

6061 Passcode: 826686 project materials available for 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

The Annual Meeting of the Corporation of MARBLEHEAD BANK will be held on Tuesday October 3, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. at the Boston Yacht Club, One Front Street, Marblehead, MA, for the election of officers and any other business which may legally come before the meeting

Dr Keith Taylor Chairman

class

Quilting $6 class

Strength & Stretch $4 class

» Step It Up $4 class

» Strong Bones $4 class

» Tai Chi $6 class

Weight training $4 class Yoga $4 class

» Zumba $4 class

» Van donations in town $2 each way

» Van donations out of town $4 each way

Payment

Payment for classes and lunch can still be made at the COA. Our new software, SchedulesPlus, will allow participants to set up a “cash account” for a specific amount of money to pay for classes and lunch. This can be done online with a credit

September 13, 2023

card or in person with a check or cash. COA staff will be available to assist. The first week of October specific scheduled assistance times are: Tuesday, October 3; Wednesday, October 4; Thursday, October 5; 10 a.m.-12p.m. or 1-3 p.m. Ongoing assistance after the first week of October will occur by appointment. At this time, all participants are required to pay for their classes, transportation and/or lunch. Please see Lisa or Janice if you have any questions.

State Rep. Jenny Armini visit Friday, Oct. 20, 9:30 a.m. Come chat with Rep. Armini at the COA.

CURRENT PHOTOS / LEIGH BLANDER Dan Dixey accepts his Person of the Year award at the Chamber of Commerce annual meeting at the Corinthian Yacht Club Sept. 14.

Current Consulting Editor Kris Olson, left, and Co-founder Ed Bell accept the Current‘s special recognition award.

CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER

Gail Perry Borden, left, has been helping people with Parkinson’s since she was diagnosed 12 years ago.

Bringing people together through bocce

BY WILLIAM J. DOWD

Behind the Judy and Gene Jacobi Community Center on Tuesday afternoon, the air was filled with laughter, cheers and encouragement. Members of the Anchor to Windward (ATW) group and local seniors were engrossed in their third annual bocce ball tournament, organized by the Marblehead Council on Aging (COA).

ATW is a nonprofit organization that has served adults with developmental disabilities in Marblehead for over 20 years. Its mission is to empower its diverse members — ranging from their 20s to 70s — to reach their full potential through skill-building programs for independent living.

What began three years ago as a new activity for ATW members has blossomed into a beloved annual tradition that unites people of all abilities through their shared love for the game.

“We have regulars who play every Tuesday. They’re the big players we often refer to. It’s a highlight for them, and many come out just to watch and enjoy the atmosphere,” said ATW Director Carol Marotta.

ATW currently has 22 active members participating in a range of activities from crafts to outings, primarily on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Three years ago, Marotta’s husband, Jack, volunteered to teach ATW members how to play bocce. These first-timers quickly took to the sport. Now, the annual tournament allows them to compete against seasoned COA bocce players.

W et DOGS

“Every year, our members look forward to playing with the ‘real good players’ from the COA, as per the rules my husband taught them,” Marotta explained. The tournament is characterized by a spirit of camaraderie and mutual support,

punctuated by high-fives, cheers and shouts of encouragement.

ATW member Nikolay Kuzmin, 37, has been playing in the tournament since it started in 2021.

“At first I wasn’t good,” he said. “But now with the help of

Jack, he taught me how to play.”

Pat McCarthy, an ATW support staff member, emphasized the social value of the event.

“After a certain age, many of our members don’t have many formal activities to join.

This tournament offers a great social opportunity for them,” McCarthy said.

Pat Bibbo, the COA’s bocce coordinator, said the event showcases Marblehead’s spirit of community inclusion.

“We mix everyone up, male and female, and that makes our teams,” Bibbo added. “Everyone cheers everyone on.”

For Marotta, the sight of ATW members playing alongside COA bocce players is heartwarming.

“It’s incredibly rewarding,” she said.

The COA initially called for 16 volunteers, but the community’s response was overwhelming — 27 people showed up to assist.

“This just shows what Marblehead is capable of,” Bibbo said. “It makes us proud.”

Local pups enjoy end-of-summer Doggy Dips

BY LEIGH BLANDER

Dozens of dogs enjoyed the YMCA and JCC outdoor pools recently at Doggy Dip events. Every year before the Y and J close their outdoor pools, they welcome local dogs in for a swim. Enjoy these courtesy photos from the JCC and the YMCA.

