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LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER 

TED GRANT 

A publication of Essex Media Group 

Publisher 

Edward M. Grant 

Chief Executive Officer 

Michael H. Shanahan 

Directors 

Edward L. Cahill 

John M. Gilberg 

Edward M. Grant 

Gordon R. Hall 

Monica Connell Healey 

J. Patrick Norton 

Michael H. Shanahan 

Chief Financial Officer 

William J. Kraft 

Chief Operating Officer 

James N. Wilson 

Community Relations Director 

Carolina Trujillo 

Controller 

Susan Conti 

Editors 

Bill Brotherton 

Thor Jourgensen 

Contributing Editor 

Cheryl Charles 

Contributing Writers 

Bill Brotherton 

Gayla Cawley 

Bella diGrazia 

Thomas Grillo 

Thor Jourgensen 

Steve Krause 

Bridget Turcotte 

Photographer 

Spenser Hasak 

Paula Muller 

Owen O'Rourke 

Advertising Sales 

Ernie Carpenter 

Ralph Mitchell 

Patricia Whalen 

Advertising Design 

Trevor Andreozzi 

Design 

Tori Faieta 

Mark Sutherland 

ESSEX MEDIA GROUP 

110 Munroe St., 

Lynn, MA 01901 

781-593-7700 ext.1234 

Subscriptions: 

781-593-7700 ext. 1253 

01907themagazine.com 

04 What's Up 

06 Wonder Women 

10 Bleeding Big Blue 

11 Boats + Beer = Fun 

12 House Money 

For Pete's sake 

Not that I’m unbiased, but I think this is a pretty good edition of 01907. Knock-out cover and 

stories with punch. I am saddened, though, that one of my favorite Swampscotians won't get to read it 

and call me afterward to meet at Starbucks so he could tell me what he did and — especially — didn’t 

like about it. 

Peter McNerney died on Aug. 19. I got to know him first as a client in my earlier iteration as a 

public-relations consultant, and eventually as a verbal sparring partner. He, like I, loved the debate. 

Peter was a former Wall Street guy who had a variety of interests — stocks and bonds, model 

railroads, music, and chess among them. And politics. I particularly enjoyed those conversations 

(arguments, actually; we rarely, if ever, agreed, which is why we bothered to get into it in the first 

place). I loved his many philosophies, including one comparing the brain to the U.S. Senate: 51-49 is 

sufficient to make a decision. 

Of all things, what brought us together were red-light cameras — those things attached to traffic 

lights that record drivers running red lights. He worked for a company that sold them and they hired 

my company to open doors. He had me convinced that they would make roads safer (and ultimately 

cure me of speeding through yellow lights — probably while texting). Try as we did, we got nowhere 

with local officials on the cameras. He eventually left the company and I went back to seeing yellow as 

an invitation — if not a command — to accelerate. 

Godspeed, Peter. 

This is what he missed in this edition . . . 

Anna O'Brien isn't normally a fighter, but when the opportunity came for her to honor her late 

mother-in-law, she didn't hesitate. The 5-foot-5-inch O'Brien is gearing up for Haymakers for Hope's 

"Belles of the Brawl" boxing match in Boston Oct. 9. The 31-year-old Swampscott High alumna is 

fighting in honor of Josephine ( Josie) Racki, who died in October from a cancerous tumor in her brain. 

Bella diGrazia has the blow by blow. 

For 10 years, Burke's Tumbling Academy on Elm Place has been the place to go for gymnastics 

lessons, cheerleading classes and physical fitness programs. 

You'd hardly recognize the place these days. Owner Jen (Burke) and husband Rob DeMagistris 

have nearly completed a major expansion that will double the facility's space to 15,000 square feet, 

utilizing the space left vacant when Paradise Gym closed last fall. 

Bill Brotherton has the story. 

Chloe Smith, an equestrian, is settling into her freshman year at Sweet Briar College in Virginia, where 

she will be riding horses as part of the equestrian team. She'll be riding Frankie, her 11-year-old horse. 

Brotherton also has this story. 

Joan McCormack, Erin Calvo-Bacci and Ashley Pezzano took different paths to success, but each 

woman faced financial challenges, sexism and other barriers on the road to accomplishment. 

Gayla Cawley chronicles their journeys. 

Not that the entire edition is about women; it also includes stories about a couple of unique guys. 

In the early 1970s, Nahant's Bob Risch started the Grand Pram, motivated by the reality that many 

of the beachgoers he spent summer days sunbathing beside often disappeared after Labor Day. 

Bridget Turcotte has the story. 

And if you attend any Swampscott High football games this fall, be sure to keep one ear tuned into 

Roger Volk. This is his 20th year doing the public-address announcing for the Big Blue. 

Steve Krause writes about the voice of Swampscott High football. 

For these, and our usual array of food and fashion tips and real estate news, start reading. 

I don’t know if Peter would’ve liked this edition. But the conversation would’ve been more fun if he hadn’t. 

INSIDE 

15 Brawling Belle 

18 Trail Tale 

20 Tumbling Forward 

22 Mac Attack 

24 Leaf Keeper 

26 Horse Sense 

28 Suds of Summer 

30 Carry & Clutch 

31 Market Growth 

COVER 

Anna O'Brien prepares 

for her Haymakers for 

Hope bout, in the fight 

against cancer. 

PHOTO BY 

SPENSER HASAK 

YOU DON’T HAVE TO KNOW ABOUT ART 

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02 | 01907

04 | 01907 

FRESH • TIMELESS • LUXE 

WHAT'S UP 

Inaugural PorchFest 

WHAT: Spend the day listening to 

a variety of local musicians on the 

porches of your Swampscott neighbors. 

WHERE: Olmstead/Monument Avenue 

area 

WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 14, noon-6 p.m. 

Cold-weather blues 

WHAT: Dr. David Mischoulon, professor 

of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School 

and director of Depression Clinical & 

Research Program at Mass General, will 

discuss Seasonal Affective Disorder, 

light therapy lamps, and ways to beat 

the cold-weather blues. 

