01907 Spring 2020 V3--email

SPRING 2020
VOL. 5 NO. 1
Substantial
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02 | 01907
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
Mike Alongi
Bill Brotherton
Elyse Carmosino
Gayla Cawley
Thor Jourgensen
Daniel Kane
Steve Krause
David McLellan
Photographers
Olivia Falcigno
Spenser Hasak
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01907themagazine.com
LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER
04 What's Up
06 Her song to sing
10 Money machine
12 House Money
14 In praise of the face
18 Glover's last stand
Food for thought
When Sam Lena opened his first sandwich shop 75 years ago, his wife, Emma, said to him, "Make
every sandwich like you were going to eat it yourself."
Apparently Sam Lena and I have similar tastes. I've been eating Lena's subs all my life.
My father and uncles were members of the Lynn Elks (lodge number 117, if I recall), and when it was
on Western Avenue I’d sometimes go there with them and wander down the block to Lena’s. I grew up on
Nahant Place in Lynn, so the Lena’s on Lewis Street was on my way home from Little League practice, and
I was a frequent flyer there. And somewhere along the way the shop in Vinnin Square became my go-to.
I spoke the other day with Tony Lena and his daughter Jennifer Lena Venuti (who, along with her
sister Tammy Lena Chambers, owns the store on Cherry Street in Swampscott). I gained three pounds
just talking with them, but it triggered all sorts of memories.
I loved Lena’s, but as a kid I cheated — with Sam’s on Lewis Street in Lynn and Tina’s on Essex
Street, and Supreme in McDonough Square. Now, Jersey Mike's chipotle cheesesteak may be a sub
above, but my introduction to the cheesesteak was at the Hawk Shop. I was a Ken “Hawk” Harrelson fan
when he played for the Red Sox in the late ‘60s, so of course the Hawk Shop on the southernmost end
of the Lynnway was a favorite. When I was a sportswriter for The Item in a previous life, I interviewed
Harrelson at his store and I still have the photo of the two of us talking. It was such a thrill for me to
meet him, I used the shot in my column logo.
Years ago, I used to argue sub shops with a friend who has since died, former Lynn Police Lt. John
LeBrasseur. He insisted it was silly to argue about sub shops with cops, because they knew them all. He
was an Angelina’s guy.
In David McLellan’s story about Lena’s, he quotes Ms. Venuti as saying bread was the key. “People
always tell us, 'You guys have the freshest bread,’ ” she says.
Much like in my arguments with Lt. LeBrasseur, I’ll accept hers as the expert opinion. But I think I
need a few more trips to Lena’s to confirm.
Purely for research purposes, of course.
Elsewhere in this edition of 01907 . . .
Opera is a story set to music. But when the opera singer is part of her own story, the saga becomes
all the more powerful and meaningful. That's the story of Nahant's Ute Gfrerer, an Austrian-born
opera singer who has performed all over the world. I don’t know Ms. Gfrerer, but I had the pleasure of
hearing her perform at the dedication of the Thomas P. Costin Jr. Post Office in Lynn in May of 2019.
She was amazing — as is her story. She lived a nice, idyllic life in a picturesque Austrian town. Then she
saw a documentary about the Holocaust and discovered that her father had been a Nazi. That ruined their
relationship through most of her teens. However, this is the story of how she has come to terms with that
in the form of a multi-media exhibit. Elyse Carmosino has the story.
For 31 years, Cynthia McGurren was one of the behind-the-scenes motors that kept Salem State
University running. She co-founded the Salem State Speaker's Series, helped raise $26 million, and
under her stewardship as executive director of Salem State Foundation, the endowment grew from
$5 million to $30 million. And, she was there the night Tom Brady helicoptered into his speaking
engagement. Steve Krause has the story.
You may have seen the Super Bowl commercial with SNL alumna Rachel Dratch and others falling all
over themselves to massacre the Boston accent in a commercial about "Smaht Pahk." Even David Ortiz pops
out of a window. That is the brainchild of Swampscott's own Bryan Buckley. Thor Jourgensen has the story.
Dig into this edition of 01907. Maybe grab a Lena's sub to go with it.
INSIDE
20 Bryan's success
22 Honey sippin'
24 Dancing with dad
26 Major Leaguer
28 A real Jake
30 Big screen scene
TED GRANT
COVER
Tony Lena's face
symbolizes a family
food tradition.
GRAPHIC COURTESY
LENA FAMILY

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04 | 01907
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WHAT'S UP
The Alabaster Girl
What: A concert by New England singer-songwriter
Krista Baroni who has released two independently
released albums, including "The Alabaster Girl," that
have been compared to the Laurel Canyon music of
the 1970s.
Where: ReachArts, 89 Burrill St.
When: Friday, March 13, 7:30-9:30 p.m.
Welcome Home Swampscott
What: The House of the Seven Gables opens its
famed Turner-Ingersoll mansion to town residents.
Free 45-minute guided tours will be available
throughout the day. Just bring a valid ID.
Where: 115 Derby St., Salem
When: Sunday, March 15, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Walking (Ink) Meditations
What: Leslie Ann Eliet's "Walking (Ink) Meditations"
exhibition, comprised of prints, installations and
accordion books, inspired by the extended formats
of Japanese folding screens and albums. One
piece is a continuous strip taking up 33 feet of
two adjacent walls. The works address the artist’s
encounters with landscape in different parts of the
world, as well as the marshes and woodland ponds
of her home on the North Shore.
Where: ReachArts, 89 Burrill St.
When: March 13-29. A “Meet the Artist” reception, with
afternoon tea, takes place Saturday, March 21, 3-5 p.m.
The other side of winter
What: Swampscott Arts Association hosts “The
Other Side of Winter,” an exhibit that features
spring-themed artwork by association members.
Most of the artists are residents of Swampscott
and Marblehead.
Where: Abbot Public Library's Virginia A. Carten
Gallery, 235 Pleasant St., Marblehead
When: Through Friday, March 29.
Klezmer concert
What: International Klezmer personalities Sruli & Lisa
will perform virtuosic Klezmer music, sophisticated Old
World humor and classic Yiddish songs.
Where: Congregation Shirat Hayam, 55 Atlantic Ave.
When: Saturday, March 28, 7:30–10 p.m.
Egg hunt and bunny fun
What: The Recreation Department Bunny will
hide 4,000 Easter eggs on the Town Hall lawn for
children age 3-10. Children must be accompanied
by an adult. All participants should bring their own
basket to collect eggs and a camera for photos with
the bunny.
Where: Town Hall on Monument Avenue.
When: Saturday, April 11, at noon.

