Category Archives: News

Marblehead Rotary Club Awards Scholarships

July 5, 2014NewsMArbleB

The Marblehead Rotary Club has six scholarship recipients that have just been announced. The Marblehead Rotary Club gives out four to five one-year $1400 scholarships and one $1000 four-year Barbara and Randy Goodwin Memorial Scholarship each spring. The recipients are as follows:

Eli Neuman-Hammond will be going to Brown University. He is graduating from the John Dewey Academy with a 3.98 GPA.

Liam Gillis will be going to St. Anselm College. During her time at Marblehead High School, she was the captain of the varsity football, hockey and lacrosse teams. She also volunteered at summer sports camps and at Special Olympics programs.

Jennifer Nyemba Mulombe will be going to UMass Amherst and hopes to become a pediatric surgeon. Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mulombe moved to the United States in 2005 and she graduated from Marblehead High School with a 3.7 GPA.

Grace Virginia Perry was the editor in chief of the Headlight, the Marblehead High School newspaper. She graduated with a 3.79 GPA and she is heading to UMass Amherst.

Nicholas George Carr will be going to Boston College. He graduated with a 4.4 GPA and was involved in many community service projects as an Eagle Scout.

Finally, this year’s Barbara and Randy Goodwin Scholarship went to Kirstin Rohde. She will be going to the University of Arizona to pursue a degree in criminal justice.

Activities for July in Marblehead

June 26, 2014NewsMArbleB

There is always something new and exciting happening at the Marblehead Museum and this summer is no exception. Here are some of the new ideas:

The Marblehead Museum, The Lee Mansion, the Museum Galleries, the J.O.J. Frost exhibit, and the Civil War & G.A.R. Museum will all have an open house July 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This will all be free of charge.
On July 4 at 11, the Marblehead Museum, with the Marblehead Festival of Arts, will have the Model Boat Building.
On Sunday, July 6, the Children’s Festival will take place at the Lee Mansion gardens from 10-1.
On July 5 in the Lee Mansion garden, local author Nila Webster will read from her books.
July 10, 17 and 24^th from 6-8pm is a great time for Bette Hunt’s Walking Tours. They will leave from the Lee Mansion.

These are just a few of the many activities happening in the area in July. Get involved and enjoy!

Marblehead Rallies Around Girl with Cancer

June 22, 2014NewsMArbleB

Marblehead is rallying around a 13 year old girl in the area battling an aggressive form of bone cancer. The blue ribbons are adorning cars, flower pots, trees, fence posts, poles, churches and more. Megan is a Marblehead Community Charter Public School seventh-grader diagnosed with osteosarcoma.

In a statement, Megan’s family wrote, “She was diagnosed with osteosarcoma back in August last year and has been battling it ever since. Across the board, her nurses, doctors, friends and neighbors have been amazed at her indomitable spirit and grace through all that cancer has dealt her.”

Four women in the area called the “Ribbon Ladies” started the campaign. As one of the women, Louisa Greene, said, “We all are just blown away. We started this with a few friends and family, and everyone in town has been fabulous. It speaks to how close knit the town is, coming together for a child in their community.”

Megan is actually doing her own charity work while the community rallies around her. Her school recently hosted an event, “Rock for Meg” that raised thousands of dollars for a charity that helps kids who stay at Massachusetts General Hospital’s pediatric floor more fun.

Read the full article and see more pictures.

Chick-Fil-A Coming Our Way…Maybe

June 18, 2014NewsMArbleB

If you love Chick-Fil-A, you may be in luck soon in Marblehead. Representatives from Chick-Fil-A told the City Council recently that they plan to put the restaurant on Rte. 20 on the west side of the city. They plan to build the restaurant at 230 Boston Post Road West. This would be the third stand-alone in the state.

Other fast food restaurants, however, have tried to take claim to the space. The city approved the plans in 2010 for a Sonic restaurant. The company backed out, however, and the plot has been empty since then.

Chick-Fil-A is hoping to create a 4,876 square foot building with a drive through near the Wendy’s and Bank of America. The site is currently owned by the Gutierrez Company.

At the moment, the City Council has voted to send the proposal to the Urban Affairs Committee. Time will tell what happens next and if the Chick-Fil-A will be coming soon.

Free Workshop to Get to the Root of ADD and ADHD

June 3, 2014NewsADD, ADHD, Dr. Jolene Ross, Retrain your brainMArbleB

Don’t miss out tomorrow when the Foundation for Wellness Professionals and Dr. Jolene Ross offer a free workshop called “Get to the Root of ADD-ADHD and Executive Function.” It will be held at 7pm on Wednesday, June 4 at the Abbot Public Library at 245 Pleasant Street in Marblehead.

Ross will present a workshop about executive functioning skills and how to enhance them. These skills include organization, planning, initiation, emotional control, completing tasks, transitions, working memory and other high-order brain functions.

Ross, a neurobehavioral psychologist, if offering this free session where you’ll see before and after brain images of children with “remarkable results” from her assistance.

Look at RetrainYourBrain.com to get more information.