WHERE: Swampscott Public Library 

WHEN: Monday, Sept. 16, 6:30-7 p.m. 

Photo Credits: Cory Silken 

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Acting out 

WHAT: Participate in fun theater games, 

talk about elements of theater, and 

enjoy a staged reading of a one-act play. 

WHERE: ReachArts, 89 Burrill St. 

WHEN: Four sessions, Sept. 24 and 25, 

Oct. 1 and 2; 7 to 8:30 p.m. 

Sleepy Hollow's Lost History 

WHAT: Christopher Rondina, author 

of "Legends of Sleepy Hollow: The Lost 

History of the Headless Horseman," will 

discuss his new book, his research, and 

the story behind this fascinating story. 


WHEN: Thursday, Oct. 3, 7-8 p.m. 

Harry Potter Halloween Party 

WHAT: Participate in a sorting 

ceremony, Quidditch on the lawn, 

themed snacks, and wandmaking. All 

ages invited. 


WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 26, 10:30 a.m. to 

3:30 p.m. 

Spooky fun 

WHAT: A free, not-so-scary haunted 

house to celebrate Halloween. For ages 

9 and older. 

WHERE: ReachArts, 89 Burrill St. 

WHEN: Thursday, Oct. 31, 6-9:30 p.m. 

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FALL 2019 | 07 

BY GAYLA CAWLEY 

They have enjoyed seeing their businesses 

grow, but for three local female entrepreneurs, 

success has not come without challenges. 

"The biggest challenge when you're 

self-employed is your work-life balance. It 

takes so much time and energy to develop a 

business," said Dr. Joan McCormack, owner 

of Atlantic Hearing Care. "As women, we 

always try to do everything ourselves, and 

finding the right people as you grow can be 

really challenging. I think it's important not 

to be afraid to take some risks and learn from 

your mistakes." 

McCormack, Erin Calvo-Bacci and 

Ashley Pezzano took different paths to 

success, but each woman faced financial 

challenges, sexism and other barriers they 

surmounted on the road to accomplishment. 

McCormack, 64, of Swampscott, opened 

her business in 2007, and has seen it grow to 

the point where she needed to add providers 

and secure a bigger space to better serve 

patients. 

The audiology practice's patient volume 

has tripled since it opened, necessitating a 

recent move to a new location in Vinnin 

Square. Atlantic Hearing 

Care has an additional office 

in Peabody. 

In 2017, McCormack 

launched the North Shore 

Hearing Foundation, a 501 

(c)(3) nonprofit that provides 

hearing aids to people 

struggling financially to buy 

the devices. 

Risk and hard work led 

McCormack to success. 

McCormack decided to 

strike out on her own after 

working for 25 years in the 

audiology field. She attributes 

her success in part to that 

professional experience. But 

networking was also huge: 

She joined the Lynn Area 

Chamber of Commerce soon after opening 

and often reached out to others for advice. 

Hiring the right people was crucial, she said. 

PHOTOS | SPENSER HASAK 

Dr. Joan McCormack is the owner of Atlantic Hearing Care, the audiology 

practice she started in 2007. 

WONDER 

WOMEN 

MEET FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS 

WHO OVERCAME CHALLENGES 

AND THRIVED



"I think it's always a risk when you open up 

a business — it's a financial risk," McCormack 

said. "Obviously, you want to be successful and 

you want to make sure you're using your time 

and energy in the best way possible to grow 

and maintain your business." 

Calvo-Bacci, 48, got her start in 2003 by 

taking over Chocolate Truffle, a retail store 

in Woburn that she eventually sold. She then 

rebranded the manufacturing company Bacci 

Chocolate Design into its current incarnation, 

CB Stuffer, which has an online retail 

component and sells its products in specialty 

stores across the country. 

CB Stuffer is known for its peanut butter 

cup, which is the largest in the market and 

available in some 18 flavors. 

Sixteen years ago, Calvo-Bacci was a young 

mom itching to go back to work. When she 

saw the opportunity to take over the Woburn 

store, she thought it would be easy. But its 

location was terrible and the store was losing 

money. 

The awful site was a mixed blessing. She was 

able to connect with another female business 

owner in the building who taught her the value 

that mentorship could bring. Her success is due 

to connecting with other women, she said. 

Three years after starting in Woburn, she 

moved to a better location in Reading. A year 

later, she launched Bacci Chocolate Design 

in Swampscott. That evolved into CB Stuffer, 

named after husband and business partner 

Carlo Bacci, the company's Peanut Butter 

Production Chief and the most important 

person in her life. 

Making enough money to pay the bills and 

keep the business going was a major challenge. 

It took years for the couple to see a profit and 

reap the rewards. Calvo-Bacci remembers the 

stress financial difficulties brought. 

"There were many days when I really didn't 

know how we were going to be able to get 

through the night, how bills were going to be 

paid," Calvo-Bacci said. "I'm proud that we're 

actually still here, still around and actually 

successful." 

She worked to meet payroll even as business 

slowed during summer months, an off-season 

for chocolate sales. She faced the choice of 

laying off staff and running the store herself to 

cut costs or selling the Reading store. Calvo- 

Bacci chose the latter. That's when she started 

CB Stuffer. 

Financial challenges weren't the only ones 

Calvo-Bacci stared down and conquered. 

When she was breaking into a maledominated 

field of manufacturing, she found 

that some men didn't take her seriously, 

comparing the experience to a young girl 

walking into the advertising agency on the TV 

show "Mad Men." 

Erin Calvo-Bacci is the owner of CB Stuffer, which has 

an online retail component and also sells its products in 

specialty stores. 

Calvo-Bacci recalled attending a trade show 

for manufacturers in Atlanta, where she sought 

advice and insight from professional men, but 

was instead met with stares and dismissive 

comments such as "Aren't you cute." 

"There weren't many successful women 

chocolate manufacturers at the time," Calvo- 

Bacci said. "It was really challenging for me. 

That's why it's so important for me to pass it 

on to (and help) other women. Now, times are 

changing, but we still have a long way to go." 