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06 | 01907
For Nahant
singer, every
song is a story
BY ELYSE CARMOSINO

SPRING 2020 | 07
Austrian-born opera
singer Ute Gfrerer’s
current life appeared
worlds away from stories she
told of her upbringing in
post-World War II Europe as
she sat in her Nahant home
overlooking Broad Sound Bay
on a cold, sunny day in early
February, the Boston skyline
visible in the distance.
The world-renowned
performer — whose on-stage
appearances include shows
in Germany, Japan, Greece,
France, and Guatemala — is
used to telling stories for an
audience. In fact, she says
telling stories is what she loves
most about what she does.
“Every song is a story, and
I’m into storytelling,” she said.
“It’s why I love singing. You can really
say a lot with a song.”
She added: “It opens up a new world,
but you have to know how to bring it out
from inside of you.”
For Gfrerer, music allows her to lose
herself in a character, but one of the most
captivating stories she often tells is her
own.
I felt like …
I needed to do
something as an
artist to set
things right.
— Ute Gfrerer
Recalling her idyllic childhood in the
small Austrian village of Spittal-Drau
during the 60s and early 70s, Gfrerer
referred to her hometown as a “wonderful
Heidi-land.” Although Austria suffered
far fewer physical reminders of the
war than some of its heavily-bombed
neighbors, Gfrerer said the country’s dark
past still permeated much of her early life
and education.
She knew her father,
Hermann, served in the war,
but said he rarely spoke about
his time in the German army.
“My father was a Nazi,”
Gfrerer said. “I didn’t realize
what that meant (at first).”
The exact nature of her
father’s involvement in World
War II remained largely a
mystery until Gfrerer happened
to see a documentary about
the Holocaust on television as
a young teenager. It was then
she said she put two and two
together.
“I had no idea. I was living
in this beautiful, picturesque
little town with mountains
and lakes around me,” she said.
“That (documentary) woke me
up. I wanted to talk with my father about
it, and then I realized —” she paused. “I
knew he was in the war, but I thought
he’d be in the resistance.”
The information all but destroyed
their relationship for the duration of
Gfrerer’s teenage years.
“We had open fights. At one point,
I went to a concentration camp with
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school and came back with all kinds of
material. I threw the pamphlets in front
of him. I’ll never forget that. I was yelling
at him ‘take a look, admit it,’” she said.
“He saw my hatred. I quite despised
him for being on the wrong side of the
war. I just didn’t get it. How can you be
on the wrong side?… He was helpless,
and he was heartbroken.”
It wasn’t until Gfrerer turned 18
and prepared to embark on a journey to
the United States to study music at the
California State University, Northridge,
that father and daughter finally began to
rebuild their fractured relationship.
“Before I left for America, he gave
me my plane ticket and said, ‘I hope life
works out for you the way it should,’”
Gfrerer said. In reaction to her cold
retort, he began to cry - something she
said was markedly out of character for
her stoic father. “He said, ‘I would change
my life for you so that you love me again,
but I can’t.’ I didn’t (respond) then. I was
stone.”
Nearly 6,000 miles away from home,
the distance allowed Gfrerer to reflect on
World-renowned performer Ute Gfrerer sits in her Nahant home with her dog, Barolo.

