01945 Fall 2021

Garage 

bond 

FALL 2021 X VOL. 4 ISSUE 3

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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 

Controller 

Susan Conti 

Editor 

Thor Jourgensen 

Contributing Editors 

Gayla Cawley 

Sophie Yarin 

Writers 

Allysha Dunnigan 

Nourin Ghobashy 

Thor Jourgensen 

Ben Kahn 

Steve Krause 

Alena Kuzub 

Tréa Lavery 

Madison Lofmark 

Sam Minton 

Katelyn Sahagian 

Talia Schwartz 

Photographers 

Spenser Hasak 

Jakob Menendez 

Advertising Sales 

Ernie Carpenter 

Ralph Mitchell 

Patricia Whalen 

Design 

Jakob Menendez 

INSIDE 

04 What's Up 

06 Top Cop 

10 Olden days 

12 House Money 

14 Madam librarian 

16 Cole on a roll 

18 20 Years 

20 Snap shots 

22 Leading lady 

24 Brew kings 

26 Ms. Doolittle 

28 Bartlett's Bros 

32 School take 

37 High times 

ESSEX MEDIA GROUP 

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Lynn, MA 01901 

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01945themagazine.com 

LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER 

Bartlett's 

quotations 

TED GRANT 

Check out the photo on Page 31. What Greg Quillen is using as a footrest is one of my dream cars: a 1950 

MG TD. Think “Love Story.” It’s one of the most beautiful cars ever made, and I’ve always wanted one — 

preferably in British Racing Green — but only guys like Greg and his brother, Mike, should own one. Greg 

told me he’s been restoring the MG for decades, and you can hear the love in his voice. 

I am not a car guy. I like looking at them and driving them (usually too fast), but I'm useless when it comes 

to working on them. 

I can only marvel at guys like Greg and Mike. My brother is one. Dana, like our father (who art in heaven), 

can fix anything. It seems to come naturally to him. Me, not so much. Whenever I had a car problem, I’d call 

him. But he moved to New York, and I’m . . . lost. 

Between my wife and me, we have three cars. Jansi (Marblehead High '72) has a BMW convertible (her 

fourth or fifth) and I a Range Rover (my sixth) plus what a friend calls my toy car. It’s gotten to the point 

that I buy mine by phone. Why waste the dealer's and my time with a test drive? After having owned (leased, 

actually) my third or fourth Rover for about a year, I brought it in for a scheduled check-up and mentioned to 

the service manager that I didn’t like that it seemed to sit higher than the previous ones. He gave me a look 

that combined pity and annoyance and pointed to a button on the dash. “Do you know what this does?” he 

asked. Obviously, I didn’t. He pushed the button and the car lowered. Who knew? 

So what if my mechanical skills are limited to tying a tie? Mike and Greg Quillen, on the other hand . . . 

The brothers own Bartlett's Garage on Stacey Street in Old Town. They’ve been told that Bartlett's — 

begun in 1913 by their grandfather — is the oldest independently-run auto service business in the country. I 

won’t argue it. 

The Quillen brothers acknowledge that repairing cars in 2021 is different than it was in 1913, but the one 

thing that is not different is that their customers are loyal — and, like their business, multi-generational. Ally 

Dunnigan has their story. 

Elsewhere in 01945 . . . How is the story about a lone wolf caught in a forest fire allegorical? Cate Cole, 11, 

has the answer: "If you're in a very hard situation, and everyone else is different than you — no matter how 

different — you work and find common ground." 

Cate turned that concept into a one-page story that won the top prize in a global writing contest for young 

people ages 11-18. Steve Krause has the story. 

Kimberly Grad had a unique journey to becoming Marblehead's library director. She held positions 

with Penguin Young Readers Group in New York, where she coordinated author appearances, developed 

marketing campaigns, and managed sales and production promotions for the publisher. But she longed for a 

career change and has been doing library work for the past 13 years. Sam Minton has the story. 

Minton also has a profile on Betsey Cruger, who has been an animal control officer in town since 1992, and 

who has had some interesting experiences on the job. 

New Police Chief Dennis King says so far, so good in his new role. "It's been really exciting and 

challenging,” he says. “I have high hopes for the department. It’s a very solid department. Everybody has a 

role and really does a good job and works together.” Kate Sahagian has the story. 

Marblehead has always had an intimate relationship with its history, and "Mapping Marblehead: 

the Nineteenth Century," is one more piece of evidence to back that up. The Marblehead Historical 

Commission's new exhibit continues its project presenting the highlights of the town’s history. It is the 

second in a series of three planned exhibits. Our history buff Thor Jourgensen has the story. 

Lynne Krasker Schultz has big plans for SPUR after being selected as the organization's new executive 

director. “I am excited to work with the board and volunteers to launch SPUR into its next stage of 

development and expansion,” she says. “SPUR is about engaging people living in our community to make a 

measurable impact within the community through volunteer opportunities." Tréa Lavery and Kate Sahagian 

combine to bring you this story. 

We have four student essays. Each essayist holds out hope and optimism that their school years in 2021-22 

are a lot less hectic and disruptive than the previous year and a half. 

In closing, it may seem like yesterday to some, but it was 20 years ago. I refer, of course, to 9/11, when three 

Marbleheaders lost their lives in the attacks on the World Trade Center. Their profiles appear on Page 18. 

Twenty years. Incredible. 

COVER Mike and Greg Quillen own Bartlett's Garage, in business since 1913. PHOTO by Jakob Menendez 

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One Essex Street Marblehead MA 01945 | 300 Salem Street Swampscott MA 01907

WHAT'S UP 

Support the fort 

What: The Fort Sewall Donation Fund 

is seeking contributions to help with the 

restored historic site's maintenance. 

Where: Donation checks may be made out 

to "Town of Marblehead" and dropped off 

at the Selectmen’s office, Abbot Hall, 188 

Washington St. 

When: The deadline for significant donors 

($1,000 +) to be recognized on a plaque 

installed at the fort is Nov. 1. 

Getting wild 

What: Abbot Public Library invites children 

to enjoy extreme weather books and 

make bookmarks to decorate the library's 

windows. 

Where: Library children's room, 235 

Pleasant St. 

When: Thursday, Sept. 30, 3:30 p.m. 

Sustaining Vision 

What: SPUR community roots is looking 

for community garden waterers. 

Where: St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, 135 

Lafayette St. 

When: Go to spur.community/volunteer to 

check the community garden calendar for 

watering dates. 

An indispensable evening 

What: Author Patrick K. O'Donnell 

discusses "The Indispensables," his book 

about the soldier-mariners who rowed 

George Washington across the Delaware. 

Where: Reception sponsored by the 

Marblehead Museum and Sustainable 

Marblehead at The Jeremiah Lee Mansion, 

161 Washington St., followed by a 

presentation at Abbot Hall, 188 Washington 

St. 

When: Thursday Sept. 30, reception-6 p.m.; 

presentation-7:30 p.m. 

Meet and greet 

What: The Rotary Club of Marblehead 

is committed to diversity, equity and 

inclusion. 

Where: In-person meetings are held at the 

Boston Yacht club, 1 Front St. with hybrid 

meeting options. See marbleheadrotary. 

com to contact the Club president. 

When: Thursdays, 12:15 p.m.

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Police Chief Dennis 

King’s office. The office, 

which was once an old 

detective's interrogation room, holds 

a few photographs of the Marblehead 

Police Department throughout the years. 

King pointed out a photograph of 

a color guard progression for 9/11. He 

notes that while the Marblehead color 

guard is in the front, the top of a City of 

Salem flag can be seen. King was the one 

holding that flag, all those years ago. 

“This photograph was in the office 

long before I was,” King said. 