Pezzano, 28, also struggled with not being 

taken seriously early in her career, saying that 

was why she left her position as an assistant 

manager of cosmetics at Nordstrom. She said 

she felt unsupported and underappreciated by 

the older, male store manager. 

She decided two years ago to partner with 

her mother, Laurie Pezzano, who for 12 years 

has owned Lincoln's Landing, a restaurant 

on Humphrey Street known for its delicious 

breakfasts. 

Before making the switch, Pezzano worked 

as a business account manager at Wayfair Inc., 

where she managed her own accounts and did 

well. 

"I wanted to take that a step further and 

do that with my family, with something that 

was more of my own," said Pezzano. "I always 

had entrepreneurial tendencies throughout my 

career." 

The move was a natural transition for 

Pezzano because she had always been involved 

with the restaurant, waitressing there during 

high school and continuing to work on nights 

and weekends while employed at other jobs. 

Laurie started out at Lincoln's Landing as a 

waitress as well and decided to buy the place 

when the owner became ill. 

"THERE 

WEREN'T MANY 

SUCCESSFUL 

WOMEN 

CHOCOLATE 

MANUFACTURERS 

AT THE TIME. 

IT WAS REALLY 

CHALLENGING 

FOR ME. 

THAT'S 

WHY IT'S SO 

IMPORTANT 

FOR ME TO 

PASS IT ON 

TO (AND 

HELP) OTHER 

WOMEN." 

Ashley Pezzano said she was attracted to 

the familiarity and family-like atmosphere of 

the restaurant, where she gets to interact with 

customers and build relationships with regulars. 

Pezzano said she and her mother have 

been able to enjoy the success of the business 

during the last few years, citing the exciting 

accomplishment of celebrating their 12-year 

anniversary. 

The milestone was especially rewarding 

because they had to overcome a lot of obstacles. 

Her mother, the restaurant's head chef, was 

diagnosed with breast cancer five years ago, 

leaving them scrambling to find help. 

Unable to find a good cook meant Laurie 

had to work throughout her chemotherapy 

and radiation treatments. Thankfully, she's in 

remission now. 

With her mother in charge of cooking, 

Pezzano focuses on the business side. 

When she became a joint owner, she 

focused on revamping the menu and restaurant 

decor and worked to increase the restaurant's 

presence on social media. She hired people who 

were customer-friendly, and intentionally kept 

the waitstaff all female. 

"(We) had financial and health challenges. 

It's important to have a good team around you 

and keep going forward," Pezzano said. 

She'd advise other female entrepreneurs to 

follow their passion and take a risk. Starting 

a business is a huge financial gamble, but it's 

important to keep at it, she said. 

"Even if you fail, you're going to feel 

Breathtaking water views 

good knowing that you took that risk," she 

said. "You're always going to see some type 

of challenge and you just have to keep going 

forward." 


The daughter/mother team of Ashley and Laurie Pezzano co-own Lincoln's Landing in Swampscott. 

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Volk bleeds 

Big Blue 

Boats 

+ = 

FUN 

Beer 

BY STEVE KRAUSE 

BY BRIDGET TURCOTTE 

Roger Volk may be a red-blooded 

American, but when the subject of 

Swampscott High football rolls around, that 

color changes. 

Says Volk, proudly, "I bleed Big Blue." 

This fall, Volk will celebrate his 20th 

season behind the microphone at Blocksidge 

Field doing the public-address announcing. 

Ever since he took over for Peter Sack back 

in 1999, the press box at Blocksidge has 

been his little piece of heaven. 

"It's my favorite thing to do," he says. 

Volk is a multi-faceted man. Though he 

lives on Littles Point, Volk is just as well 

known as a member of the Lynn business 

community for more than 50 years. A 

certified public accountant (or, as he likes to 

say, "charismatic, personable accountant)," 

he has counted among his clients and 

friends the late Johnny Pesky and pro 

wrestler Walter "Killer"Kowalski. 

His offices on the second floor of the 

Seaport Landing complex on the Lynnway 

are festooned with posters, plaques and other 

memorabilia depicting a lifetime of being 

both a sports fan and an active participant in 

the Swampscott High School football legacy 

(even if he didn't play for the team himself). 

He is the embodiment of the expression that 

ends with "be an athletic supporter." 

He's also what you might call a super 

sports fan. He has attended a Red Sox 

fantasy camp in Florida (he even suffered a 

muscle pull while he was down there) and 

proudly displays the baseball card the camp 

produced for all the participants, with Volk 

decked out in a Red Sox uniform and cap. 

This isn't his only association with Major 

League Baseball. His son, Jeffrey (he also 

has two daughters, Elaine and Melissa), is 

a vice president in charge of digital media 

for MLB, and one of the perks for that, at 

least as far as Volk is concerned, is that he 

was able to get into last year's World Series 

games in Los Angeles. 

Mostly, though, his work as a PA 

announcer at Blocksidge Field leaves him 

with such enthusiasm that he routinely 

springs for 

halftime hotdogs for the 

Big Blue staff as well as any writers who 

cover the games. 

"It's just something I decided to do," he 

says. "I felt that anyone who comes to one 

of our games deserves a hotdog. It creates 

a happy work environment. And I like a 

happy work environment." 

So, most Saturdays in the fall (save for 

the ones he spends in Florida) are spent at 

the field, with grandson Jacob Atzanman as 

his spotter. 

He's been a fan of the Big Blue from the 

time he was a child. 

"In elementary school, I never missed a 

game," he says. "I was one of those guys who 

would play touch football in the end zone." 

Former Big Blue star Bobby Carlin was 

his brother, Ken's, best friend, and that's how 

he began to take an interest in the team. 

"I looked up to him," Volk says. 

That association, and that love, stayed 

with him. Volk, now 75, was the president 

of his senior class at Swampscott, and 

developed a friendship with the late Stan 

Bondelevitch. 

"He used to talk with me about football 

all the time," Volk says. This was in the early 

1960s, when Bondelevitch, and the team, 

was just beginning to fashion the legacy 

that made Swampscott one of the most 

celebrated football programs in state history. 