Spe AK e ASY FUN

1920s-themed party celebrates, raises money for Marblehead Museum

More than 175 people came out for the End-ofSummer Speakeasy at the Lee Mansion Saturday night to raise money for the Marblehead Museum. The event was sponsored by the museum and Discover Marblehead and raised $10,000.

Vintage cars parked in front of the Jeremiah Lee Mansion for the Endof-Summer Speakeasy party.

A lively crowd came out for the End-of-Summer Speakeasy at the Lee Mansion. COURTESY PHOTO

A bocce player lines up the perfect shot.

CURRENT PHOTOS / WILLIAM. J. DOWD

Players from both Anchor to Windward and the Council on Aging watch as a bocce ball inches closer to the small target ball.

COURTESY PHOTO / RICK DODGE

Joan F. Lane, 77

Joan F. Lane, 77, of Gloucester, passed away at home surrounded by her family after a valiant battle with cancer.

Joni, as she was known to friends and family, was the beloved wife of Kevin, with whom she shared 57 years of marriage.

Joni was born on December 7, 1945, in Springfield, to John and Joan McMahon as the second of 11 kids. She attended the Sisters of St. Joseph convent in Berwick, Maine, before attending Keene State College.

William ‘Billy’ Stocker

William “Billy” “Bill” Frederick Stocker of Marblehead passed away on Sept. 8 at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Bill was the loving soulmate of Jeannette Meyer who together shared 40 years of life adventures. Bill was predeceased by his mother, Nathalie (Corning) Stocker; his father, George F. Stocker; and his brother, Barrie L. Stocker. He was the loving brother of Sharon (Stocker) Masters and

After marrying in 1966, the Lanes originally settled in Billerica but Joni never envisioned herself living in a culde-sac as a stay-at-home wife. So, with three kids in tow and with

Mark P. Shaw, 60

Mark Peter Shaw, age 60, of Marblehead passed away on Saturday, Sept. 2. Born in Salem, he was the son of the late William and Joan (Thorner) Shaw. Mark was the dear brother of Michael and his wife, Robin, of

her full encouragement, it was decided that Kevin would attend graduate school in Cambridge.

During this time, Joni became director of research at the Republican Leader’s office at the Massachusetts House of Representatives, and later went on to become executive director of the Massachusetts Children’s Lobby.

In 1977, the Lanes made the move to Marblehead Neck, where they would spend the next 20 years raising their family and racing sailboats. She became a consultant to Citizens for Limited Taxation in 1981 for the implementation of Proposition 2 1/2, legislation limiting the property tax levied by a municipality. This role

Lake Placid, New York; Cynthia Leonard and her late husband, Thomas, of Amsterdam, New York; and Susan Rolli and her husband, Thomas, of Woburn; the cherished uncle of Chad Shaw and his wife, Sydny, of East Sandwich; Matthew Leonard of Amsterdam, New York; Allison Luongo and her husband, James, of Pembroke; and Joseph Rolli of Woburn; and the great uncle of Mikayla,

Holly Springs, North Carolina, and Christopher B. Masters of Morehead City, North Carolina; and great uncle of Megan, Brian and Caroline.

Bill attended Glover Grammar School and Marblehead High School, Class of 1963, where he was actively involved in both the gymnastics and track teams. Bill graduated from Wentworth Institute of Boston in 1965, receiving an associate’s degree in electronic engineering.

led to her founding Lane & Company, a husband-and-wife enterprise centered around Massachusetts state municipal financing. By her own admission, “it’s not the sexiest business.” But it was everything they had dreamed of: intellectually stimulating, impactful and most important, all their own.

In 1996, the Lanes moved to Gloucester and joined the Sandy Bay Yacht Club in Rockport. Her love of the sailing community grew, and she became the 2006 chairperson of the Rhodes 19 National Regatta. Later, she was elected a director, then president of the Rockport Garden Club, and a board member of the Eastern Point Association.

