Emily Pauls

Marblehead Weekly News •

Business of the week: All Chic at 152

Siobhan Phelan, the owner of the women’s clothing boutique All Chic at 152, knows fashion. If you walk into the store needing help finding an outfit, she will be there to assist with her 31 years of experience in the business.

All Chic at 152, located at 152 Washington St., opened in 2021 after Phelan came back to Marblehead after living in Florida for a few years. She previously owned All Chic Boutique on Atlantic Avenue.

“I had such high demand when I came back to reopen my store,” Phelan sa
Marblehead Weekly News •

Fate of Coffin School discussed

Potential plans for the Coffin School were discussed between Superintendent John Buckey and the Housing Production Plan (HPP) Implementation Committee Tuesday afternoon.

Coffin Elementary School closed in October 2021 when Lucretia and Joseph Brown Elementary School opened, and the space is currently sitting unused.

The coffin, as it is referred to by officials, is currently the property of Marblehead Public Schools, and it is up to the School Committee what the next steps for it are.

“Mainta
Marblehead Weekly News •

Student test scores improve in Marblehead

Since the beginning of the school year, Marblehead Public Schools student test scores through i-Ready assessments have improved, according to data presented by Superintendent John Buckey to the School Committee Thursday evening.

“One of the things that I’m proud of in the district is our use of i-Ready,” Buckey said.

Buckey said the district has been using the i-Ready testing system for two years.

The data shown was split between three sections: green for mid grade level, above grade level, o
Marblehead Weekly News •

Business of the week: Harbor Light Inn

Are you looking for a place in town to recommend to family and friends coming to visit? Or, maybe you’re trying to find somewhere to have a staycation? Marblehead’s Harbor Light Inn could be just the right place.

Harbor Light Inn’s story began in 1985 when Peter and Suzanne Conway purchased the property at 58 Washington Street. Six years later, they purchased the building next to it and expanded the inn.

Their daughter, Carolyn Pyburn, took over the inn from her parents as general manager in 2
Marblehead Weekly News •

Select Board approves departmental expenses and budgets

The Marblehead Select Board unanimously voted to approve fiscal year 2024 reduced services budgets from departments that fall under the board’s purview Friday morning. The departments include the Police Department, Fire Department, and Building Inspection Department, among others.

Cuts across departments have been made in order to create a balanced budget for the town in response to an approaching deficit. The reduced services budgets are to go forward if a proposed $2.5 million override to mai
Marblehead Weekly News •

CGPR celebrates 30 years

CGPR, a marketing communications agency based in Marblehead, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Over the past three decades, CGPR has worked with major global brands including Adidas and Moosejaw.

FCGPR founder and President Chris Ann Goddard said she began the agency all those years ago because she wanted to work with clients that represent things that she loves.

“The clients that we work with are footwear, apparel, fitness, ski resorts, technologies, so it’s anything that propels
Marblehead Weekly News •

Override figure finalized at $2.5 million

The tax override set to go before voters at Town Meeting would permanently add $2.5 million to the town’s tax levy, according to Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer.

An override of that amount would have added roughly $330 to the average tax bill in fiscal year 2023, according to the Department of Local Services.

Kezer revealed the final override figure during a Select Board meeting on March 22, when the board voted to approve a statement of intent regarding the override.

An estimated impact of
Marblehead Weekly News •

Rock n' Row’s spring and summer season is picking back up

The first day of spring was on Monday. For Rock n’ Row, a rowing club in Marblehead, that means their prime season is just around the corner.

“Rock n’ Row is a social rowing club with focus on mind, body, and spirit, and is very community-based,” club member Jean Verbridge said.

While its busiest part of the year for rowing is in late spring and summer, the club has activities year round.

In the wintertime, Verbridge said the group is focused on “forming relationships and friendships.” Rock n
Marblehead Weekly News •

The numbers are in: 33 school jobs could be cut

33 positions will be cut in Marblehead Public Schools if voters do not approve an override, Superintendent John Buckey said at a public budget hearing on Tuesday evening.

Two budgets were presented by Buckey at the hearing: a reduced services budget that did not include an override from the town, and a level services budget including the override. The level budget has a 4.52 percent increase from the fiscal year 2023 budget, while the reduced budget has only a 1.82 percent increase.

The School
Marblehead Weekly News •

Grandparents and Pottery at Epstein Hillel School

A new grandparent pottery program has come to Epstein Hillel School, an independent Jewish day school in Marblehead. Every Friday for four weeks since March 3, a group of grandparents has come to the school to make pottery, before having snacks with their grandchildren as a way for them to bond.

“As a school we think of ourselves as a community and that we’re not just teaching the children, but that we want this to be a place for the families and the parents and, by extension, also the grandpar
Marblehead Weekly News •

The doctor is in

Did you just spill a glass of water on your computer? Or did you click on a link and a virus infiltrated your desktop? Are you panicking wondering if you’ll have to buy a new one? Well, fret no more because Marblehead’s Digital Docs can help you.

Stephen Bach, owner of Digital Docs at 157 Elm St., said the business offers everything from “A to Z.” At Digital Docs you can get help with water damage, virus and scam damage, data recovery, network installations, and more.

Digital Docs began 23 yea
Marblehead Weekly News •

Marblehead School Committee votes to send two budgets to the Town

The School Committee met Monday morning to continue the discussion on the fiscal year 2024 budget and voted for Superintendent John Buckey to present two budgets to the town before its budget hearing next Tuesday.

The committee voted to have Buckey present a budget including all cuts requested by the Town and one including an override with no additional costs.