Volk has put his imprint on other aspects 

of Swampscott sports too. He says he was a 

player in the first-ever season of Swampscott 

Little League when the field was back at 

Phillips Park. 

"I was on the Indians," he says. "Andy 

Holmes was my manager." 

Volk has never lost that zeal for the Big 

Blue legacy. 

"It's the kids," he says. "They have so 

much enthusiasm, and they provide so much 

excitement." 

Volk used to act as Sack's substitute 

when the former principal doubled as the PA 

announcer, and when Sack stepped down, he 

PHOTO | SPENSER HASAK 

was the natural choice to take his place. 

Along the way, he has formed some 

definite opinions about the program. 

"The kid who impressed me the most, 

since I've been doing this, has been Michael 

Walsh (a quarterback from Swampscott 

who graduated in 2012). 

"He was so good," Volk says. "Both he 

and A.J. Baker (the governor's son) have 

stayed friends with me over the years." 

He grew to like Steve Dembowski, who 

coached the Big Blue to an EMass Division 

3 Super Bowl championship in 2007. 

"I think he's the best coach in the (North 

Shore) area for the time he was here," Volk 

says. 

And speaking of that Super Bowl, 

Volk says one of his biggest thrills was 

to emcee the celebration back at the 

school auditorium after the team defeated 

Medfield, 22-6, at Gillette Stadium. 

"It was a big thrill," says Volk. "A lot 

of players who helped put Swampscott 

on the map were there: Todd McShay 

(ESPN broadcaster), Mike Lynch, and 

even Dick Jauron." 

Mostly, Volk loves to have fun. 

"I'll let you in on a secret," he says. 

"Some of us enjoy having fun." 

Along with his Red Sox fantasy camp 

experience, he did a Celtics camp too. 

He remembers Red Sox camp vividly. 

"It was in 2003, and my coach was Rich 

Gedman. It was a 'bucket list' thing," he 

says. "I remember the thrill of going into the 

locker room and seeing my name up there. 

"We played for a solid week," he says. "I 

remember getting to bat and facing Dick 

Drago. He threw me a pitch, and I asked 

'Did he throw it yet?' when it was already in 

the catcher's mitt." 

Watch for Volk this fall when the Big 

Blue tees it up. And if you stick around, you 

might even get a hotdog. 

Summer after summer, dozens of 

Nahant residents set out to row alongside 

their neighbors in an annual competition 

that celebrates the companionship of the 

town. 

But they might be surprised to learn 

how the tradition started. 

In the early 1970s, town resident Bob 

Risch started Nahant's Grand Pram. He 

realized that many of the beachgoers he 

spent his summer days sunbathing beside 

often disappeared after Labor Day. 

"A friend of mine, Wayne Hanson, 

and I would spend the summer at Short 

Beach like most of the town," said Risch. 

"We needed something to wrap up the 

summer." 

And so the Grand Pram was born. 

This year's Pram was held July 13. 

In its first year, 10 contestants lined 

up about a dozen feet from the shore 

with their prams. The small, box-shaped 

boats are popular in town. Contestants 

lifted up the boats and ran toward the 

water. Two participants jumped into each 

boat, with one crew member rowing to 

an anchored lobster boat, captained by 

Bill Mahoney. 

"A pram was not easy to row because 

of the blunt end," said Risch. "That was 

the idea. It sounds easy, but when you 

run into the water, the waves slap you 

back." 

Contestants had to row around the 

lobster boat, catch a can of beer thrown 

by Mahoney and drink it. They had to 

finish the beer before returning to land 

and carrying the boat back to the starting 

point. 

"We made yellow slickers and that 

was the first-place prize," he said. 

"People would break their neck to get 

that slicker and wear it around town." 

The event quickly grew to include 

about 100 contestants. Now, it draws 

hundreds of people with multiple races, 

including 

a modified version for 

children under 12, a kayak race and 

paddle board race for ages 13 and up, and 

the traditional Grand Pram for ages 21 

and older. 

Lifejackets are required for all 

racers. The event has been moved to the 

Town Wharf. This year, there was also a 

PHOTOS COURTESY OF NAHANT HISTORICAL SOCIETY 

cookout 

and a rubber ducky regatta. Funds raised 

through the event go to the Nahant 

Sailing Program. 

"The race, just like it was in the 

start of the '70s, is for the fun and 

companionship of the town," said Risch.


HOUSE MONEY 

A peek inside 

19 Mostyn St., Swampscott 


SALE PRICE: $1,375,000 

SALE DATE: July 9, 2019 

LIST PRICE: $1,495,000 

TIME ON MARKET: 77 days, 

listed April 23, 2019 

LISTING BROKER: 

William Raveis R.E. & Home Services, 

Team Toner & The Proper Nest 

SELLING BROKER: 

William Raveis R.E. & Home Services, 

Lubeck Rausch Team 

LATEST ASSESSED 

VALUE: $1,289,900 

PREVIOUS SALE PRICE: 

$937,000 (2011) 

PROPERTY TAXES: $19,606 

YEAR BUILT: 1850 

LOT SIZE: 0.51 acres 

LIVING AREA: 3,870 square feet 

ROOMS: 13 

BEDROOMS: 4 

BATHROOMS: 3 plus 1 half 

SPECIAL FEATURES: 

This 1850 Colonial has been updated 

with new shingles, restored maple 

floors, heating converted to highefficiency 

gas, and central air installed. 

All this just steps to the beach. 

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MAREK BIELA, BOSTONREP



BELLE 

of the 

B RAW L 

Anna O'Brien joins the 

fight against cancer … 

in the boxing ring 

Anna O'Brien fights in 

Haymakers for Hope on 

October 9. 


Anna O'Brien isn't normally a fighter, 

but when the opportunity came for her 

to honor her late mother-in-law, she 

didn't hesitate. 

The 5-foot-5-inch Swampscott 

native is ready to put down her 

notebooks and pens and take a step 

back from her life as a dedicated special 

education teacher. She is gearing up for 

a battle. 