Joni is survived by the love

Caitlyn and David Shaw, Katlyn Leonard, and Hadley and Owen Luongo. Mark was raised in Marblehead and attended Marblehead schools. Mark enjoyed a variety of hobbies, including vintage cars. As a collector, he developed a keen eye for retro memorabilia. His most cherished memories were times spent with extended family, and he especially adored

electronics for many years in Burlington, Massachusetts. During the mid-1980s, Bill’s interest switched to buying, renovating and renting residential property in Amesbury and Marblehead.

In the ’70s, Bill’s love of skiing since childhood brought him to join the Wedeln Ski Club in the North Conway area. He purchased land and decided to build his very own private ski chalet.

of her life, Kevin; her three children, Michael and his wife Kathleen of Middleton; Sean and his fiancée Kristin of Gloucester; and Shannon and her partner Mike of Beverly; as well as her seven grandchildren, Alexandra and her husband Lou of Boston, Matthew (Denver, Colorado), Aidan (Salem), Sophie and Molly (Middleton), and Finnegan and Ava of Manchester-by-the-Sea. Services will be on Sept. 23 at 10 a.m. at St. Joachim’s Church at 56 Broadway Ave., Rockport, followed by a reception at Shalin Liu, 37 Main St, Rockport, at 11:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to Care Dimensions, 75 Sylvan St., Suite B-102, Danvers, 01923.

his nieces and nephews and his annual trip to Manhattan. A celebration of life will be held in the spring. Burial will take place in the family plot in Waterside Cemetery. Memorial contributions in Mark’s name to a charity of one’s choice. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy for Mark’s family may be shared at eustisandcornellfuneralhome. com.

especially loved his membership at the Marblehead Yacht Club (MYC).

her husband, Chuck Masters of Cary, North Carolina; dear uncle of Melissa D. Hale (Masters) of

Bill saw active duty as a CT3 (cryptologist) in the U.S. Naval Security Group Activity from 1967 to 1969 in Bremerhaven, Germany.

Returning home, Bill continued his career with

Bill’s earliest summertime favorite memories and happy times with family and friends always involved sailing and boating in the harbor, the islands and surrounding waters in the Marblehead-Gloucester area. Bill

bridge, more trail’

BY WILLIAM J. DOWD

After hearing from residents that they viewed maintenance of the well-traversed trail itself a higher priority, the town adopted a “new approach,”

Town Planner Becky Cutting and Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer reported to the Select Board Sept. 13.

“What we’re trying to do is make less bridge, more trail,” Kezer said.

The funds will now be used to construct smaller bridges to improve pedestrian access, coupled with broader trail resurfacing projects.

Originally, the town intended to use the American Rescue Plan Act funds to fully reconstruct two early 20th-century bridges near Lafayette Street. These bridges are part of a former railroad corridor that has been converted into the Marblehead Rail Trail, a public recreation path.

However, Cutting indicated that further discussions with utilities and public safety officials led to a change in priorities.

“It was determined that they really don’t need vehicular access there because there are other ways to get there,” she said.

Given that the aging bridges do not need to support heavy vehicle use, less extensive

structural work will be required to keep them functional for pedestrians.

This new approach will allow the town to redirect the ARPA funds toward other objectives designed to benefit the community at large.

“This will allow the funds to go further to extend the trail improvements in accordance with the [Rail Trail] Master Plan,” Cutting told Select Board

members.

The revised plans expand the scope of the project to make the bridges more accessible. Modifications will include the removal of raised lips and curbs that currently impede the movement of wheelchairs, strollers and bikes.

Cutting described the Marblehead Rail Trail as “a really complicated site” with environmental constraints. The

flexibility offered by ARPA funds makes them more suitable than state grants to address a project on such a site, which will entail a complex permitting process.

Select Board member Alexa Singer expressed appreciation for the new approach.

“It was helpful to see the nuance in navigating various funding sources based on project specifics,” she said.

Cutting elaborated on plans

Visiting hours for William will be held on Sunday, Sept. 17 from 2 to 6 p.m. at Eustis & Cornell of Marblehead, 142 Elm St., Marblehead. A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 18 at the funeral home. Burial will follow at Wyoming Cemetery, Melrose. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations please be made to Tunnels to Towers via t2t.org/donate.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy for Bill’s loved ones may be shared at eustisandcornellfuneralhome. com.

for a phased approach over multiple years to make the most of limited resources. The shift in funding priorities will particularly benefit residents with disabilities or young children, according to Kezer.