SPRING 2020 | 09
her father’s past and the kind of person
she’d always known him to be.
“I remembered the great father he
had been. Always loving, always fun, very
smart, open. He showed me the world.
He loved to travel, and I never heard an
anti-semitic word out of his mouth. He
lived a completely different life,” she said.
“I think the loss he experienced during
the war was so great for him.”
At 14, in the wake of his mother’s
death, Gfrerer’s father was sent to one of
12 boarding schools run by Germany’s
Nazi party, where he was among the
youngest students to be indoctrinated
with the party’s ideals.
At 17, he enlisted in Hitler’s army,
where Gfrerer said he witnessed the
deaths of nearly all of his friends.
“They were shot left and right,” she
said. “I think he had to hold on to this
thing, that it was worth something. It
couldn’t have been all in vain.”
Now, nearly 75 years later, the
German soldier’s daughter is attempting
to reconcile wrongs committed by her
father in the form of a multi-media art
exhibit.
Held every few months in
collaboration with Boston-based visual
artist Lisa Rosowsky, whose own father
lost nearly his entire family in the
Holocaust, the exhibition is entitled “For
Our Fathers.”
The program tells the stories of both
women’s fathers, and the lasting impact
their experiences had on the lives of their
daughters.
“We as adults met and talked about
it,” Gfrerer said of Rosowsky. “She had
her artwork and I had these songs, and
we combined them to create an amazing,
powerful evening.”
For her role, Gfrerer sings Holocaustbased
songs written by notable Jewish-
German composers, including Kurt Weill
and Norbert Glanzberg.
“I felt like … I needed to do
something as an artist to set things
right,” Gfrerer said. “Of course I cannot
change the past, but maybe I can bring
awareness and healing.”
The next showing of “For Our
Fathers” will be May 7 at Temple
Emanu-El in Marblehead.
In an April 2019 review, the
Jewish Journal called the mixedmedia
presentation “deeply moving,”
and Gfrerer said she cherishes the
opportunity to connect with audiences in
such a meaningful way.
As for her father, Gfrerer senses he’s
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A poster of "For Our Fathers," a performance with
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proud of her work.
“My father passed away already, but
I feel he’s totally on board. I always
feel him very present during this
presentation,” she said. “I do this for him
and me. It’s healing for both of us.”
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10 | 01907
Cynthia McGurren
on the art of making money
BY STEVE KRAUSE
Life is a little less hectic these days
for Cynthia McGurren. There's yoga
classes in the afternoons. And there's her
consulting business where she advises
clients so they can do what she did so
well for so many years: raise money.
There's an art to raising money, says
McGurren, who retired last year after
a 31-year career at Salem State, where
she was responsible for all aspects of the
university's development, alumni relations,
corporate and foundation relations,
communications and special events.
"First," says McGurren, 66,
of Marblehead (and formerly of
Swampscott), "you have to educate
yourself on the mission of the group for
which you're raising money. In the case
of Salem State, it was to provide the best
possible education.
"Then," she said, "you have to drill
down to what the passion points are.
You can tell by chatting with the people
involved. You find out if they have that
deep-seated passion."
And, finally, she said, "you
communicate that passion. For example,
I graduated from Salem State when I was
30 years old, and it changed my life. So
I was able to communicate that passion
about how the school is capable of
changing lives."
In turn, McGurren changed Salem
State's life a little too.
She had 15 years of specific
responsibility for all aspects of the
institution’s development, alumni relations,
corporate and foundation relations,
communications and special events.
Serving simultaneously as executive
director of the SSU Foundation, Inc., the
Foundation’s endowment grew from $5
million to $30 million. She personally
raised nearly $26 million in spendable and
endowed funds over her 15 year tenure.
"Cynthia was a key visionary and
leader of many successful campaigns
during her time at Salem State."
University President John Keenan
said last year on the occasion of
her retirement. "She was and still
is instrumental to the Salem State
Cynthia McGurren retired last year from a 31-year
career at Salem State University.
community and in increasing scholarship
funds for our students.”
These days, McGurren is still
busy, but life isn't as frenetic as it
was at Salem, when it was a delicate
balancing act between her functions
and responsibilities. She serves on the
leadership council of the Essex County
Community Foundation, and on the
advisory board for the House of the
Seven Gables in Salem, and she is on the
board of directors for North Shore Bank.
Then there's her consulting business:
McGurren Advancement Solutions,
where "I give advice for individuals whose
responsibilities involve fundraising."
McGurren's gifts to Salem State
involve more than simply raising money
(though that's certainly a big part of her
legacy). And, she's been able to combine
her fund raising efforts with other
endeavors — often with spectacular results.
One such case involved engineer and
entrepreneur Bernard Marshall Gordon,
who received an honorary degree from
Salem State in 1985.
"He spoke a little too long, and
people started treating him very
disrespectfully," McGurren recalled. "We
didn't hear from them (Gordon and his
wife, Sophia) after that.
"But in 2004, they unexpectedly joined
us for our sesquicentennial celebration …
and we reconnected with them.
"The Gordons made their first gift to
Salem State — $2 million — and allowed
us to announce it during Robert Redford's
appearance at the (speaker) series."
That went well, she said, and
subsequently the couple gave $4.6
million more toward the renovation
of the performing arts center that
dominates the Lafayette Street side of
the campus. It is now named for Sophia
Gordon, and, it should be noted, one of
the conference rooms inside is named for
McGurren and daughters, Colby Sheffer and Madison Sheffer, right, met Tom Brady during his 2015 Salem
State appearance.
COURTESY PHOTOS

SPRING 2020 | 11
McGurren herself.
Speaking of the speaker series,
McGurren co-founded it in 1972.
Since then, speakers have included
former presidents, heads of state,
world-renowned authors (including the
late David Halberstam), Nobel Prize
recipients, academy award winners
and celebrated actors and athletes.
This included Bill Russell, Doug Flute
(who spoke on short notice after Magic
Johnson canceled), Bobby Valentine
(in the same week the Red Sox fired
him as manager) and Tom Brady — a
particularly adventurous night.
The Brady speech brought a few facts
into focus. First, as a state institution,
the university gets 32 percent of its
funding from the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts, McGurren said. The bulk
of it comes from private funds.
Second, none of the money Salem
State spends on its speaker series, and
that includes the setup as well as speaker
fees, is public. Every bit of it comes from
private donations.
These elements, and the
misconceptions people had about the
series, came into play with Brady. As
luck would have it, his address came
the night after the Ted Wells report on
"Deflategate" which seemed to put the
Patriots quarterback in the crosshairs.
He had spent the day at Gillette
Stadium, and needed to get to Salem for
the address.
"Someone who has a helicopter really
wanted Tom Brady to ride in it, I guess,"
said McGurren. "So, he came in on a
helicopter, which landed on the roof of
one of our buildings.
"We took a lot of heat for that," she
said. "People thought that public money
was used for all of that. No. It wasn't.
None of that money is public."
There was one silver lining in the
whole crazy day, she said.
"He couldn't have been nicer,"
she said.. "He hung around, signed
autographs, posed for pictures. It was a
really nice night."
McGurren said there's one more
important element about fund raising for
non-profits: recognizing the generosity
of the donors.
"Make sure you put the money where
they want it earmarked," she said, "and if
they want their name used, then use it.
"It's all about establishing
relationships," said McGurren. Treat
them (donors or potential donors) as
human beings."