O'Brien is fighting in Haymakers 

for Hope's "Belles of the Brawl" boxing 

match in Boston October 9. The 31-yearold 

Swampscott High School grad is 

fighting in honor of Josephine ( Josie) 

Racki, who died in October from a 

cancerous tumor in her brain. 

"It was a very traumatic situation," 

O'Brien said. "She was diagnosed when 

I was eight months pregnant. Our 

daughter, Bryce, was going to be her first 

grandchild. After being so good with 

other people's grandkids, Josie was so 

excited to have her own." 

The first week of Josie's radiation 

was the week Bryce was born. "She 

wasn't with us mentally after that," 

O'Brien said. 

Given this was her third battle with 

cancer, having already beat it twice, 

O'Brien said she and her husband, Greg 

Racki, had hopes Josie would be able to 

fight a little longer. She held on until 

the baby was 5 months old but died on 

October 18 at age 70, seven months after 

her diagnosis. 

"There were days that I would look 

at my husband, unable to tell if his face 

was full of joy or horror," said O'Brien. 

"Emotions were no longer what we were 

used to. His mother was dying and his 

daughter had just started living." 

O'Brien said she learned about 

Haymakers for Hope, a charitable 

organization that gives people the 

opportunity to fight back against cancer, 

in 2014, after she saw a close friend fight 

in "Belles of the Brawl." 

Her heartbroken husband, who 

BY BELLA diGRAZIA 

"AFTER WE LOST 

JOSIE, THAT'S 

WHEN I REALIZED 

SHE WAS MY 

REASON TO FIGHT. 

spent months splitting his time between 

appointments at Mass General Hospital 

for O'Brien and the baby and Dana- 

Farber Cancer Institute for his mom, is 

what prompted her to register for the 

match. 

"After we lost Josie, that's when I 

realized she was my reason to fight," said 

O'Brien. "She was always my reason." 

O'Brien will compete, with 30 other 

SHE WAS 

ALWAYS 

MY REASON." 

— ANNA O'BRIEN


women, in three two-minute rounds 

during the boxing event at the 

House of Blues. 

O'Brien was required to set up a 

donation page and raise $7,500. But 

she decided to take it a step further. 

O'Brien swung big and made her 

donation goal $25,000. Every penny 

that's donated will go to Dana- 

Farber. 

Not only is she fighting for 

Josie's legacy, she said she is fighting 

to turn all the pain from the past 

year into something positive. With 

four months of training completed, 

O'Brien said the hours-long training 

sessions, five times a week, have 

become therapeutic. 

If she didn't have a 15-monthold 

baby and a husband waiting for 

her at home, she would be in the 

gym training seven days a week, she 

said. 

"Anytime I'm having a hard time, 

I think of her and everything she 

went through," O'Brien said. "I'm so 

glad to be raising this money in her 

honor." 

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Bygone rail line has its 

share of tales to tell 

Assistant Town Manager/Public 

Works Director Gino Cresta cuts his 

way through thick plant growth on 

the former Swampscott-Marblehead 

railroad right of way. 

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Engage your 

imagination and stand 

on Walker Road or 

Paradise Road by the 

Public Works yard 

and you just might 

hear steel wheels click clacking along a 

railroad track. 

Abandoned in the early 1960s 

and built in the late 19th century, the 

former rail spur that ran just up from 

the present site of the commuter rail 

station on Pine Street across town to 

Marblehead still leaves its imprint on 

Swampscott. 

The bridges are long gone but 

their ghostly abutments still loom 

over Stetson Avenue, Paradise Road 

and Walker Road where 38-year 

resident David Downes appreciates the 

overgrown swath of land passing his 

backyard where trains once chugged. 

"There's a quietness to it," Downes 

said. 

After decades of existing as a 

wooded and weed-choked reminder 

BY THOR JOURGENSEN 

of yesteryear, the rail spur became a 

town debate topic in 2017 when Town 

Meeting approved a plan for a local 

bike and walking trail along the old 

spur's path. The state gave Swampscott 

$100,000 in June to pay to construct 

the trail's first half-mile segment. 

Resembling a jungle in late summer 

with its shoulder-high overgrowth, the 

trail during cooler weather has served 

over the years as a shortcut for kids 

walking home from school. 

"A lot of kids enjoyed it. I always 

hear them laughing and talking," 

Downes said. 

Town native and Assistant Town 

Manager and Public Works Director 

Gino Cresta remembers when the 

disused railbed was the place where 

middle school disputes got settled. 

"Someone would say, 'Meet you on 

the tracks' and the whole school would 

come out and watch," Cresta recalled. 

As a boy, town historian Lou Gallo 

rode the spur, rolling out of the main 

station at Pine Street and making 

stops at Phillips Beach station near 

the intersection of Humphrey and 

Salem streets and Beach Bluff near 

Mostyn Street. The train crossed into 

Marblehead with a stop in Clifton 

before rolling into downtown. 

"If we were going to go to 

Marblehead, we would take it," Gallo 

said. 

He said the spur initially served 

Swampscott and Marblehead 

neighborhoods populated in part with 

summer estate owners who walked 

from their homes to the spur for a ride 

down to the main rail line and a trip 

into Boston. 

"When automobiles became big, it 

went out of fashion," Gallo said. 

Once the rails and the bridges were 

torn out, the spur became a ghost of 

itself. The Paradise Road abutment 

remains its most visible feature with a 

weathered plaque commemorating the 

Paradise Road bridge's completion in 

1938 as part of a federal public works 

project. 

The abutment also has an infamous 

past. Fifteen-year-old town resident Henry 

E. Bedard Jr.'s murder remains unsolved 

since his body was discovered under leaves 

on Dec. 17, 1974 between the spur and the 

end of nearby Suffolk Avenue. 

The site where the body was found is 

within easy shouting distance of Norfolk 

Avenue homes. A coroner ruled Bedard 

was bludgeoned to death probably on 

Dec. 16 at the spot where his body was 

found and police found a baseball bat 

at the murder scene. Cresta said one of 

the people to last see Bedard alive said 

the teen cut through the Public Works 

yard and climbed the embankment to the 

spur. The Bedard murder remains a topic 

of town speculation and Cresta recalled 

how it struck fear in townspeople. 