“It’s such a great use of these funds because it’s accessible to everybody in the community, seniors, young folks,” he said.

The town will continue to pursue additional funding through grants, earmarks and other avenues to complete future phases of the rail trail master plan. The overarching goal is to create a continuous path connecting Salem through Marblehead and on to Swampscott.

During the public comment section of the meeting, resident Amy Danforth urged the Select Board to remain focused on completing the entire master plan for the trail.

“It is going to be a travesty if we can’t get the rest of the trail graded and resurfaced,” she said, expressing a hope that the town would guarantee long-term funding for the project.

Cutting reiterated the town’s commitment to the comprehensive vision.

“The entire Rail Trail will be reconstructed in accordance with the Trail Master Plan,” she said.

‘Less

Phased expansion over multiple years to stretch funding resources

CURRENT PHOTO / WILLIAM J. DOWD One

bridges targeted for replacement along the Marblehead Rail Trail using COVID-19 relief dollars.

Suspended police officer’s case takes step forward

BY WILLIAM J. DOWD

The disciplinary case against a Marblehead police officer accused of spending over 100 hours at home while on duty has entered a new stage, Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer told the Marblehead Current.

After several postponements, “The attorneys for both sides met the deadline and submitted their briefs last night,” Kezer said. “The case is now on my desk.”

Kezer will spend the next 30 days reviewing the briefs

and evidence before issuing a recommendation to the Select Board on potential disciplinary action against Gallo. The Board will then schedule a meeting to review Kezer’s recommendation and take a vote on Gallo’s fate with the department.

Gallo has been on paid administrative leave since June 2021, costing taxpayers approximately $5,400 per month. He faces two disciplinary charges stemming from allegations he spent over 100 hours at home while on duty between January and April 2021.

In May, Police Chief Dennis King testified Gallo’s actions constituted conduct unbecoming an officer and dereliction of duty and recommended the Select Board fire him.

The prolonged disciplinary case has frustrated town officials and residents eager for a resolution. The delay prolongs Gallo’s paid administrative leave, which has cost Marblehead taxpayers approximately $214,800 to $220,000 since June 2021.

Once Kezer submits his recommendation, the Select

Board will schedule a public meeting to review the findings and determine whether Gallo

will face termination, suspension or other disciplinary measures for the alleged misconduct.

The case of the mysterious safe

Excerpts from the Marblehead police log Sept. 5-11. Consistent with state law, Marblehead Police have adopted a policy of not providing to media outlets reports related to incidents related to domestic violence, juveniles and matters that remain under investigation.

Sept. 5

9:17 a.m. — Officer Andrew Clark responded to a call at Oceanview Glass on Humphrey Street. The reporting party, a 59-year-old male, alerted police about an abandoned Fire Fyter safe in the rear parking lot of the business. A witness, a 62-year-old female employed at a neighboring business, Humphrey Street Tailoring, mentioned she did not notice the safe when she left work the previous day at 5 p.m.

Upon arrival, Clark observed visible signs of force used to allegedly open the safe, such as dents and scratches. To preserve any potential evidence, Clark contacted Inspector Det. Theresa Dulong, who arrived at the scene and took photographs and fingerprints. The Department of Public Works was then called to transport the safe back to the police department for further examination. The safe was secured in a locked garage. Dulong’s supplemental report added that she spoke to neighbors residing at addresses adjacent to the parking lot, none of whom reported hearing or seeing anything unusual overnight. She attempted to process the safe for fingerprints but was unable to develop any usable prints.

The investigation is ongoing.

1:53 p.m. — Officer Andrew Clark spoke with a 56-yearold male resident regarding a possible case of harassment. The resident is an enthusiast of the game pickleball and is in disagreement with the policies of a local organization, MarbleheadPickleball.org, specifically concerning the reservation-only status of public pickleball courts in town. The resident believes the courts should operate on both a reservation basis and an opento-the-public status.

On the previous day, the resident had sent an email to the organization’s membership of more than 300, using an email account with the name “TownTaxpayer,” requesting their opinions via a 10-question survey about court usage. Shortly after, the organization sent out an email, along with Facebook and Instagram posts, asking their members to disregard the resident’s email as he had no affiliation with them.