At the time of this interview, King 

had been the Marblehead police chief for 

two months, taking over the position on 

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Man in charge 

Marblehead's police chief since July 1, Dennis King, has 26 years of experience in law enforcement, including a stint as acting chief in Salem. 

CHIEF, from page 08 

July 1 from former Police Chief Robert 

Picariello. King says that the community 

and the department have been more than 

welcoming to him. 

“It’s been really exciting and 

challenging,” King said. “I have high 

hopes for the department. It’s a very 

solid department. Everybody has a role 

and really does a good job and works 

together.” 

King has been in law enforcement for 

26 years. He was a police officer for the 

City of Salem for 21 years, a member of 

the police reserves for four years and the 

acting chief in Salem for nine months. 

While he spent some time working 

with former Chief Picariello, King said 

that he hadn’t really known many people 

at the Marblehead Police Department 

before joining its force. He said that 

there's been a steep learning curve, one 

that he has been happy to take on. 

“I’d say that’s been challenging when 

you go from a community where you 

know everyone and every street and you 

have relationships with everyone, to go 

to a situation where you don’t have those 

relationships that are established,” King 

said. “It takes a little bit of extra work, in 

terms of getting up to speed and relying 

on people for institutional knowledge.” 

King said that despite this being a 

move from a city to a town, his role as 

chief won’t be extremely different. 

“I’m still the face and spokesman for 

the department. I handle administrative 

and budget things,” King said. 

He said that he wants to have the 

officers be more interactive with the 

people they serve and create a more 

inclusive culture. 

“I’ve found that there are certain 

things around community engagement 

that the department is ready for that I 

did in Salem," King said. 

A month after King came into office, 

an investigation into a swastika carved 

into a police officer’s car was reaching 

its conclusion. That incident, which 

happened in July 2019, was caused by 

another officer making a "joke." 

King said that this incident, along 

with national concerns about police 

policy, has made members of the 

Marblehead community skeptical 

towards the department. He said that 

through education with the Anti- 

Defamation League and community 

outreach, he feels the department is 

headed in the right direction. 

“I’ve listened and I think that we have 

the same interest in making changes that 

need to be made and building back that 

trust so everyone feels confident in the 

department,” King said. “Recognizing 

that we can do better when we solicit 

input from the community on how 

they want us to police them, is a really 

important thing.” 

King’s goal is to make sure the 

entire department is certified under 

the Massachusetts Commonwealth’s 

criminal-justice reform law. So far, he 

says that every officer has been certified 

through the Police Officer Standards 

and Training, and that the department 

is currently accredited through the 

Commission on Accreditation for Law 

Enforcement Agencies. 

Under the new law, once an officer 

is certified, they must keep their 

certification while working as an officer. 

The program is designed to help educate 

officers not only on the new policies put 

in place by the state, but also educate 

officers on what outdated training will be 

retired. 

King said he is emphasizing the 

importance of community engagement, 

being transparent as officers, and the 

department holding itself accountable. 

“I really do believe that the 

community in (Marblehead) is a great 

community,” King said. “It’s civic minded. 

Everybody wants people to be treated 

fair and equitable. Social justice is a part 

of that.” 

Overall, King says that he feels 

incredibly welcomed to his new 

community. He said that he is excited for 

the next chapter of his career in a town 

that cares so much about each other and 

how they are treated as a whole. 

“I’ve really found the town and the 

civic engagement and interests of the 

citizens here very uplifting,” King said. 

“It’s a very close-knit — but civicminded 

— community.”

September 18, 2021–March 20, 2022 

The Salem Witch Trials: Reckoning and Reclaiming is organized by the Peabody Essex Museum. Thank you to PEM supporters, 

Carolyn and Peter S. Lynch and The Lynch Foundation and individuals who support the Exhibition Incubation Fund: 

Jennifer and Andrew Borggaard, James B. and Mary Lou Hawkes, Kate and Ford O’Neil, and Henry and Callie Brauer. 

We also recognize the generosity of the East India Marine Associates of the Peabody Essex Museum. 

MEDIA PARTNER 

IN-KIND MEDIA PARTNER 

Alexander McQueen, Evening dress, from the In Memory of Elizabeth How, Salem, 1692 (detail), Ready-to-wear 

collection, fall/winter 2007. Velvet, glass beads and satin. Gift of anonymous donors in London who 

are friends of Peabody Essex Museum, 2011.44.1. Photo by Bob Packert/PEM. 

For more details, scan this 

code or visit pem.org 

161 ESSEX STREET | SALEM, MA


A map into the past 

By Thor Jourgensen 

"Mapping Marblehead: the 

Nineteenth Century," is the Marblehead 

Historical Commission's new exhibit at 

the Old Town House, at the intersection 

of Washington, State and Mugford 

streets. 

On display through late October, 

"Mapping Marblehead" continues 

the Historical Commission’s project 

of presenting the highlights of 

Marblehead’s history as the second in a 

series of three planned exhibits. 

It tells Marblehead's story in a way 

that can be appreciated by all ages, 

encouraging residents and visitors to 

walk through the exhibit, and then 

through the town with a greater 

understanding of its past. 

The interactive maps and displays 

are free and funded by a grant from the 

Harold B. and Elizabeth L. Shattuck 

Memorial Trust. 

Regular exhibit hours are 

Thursdays, 1-7 p.m.; Fridays, 1-4 p.m.: 

Saturdays,10-4 p.m., and Sundays, 1-4 

p.m. 

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The exhibit includes interpretive 

panels, artifacts, and interactive maps 

illustrating Marblehead’s evolution 

from the War of 1812 through Grand 

Banks fishing, Abolitionism and the 

Underground Railroad, the Civil War, 

shoemaking, trains, yachting, and 

tourism, through struggle for survival 

and prosperity. It’s an inspiring story. 

There is also a life-size representation 

of a 19th-century view of Marblehead 

Harbor from Crocker Park. Marblehead 

Historical Commissioners David 

Krathwohl and Pam Peterson have 

collaborated to present highlights of 

Marblehead’s early history through 

text, artifacts, and interactive computer 

displays. 

Exhibit designer, and local resident, 

Helen Riegle of HER Design created 

an exhibit that will engage and excite 

visitors of all ages. Docents from 

"Mapping Marblehead: the Nineteenth Century," 

a new exhibit at the Old Town House, is now Marblehead’s Historical Commission are 

open and free of charge. The exhibit includes onsite during open hours to interpret the 

interpretive panels, artifacts, and interactive displays for visitors. 

maps illustrating Marblehead’s growth and 

"Marblehead has a long and rich 

expansion. 

Courtesy Photo: Marblehead Historical Commission history. Its places, structures, people, and 

stories tell the history of New England 

in a microcosm. The Marblehead 

Historical Commission is not only 

dedicated to preserving that history, but 

also to sharing it with residents, visitors, 

Check out 

and researchers who want to learn about 

states. 

our new 

The Marblehead 

app: 

Historical 

Commission is managed by the 

Marblehead," the exhibit description 

Commission, including the Maritime 

Museum, the Abbot Hall displays, 

the Selectmen's Room, and the Sign 

Museum. You’ll also learn about 

Marblehead's most well-known painting, 


"The Spirit of ’76," which can be seen in 

Abbot Hall. 

The Commission also operates a gift 

shop in Abbot Hall, 188 Washington St., 

which has numerous Marblehead-related 

items available. The Gift Shop is open 

seasonally. 

For researchers who want to dig 

deeper, a key offering of the website is 

the online archive of artifacts, objects, 

documents, and photographs, all with 

a brand-new search system that will 

make it easier than ever to find the 

information.