"There's a lot of stories out there. It 

seems crazy in this day and age that it 

hasn't been solved," Cresta said. 

Carved through a high stone ledge, 

the spur's Walker Road section has been 

encroached upon by abutters over the 

years. Downes hopes the flowering tree 

growing along the spur abutment at 

Walker Road by his property will not fall 

to an axe or earth mover once rail trail 

work begins.


G Y M 

Renovation innovations transform 

Burke's Tumbling Academy 

For 10 years, Burke's 

Tumbling Academy on 

Elm Place has been the 

place to go for gymnastics 

lessons, cheerleading 

classes and physical 

fitness programs. 

You'll hardly recognize 

the place these days. Owner Jen (Burke) 

and husband Rob DeMagistris have 

nearly completed a major expansion that 

will double the facility's space to 15,000 

square feet, utilizing the space left vacant 

when Paradise Gym closed last fall. 

Construction began in late winter. 

Work was nearly done in mid-August, 

just in time for kids returning to their 

back-to-school routine. A grand opening 

will be held this fall. 

Jen and Rob can't wait to show off the 

D A N DY 

BY BILL BROTHERTON 

improvements and additions. 

For instance, consider BKids: a minitown 

in one large room that resembles 

Swampscott where kids can use their 

imagination and creativity. 

There's a grocery store 

with plastic food, there's 

a restaurant that serves 

make-believe brick-ovenpizza, 

a post office where 

kids can write and "mail" 

letters to Santa or Auntie 

Sue, and more. 

"It's about child 

development," said Rob. 

"It's a space where kids can 

use their imagination, where 

kids can have fun at a music 

class or a Lego class while mom is at a 

45-minute spin class." 

Jen DeMagistris 


Daniel Angelov, 5, of Boston, 

and Ariella Katz, 8, of 

Marblehead, take to one of 

the trampolines in the gym of 

Burke's Tumbling Academy. 

Jen envisions monthly programs 

where a postman can bring his truck 

down and talk about what his or her job 

is like, or a doctor can come to the BKids 

"hospital" and talk about 

bones. 

Then there's a 

ginormous state-of-the-art 

new gymnasium sporting 

the most up-to-date 

gymnastics equipment. A 

few of the young gymnasts 

have tried it out and called 

it awesome. 

The initial BTA space 

will be a beehive of 

activities as well. BCycle 

offers high-energy indoor 

spin classes. Kickboxing is offered four 

days a week, run by two women who 

moved over when Paradise Gym 

closed. 

Jen, who spent most of her 

childhood in Swampscott except 

for brief stops in Chicago and 

Atlanta, said "It's so important to 

me to be in Swampscott. It's all 

about family in Swampscott. It's 

a special place. Most of my staff 

started with me when they were 

about 5 years old and now they're 

20. They are my family. They 

know how we are here. Maddie 

Cleary, our cheerleading coach, 

moved here from Alabama in the 

seventh grade. We did cheering 

together." 

Rob, who grew up in the 

spread-out Massachusetts town 

of Westford, agreed. "Swampscott 

and Marblehead, generations have 

lived in these towns. We were 

excited when the opportunity 

came to stay in Swampscott and 

expand right next door. … We 

were worried we wouldn't be able 

to find space in Swampscott. We 

didn't want to move. 

"You walk in here, and there's such 

energy. You feel it right away. Everyone 

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Gymnastics has always been 

important to Jen, who as a preschooler 

performed in competitions. While in 

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high school, armed with one tiny 

mat, she taught gymnastics to a 

couple of neighborhood kids in 

her parents' basement. As a high 

school junior, with the blessing 

of her parents (Tom and Mary 

Burke), she started a summer 

gymnastics camp in the backyard 

of their house on Parsons Drive. 

She had 50 students by summer's 

end. 

During senior year at 

Swampscott High, after applying 

to Suffolk University, she steeled 

up her courage and told her 

parents she wanted to delay 

college and open her own gym 

business. "I was crying. I told 

them, 'I don't want to go to 

college. I want to do gymnastics.' 

Most parents would say, 'No. 

You have to go to college.' 

They supported me. My father 

said, 'What's the worst that 

can happen? You'll fail and can 

always go to college later.' But 

I think he knew it was going 

to be successful." Jen did go to college, 

Marian Court, anyway. While she ran 

GYM DANDY, page 25 

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BY BELLA diGRAZIA 

PHOTOS BY SPENSER HASAK 

The start of fall is also the start of stuffing-your-face-with-comfort-food season. 

What's my favorite comfort food? I'd have to say mac n' cheese, and, thankfully, my mom knows how to make it best. Her 

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2¾ cup whole milk 

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½ T parsley flakes 

16 oz. cheddar cheese, cubed 

1/8 cup merlot red wine 

7 crumbled Ritz crackers 

handful of breadcrumbs 

Things To Do: 

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GYM DANDY, continued from page 21 

A DAY IN THE LIFE 

This warden's inmates 

have bark but no bite 

BY THOR JOURGENSEN 

Gene Gardiner nudges rotted 

bark off a beech tree and the look 

on his face tells you he thinks the 

tree behind Town Hall has clearly 

seen better days in its almost 200- 

year lifespan. 

"I'm sure it's infected," he 

announces. Tree warden for 20 

years and the senior employee 

in Swampscott's Department 

of Public Works by virtue of 

his almost 35 years on the job, 

Gardiner has sap, not blood, 

running through his veins. 

His father, James, worked as 

a tree surgeon with Dodge Tree 

Service in Wenham before going to 

work for the town of Swampscott. 

He taught Gardiner everything 

about trees from stump to trunk to 

branch to leaf. 

"I followed in his footsteps," 

Gardiner said. 

He helped his father out on jobs 

involving cutting down or pruning 

trees, but quickly learned after being 

hired by the town that tending trees is a 

dangerous job that does not abide mistakes. 