12 | 01907
HOUSE MONEY
PHOTOS COURTESY OF JULIE GAUNT

SPRING 2020 | 13
A peak inside
22 Northstone Road
SALE PRICE: $3,325,000
SALE DATE: December 27, 2019
LIST PRICE: $3,950,000
TIME ON MARKET:
540 days (June 2018)
LISTING BROKER:
Shari McGuirk,
Sagan Harborside Sotheby’s
SELLING BROKER:
Laura Crowell, J Barrett & Company
LATEST ASSESSED
VALUE: $3,359,400
PREVIOUS SALE PRICE:
$2,231,000 (2002)
PROPERTY TAXES: $51,063
YEAR BUILT: 1890
LOT SIZE:
.76 acres (32,962 sq. feet)
LIVING AREA: 12,718 sq. ft
ROOMS: 16
BEDROOMS: 6
BATHROOMS: 5 plus 3 half
SPECIAL FEATURES:
19th century oceanfront treasure
with steps to sandy beach, designer
kitchen, multiple decks, water
views from virtually every room,
game room, sunroom, and six wood
burning fireplaces.
Source: MLS Property Information Network.

14 | 01907
At Tony Lena's,
it's all in the bread
——— BY DAVID MCLELLAN ———
Lena's founder, Sam Lena, with wife,
Emma, at Lena's original store in Salisbury
Beach, 1945.
PHOTO COURTESY JENNIFER LENA VENUTI

SPRING 2020 | 15
When Sam Lena started
the Lena's sandwich shop
business 75 years ago, his
wife, Emma, had some words of advice:
"Make every sandwich like you were
going to eat it yourself."
For the Lena family, that still means
making a sandwich with high-quality
ingredients, especially soft bread that's
cut "the right way," as Tony Lena would
say.
Lena's was founded in 1945 by Sam
Lena, whose son, Tony, took over the
business and changed the name to Tony
Lena's in 1973. A third generation of
Lenas, sisters Tammy Lena Chambers
and Jennifer Lena Venuti, have owned
their Tony Lena's Sandwich Shop since
1991.
They first opened on Highland
Avenue in Salem, and moved to their
location at 88 Cherry St. in Swampscott
in 2005.
Lena and his daughters recently
reflected on their decades of working
at a "mom-and-pop shop" that doesn't
advertise and relies on good ingredients,
consistency, and word-of-mouth to
thrive.
"We've always had high-quality
products, and with everything we did,"
If you don't
see the face,
you're in the
wrong place
Tony Lena's
makes you glad
you're hungry
Lena said.
"All the Lenas use the same bread.
It's a soft, French roll," he said.
The Lenas have always used the same
bread, all the way back to 1945, and
consider it critical to their success. In the
past, the supplier was Columbus Baking
Co. in Beverly.
Despite some changes in name and
location, the Lenas bread has always
come from the same local Lauranzano
family business, now known as Joe
Lauranzano Bread Products in Salem.
"People always tell us, 'You guys have
the freshest bread,'" Venuti said. "It's
always been important. If you don't have
good bread it's not going to taste the
same."
Lena said the "soft bread" stands out
for its texture compared to the breads
many other submarine sandwich shops
use.
But the bread, and sandwich as a
whole, also has to be prepared properly
to keep customers coming back.
"You want me to tell another secret?"
Lena asked.
"We cut the bread through," he
said, using his hands to demonstrate a
LENA'S, page 16

16 | 01907
The Tony Lena's family: granddaughter Madison Chambers; her mother and Lena's co-owner, Tammy Lena Chambers; her father, Tony Lena, and daughter and
Lena's co-owner, Jennifer Lena Venuti stand at the cash register.
PHOTOS: OLIVIA FALCIGNO
LENA'S, continued from page 15
sub being cut the whole way through,
resulting in two completely separate
sandwich pieces, rather than a sub roll
that is partially cut with a slit like a hot
dog bun.
It's the inferior submarine sandwich
that isn't cut all the way through, Lena
insists, with a messy pile of ingredients
sitting on a piece of bread that's bound
to get soggy or collapse. A proper sub
should be fully cut, and built and held
like any other type of sandwich.
The preparation of vegetables is
important too. Again, it shouldn't get too
messy.
"And we slice the vegetables, never
dice the vegetables," Chambers said.
Chambers and Venuti will be
celebrating the 30th anniversary of
owning and operating the business as
sisters next March. Chambers' daughter,
Madison, and Venuti's son, A.J., work
part-time at the business, taking shifts in
the summer when they are out of school.
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it," Venuti said.
The Lenas don't do much to advertise
their store. They say it's simply because
they don't need to. According to Venuti,
about 70 percent of the store's business is
from returning customers.
The older Lena said he sees an
increase in chain submarine sandwich
shops like Firehouse Subs and Jersey
Mike's, but he is confident the business
will continue to do well as his daughters
enter their third decade of ownership.
"I didn't pass the torch, they took the
torch," Lena said.
Lena himself, when he took over
the business, added the logo of himself,
a mustached man's face, designed by
his college roommate from Syracuse
University. He also came up with some
slogans: "If you don't see the face, you're
in the wrong place," and, "Tony Lena's
makes you glad you're hungry."
Lena said the business, no matter
which Lena is running it, has always had
some rules. Increase prices, rather than
downgrade the quantity or quality of
ingredients in the sandwiches.
And, give good deals, like "buy-oneget-one-free,"
on special occasions,
rather than discounts.
"It's always good food and good
quality all the time," Lena said.
"It's the personality you see, it's the
friendship," he said, looking at his two
daughters behind the small store's counter.
Chambers and Venuti have had their
own strategy as well when it comes to