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Goodbye 

Brooklyn, 

Hello 

Marblehead 

The newly-minted library director at 

the Abbot Public Library hails from 

the city that never sleeps, but left New 

York and her former life behind to start 

a new career in Marblehead. 

By Sam Minton 

New director Kimberly Grad envisions an expanded role for Abbot Public 

Library that support local schools. 

Photo: Jakob Menendez 

Kimberly Grad had a unique journey 

to becoming Abbot Public Library's 

director. 

Grad graduated from SUNY - 

Plattsburgh with a degree in English 

literature and a Master of Library 

Science degree from Queens College in 

New York. Grad has also studied at the 

University of Copenhagen. 

After graduating, Grad held positions 

with Penguin Young Readers Group 

in New York, where she coordinated 

author appearances, developed marketing 

campaigns, and managed sales and 

production promotions for the publisher. 

But Grad wanted to make a career 

change, and as of now she has been doing 

library work for 13 years. Grad said 

that her career change was a "wonderful 

decision." 

Most recently, she held a senior 

leadership role with the Brooklyn 

(N.Y.) Public Library’s School Age 

Services Department. In this role, she 

created and delivered in-person and 

virtual programs and events, mentored 

and trained librarians, and was an 

advisor to a wide range of committees 

and initiatives across Brooklyn Public 

Library’s 60 branch libraries. Grad 

was also instrumental in the success of 

the public-private Brooklyn Heights 

Library Reconstruction Project, which 

constructed a new 26,620-square-foot, 

state-of-the-art library. 

From afar, Grad was impressed that 

Marblehead wanted to invest in the 

present and future state of the library, 

but also was looking to move to a new 

location after spending time in New 

York. The Brooklyn native had lived in 

New York for 25 years prior to making 

her move. 

"I heard so many great things about 

the town and how much people love it 

there," said Grad. "Everyone I talked to 

recommended the town." 

Now that she is library director, Grad 

said that there are a lot of important 

things that she needs to do. After the 

COVID-19 pandemic, she is looking to 

restore programs and bring back public 

service hours, restoring the momentum 

lost due to the pandemic. 

"I would also like to develop school 

outreach opportunities with the 

elementary, middle and high schools, and 

encourage community collaboration in 

programming," she added. 

The new library director said that 

the library will continue to offer virtual 

programming as well as expanding some 

outdoor programming. 

Grad stated that the library plays an 

important role in the community as a 

place for lifelong learning and a place to 

cultivate the love of reading. 

"The library serves as an oasis really 

for a community: a place where we can 

offer technology, classes in all sorts of 

adjacent subjects, we can encourage 

family literacy, (and) encourage literacy 

of all types," she said. "It's important 

because we are providing free access to 

accurate and reliable information."

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A budding talent grabs a global prize 

By Steve Krause 

Cate Cole won the top prize in an international 

writing contest. 

Courtesy Photo: Cate Cole 

Imagine you're a wolf. A lone wolf. 

Wolves are very social, as we all know. 

They live in packs. They share everything, 

up to and including the raising of pups. 

Within their packs, they have a social 

structure that includes an alpha — the 

male who essentially runs the pack. They 

have all sorts of social cues that they 

follow instinctively. 

But Cate Cole, 11, a Village School 

student in Marblehead, only had one 

page in which to tell her story about a 

wolf caught in a forest fire, alone and 

struggling for survival. Anything more 

than one, she figured, would waste too 

much space with back stories. 

Cate (actually Catherine) is a rising 

sixth grader who loves to write. And it 

just so happened that last year — a year 

in which most everyone, but especially 

school children, had to learn creatively 

— Book Creator and Planet Classroom 

teamed up for a global writing contest 

geared toward youth ages 11 through 18. 

Planet Classroom is an initiative 

"by youth, for youth," according to its 

website, which tries to reimagine how 

education is provided to school children. 

Book Creator is the leading tech 

platform for creative original books; it 

is popular with teachers looking to help 

students achieve literacy skills. 

Together, the two organizations 

embarked on a writing challenge for 

school students in which they had just 

one page — using the Book Creator app 

— to write a story. They also had to read 

it aloud, and provide an illustration. 

Entries to this contest were submitted 

by writers from 25 countries. Cate's story 

about the lone wolf that escaped the 

forest fire, called "As Flames Rise," won 

the top prize. 

Metaphysically speaking, "As Flames 

Rise" tells of how one crisis, in a split 

second, can change lives. The wolf must 

run to safety, but he must also depend 

on other forest creatures, regardless of 

species, to get him through. 

Cate developed her interest in writing 

along several fronts. Her father, August, 

is a published author. 

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"I remember when I was younger, 

seeing him write at the dining-room 

table," she recalls. 

"Finally, he said 'why don't you try 

writing?'" Cate said. "I love the freedom 

and the way you can express yourself in 

it." 

She also developed a relationship 

with Liz Pruett, her library teacher at the 

Village School. 

"I have her to thank for this (the 

award)," Cate said. "She told us a little 

bit about the contest, but said it wasn't 

mandatory that we do it. But I decided 

to enter it; it just seemed like a great 

opportunity." 

The trick was to keep the story to 

one page, because it had to fit into a 

specially-designed portfolio. There wasn't 

a word count per se, as long as the type 

was readable ("I presume if you made the 

type too small to read, you'd have points 

taken off"), and it fit on a page, anything 

went. 

There was also no category. 

"I call it 'realistic fiction,'" she said 

about her story. "You could write about 

whatever you wanted. It just had to fit 

the criteria of one page." 

Easier said than done, Cate said. 

"I originally had it at two pages, and 

I asked Ms. Pruett, and she said it had 

to be one," Cate said. "You use a lot of 

action verbs." 

As you can imagine, Cate loves 

animals. Her family has a rescue dog 

— "Tuukka," named for the Boston 

Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask "that's 

a combination German Shepherd and 

Husky mix, we think. He can be a bit 

stubborn at times, but he's usually a 

pretty mellow dog. And he's gentle, too." 

She was inspired to write about a 

wolf by reading another book about one 

which, like her tale, presents the story 

from the animal's point of view. 

"I found that fascinating," she said. 

So, when she set the parameters of her 

story, she chose the same path. 

"We humans perceive the world much 

differently than animals," she said. "In 

this case, the wolf was just living by 

himself in the forest and doing well." 

She wasn't trying to make any kind of 

social statement about her animal being 

a lone wolf. Practicality entered into the 

picture, too. 

"I didn't have enough room for more 

than one character, or to make any kind 

of a backstory," she said. "I only had one 

page. 

"He'd gotten used to his way of life," 

she said, "but he sensed something was 

wrong. He could smell that horrible, 

'burnt toast' smell. 

"All animals have an instinct to 

survive. And that's what they bonded 

over as they were running away from the 

fire," she said. 

While she knew, also instinctively, 

some animals would not survive, "I 

didn't write about that. The wolf survives, 

though." 

And, of course, so did her story. 

"When Ms. Pruett came into my 

room in the middle of math class 

and told me my story had won, I was 

shocked," Cate said. 

Her prize was a $100 Amazon gift 

certificate, which she used to buy a 

Garmin fitness watch. 

"You can track any sport on it," she 

said. "I rock climb, so it was helpful. I 

like the woods and all of nature." 

So is there a lesson in all of this? 

"I would probably want the lesson to 

be that if you're in a very hard situation, 

and everyone else is different than you — 

no matter how different — you work and 

find common ground." 

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Three who will never be forgotten 

9/11 Twenty Years Later 

On the morning of 

Sept. 11, the town’s 

fire and police 

departments hosted 

an event at Memorial 

Park to commemorate 

the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 

attacks. The well-attended event was part 

of a nationwide salute to fallen firefighters, 

police officers and civilians who responded 

during the attacks on the World Trade 

Center, the Pentagon and Flight 93 in 

Pennsylvania. 