The resident felt upset about the organization’s posts, particularly because they used his name. He believes he has as much right to express his views as the organization does. Clark advised the resident that the posts were not criminal in nature and suggested he contact police should he start receiving targeted harassment. The resident indicated he was satisfied with this advice.

2:31 p.m. — Officer Timothy Morley was dispatched to speak via telephone with a 53-yearold female resident who holds power of attorney for her father. The resident reported a possible Medicare/Medicaid scam targeting her father.

According to the resident, her father received a letter at the end of June or beginning of July indicating that his personal identifying information (PII) had been compromised. On Sept. 5, her father received a phone call from someone claiming to be from Medicaid asking to confirm his policy number. The caller also knew other personal information.

The resident took immediate action to contact appropriate agencies involved with Medicare/ Medicaid to prevent further issues. Morley advised the resident to contact her father’s local bank to make it aware of the situation and to consult it for additional preventive measures.

Sept. 6 7:08 a.m. — Officer Nicholas Fratini, while working the 11:45 p.m. to 7:45 a.m. shift, was flagged down by a resident of Lee Street. The resident reported vandalism to her vehicle. Upon investigation, Fratini observed what appeared to be dog feces intentionally smeared across the vehicle’s bumper. The resident stated she has been having negative interactions with a former tenant who recently moved back into the neighborhood.

She suspects this individual to be responsible for the alleged vandalism. The resident informed Fratini that she plans to seek a harassment prevention order later that day.

10:45 a.m. — Officer Douglas Mills was dispatched to Taft Street. The dispatch concerned tools found in the roadway. Upon arrival, Mills was handed a tool belt with assorted tools and a nail gun in a plastic carrying case. The items had reportedly been lying in the roadway for several days. Mills brought the items back to the station and tagged them as found property. Identification belonging to an individual from New Hampshire was found among the items. The dispatch team plans to contact the owner to arrange for the retrieval of the property.

1:12 p.m. — Officer Timothy Morley was dispatched following a report about an erratic driver in a black Ram pickup truck on Lafayette Street. The reporting party had been followed by the truck since Salem State University and noted the vehicle had passed her illegally on a single-lane road after the intersection at Lafayette and Maple streets. The truck subsequently cut her off and sped up, eventually colliding with an ambulance’s mirror.

Morley located the vehicle and spoke with the driver, who admitted to a minor collision involving each vehicle’s mirrors. Both the driver and the ambulance operator stopped and exchanged information following the incident. No other reports were made concerning this occurrence. The ambulance was on a non-emergency call at the time and had no patients onboard.

Sept. 7

1:47 p.m. — Officer Timothy Morley was dispatched to speak with an individual at the Marblehead Police Station

regarding a lost cell phone. The individual reported they had left their cell phone at Crosby’s Super Market by the cash register around 10 a.m. Upon returning to the store, they were informed by a cashier that an elderly woman mistakenly took the phone, believing it to be hers.

Morley attempted to call the lost cellphone multiple times from the police station but received no response. He advised the individual to contact police if they found a way to track the cellphone. He also contacted Crosby’s Super Market to review security camera footage for any information that could help locate the phone.

In a follow-up to the initial report, the phone was eventually returned by the individual who had accidentally taken it. The phone was picked up by police and returned to its owner.

Sept. 8

1:50 p.m. — Officer Charles Sweeney was called to The Abbey Studio located on Washington Street for a report of suspicious activity. Upon arrival, the officer spoke with the reporting individual, who is the owner of the store.

The individual recounted that on the previous day, Sept. 7, a Verizon worker had visited the store to sell merchandise and showed particular interest in the individual’s MacBook computer. The worker had asked numerous questions about the computer before leaving and handing over a business card.

The reporting individual had briefly left the store unlocked to grab some items from down the street. Upon return, they noticed a notification on their computer about a thumb drive, which they found suspicious, given the earlier interaction with the Verizon worker. Sweeney advised the individual to keep an eye on their personal information and bank accounts.

Sept. 10 9:55 a.m. — Officer Charles Sweeney responded to a call concerning a lock and chain on the gate of the dog park located on Lime Street. Upon arrival, the officer met with the reporting individual, a 71-year-old local resident.

The individual explained they could not access the park due to a chain and lock on the gate. The individual had contacted the Park and Recs director to inquire if the park was supposed to be locked. The director confirmed the park should not be locked and stated he would come to remove the chain and lock.