SPRING 2020 | 17
For the Lena's family, it's all in the bread.
running the business. They cook team
dinners for the local high school sports
teams, and donate gift certificates and
cater at car shows and events like the
Swampscott Strawberry Festival in town.
Venuti said one football season,
a year when her son was playing for
Swampscott High, Tony Lena's provided
meals for 10 of the team's 12 dinners.
"There's not a lot of mom-and-pop
shops out there," Venuti said. "We grew
up in Swampscott, our kids are from
Swampscott… We make the preschool
pizzas every Friday."
The menu has occasionally added
items, like grilled chicken and kabobs, to
reflect food trends, but for the most part
it has remained the same. Chambers and
Venuti said the store is special because
it is always willing to make something
a customer requests, even if it's not
on the menu. Venuti takes pictures of
A freshly made 8-inch Italian sub sandwich at Tony Lena’s Sandwich Shop.
some of the quirkier things, like an
eggplant salad, a heart-shaped pizza for
Valentine's Day and a "pickle pizza."
"It's always been fun," Venuti said.
"We grew up working for my dad, and we
basically lived at Lena's. It was fun and
our friends worked with us."
"What adds to the fun is our
customers are also our friends,"
Chambers added.
Dr. Carlin Weaver
230 Salem Street, Swampscott
781-581-1550
Happy patients.
Beautiful smiles.
weaverortho.com | info@weaverortho.com | Stay connected on social media @weaverortho

18 | 01907
Storied Glover House
could face the wrecking ball
BY GAYLA CAWLEY
At one time, General Glover
House was one of the busiest
restaurants in New England
— but its status these days is
not as glamorous.
The former restaurant, which has
been closed since the 1990s, has been
issued a violation notice from the town
of Swampscott for being a "blighted or
unsafe structure."
Located in Vinnin Square where the
Salem-Swampscott-Marblehead line
meets, the Glover House was one of the
prized assets of the late Anthony Athanas,
who took over the operation in 1957.
The violation is meant to prompt a
clean-up of the Glover property, still
owned by the Athanas family, and in
the longer term, possibly spark a more
productive reuse.
Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald
said he's been having discussions with
Marblehead's Town Administrator Jason
Silva about a potential shared vision
for the property, which is located in a
district that is zoned for transit-oriented,
mixed-use development.
"To me, it's an exciting property," said
Fitzgerald. "It's a linchpin in a really busy
commercial plaza. It was quintessential New
England, Swampscott and Marblehead.
Our challenge for this generation is what's
next? How do we replicate a little bit of
that magic and create a sense of that special
place that many people continue to have a
fond memory of?"
General Glover House, originally the
home of the famed Revolutionary War
hero, General John Glover, had surged in
popularity by the early 1960s.
At the time of Glover's peak, Athanas
was operating several other highly
successful restaurants in the region,
including Hawthorne-by-the-Sea in
Swampscott, and his first operation,
Anthony's Hawthorne in Lynn, one of
the best known restaurants on the North
Shore at its peak. All except Hawthorneby-the-Sea
have closed.
Once one of the busiest restaurants in New England, the Glover House property has been hit with a
violation notice by the Town of Swampscott for being "blighted."
PHOTO: OLIVIA FALCIGNO
The property at 299 Salem St., which
includes three buildings, was found to
be in violation of the town's general
bylaw, "improvement of blighted or
unsafe structures or property and the
maintenance of vacant buildings."
The bylaw was passed by Town
Meeting members last year to give town
officials the authority to enforce the
improvement of dilapidated properties.
In his correspondence with the
property owner, the town's building
commissioner, Max Kasper, wrote that
he's determined the structures are in
need of "major maintenance and repair,"
and has requested that the owners
take "substantial steps to remedy these
numerous major deficiencies."
Kasper noted that major roof and
wall areas are deteriorated and the
property is inadequately secured. He has
recommended partial or full demolition.
Kasper said he hasn't heard from
the property owners since the violation
was issued in January. Wig Zamore, an
Athanas family representative, said that's
not the case. Since receiving the notice,
Zamore said repairs have been made to
the structures on the property.
Zamore said the family wants to
work with the town and the other two
municipalities on the redevelopment of
the property.
He said there's a lot of interest in the
property from developers, but the family's
interest is in selling to a developer who
would "do right by the community."
"These kinds of redevelopments are
not something that you snap your fingers
and do," said Zamore. "It's easier to
envision multi-family housing, rather
than anything else on that property. It's
next to a golf course in Marblehead and
Swampscott and next to the Vinnin
Square shopping plaza."
Glover is one of several "blighted"
properties the town of Swampscott has
identified. A similar notice has been sent
to the owners of a former gas station at
182 Paradise Road, which Kasper said
has not been properly maintained.
With fewer than 100 commercial
properties in town, each one that falls into
disrepair affects the overall health and
welfare of the community, Fitzgerald added.
"We are approaching these
conversations with an open (mind), but
given the blighted bylaw, we expect more
than good intentions when working with
people," said Fitzgerald.