Twenty years later, Marblehead still 

mourns the death of several members of 

the community who died in the terror 

attacks. Recent social media posts from 

friends and family members indicate how 

much these individuals are missed and 

loved to this very day. 

They are remembered here, using 

information published in their Legacy 

obituaries. 

Dr. Frederick Rimmele III 

From The New York Times: The first 

time Kimberly Trudel met Frederick 

Rimmele III, he was far ahead on a hiking 

trail in New Hampshire, a dot in the 

distance. Gradually, he kept dropping back 

to others in the group, until, walking with 

his shirt off, he found himself chatting 

with Ms. Trudel. "Those hiking boots look 

awfully small," he said, using a pickup line 

straight out of an L.L. Bean catalog. She 

responded, "If you want to check out my 

feet, you could give me a foot massage at 

the end of this hike." 

He did, and a romance blossomed. 

That was the summer of 1994. A year 

later, they became engaged on the side of 

a mountain in Maine. In June 1997, they 

married, settling in Marblehead. At 32, Dr. 

Rimmele was a physician who directed a 

residency program affiliated with Beverly 

Hospital. He was popular with his patients, 

who, when they could not remember his 

name, asked for the doctor with the beard 

and the ponytail. 

"He recognized that life was a precious 

gift and he never took it for granted," Ms. 

Trudel said of Dr. Rimmele, who was a 

passenger on United Airlines Flight 175, 

en route to a medical conference. From 

a profile published in the Lynn Daily 

Evening Item: Dr. Rimmele was born 

and raised in Clifton, N.J. and attended 

Montclair Kimberley Academy. 

In 1994, he completed his studies at 

Duke University School of Medicine. 

An Eagle Scout, amateur naturalist, avid 

Scrabble player, and dabbler in the stock 

market, Dr. Rimmele had a disposition that 

was naturally curious and inventive, said his 

family and friends. 

He spent time with his wife hiking the 

Swiss Alps, touring the Irish countryside, 

bird watching in the rain forests of Belize, 

and canoeing the backwaters of Maine. 

A memorial service was held at the 

Church of St. Andrew in Marblehead. 

A monument commemorating those who died in 

the September 11 terrorist attacks and fighting 

the War on Terror stands at Memorial Park in 

Marblehead. 

Photo: Spenser Hasak 

William Weems 

William M. Weems paid attention to 

the small things in life, right down to the 

white tennis shoes he always wore. Gifts 

were more than presents, they were always 

a little part of himself: A lighter used in the 

film "Blood Simple" he gave to his movie 

buddy, or the steel theme he built — down 

to the antique steel pens used to write the 

menu — to celebrate his marriage to his 

wife, Lisa. 

"His life was really based on what he 

could do to enhance the lives of others," 

said friend Cynthia Gardner. "Most 

importantly, his wife and daughter Zoe." 

Weems was headed from Boston to Los 

Angeles aboard United Flight 175 when it 

crashed into the south tower of the World 

Trade Center. 

"Love my girls," he said as he headed 

out a day earlier than necessary to 

accompany clients to Los Angeles and 

see relatives. A 46-year-old freelance 

producer of TV commercials who lived in 

Marblehead, he went against type. 

"He always did things with kindness," 

said Dan Lincoln, the movie buddy who 

worked with him since 1986, "and a nice 

word." 

Erik Isbrandtsen 

Erik Isbrandtsen, son of Marblehead 

residents Dirk and Diana Isbrandtsen, 

was working on the 104th floor of the 

North Tower as a securities trader when 

the planes hit. He was 30 and the couple’s 

only child. Ten years ago, Dirk Isbrandtsen 

visited the site of the new Trade Center in 

Manhattan, along with his wife, to attend a 

special ceremony where he read the names 

of his son and his son’s boss, who was Dirk 

Isbrandtsen’s best friend. 

Erik Hans Isbrandtsen ("Izzy") 

attended Marblehead schools from "the 

Glover School all the way to the high 

school" his father said. He graduated from 

Marblehead High School in 1990. 

On Sept. 11, 2001, Erik had already 

been at work for several hours. Prior to 

his employment at Cantor Fitzgerald, he 

worked for six years at State Street Bank 

and Teton Partners in Boston. 

Erik was loved by everyone who knew 

him. Scott Foster, a close friend said: 

"Whether it was working, working out, 

playing basketball, golf, soccer or going out 

at night, he gave it his all. Erik's approach 

to life was: 'Do it 150 percent or don't do 

it at all.'" 

Erik graduated from Babson College, 

where he also played on the soccer team. 

He always wanted to move back to his 

Boston roots, but he stayed in New York, 

Mr. Foster said, because in his industry, the 

greatest success could be achieved there. 

At the time of his death, his father 

recalled that he was "absolutely loved by so 

many people. It was amazing for a young 

man." Many friends remembered Erik for 

his caring, his beautiful smile and his zeal 

for life.


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Taking 

their best 

shots 

For 01945 fall readers only – a 

preview of the Marblehead Arts 

Association's photography exhibit 

running from Sept. 25-Nov. 7 in the 

Association's Hooper Mansion gallery, 8 

Hooper St. 

Jessie Morgan, Larry Dunn, Kristen 

Nyberg and Pascale Queval will be 

having solo shows and Karen Hosking, 

Kristen Nyberg and Jim Murphy are 

just three of the Association member 

photographers who will be taking part in 

a group show. 

Images provided by Association Gallery 

Sales Manager Xhazzie Kindle 

Kristen Nyberg / "Booth Service" 

Jim Murphy Photography 

Karen Hosking / "Bucharest Rooftops" 

Salem, MA 

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Larry Dunn / "Shuttle Bay"


Kristen Nyberg / "Anytime" 

Larry Dunn / "Vortex" 

70


SPURring 

good 

ideas 

into 

action 

By Tréa Lavery and 

Katelyn Sahagian 

SPUR Executive Director Lynne Krasker Schultz enjoys the volunteer organization's community garden 

with 6-year old daughter, Savannah. 

Photos: Jakob Menendez 

Lynne Krasker Schultz has big plans 

for the Marblehead-based community 

nonprofit SPUR after being selected as 

the organization's new executive director. 

Krasker Schultz joined the team 

in early August. Founder and current 

Executive Director Jocelyn Cook will 

remain with the organization as a 

member of the Board of Directors and 

will lead development and fundraising 

efforts. 

“I am excited to work with the 

board and volunteers to launch SPUR 

into its next stage of development and 

expansion,” Krasker Schultz said. “SPUR 

is about engaging people living in our 

community to make a measurable impact 

within the community through volunteer 

opportunities. In addition to mobilizing 

volunteers, we are going to think about 

how to be a convener and collaborator, 

as well as deepen people’s connection to 

each other.” 

SPUR describes its mission as 

creating a “community of doers” 

by providing diverse, flexible and 

accessible volunteer opportunities for 

community members of all ages in Lynn, 

Marblehead, Salem and Swampscott. 

Krasker Schultz said she is excited to 

bring SPUR to the next level, by creating 

more opportunities across all of the 

communities SPUR helps. 

The Swampscott resident wants to 

expand SPUR to do more community 

outreach beyond the annual Backpack 

Drive and the Holiday Cheer Drive, 

potentially seeking to include programs 

in the high, middle, and elementary 

schools of the communities SPUR


serves. 

Krasker Schultz has 16 years of 

experience working with nonprofits, 

including programming, marketing and 

fundraising. Before joining SPUR, she 

served for six years as the director of 

public programming and community 

engagement at The Vilna Shul, Boston’s 

Center for Jewish Culture. She also 

founded and directed Prism, the young 

adult initiative of the New Center for 

Arts and Culture, now JArts. 