This tree behind Town Hall is on a long 

list of trees on public property that Gardiner 

periodically checks on and trims and prunes. 

The town commissioned a tree study 

in 2016 focusing on 2,926 roadside trees 

and ranking trees' health, designating some 

for pruning and labeling others as priority 

removals. 

The survey identified 72 different 

tree species in Swampscott with maples, 

especially Norway maples, cherry trees and, 

surprisingly, pear trees leading the pack. 

There's also a purple beech tree, a 

Mimosa tree and a couple of Japanese black 

pines. 

PHOTO | OWEN O'ROURKE 

Town Tree Warden Gene Gardiner oversees 2,926 roadside trees, some 

in need of pruning or cutting. 

The survey found that fewer than 10 

percent of the trees are in poor enough 

health to warrant chopping them down. But 

20 percent of the trees are ranked in poor 

condition and need monitoring and pruning. 

The study's lengthy conclusion includes 

tree maintenance and planting ideas for 

Gardiner and Public Works to pursue. 

Iron-clad rules of the trade underscore 

safety first: Never walk under a tree when 

someone is cutting in it; tie off limbs 

properly before cutting them, and gauge the 

direction in which a tree is going to twist 

before it falls. 

"When I first started the job, a piece 

from a stub I was cutting took out a 

window," Gardiner said. 

Gardiner's main job as warden is to 

handle work orders filed by town 

residents with the Public Works 

office on Paradise Road and clear 

away trees and limbs downed during 

storms. 

His first job in responding to 

a work order is to make sure the 

tree is on public property. Making 

that determination can occasionally 

be tricky and his arrival on a town 

street can easily set off a chainreaction 

of tree tending requests. 

"We'll go down the street and 

do a work order and someone will 

come out say, 'Can you do this too?'" 

he said. 

Town tree care received high 

marks from resident Annette Levitt, 

who appreciates efforts to keep trees 

like the stately red oaks towering 

over Thomas Road in good shape. 

"I love them. They're so graceful 

and magnificent," she said. 

Gardiner likes doing the work 

he learned from his father and 

spending his work days in what he 

calls "my outdoor office" even when 

storms mean facing the elements in all of 

their fury. 

Gardiner draws the line at climbing into 

a Public Works bucket truck with its 55- 

foot height reach during extreme weather. 

"If it's real cold I don't go out unless it's 

an emergency," he said. 

Responsibility for town trees has made 

Gardiner an expert in trees like the aging 

beech next to Town Hall and a variety of 

other town trees, including maples and 

cherry trees, as well as ginkgos and London 

plane trees. 

If he has any say in the matter, the beech 

still has a few more good years. 

"We've been pruning it over the years, so 

we'll see," he said. 

Jameson DeMagistris fills up his tank as he plays in the BKids play area. 

her business she completed a two-year 

program. 

It was kismet, when two women 

from A Performing Arts Academy 

dance studio in Salem offered her space 

to rent. She jumped at the chance and 

soon had more than 100 gymnastics and 

cheerleading students. Then, 10 years ago 

at age 22, she opened Burke's Tumbling 

Academy (BTA), which today has a 

clientele of more than 1000 ranging in 

age from 2 months to adult. This year's 

summer camp saw 1500 kids have the 

time of their young lives weekdays from 

8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

Four years ago, the DeMagistris' 

first child, Jameson, was born. They saw 


firsthand the struggles moms and dads 

have to squeeze in a workout. "For us, 

starting a family gave us the perspective 

of how busy life is," said Rob. So, 

they paired childrens activities with 

parents workouts under one roof but in 

different rooms. It was, and is, hugely 

successful. 

"It's amazing how it's grown," said 

Jen. "I started out as a single woman. 

It's amazing how I and my family have 

grown. I would not have been able to 

do it without Rob and my parents and 

my instructors. When we started I told 

everyone, 'Don't call me your boss. We're 

all in this together.' And that's how it is 

and will always be." 

Callie Doucette, 4, of Nahant, left, and her sister Madison, 5, have fun in the grocery store of the new 

BKids play area at Burke's Tumbling Academy. 

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Chloe Smith of Swampscott 

rides her 11-year-old Warmblood, 

Frankie, at Pine Tree Equestrian 

Center in Beverly Farms. 


WILD ABOUT HORSES 

CHLOE SMITH IS GALLOPING TOWARD A STABLE CAREER 

with the muck tubs, "but I also get to feed 

and brush the horses. … and I get lots of 

hugs." She said she is responsible for half of 

the costs, with her parents paying the rest. 

After two years at Swampscott High 

School, Smith switched to TECCA, an 

online high school that allowed her to 

spend more time at Pine Tree, training and 

taking care of horses. "I was motivated to 

get my school work done, so I could come 

to the barn. Through the entire school year, 

I was able to ride horses every day," she says. 

"When I was at Swampscott High, I could 

come here only on Sundays." 

Chloe has always loved being around 

horses. "I was turned on to horses at age 

five," she says. "I'd visit my grandma 

(Ramona Young) in Florida and go to 

summer camp, where I'd get to ride all the 

time. Every year I'd plead with my parents, 

'Can I please go to summer camp again?' " 

Before Frankie arrived on the scene, 

Chloe rode a big Arabian named Beemer, 

and stable horses Duke, Cecil and Calypso; 

the latter two are still at Pine Tree, where 

they frolicked in a field and playfully 

nuzzled during our visit. 

Frankie has a competitive background, 

says Chloe. He excels at English events, 

such as dressage and show jumping. 

"Frankie is a great jumper," she says. 

He's also "very low-key with a goofball 

personality, a go-with-the-flow guy. Give 

him carrots and he's happy." 

Just then, Frankie moves closer to Chloe, 

stares at her and stands on one leg. "He's 

doing what I call 'the Flamingo.' He lifts 

his leg to beg for treats." 

"I WANT TO 

HAVE A BARN 

OF MY OWN 

SOME DAY. 

I'M SERIOUS ABOUT 

IT. HAVING THAT 

BUSINESS DEGREE IS 

VERY IMPORTANT." 