20 | 01907
He buckled down and took Hollywood
BY STORM
BY THOR JOURGENSEN
Director Bryan Buckley with Haruan, Ali, and
Mino Jarjoura. Haruan and Ali were in Buckley's
2013 Oscar-nominated short film, "Asad."
February's
first week was a
busy one for Bryan Buckley.
The award-winning filmmaker
who lived in Swampscott as a teenager
and whose parents and stepfather live in
town, saw his latest Super Bowl advertisement
debut Feb. 2 and donned a tuxedo for the Oscars.
Bryan Buckley with his wife, Kiana Madani.
For Buckley, a busy life is business as usual. The New
York Times described the director as the "king of the Super
Bowl" with director titles, awards and business success to his name.
The father of two lives in Los Angeles and gets back East whenever he
can to see his father, artist Richard Buckley; mother, Joan Dion, and stepfather,
Ed Dion.
Born in Cambridge, he spent parts of his childhood in Sudbury, Massachusetts, Maine
and New Hampshire and lived in Swampscott from the eighth grade through high school. He
graduated from Swampscott High School in 1981 in a class that included state Rep. Lori Ehrlich.
Buckley's success is no surprise to his former classmate.
"Bryan has creativity in his genes. His father, Dick Buckley, is an incredibly talented local artist
and he's always had a wicked sense of humor, so with that combination, I'm not surprised by his
success.
Ehrlich said Buckley's most recent Super Bowl ad, titled "Smaht Pahk," shows Buckley's
love for the Boston area and New England.
"Just hit the clickah, cah pahks itself," explains actor/director John Krasinski in the ad.
Highlighting self-parking technology featured in the 2020 Hyundai Sonata, the ad was
an Internet sensation before Super Bowl watchers viewed its television debut.
The ad was filmed in Boston's South End, and it is Boston through and through. The
three Massachusetts actors — Rachel Dratch (Lexington), Krasinski (Newton) and Chris
Evans (Sudbury) show no mercy in inflecting every shred of dialogue with "ahs" as Evans
and Dratch react to Krasinski's ability to park the Sonata in a tight space using remote
technology.
The ad gives a shout out to Swampscott and Saugus and other Massachusetts
communities.
Buckley shot the ad last November on a chilly, rainy day that he said perfectly
captured the hearty New England atmosphere he was after.
"It could have easily been shot on a lot in LA, but it wouldn't have had the
same vibe," he said.

SPRING 2020 | 21
The advertisement features,
according to an online description,
quick appearances by Mark and Donnie
Wahlberg's brothers, Bob and Arthur,
and David Ortiz pops out of a window at
the end of the ad.
"Did you know he lives here?"
Krasinski deadpans to Dratch and Evans.
Buckley's criteria for a Super Bowl
ad is "something I haven't done before"
and one well-crafted enough to land in
USA Today's top five Super Bowl ad
selection. The selected ads ignite the
type of sustained media buzz clients
love.
Buckley and film producer Matt
Lefebrve were nominated for the short
live action film "Saria," about two
orphaned Guatemalan sisters struggling
to survive. The movie wasn't just a job
for Buckley: He went to Washington
D.C. days before the Academy Awards
to discuss the challenges faced by the
Central American nation and has read
everything he can get his hands on about
Guatemala.
Buckley's accomplishments are
also no surprise to his proud father.
He recalled a Swampscott art teacher
praising a 14-year-old Buckley's talent.
"There was always a dedication to
everything he worked on. He just threw
himself into it. He doesn't only work
with his brain, he works with his heart,"
said Richard Buckley.
Asked to imagine his dream project,
Buckley said he would like to make a
film around a theme questioning if it is
possible to live life with no regrets.
"I will do it - definitely," he promised.
Left, Buckley directs an
advertisement production with
an unidentified actor and actress
Amy Poehler.
Top, Buckley, center, with Conan
O'Brien and Mino Jarjoura.
PHOTOS COURTESY
RICHARD BUCKLEY
Family owned and operated
SWAMPSCOTT
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22 | 01907
LOCAL FLAVOR
PLAN BEE
Celebrate spring with this honey of a cocktail
BY DANIEL KANE | PHOTO BY SPENSER HASAK
The chilly, barren days of winter are coming to a close and the sweet days of spring are right around the corner.
Soon the vision of snow-covered cars will be in the rear-view mirror, replaced by images of honey bees dancing around
freshly bloomed dandelions and wildflowers. This rum-based cocktail delivers a taste of the season with
a splash of sweet honey. Whether you're trying to impress while hosting a group of friends or just looking for a
fun way to get your spring spirit on, the Honey Bee cocktail is a great way to create a buzz.
What Your Steps Are:
1. Stir honey and warm water in a cocktail
shaker until dissolved.
2. Add the rum and lemon juice.
3. Shake with cracked ice and strain into your
favorite chilled cocktail glass.
What You Need:
• 2 oz. white rum
• ½ Tbsp. honey
• ½ Tbsp. warm water
• ½ oz. lemon juice
• Ice

SPRING 2020 | 23
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• 3, 4, 6-foot party subs
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24 | 01907
Mike Carritte rests his daughter, Hadley,
3, on his lap after completing a practice
round of the routine.
Kevin Bransfield twirls his daughter, Emma, 3, during a rehearsed dance routine being taught to the group.
Father-Daughter Day
PHOTOS BY OLIVIA FALCIGNO
Andy Ciarletta throws a scarf around his
daughter, Vivian, 4, during the final dance
of the class.
Mini Movers Studio in Swampscott hosted a Valentine's
Day themed father-daughter dance on Feb. 9. Some
came dressed in leotards and ballet shoes, while others
matched their partners in a color theme. Led by owner
Jackie Bowden, attendees learned a choreographed song,
decorated cookies, and were given heart-shaped picture
frames with photos of themselves as party favors.
Dan Ollila holds a rose with his daughter,
Giuliana, 5, in a picture frame given out at
the end of class.
The group of fathers and daughters warm up with some jumps during a class at Mini Movers Studio
in Swampscott.
Evelyn Belhumeur, 3, poses with her father, Thomas, before the fatherdaughter
dance class started.