“Lynne’s experience scaling nonprofit 

programs and her energetic, positive 

leadership style will help SPUR continue 

to strengthen and expand the ways that 

we support our community,” said SPUR 

Board Chair Jackie Mongiello. “The 

Board of Directors and I are excited to 

have Lynne on board and help SPUR 

continue to grow to the next level.” 

As Krasker Schultz’s first month as 

executive director comes to an end, she 

said she feels hopeful for the future of 

SPUR. 

“We’re off to really great things and 

it’s really exciting,” Krasker Schultz said. 

“We’re going to be bigger and better. 

We want everyone to know about us and 

want to get involved.” 

SPUR's community garden at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church is one of several volunteer opportunities 

offered by the Marblehead organization.


Jeff Marquis, left, and Rob Dunn, have been friends since they met at school in Marblehead. They own 

and operate Granite Coast Brewing, 77B Main St. in Peabody. Photos: Spenser Hasak 

Pour boys: 

By Alena Kuzub 

Whether you are a craft-beer maniac 

or a novice, the Granite Coast Brewing 

(GCB) guys will guide you to the right 

pint. 

Jeff Marquis and Rob Dunn, cofounders 

and owners of the Peabody-based 

brewery, built their business model on 

a variety of beers they personally make 

in-house. 

The brewery opened to the public in 

May 2019. However, the two Marblehead 

High School graduates became friends and 

discovered their love for beer much earlier. 

Marquis lived in Marblehead his whole 

life, where both his grandfather and uncle 

served on the town's police force. Dunn’s 

family moved to the town when he was in 

eighth grade. 

“We always liked a good beer,” said 

Dunn. 

The key question they ask hesitant 

customers is, “What do you normally 

drink?” and beer might not be your only 

answer. Whether you prefer an apple cider 

or a whiskey, this information helps them 

guide you to the most enjoyable option. 

They didn’t drink as many microbrews 

at that time, but they enjoyed beers from 

the first big craft breweries like Harpoon, 

Sam Adams and Sierra Nevada, while 

people around them were still drinking big 

American brewery options, they said. The 

two frequented beer festivals, learned about 

smaller-batch brews; this is when the duo 

became intrigued with the idea of making 

their own beer. The friends tried brewing 

beer for the first time around 2005, when a 

friend gave them a lesson at a local brewery 

in Lawrence. 

In 2012, a “good coincidence in life” 

happened: Marquis and Dunne's friend 

Amy Luckiewicz bought and split with 

them a four-pack Groupon to a local 

homebrew shop. She was more interested 

in learning about wine and meads, while 

Marquis and Dunn got two classes on 

beer-making out of it. 

After that, they started to brew a 

very hoppy IPA more regularly in small, 

5-gallon batches in Dunn’s kitchen until 

his wife kicked them out because of the 

smell. The friends got propane burners 

and started to brew outside, where they 

could use large vessels. They improved their 

timing, too. While their first brew took 

eight hours, they were able to eventually 

get it to three.


How two Marblehead guys opened a brewery in Peabody 

Granite Coast Brewing co-owner Rob Dunn pours their product from more than a dozen taps. 

By 2018, Dunn and Marquis were 

finally ready to shift to a professional level. 

They started looking for an industrial 

space that would allow their business to 

grow. It was hard to find a large space in 

Marblehead for the right price. 

“There is not a lot of industrial space in 

Marblehead and there wasn’t legislation set 

up to make it easy to access the laws that 

we needed to apply to,” said Marquis. 

In Peabody, they went first to the mayor, 

before talking to a landlord. Mayor Edward 

A. Bettencourt Jr. reassured them that the 

city would do whatever they needed. They 

found a "completely gutted" space on Main 

Street, and the landlords were even open to 

putting money into making it suitable for 

a brewery. 

Anything that didn’t need to be done by 

a licensed contractor, Marquis and Dunn 

did with the help from friends and family: 

tile work, flooring, painting, and even 

building furniture. A friend came up with 

the interior design of the taproom. It has a 

minimalistic yet cozy feel with ample light 

from the front windows during the day, 

wooden tables and benches, a few darkgrey 

accent walls and a copper-plated bar. 

In August 2018, Marquis quit his job 

to start the beer production. At that time, 

he had been working at a “beer and wine 

hobby” for a few years, which is in Danvers 

now. 

“It was a stepping platform for 

information, individual education, 

ingredients and industry contacts,” said 

Marquis. 

Marquis and Dunn now share all the 

responsibilities. Their first days were spent 

mostly behind the bar, but now, Marquis 

focuses more on brewing beer, distribution 

and bookkeeping in the back, while Dunn 

works with Luckiewicz on marketing, 

setting up events, and staffing. They don’t 

have any employees at the moment, which 

is why they contract with Dunn’s wife and 

three or four friends to help out at events 

or with testing recipes and brewing test 

batches. 

“A lot of brewers got their start in 

the brewing community, knowing other 

brewers from some place, going to different 

beer festivals or even just being regulars 

at different beer halls,” said Dunn. So 

there is a lot of comraderie. There is also 

competition. You want your friends to do 

well but you want to do better than them.” 

GCB occasionally borrows from or 

lends malt, hops or equipment to other 

brewers. 

Marquis said he doesn’t consider local 

brewers to be his competitors. Another 

brewery in Peabody does the opposite of 

what they are doing: They have flagship 

brews, mostly IPAs, while GCB has a 

variety of brews. Consumers go from there 

to here and vice versa, Marquis said. 

To get people to come back, GCB 

counts on enjoyable experience and variety, 

Dunn said. 

Currently, you can try at GCB on 

tap such ales as Belgian-style witbier, 

American cream ale, Scottish-style 

ale, London porter, ordinary bitter and 

Belgian-style tripel. They also carry a 

few lagers like German helles and New 

England IPAs, as well as lemonade and 

cranberry or grapefruit shandies. 

One of Marquis’ favorites is a hybrid 

beer between an ale and a lager called 

Kolsch. 

“It is the beer that we brew the 

most of and I don’t know why, but I am 

romantically in love with the concept of it,” 

said Marquis. 

Their newest beer that most customers 

haven’t heard of is Dampfbier. It is a 

historical German beer from a region in 

Bavaria that borders the Czech Republic. 

Marquis described it as subtly smelling of 

banana and warming spices. 

The co-owners said their business 

model was to serve the beer face to face in 

the taproom. The COVID-19 pandemic 

destroyed that. They came up with a to-go 

or delivery option, pouring 32-ounce 

growlers, but it didn’t generate particularly 

high demand, as some beers can go flat 

quickly if not taken care of. 

During quarantine, they started to 

run online events like trivia nights and 

Dungeons & Dragons campaigns. These 

events raised money for causes like Last 

Hope K9 Rescue and Newhall Fields 

Community Farm. 

“The online events were never about 

making money,” Marquis said. “It was 

about maintaining clientele and helping 

them maintain their sanity.” 

When the quarantine restrictions 

were eased, GCB started hosting prepaid 

game nights with strict COVID-19 

protocols. To fulfill state requirements for 

restaurants, they partnered up with new 

creative restaurateurs and clients of local 

commercial kitchens to provide different 

food options. 

“These relationships worked out really 

well during the pandemic,” Dunn said. 

They even had a Fenway Park hot-dog 

salesman come to feed their customers. 

Nowadays, GCB holds private events 

on Thursdays and is open to the public on 

Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Some of these 

days they have pre-planned events like 

trivia, but they welcome walk-ins if there is 

still space. 