— CHLOE SMITH 

"I want to have a barn of my own some 

day. I'm serious about it. Having that 

business degree is very important," says 

Chloe, who adds that neither of her parents 

are riders. "But they always come to see me 

ride (in competitions). They support that I 

do it." 

BY BILL BROTHERTON 

hloe Smith pulls a carrot 

from her pocket and offers it to 

11-year-old Frankie, her new 

horse and best buddy. 

He's a handsome fellow, this brown-andwhite 

Warmblood Paint gelding who stands 

16.2 hands tall (one hand is equal to four 

inches). 

"He's very photogenic," says Chloe, 

rubbing Frankie's chin one sunny July 

morning at Pine Tree stables in Beverly 

Farms. She and Frankie are still getting 

acquainted. It's been only three weeks since 

Chloe and her parents, Jim and Abbe Smith 

of Puritan Road, brought Frankie here from 

Dover, N.H. 

Frankie will be joining Chloe at Sweet 

Briar College in Virginia, where she's a 

freshman. A member of the equestrian 

team, she's pursuing a business degree and 

working toward her barn management 

certification. "Frankie will be a snowbird," 

she says, with a smile. The two will return to 

Pine Tree during summer break. 

Chloe's worked here for a decade. She 

says the equestrian center's owner, Sue 

Denoncour, is wonderful, allowing her 

and several other young women to work 

in the barn to offset the cost of boarding, 

instruction and the like. Chloe has to deal 

725 Summer St. #2, Lynn, MA 01905 

Telephone: 781-913-8461 

Email: ALEX@privatejewelsfitness.com 

www.privatejewelsfitness.com


1 2 

3 

GIVING BACK 

tap1. 1. Jill McEntee and Dan Pye, 

both of Swampscott, enjoy the 

Swampscott Beer Garden with 

Bent Water Brewing Co. July 20 

at Fisherman's Beach. 

2. Birdface provided the soundtrack for a day 

of fun to benefit Swampscott's Fish House. 

3. From left, Jon Weingart of Waltham, Chris 

Gioiosa of Swampscott, and Mike Covino 

of Swampscott enjoy the Swampscott Beer 

Garden. 

Let us lead you home. 

Local Experts with Global Reach. 

4. Kelsey and Eddie Donovan of Swampscott 

enjoy a beer along the beach. 

5-6. Beer, fun and goodwill were on tap at the 

Swampscott Beer Garden. 

7. Amy Pritchard of Woburn, left, and Deb 

Stern of Arlington are all smiles with their Bent 

Water brews. 

saganharborside.com 

4 5 


6 7 

300 Salem Street, Swampscott, MA 781.593.6111 | 1 Essex Street, Marblehead, MA 781.631.8800


STYLE 


Farmers market 

grows in popularity 

BY GAYLA CAWLEY 

Guadalupe Designs' black petite "Galapagos" basket 

handmade from palm trees 

Available at Kat's Boutique, $170 

CARRY 

Monserat De Lucca "Vidal" 

gray suede crossbody bag 

Available at Chic Streets Boutique, $140 

in 

STYLE 

BY BELLA diGRAZIA | PHOTOS BY SPENSER HASAK 

If you must lug around all your valuable items every day, make 

sure they're in something that reflects your creative self. 

Whether you're into crossbody bags, satchels, woven baskets, or 

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are your most vital accessory, so head to any of these boutiques 

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KAT'S BOUTIQUE, 212 HUMPHREY ST. 

Hammitt "Daniel" black leather 

satchel with strap 


Guadalupe Designs' cream 

woven "Alamo" basket 


Hammitt "Nash" pine-cone-colored 

crossbody/belt clutch 


Hammitt "Tony" black metallic crossbody bag 


Neva Opet black leather bucket bag, 

handmade from Atlanta, GA. 


For the eighth year in a row, getting 

down on the farm doesn't mean going 

very far in Swampscott. 

People of all ages flock to the Town 

Hall lawn each Sunday during the 

summer and fall months to choose from 

a selection of fresh produce, pastries, fish 

and coffee while relaxing near the ocean. 

Moving from the farmers market's 

first location at Swampscott High 

School a few years ago has made a world 

of difference in terms of its growth in 

popularity. 

"When we are at the high school, it 

was less attractive as a destination," said 

Danielle Strauss, the town's recreation 

director, who organizes the market. 

"Now it's a destination. People are just 

coming here to meet where there's a cool 

breeze and a good view instead of being 

on the parking lot at the high school." 

A low point in the market's operation 

a few years ago prompted its change 

in location. A big drop in attendance, 

mirroring low participation for similar 

markets throughout the state at the time, 

made the town's vendors uncomfortable. 

It was then that Strauss and other 

organizers knew they had to make a 

major change. 

"That's what really did it for us," 

Strauss said. 

The move immediately triggered the 

market's resurgence. Today there are 

30 vendors participating every week 

compared to 12 to 15 prior to the move. 

There is also a long waiting list of people 

who want to sell their products. 

Strauss said hundreds of people 

frequent the market each week, not only 

to shop, but to socialize, relax and listen 

to music. 

PHOTO | PAULA MULLER 

Cecilia Nicholson, 3, of Swampscott wears her favorite hat and makes a starfish at a craft booth at 

Swampscott’s Farmers Market. 

They may come for the vegetables, 

but the crepes and Bundt cakes also draw 

a crowd. Attendees are always on the 

lookout for the knife sharpener, a vendor 

who sharpens knives and blades for yard 

tools, Strauss said. 

"I just think that it's been such a 

great community success story that has 

really brought so many people together 

on a Sunday afternoon," Strauss said. 

The Swampscott 

Farmers Market runs 

each Sunday from the 

second week of June to 

the last week of October, 

from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

We offer Tai Chi 

and Qi Gong for Health, 

Wellbeing, and Fitness. 

781-581-8887 

ecohen@humanharmonies.com 

Vinnin Square Plaza, Swampscott, MA 

www.humanharmonies.com

Lynn Auditorium 

On Sale at the... 

LynnAuditorium.com 781-599-SHOW

01907_Fall_2019

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