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26 | 01907
From Nahant
to
the
major league
BY MIKE ALONGI
It's hard to be much more involved in
a sport than Sean Quirk is involved with
men's lacrosse. From playing to coaching
to drafting and evaluating talent, Quirk
has done it all in the past 30-plus years.
Currently living in Nahant, Quirk
bounces between his home, the Endicott
College campus, and Veterans Memorial
Stadium in Quincy — the home facility
of Major League Lacrosse's Boston
Cannons. Each day, he balances his time
between being the associate athletic
director at Endicott and the head coach/
director of player personnel with the
Cannons.
"I've always got a busy schedule, that's
for sure, but I love it," said Quirk. "To
Sean Quirk, Associate Athletic Director at Endicott College, stands on his back porch at his Nahant home.
PHOTOS: OLIVIA FALCIGNO
be able to be so involved in a game I've
played since I was a kid is a dream."
To understand Quirk's love for the
game, it helps to go back to the early
days of his involvement with lacrosse.
After excelling at the high school level at
Cheshire High School in Connecticut,
Quirk earned a scholarship to Division
II Springfield College in Massachusetts.
His college days proved to be fruitful,
as Quirk was named a two-time All-
American and NCAA Division II Goalie
of the Year in 1995. Oh, and he helped
the Pride — then known as the Chiefs
(the college changed the nickname in
1995) — to earn the NCAA Division II
National Championship in 1994.
"We had some great teams in those
years, but the biggest thing was that we
were just one big family," Quirk said
of his college days. "That culture and
that environment is, in my opinion, one
of the things that helped make us so
successful."
After spending two seasons as an
assistant coach at Springfield, Quirk set
out on his own when he was hired as
head lacrosse coach at Endicott in 1998
at just 24 years old. It was there that he
started to really forge a path for himself,
living by the principles he learned at
Springfield and building a program
from the ground up the way he wanted
it to be.
"I was so fortunate to be surrounded
by great players and coaches at every
level, and I tried to be a sponge and
soak up as much knowledge as I could
every day," Quirk said. "I wanted to
build a culture of family, commitment
and relationships at Endicott and let the
good lacrosse come from that. I really
wanted to set that foundation."
In his time as the head coach at
Endicott, which lasted from 1998
to 2015, Quirk went 243-95 and led
the Gulls to the NCAA Tournament
nine times (2001, 2004-2007, 2010-
2011, 2014-2015). He won eight
Commonwealth Coast Conference
championships, was a four-time CCC
Coach of the Year and coached 21 All-

SPRING 2020 | 27
To
be able to
be so involved
in a game I've
played since
I was a
kid is a
dream.
— Sean Quirk
Target your message
to an affluent audience
HOME IS WHERE
THE HART IS
American
players.
Quirk ranks
13th on the
all-time winning
percentage list for
Division III coaches and
16th on the all-time wins list.
Quirk stepped down from the
head coaching position in 2015, but
he remained at Endicott. During his
time as head coach Quirk also served
as an assistant athletic director, but he
soon moved up the ranks to the role of
associate athletic director in charge of all
men's teams and coaches. He oversees
the leadership program with all of the
team captains and also oversees the
day-to-day operations of the Endicott
athletic department.
He also remains close with the
men's lacrosse team. Many of his former
players have gone on to become coaches
following graduation, including current
Gulls head coach Eric Hagarty, who
played for Quirk from 2007-2010.
"That's something I take some pride
in, the fact that we've had players go
on and be successful after leaving the
program," Quirk said.
Around the same time he left the
head coaching position at Endicott,
Quirk was alerted to an opening for
the head coaching job with the Boston
Cannons of Major League Lacrosse.
While he had decided to leave coaching
for a number of reasons just a few
months prior, Quirk spoke to his family
about it. Their support played a big role
in his decision to take on the role.
"I actually knew some people in the
front office with the Cannons through
some Springfield connections and I was
offered the position," said Quirk. "I
had made the decision to leave college
coaching
behind
not long
before, but I
decided to ask my
family and see what
they thought. They were so
supportive of me with whatever I wanted
to do, so I decided to jump in."
Quirk's role has also evolved with
the Cannons over time. He was named
head coach in 2015 and spent the
first three seasons as just that. But in
2018, Quirk was also elevated to the
role of Director of Player Personnel,
putting him in charge of drafting and
development as well as coaching. It's
a lot to handle, but Quirk feels it's for
the good of the team.
"It's certainly a lot to juggle in terms
of responsibilities, but I've always been
a believer in that Bill Belichick-style of
running a team," said Quirk. "I believe
that the coach has a certain eye for the
kind of player that would fit with their
style of play and I think it's important
for the coach to have a say in things.
I still work closely with everyone in
the front office as well, but it helps to
know I have a big say in the personnel
decisions."
Quirk and the Cannons are getting
ready for the 2020 season. The collegiate
and supplemental drafts will be held in
mid-March while the current players go
through their off-season conditioning
programs. Training camp kicks off on
May 15, and the first game of the season
is slated for May 30.
"We're excited for the new year to get
going," Quirk said. "We'll have some new
faces and some familiar ones as well, but
we're ready to hit the ground running."
SPRING 2020
VOL. 3 NO. 1
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28 | 01907
Swampscott native and Peabody resident Roger
Baker provides food, water and supplies to
firefighters while they're on scene battling fires.
PHOTO: OLIVIA FALCIGNO
Where there's smoke,
there is Roger Baker
BY GAYLA CAWLEY