Increased Education Budget for 2015

May 13, 2014Newsbudget, education, Rep. Lori EhrlichMArbleB

During the fiscal year 2015, the Chapter 70 education funding from the state and the general local aid will increase for Marblehead. The House’s 2015 budget plan calls for $5.38 million in Chapter 70 education funding for Marblehead which is an increase of $110,000 over the budget in 2014.

As state Rep. Lori Ehrlich said, “There is no higher priority for me as a legislator than working to ensure schools in my district get the funding they need. I’m pleased with the progress we have made in recent years toward our goal of properly funding our schools.”

In addition, Ehrlich filed an amendment to the budget to perform a review of the state’s funding formula for education. As Ehrlich explained, “When the state passed the Education Reform Act of 1993, the bill called for a thorough, systematic review of how the foundation budget was calculated at least once every four years. Unfortunately, this review has only been completed twice since then, most recently in 2001. The needs of our schools have changed dramatically in the 21 years since education reform was passed, with the adoption of new curriculum frameworks, increased need for special education and changes in technology in the classroom. This study will examine our funding formula to ensure we are spending our education dollars wisely.”

As State Rep. Alice Peisch, House chairman of the Joint Committee on Education, said, “I am grateful that the House adopted this important amendment, which will ensure a systematic and comprehensive reevaluation of the foundation budget. Such review will provide a critical opportunity to gain insight on whether the current formula meets the needs of all students throughout the Commonwealth and will help us to identify ways to ensure the most effective and efficient use of resources.”

The Commission has a deadline to present their findings in a report on or before June 30, 2015.

Marblehead Legend Donald Humphreys Dies

April 27, 2014NewsDonald Humphreys, Marine Corp. MarbleheadMArbleB

Marblehead legend and contributor Donald Humphreys just recently passed away at the age of 91. In 2012, he put on a memorable celebration of the centennial of Marine Corps Aviation. He helped to rehabilitate the Hammond Park on Commercial Street to honor Starling Burgess and he helped to make Marblehead as the official birthplace of Marines in aviation.

Upon his death, fellow Marine and friend Don Macaulay said, “‘Semper Fidelis’ is the motto of the Marines. It means ‘forever faithful,’ and Don Humphreys defined it. And it guided his life beyond the Marine Corps and into his friendships and his loved ones and organizations he had sworn to.”

Signing up for the Marine Corps on December 8, 1941, he went to the South Pacific theater where he spent six months on Gaudalcanal in the Solomon Islands before going to other tactical assignments. He rose to the level of master sergeant and then returned to Marblehead and married Ruth Treat.

After the war, he become a mechanic and pilot. While he was best known as a Marine, he was also a businessman and inventor with several patents under his belt.
He founded his own company, Custom Radius Corporation, which was a designer, manufacturer and distributor of ice-skate-care equipment.

In his later years, he spent a great deal of time doing things for Marblehead and the Marine Corp. As Grader said, “The truth of the matter is, it was because of Don’s efforts that the Marine Corps designated Marblehead as the ‘Birthplace of Marine Corps Aviation. We all knew that Cunningham was the first Marine pilot to get his wings, but none of us knew it was in Marblehead where he soloed until Humphreys’ research.”

He was honored with the Marblehead Chamber of Commerce’s Rey Moulton Person of the Year in 2012 for his execution of the centennial celebration.

After his wife died of cancer, Humphreys met Lili Rowen, with whom he had a wonderful relationship. Asked to comment on his character, Rowen said, “He was a Marine — that is all you have to publish.”

Seaside Allure Wine-and-Cheese

April 24, 2014Newshome love, Marblehead, open house, Seaside AllureMArbleB

Spring has arrived and it’s time to enjoy some lovely new clothing for the season. One great shop in Marblehead is Seaside Allure, the women’s boutique in old town that features brands like Lilly Pulitzer, Jude Connally, Yala and Johnny Was. They incorporate an ocean feel into their elegant clothing lines.

Now, they are having a trunk show featuring Mahi Gold from noon to 8 pm on Thursday, May 1. Located at 9 Pleasant Street, they welcome visitors to drop by and enjoy a wine-and-cheese party. As part of the party, they will welcome their new neighbor, home love, that is at 7 Pleasant Street.

Home love is a unique home décor and gift shop which is offering quality items at low prices.

Come by on May 1 to enjoy Seaside Allure’s beautiful clothing and an introduction to home love.

Film Screening at the Abbot Public Library

April 22, 2014NewsAbbot Public Library, Marblehead Task Force Against Discrimination, Raw Art Works, Raw Art Works Real to Reel FilmschoolMArbleB

On May 1 at 7pm there will be a special screening of short films at the Abbot Public Library in Marblehead. The films come from the Raw Art Works Real to Reel Filmschool and are in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Marblehead Task Force Against Discrimination (TFAD).

Following the screening, participants will be privy to a discussion and Q & A session with a representative of Raw Art Works. RAW is a 26 year old youth arts nonprofit based in Lynn. They believe that kids should be seen and heard and they pursue their mission to “ignite the desire to create and confidence to succeed in underserved youth.”

Today, RAW is a nationally recognized organization and cultural anchor in Lynn that helps at-risk youth with a creative outlet to the streets.
Organized with the Marblehead Task Force Against Discrimination, this event helps to promote their mission to work again hatred and bigotry and to celebrate and strengthen Marblehead’s diverse community.