Sweeney advised the reporting

individual to call police for further investigation if the gate is locked again in the future.

Sept. 11

8:30 a.m. — Officer Andrew Clark spoke with a resident of Nicholson Street concerning an incident that occurred that morning. The resident had been alerted by a neighbor that another individual in the neighborhood was cutting plants from their property using a knife around 8:30 a.m. The same individual was also observed cutting roses from another neighbor’s bush.

The reporting party expressed concern due to the close proximity of the houses and the individual’s apparent disregard for boundaries. The reporting party viewed the act as potentially threatening and wanted it documented.

Clark advised the reporting party that possessing a knife is not a crime unless it is used with criminal intent. The reporting party was also informed about the option of obtaining a Harassment Prevention Order (H.P.O.) if necessary. A photograph provided by the reporting party confirmed the individual in question was holding a knife while cutting the plants.

6:42 p.m. — Officer Robert Picariello was dispatched following a report of a missing person. The reporting party stated they had seen their spouse, dressed in a bright orange jacket, approach a white van with flashers on the side of Bubier Road. After briefly looking away to close their vehicle’s trunk, both the spouse and the white van were gone. Officers conducted a search in the area of Bubier Road.

The reporting party returned home and allowed Picariello to search the property and house to ensure the spouse had not returned; she had not. The reporting party informed the officer that after witnessing the disappearance, they began searching the neighborhood before heading to the police station to officially report the incident.

While investigating, Picariello located a recently delivered package at a neighboring address. As he was attempting to track the package, the missing individual was seen walking up Bubier Road with a neighbor who had joined the search. It was determined the individual had been out for a regular walk and was now returning home. Picariello concluded the reporting party had likely mistaken a delivery driver in an orange vest for their spouse.

CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER

Marblehead police officer Christopher Gallo remains on paid administrative leave as the disciplinary case against him enters its next phase.

Marblehead’s best bets Sept. 20-27

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

Folk-rock at Me&Thee

Friday, Sept. 22, 8 p.m.

Folk-rock star Jon Pousette-Dart performers at Me&Thee Music. He has performed with greats like Bonnie Raitt, The Eagles, James Taylor, The J. Geils Band, Billy Joel and more. Pousette-Dart is once again touring with singer-guitarist Jim Chapdelaine, who will join him in Marblehead.

In the latest fall listings by Tripadvisor, Me&Thee Music has been named the #1 nightlife spot in Marblehead for the first time, with the highest 5-star rating. Learn more about Me&Thee and get tickets at meandthee.org.

Tag & Treasure

Saturday, Sept. 23, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.

Poetry Salon

Thursday, Sept. 21, 2-4 p.m. Abbot Library’s Poetry Salon kicks off its fall series by exploring the works of Bostonarea poet Moira Linehan. Join Salem State University Professor Emerita Claire Keyes to discuss Linehan’s four books of poetry. Join in person at 3 Brook Rd., or via Zoom. More info at abbotlibrary.org.

Find your treasure at the Marblehead Museum Tag & Treasure sale at the Lee Mansion gardens, 161 Washington St. Check out furniture, lighting, jewelry, artwork, LPs, ceramics, household items, books, collectibles, antiques and more. All sales directly support Marblehead Museum’s educational programs.

Sidewalk sales

Saturday, Sept. 23

Marblehead’s finest boutiques and eateries will offer bargains, discounts and fun for residents and visitors alike. Stroll along Atlantic Avenue, visit the stores on Pleasant Street, and meander down to the Historic District to enjoy all that Marblehead has to offer. Details at marbleheadchamber.org.

Exhibit opening

Saturday, Sept. 23, 4-7 p.m.

Check out the artwork of Joel Janowitz, on exhibit at ARTI Gallery 70 Washington St. Janowitz has displayed his work internationally in galleries and museums, including the Whitney Museum of American Art, the MET in New York City and the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Learn more at arti-gallery.com//.

Revolutionary woman

Saturday, Sept. 23, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Join Meghan Boehmer, historical interpreter with the Boston Tea Party Ship and Museum, for a living history program at the Jeremiah Lee Mansion. Boehmer will portray Sarah Griste Mugford, wife of Revolutionary Naval hero James Mugford. Boehmer will illustrate the role of women during the Revolution. The program is free. More info at marbleheadmuseum.org.