“We’re required to post our budget that we’ll be presenting at the budget hearing by Thursday,” School Committee Chair Sarah Fox said.
Marblehead Weekly News •

Abbot Library construction launch party

The Board of Trustees of Abbot Public Library held a launch party to celebrate the beginning of construction to renovate the library. Construction on the $9 million project began Jan. 25.

Those who spoke at the event included Chair of the Board of Trustees of Abbot Public Library and Building Renovation Committee Gary Amberik, Select Board Chair Moses Grader, and Director of the Abbot Public Library Kimberly Grad.

“Our motto throughout this campaign has been: Our 17th century town deserves a 2
Marblehead Weekly News •

Marbleheader Evan Longin comes out with new book

After 30 years in the making, therapist Evan Longin of Marblehead, who works as a therapist in Salem, has released his book, “The Roots of Evil: A Postmodern Exploration of the Unintended Consequences of Civilization.”

It started when he, along with fellow Marbleheaders Marjorie Roberts and Steve Gaddis, founded the Salem Center, a postmodern therapeutic training center. They wanted to figure out what “led to good psychotherapy and why sometimes psychotherapy fails.”

“My book initially started
Marblehead Weekly News •

Business of The Week: Terry’s Old Fashion Ice Cream Shop

If you are ever craving a scoop of ice cream on a hot summer day or even a cold winter night, Terry’s Old Fashion Ice Cream Shop in Marblehead is the place for you.

Sitting at 22 Atlantic Ave., Terry’s has been a Marblehead staple since owner Carlos Rocha opened it in 2013. He said the shop is named after his wife Terry.

Terry’s is designed to look exactly what you would expect it to look like, old fashioned. With a jukebox, black and white tiled floors, and pictures of icons such as Marilyn M
Marblehead Weekly News •

Marblehead Conservancy creating new wildflower meadow, taking care of trails

A new wildflower meadow is being made by the Marblehead Conservancy at the Lead Mills conservation space.

The Conservancy is currently in the process of clearing the weeds in the area so seeds can be planted.

“The trick is to get rid of the weeds and then you go back in with wildflower seeds, which are also native,” Conservancy President Robert French said.

However, it is not as simple as it may sound. French said getting rid of the weeds has proved to be difficult, as the field is filled wit
Marblehead Weekly News •

Marblehead author's newest book is coming out in paperback in May

The story starts in a small, historic coastal town north of Boston called Vigil Harbor. Does that description sound familiar? Well it should, because Vigil Harbor is a fictional town, based on Marblehead and created by the town’s very own Julia Glass.

It is the setting of Glass’ most recent book Vigil Harbor, which was released in May 2022. The paperback version of Glass’ seventh novel is set to come out in May this year.

Glass said that while writing Vigil Harbor, which is set about a dozen y
Marblehead Weekly News •

Business of the Week: Silver Shears, a generational business

Silver Shears became a staple for Marbleheaders when the barber shop first opened in 1976. Now in 2023, it caters to all ages and has customers that span generations of families.

Kenny Carpenter has owned the business for 14 years since inheriting it from his father, making it a second generation family-owned business.

“My clients are pretty great, they’re pretty awesome, I’m super fortunate. I’ve got a great group of people, my guys I have that work for us are awesome, this town is great,” Ca
Marblehead Weekly News •

Town Barre has reopened under new ownership

After the fitness studio was closed for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Marblehead’s Towne Barre has been reopened by Stefanie Borneman.

Borneman said that Town Barre was founded by Michelle Kenyon, who ran the studio for roughly seven years.

The pandemic forced the studio to turn to virtual classes, and it began to struggle. Kenyon was forced to close it in 2020.

The idea to reopen came to Kenyon this past October in a dream, Borneman said. She said Kenyon sent a message into an old
Marblehead Weekly News •

Parent warns of vaping in school bathrooms

Bathrooms in the middle and high schools are still a “hotbed” for vaping despite the vape detectors in place, according to a Marblehead High School parent who requested to remain anonymous to protect their child’s identity.

“According to my child and a lot of other kids you could just walk into any bathroom and it’s available,” the parent said. “School should be the place you feel safe sending your children to and it’s a place I feel least safe when she’s there. I’m always nervous because it’s
Marblehead Weekly News •

School jobs facing the ax

The Marblehead School Committee has made a $4 million cut in the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) budget. The committee met with Superintendent of Schools John Buckey Monday morning to discuss more budget cuts after Town Administrator Thatcher Keezer said they need to make another $800,000 in cuts.

These cuts are due to the lack of free cash the town has for FY24, which was announced at State of the Town on Feb. 1.

Buckey said that in this process, jobs and programs will be cut. The school union has be
Marblehead Weekly News •

Bartender Tales: The Barrelman

Nick Venezia has been working at The Barrelman, 259 Washington St., since the beginning phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time they were surviving customers through the back door. While this was a frustrating time for many people with lives put on hold, Venezia looks at it differently.

“It actually got me through a very difficult point in my life to where I am now, which is not much better off but way better than before,” he said while wiping down the counter of the bar Tuesday evening.
Marblehead Weekly News •

Kezer talks state of the town: Free cash on the decline

Town Administrator Thatcher Keezer said during his State of the Town presentation to the Select Board that the process for developing the next town budget has started.

He provided estimated numbers for town revenue with the amount for property taxes is $82,181,362.

Total state aid being received is estimated to be $8,250,071. Total funds to reduce tax rate will be $9,199,000. This brings the grand total of revenues for the 2024 fiscal year to $105,257,642.

The amount of free cash the town wil
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