Even though they didn’t set up their 

business in Marblehead, Dunn and 

Marquis still love their shared hometown 

for its beautiful scenery and amazing 

history. They grew up going to friends’ 

houses made of old ships and hitting their 

heads on a lot of low stairwells, the friends 

joke. 

“I guess the real reason I stayed in 

Marblehead is because it’s home,” said 

Marquis. “Will I stay there forever? 

Probably not.”


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Having worked for animal control since 

1992, Betsey Cruger has had to deal with 

some interesting situations. 

She remembers one story where a 

woman called animal control from atop her 

kitchen countertop because she thought 

she heard a mouse squeaking. Even when 

Cruger arrived on the scene the woman 

still wouldn't get down from the counter. 

"She had a (computer) tower, and so I 

moved the tower and it was the tower that 

was squeaking," Cruger explained. 

Cruger has also had some run-ins with 

some interesting animals. She once came 

across a beaver building a dam off West 

Shore Drive in Marblehead. 

There are a lot of tasks that fall under 

the animal control umbrella, leaving 

Cruger quite busy. On the enforcement 

side of things, Animal Control is tasked 

with monitoring local parks and beaches, 

writing tickets for off-leash dogs and 

owners who don't pick up after their pets. 

One of the more disappointing parts 

of the job for Cruger is when she has to 

help an animal who has been hit by a car. 

They work with local veterinarians but 

sometimes there is nothing that Kruger or 

a vet can do. 

While some might think that pets 

and domestic animals are more likely to 

be eaten by other animals while outside, 

Cruger said that it's much more likely that 

an animal is hit by a vehicle. 

Cruger has also had to deal with some 

personal issues. She was diagnosed with 

breast cancer prior to the pandemic; even 

while she got chemotherapy treatment she 

still was working for the animal control 

office. Colleen Kelly, who has been a 

volunteer at the Marblehead Animal 

Shelter for over 10 years, said that Cruger 

didn't miss a day. 

The shelter had more than 40 

volunteers prior to the COVID-19 

pandemic, which cut that number down 

significantly. Cruger said that the animal 

shelter is still looking for volunteers to 

return to their pre-COVID staff size. 

Besides Kelly, Cruger also has another 

partner in crime: a cat named Party Girl, 

who has been at the shelter for 10 years. 

Cruger estimates that her feline friend is 

about 20 years old and said she will stay at 

the shelter for the rest of her life. While 

there are some old and young animals that 

live at the shelter, Cruger said that the 

kittens are the ones who get adopted most 

quickly. 

Cruger has four cats of her own with 

her husband Chris, as well as a German 

Shepherd. 

Two kittens up for adoption, Robinson, left, and Crusso, stand in a crate inside the Marblehead Animal 

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A 

bond 

forged 

with 

nuts, 

bolts, 

and 

grease 

Story by 

Allysha Dunnigan 

Photos by 

Jakob Menendez

Mike Quillen, above, and brother, Greg, run Bartlett's Garage on Stacey Street. 

Fall 2021 | 29


Mike and Greg Quillen 

own and operate 

Bartlett's Garage 

–– one of the oldest 

family businesses 

in the area –– servicing cars for more 

than 100 years. Opened in 1913 by their 

grandfather, the duo have spent their entire 

lives at the shop and in the neighborhood 

surrounding it on Stacey Street. 

Mike said a town historian told him 

years ago that Bartlett's Garage is the 

oldest independent, operational auto-repair 

business in the country. 

Mike added that he and his brother 

used to spend a lot of their time in the 

shop as children, helping out their father, 

who owned it after their grandfather. 

They recalled memories of them 

running around the shop, playing in the 

cars, helping their dad out, and racing toy 

race cars around the garage. 

One of Mike's earliest memories of 

the shop was when he and his best friend 

were in the back of his grandfather's truck, 

throwing around what they thought was 

water, but turned out to be battery acid. 

"I can always remember that," Mike 

said. "Fortunately we didn't get any in our 

eyes. I can't remember whether we got in 

trouble or not, but I always remember that 

part." 

Back when they used to provide 

inspection stickers, Greg said he 

remembered a car once drove right 

through the building. He added that 

he had many interesting stories and 

experiences like this over the years. 

The brothers recalled that in their 

youth, the phone for the garage would 

constantly ring at their house. 

"This is like our second home," Mike 

said. "My dad would run out to the garage 

when we would get a call, so it was in our 

lives every day." 

Mike said he didn't originally think 

he would take over the business with his 

brother, and that he would only work there 

temporarily. After a few years, he realized 

it was destined for him. 

Their specialty is servicing mostly 

American and Japanese cars, but they 

will work on any model and make that a 

customer brings in. 

The pair said they have worked on too 

many cars to count, serving some loyal 

customers for over 20 years. 

One of the most rewarding parts 

about being at the shop for so long, the 

brothers said, is their relationships with the 

customers and watching their kids grow 

up. 

Greg mentioned they have a few 

customers who had babies when they 

started servicing their cars, and now those 

babies are all grown up with cars of their 

own. 

Greg said that after the pandemic they 

saw a drop in business, as many people 

were working from home and not needing 

their cars. 

The brothers tended to see about 15 to 

20 people per day, working on cars and also 

checking lights and attending to minor 

issues, but that number drastically dropped 

during the lockdown. 

"We stay busy all the time," Greg said. 

"But like every business, we saw a change 

in the last year." 

They saw a lack of business up until the 

spring, and added that they were happy to 

have more cars and customers returning. 

In addition to the pandemic affecting 

business, Greg said the evolution of 

technology and the advancement of cars 

have affected their work as well. 

Many European cars nowadays have 

their own software and programs, so Greg 

said with the thousands of dollars needed 

to purchase this kind of equipment and 

software, they have to start picking and 

choosing what to invest in. 

In the long run, Greg said they are not 

going to be there long enough to make 

their money back from purchasing all of 

that new equipment. 

Bartlett's Garage will soon close, said owners Mike and Greg Quillen. 

New pieces of equipment, including 

updated air-conditioning systems, can cost 

around $70,000, so getting your money's 

worth for that isn't in their future. 

"That's what's hurting a lot of the 

smaller businesses," Greg said. 

The brothers are planning on closing 

the shop soon, saying it is a weird feeling 

but something they feel they need to do as 

they are getting older. 

"Our whole lives have been here," Greg 

said. 

Greg said although his son used to 

always come down to the shop to help and 

hang out, taking over the shop is not in the 

cards for him. The brothers don't want to 

continue to pass the shop down because 

of the lack of security regarding success 

and finances. Although they know how 

to operate all of the new technology that 

accompanies the most recent car models, 

the brothers said the costs alone are just 

too much for a small, family-run business 

to take on. 

Although there have been technological 

updates and renovations to the shop, 

Mike said not much has changed since he 

remembers it as a kid. 

The front and back rooms are still filled 

with cars, old and new. 

Even after all these years, the duo 

still enjoys what they do. Like every job, 

there are some bad days, but overall, they 

credit their customers for giving them the


Greg Quillen drove this 1950 MG TD around Marblehead when he was a teenager and, along with his brother Mike, is an expert in vintage car repair. 

pleasure of enjoying their work. 

"The people are very important," Greg 

said. "We deal with a lot of professional 

people, all nice people who pay their bills 

and are great." 

"It seems to have always worked out," 

Mike said. "We're very lucky on that part 

of it." 

As the town has changed, the brothers 

said they have seen companies come in and 

out, including businesses to order parts 

from and gas stations, neither of which are 

located in Marblehead anymore. 

One of the things they said they miss 

about the town from when they grew up is 

the longtime characters that had been here 

for years. 

But, working on eight to 10 cars per 

day, they said they are grateful for all the 

business they receive from the regulars and 

the new customers. 