SPRING 2020 | 29
wampscott native Roger
Baker became enamoured
with the fire service
industry at a young age.
As a kid, he would hang
around both Swampscott
fire stations (the Phillips
Beach Fire Station on Phillips Avenue
is now closed) befriending firefighters
and running errands for the department.
When fires broke out, he would load his
bicycle's basket with water, which he
would deliver to crews on scene.
Baker, 54, wanted to become a
firefighter himself. He earned a degree
in fire science from North Shore
Community College and took the
Municipal Firefighter Exam in the
1980s, but his dream never came to
fruition.
Not to be deterred, Baker instead
made a career out of assisting firefighters
at fire scenes, expanding on the work
that he started as a child.
"I'm happy with what I'm doing now,"
said Baker. "I've seen more fires than I
would have if I had been a firefighter. I
have been to every single (major) fire in
the 21 towns that we cover since 1986.
When I think about that myself, it's kind
of crazy to think about."
In 1986, he converted a used
ambulance to a canteen truck at the
suggestion of a firefighter and began
providing cool drinks and soup to
provide relief for exhausted crews at fire
scenes.
A few years later, the nonprofit,
Rehab Five, which Baker operates out
of his Peabody home, was officially
established. The organization's purpose
is to provide firefighters and other
emergency workers with rehabilitation
services.
The need became more prominent
in the 1980s, when there was a
fundamental shift in the protective gear
that firefighters wore. While the new
gear provided more thermal protection,
it completely encapsulated the wearer,
not allowing for the escape of core body
heat. The former gear had been more
lightweight and breathable.
"The gear is so good that it's
preventing them from losing body heat,"
said Baker. "All of a sudden, rehab
became something they're talking about."
Baker and his volunteers set up
rehabilitation centers at fire scenes to
help firefighters cool down. In warmer
weather, cooling tents equipped with
misting fans are set up, and Gatorade
and water is provided. In the wintertime,
a bus is converted to get firefighters out
of the cold weather, and coffee and hot
chocolate is served.
The idea is to get their core body
temperature to come down, so they can
get back to fighting the fire. Medical
services are also provided, Baker said.
Rehab Five's services are completely
voluntary, which Baker pays for with the
salary he earns working for his father's
polymer factory in Lawrence.
"I consider it a hobby," said Baker.
"I like doing it. Other people may want
to spend their money on vacations,
sailboats or sports cars. I've somehow
found my calling doing this and enjoy
doing it so that's where my disposable
income goes."
The organization not only gets its
name from the rehab services provided
to firefighters, but from the mutual aid
system that ensures fire departments
receive backup assistance from other
departments. The system is divided into
districts. District 5 includes Swampscott,
Saugus, Peabody, Lynnfield, Marblehead
and Nahant.
Baker estimates he and his 20
volunteers respond to about 130 fires
annually, but some have been particularly
memorable. He recalls spending
three weeks at the scene of a Danvers
explosion in November 2006.
Rehab Five responds to most working
fires and every second alarm fire. Now
based more centrally in Peabody, Baker
said he can get to most fires in 15 to 20
minutes.
Firefighters are grateful for the
services provided by Rehab Five.
"Those guys are great," said
Swampscott Fire Chief Graham Archer.
"They're just always there — day or
night, in the winter, or in the summer.
Anything you would need in a difficult
situation, they're there to make it easier.
I can't say enough about those guys.
They're amazing."
Baker recently got his website, www.
rehabfive.org, up and running and he has
no intention of slowing down anytime
soon.
"I don't see myself being able to listen
to the calls on the radio and not go," said
Baker. "Until my health gives out, I'll be
doing it."

30 | 01907
Lou Marino, holds his son Brody, 4, while watching a movie at the Swampscott Library on Feb. 18.
Kim Schneider's daughter Noelle, 8 months, was an enthusiastic
movie-goer.
Morning
Movie Hour
PHOTOS BY OLIVIA FALCIGNO
Daniella Makhluf, 4, plays with a shopping cart.
Ben Schneider, 4, nibbles on animal crackers
distributed to kids by librarians.
Swampscott Public Library regularly holds
a morning story hour every Monday for
children ages 3 to 5. Due to Presidents Day,
librarians shifted the event to a February 18
morning movie program. Children's Room
librarian Izzi Abrams distributed water and
animal crackers to the dozen kids
who attended. After the movie,
children fit in some play time.
Brooke Posada, 2, plays with dolls while Brody Marino plays with trucks at the play
pen in the Swampscott Library. The play pen is a unique space that most libraries
in the area do not have, according to Swampscott librarian Izzi Abrams. The
library recently received a grant from the state to help give children and parents
opportunities for more play time.
While other children watch a movie, Ethan Makhluf, 7, browses through the books on the
shelf in the children’s room at the Swampscott Library.

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