As they look to retire, they will, at 

some point be selling the property that the 

garage is on. 

"We love it here and we have so many 

great memories and experiences from 

spending our lives here," Greg said. "It has 

been a great ride so far." 

Stage it. 

Sell it. 

Mindy McMahon 

Realtor ® | Certified Home Stager 

617.834.4439(c) | 781.631.9511(o) 

marbleheadandbeyond.com 

Look your best 

online and in person 

“You never get a second 

chance to make a 

first impression.”


Looking fourward 

Essays by Marblehead High School students 

Nourin Ghobashy 

My name is Nourin. I'm 14, and I'm a 

freshman at Marblehead High School. It's 

crazy to believe that I'm in ninth grade 

and that I've passed two years in middle 

school. When I was young I will always 

see these students going to middle and 

high school and wishing that I could be 

like them one day. I didn't have the best 

time in middle school because of COVID. 

My grades weren't the best, either my 

mental health. I was always afraid that I 

won't pass 8th grade. COVID had a lot 

of effect on school/life. I wasn't having 

fun at all. Even school lunch had to be 

ordered online. And we had to use Zoom, 

Google classroom, gmail and many other 

apps that I wasn't used to. Sometimes 

the internet connection would be terrible 

which leads you to miss the online class 

which gets you bad grades. I used to 

always be stressed and worried about 

school. 

But since I'm in a new school now 

and that COVID doesn't have a big effect 

anymore, I'm not as worried or stressed 

about going to school, I'm promised 

myself to love school because I really want 

to graduate with good grades and go to 

college. My parents have always wanted 

to see me as a doctor which I will try 

my best to make that dream come true. 

When school is fun I get motivated to 

all my work and be happy while doing 

it, so I will sign up for sports, be friends 

with teachers, and try new things to make 

school interesting and fun. My hopes for 

this year are to make new friends, play 

sports and get good grades all quarters of 

each year. 

However I have a lot of fears due to 

my experience with COVID and how it 

affects life. Some of my fears is having a 

lot of homework and get overwhelmed. 

I’m also afraid to start online school again. 

It sucked. I'm usually the type of person 

who gets motivated to do things if it's fun 

so I'm gonna try making these four years 

of high school fun and interesting and 

also get all my work done because 

it makes me happy having good 

grades. 

Some of the things that stops 

me from doing work is probably 

being overwhelmed with work, 

it makes me so stressed that I 

don't know where to begin. I've 

only gone to the high school 

three times and surprisingly it 

was great! My teachers are so 

nice and kind, my principal is the 

coolest, even the students there 

are awesome. 

I did get lost a lot of times 

though, but teachers/students 

always help when I feel lost. 

I wanted to sign up for sports 

this year and they gave us a lot 

of options I could choose from 

which is great. I've always heard 

from people that high school 

would be one of the hardest 

school years, which actually made me 

scared or became one of my fears because 

I do want to graduate and be successful 

in the future but when I went to school it 

didn't seem like that. 

It actually seemed really cool and 

interesting. I do have fears but I also do 

have hopes. I always trust the positive side 

of life, and make the positive side become 

reality. I wanted to learn Spanish so I can 

speak three languages (I speak English 

and Arabic) so now I'm learning Spanish 

which I think is pretty cool. 

I also love to draw and sketch and I 

take a drawing class and it's so fun and I 

love it. I just think art is my place, these 

are two things that will make high school 

fun. I also have really cool teachers and I 

think they are really kind, which also will 

make school easier and more fun. I didn't 

really volunteer for a lot of things last 

year which I didn't really like so now I'm 

trying to take every chance to volunteer 

for new things and try more things in life 

no matter if I lose or win, get choosed or 

Marblehead High School freshman Nourin Ghobashy. 

Photo Courtesy: Nourin Ghobashy 

not. I will just do it for fun. 

So I will volunteer/sign up for 

volleyball and track and join art clubs or 

any clubs that seem fun so I could have a 

great time and make friends. 

Sometimes my phone gets all my 

attention and I get lazy to do work or play 

sports but I will stop that by giving myself 

rewards every time I get away from things 

that gets in my way, maybe by getting 

myself an ice cream or something. I'm 

also really shy sometimes even though 

I'm not shy at all when I get used to 

people. I'm trying to be more social this 

year. I feel like this year would just be me 

doing new things and achieving my goals, 

however next year which is 10th grade 

would be so cool because I know I will be 

one of the best students with good grades 

because I'm not going to give up about 

some of the things I said about this year. 

So I hope high school is fun and I will do 

everything I expect myself to do. 

Nourin Ghobashy is a Marblehead High 

School freshman.


Ben Khan 

As students return to Marblehead 

High School for what will hopefully be 

the first “full” year of school since the 

2018-19 school year, a palpable sense of 

excitement exists in the classrooms, on 

the athletic fields, and in every interaction 

with one another. 

Considering that, at this time last 

year, we were all preparing to start online 

school and a year of constant changes, the 

2021-22 school year offers an opportunity 

to be excited about school again. With a 

newfound appreciation for full classrooms, 

time spent away from a computer, and 

even something as simple as eating 

lunch at school, Marblehead High 

School (MHS) students are ready for a 

memorable school year. 

While MHS welcomes the freshman 

class and finally gives the sophomores 

and juniors a taste of what a “real year” is 

like, my grade, the Class of 2022, is ready 

to leave a lasting impact on our school 

community. 

This includes taking challenging 

classes, leading clubs and volunteer 

programs, competing at the highest level 

of athletic competition, and much more. 

Further, my classmates and I are eager to 

celebrate being seniors through traditional 

events like the senior show, powderpuff 

football, prom, and of course, graduation. 

While we cannot make up for missing 

important opportunities last year, what we 

can do is make the most out of the year 

ahead. Opportunities to learn, continue 

lasting friendships, and show school spirit 

gives us hope for a fun and special year. 

Each student has goals for this school 

year and the ability to be back in person 

enables those goals to be achieved. We can 

all be thankful for the work that members 

of our community, especially our principal, 

Mr. Daniel Bauer, did to make this year 

happen. 

Despite the excitement for returning to 

school, there is also a considerable amount 

of trepidation about what’s to come. 

For some, this is their first time back in 

the building in more than 500 days. For 

others, the readjustment to full, in-person 

learning is overwhelming. 

Among students, there have been 

many discussions about how teachers will 

compensate for less learning time last 

year. Will classes be harder than normal? 

What happens if I don’t remember what 

we learned while online? Was I truly 

challenged last year? All of these questions 

will soon be answered, but the most 

predominant fear among MHS students 

seems to be the uncertainty surrounding 

the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. 

Although Marblehead has a very 

high vaccination rate, some of last year’s 

protocols remain in place, most notably 

the wearing of masks. Moreover, the 

question has arisen about what would 

happen if cases increased in the school 

community. Would we return to online 

school? For many, this scenario would be 

considered the worst possible outcome. 

As we experienced last year, changing 

schedules and remote school is far from 

pleasing. While we are very hopeful that 

this situation is far from reality, students 

will remain mindful of the recent past to 

ensure a healthy future. 

No matter what happens, challenges 

will certainly arise during this school 

year. This could come in the form 

of COVID-19 protocols, or even 

something such as struggling in a class. 

However, I know that Marblehead High 

School students have demonstrated 

their resilience and will address these 

challenges. What makes our school 

so special is a collective sense of 

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responsibility and pride. 

This year, I know that I can count on 

my classmates for help when I need it and 

underclassmen can depend on their older 

peers to help navigate their earlier years of 

high school. For myself and all students, 

having a positive mindset, an openness 

to new opportunities, and not taking our 

time at MHS for granted will lead to a 

great year for all. 

Lastly, I can’t discuss the year ahead 

without touching upon the fun memories 

that will be made. Beyond some of the 

great senior year events that I mentioned, 

the entire school will be able to celebrate 

being back together and take advantage of 

new opportunities. 

One of these opportunities is called 

the MAGIC block, alluding to our name, 

the Magicians. During the MAGIC 

block, which will occur each Wednesday, 

students will have the chance to pick 

an activity that they otherwise would 

not have had time for. This ranges from 

academic-related programming such as 

club meetings or extra help in a class, all 

the way to teacher-designed programs 

like basketball in the gym or watching a 

movie. 

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This schedule addition is already 

a hot topic among students and will 

certainly provide a fun aspect to our 

weekly routine. Furthermore, students will 

still enjoy great traditions at MHS like 

watching our friends play on Piper Field 

and performing in drama productions, 

just to name a few. In all, there will be 

no shortage of fun ways for students 

to immerse ourselves in the school 

Madison Lofmark 

In an almost picturesque horror movie 

spectacular, on March 13, 2020 (a Friday), 

my parents and the rest of the families 

in the Marblehead school district got a 

phone call that we would take a brief twoweek 

break to evaluate the extent to which 

COVID-19 needed to be contained. 

Five-hundred and forty-three days 

later, and here I am: kicking off the senior 

year with one year of finals under my 

belt and an obnoxiously large hole in the 

center of my high school experience. 

One of my best friends graduated 

last year during the chaos, and in terms 

of fears for the upcoming school year 

(according to her), entertaining a few 

makes a bit of sense. Having already been 

robbed of a sophomore semi formal and 

junior prom, the fear that we will also 

lose out on senior prom and graduation 

is ever-present. How many “high school” 

experiences have I lost to this sickness? 

How many lunches surrounded by the 

friends I grew up with — cheeks full to 

the brim with laughter and Ritz crackers 

— slipped through the cracks? When my 

children ask with bright eyes about my 

best high school memories, how many 

more could I have had to share with 

them? 

Growing up, I always looked forward 

community, and I am very excited to be a 

part of these great experiences. 

Overall, I am confident that the 

students of Marblehead High are 

ready for a great year. Despite the 

looming circumstances of COVID-19, 

this year promises to be one full of 

accomplishments and memories. I am 

hopeful that when my class graduates in 

June we can look back and say that we 

to high school, and though I have no 

siblings of my own, family photos of 

cousins at dances and proms filled my 

head with excitement. What kind of 

person would I become? 

I feel now, as we begin to crawl on our 

hands and knees back to normalcy, that I 

mourn the loss of who that person might 

have been. Lockdown changed me in ways 

I know for certain a normal year wouldn’t 

have if I hadn’t been stuck alone with my 

thoughts for months with nothing to stare 

at but a screen. And though I know it was 

necessary, and uphold that we should have 

even done more, the question of who I 

could have been sits at the top of my mind 

like oil on water. 

All of this aside, I do have hope for 

this school year. So far, there have been 

no troubles except for masks, which do 

happen to be especially uncomfortable in 

the malignant humidity of the third-floor 

English classrooms. If all goes well, those 

will be gone by the end of November. 

One thing I noticed in particular is 

that teachers are different. I feel as though 

they will never really be the same, either. 

This is not a bad thing. On the contrary, 

I find them to be more lenient with due 

dates, conscious about our mental health, 

and far more willing to treat us as true 

made the most of this school year. Until 

then, I can’t wait to return to pencils 

instead of Zoom, class meetings instead 

of email reminders, and most of all, being 

together again. 

Go Magicians! 

Ben Kahn is a Marblehead High School 

senior. He is class treasurer, involved with 

DECA and Spanish Honor Society, and he is 

co-captain of the indoor track team. 

individuals as opposed to just students. 

It’s as though by dividing us for so long 

through a screen, by the time we were 

back in the classroom the whole school 

population — teachers and students alike 

— were immediately closer than ever. It’s 

for these reasons that I predict a better 

quality of education and overall happier 

school environment this year than ever 

before. 

Nevertheless, the threat of the Delta 

variant shadows over our every move — 

an echo on the tile and the rustle of the 

trees. COVID made my friends and me 

stronger, but it’s not something I think 

we can weather again. The isolation 

tugged down like cement blocks around 

our ankles, and it will take years to untie 

the rope. With the help of my teachers, 

friends, and family, I really do believe in a 

strong, positive school year. After all that 

we’ve been through together, throwing 

that black-stringed cap into the air in 

the spring will be all that much more 

meaningful. 

So, how long really is two weeks? In 

terms of a global pandemic, approximately 

543 days. 

Madison Lofmark is a Marblehead High 

School senior and an aspiring writer. 

Talia Schwartz 

My freshman year of high school, we 

got an extra two weeks of vacation at 

the end of March prior to our normallyscheduled 

April vacation. However, the 

members of the class of ‘23 are now 

juniors, which is genuinely unbelievable. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected 

everyone worldwide, and many may 

consider my class lucky as we didn’t miss 

nearly as many milestones as some other 

grades. The class of 2020 didn’t enjoy 

senior prom or graduation, ‘21 received 

an unpredictable last year with shifting 

schedules, and ‘24 began their highschool 

journey wearing masks starting in 

October. Many juniors may actually argue 

that they appreciated the year (or two) 

spent at home, enjoying the late wake-ups 

and less stress regarding school work. 

Despite the lack of normalcy in the 

past few years, many are hopeful for a 

better year overall with fewer uncertainties 

in the schedules and daily routines. 

Besides the continuation of mask usage 

and social distancing, the everyday class 

schedule seems to have returned to 

normal, due to the vaccinated majority at 

the high school. This means that students 

can finally look forward to enjoying 

their time at MHD high. On the other 

hand, the upcoming school year is still a 

stress-inducing factor for many students 

as assignments and tests linger over our 

heads. 

During the time spent in online 

classes, many students managed to


succeed by doing the absolute bare 

minimum in most of their classes, 

sleeping through Zoom lessons with their 

camera off, copying homework from their 

friends, and easily cheating on any exam. 

Unfortunately, this was the reality during 

the many hybrid and remote schedules we 

experienced last year. 

I believe that adapting to a normal 

school routine of waking up at 6:30 a.m. 

every day, Monday through Friday, and 

balancing homework and studying with 

other activities could be the greatest 

challenge my class will face this year. 

A full, in-person schedule will result 

in lessened time in the mornings and 

afternoons to manage schoolwork and 

some students will inevitably struggle with 

challenging classes that they mistakenly 

believed they could handle. Due to the 

pandemic, certain teachers decided to 

adjust their classes' usual workloads to 

provide their students with less anxiety in 

an uncertain time. AP classes may have 

reflected the work of honors classes, and 

honors classes may have slowed down to 

mirror the regular pace of a CP1 class. 

However, with the hopes of a regular year 

now a tangible promise, teachers aren’t 

afraid to return to their typical syllabus. 

It is evident that junior year is 

considered the most difficult year at high 

school, with looming college applications, 

standardized tests such as the SATs and 

PSATs, and demanding AP classes, which 

some students take for the first time. Even 

without the lingering effects of a global 

pandemic, junior year is a strenuous year, 

which is heightened for my grade since 

last year was unprecedentedly easy. In 

addition, junior year is typically the school 

year that marks the beginning of pressure 

from parents to decide on the future. We 

are constantly asked “Where do you want 

to go to college? What do you want to 

study? What job do you want?” by family 

members and friends. Making decisions 

about your future can be difficult as the 

majority of people are still unsure of what 

they’re passionate about in regards to 

potential career choices. 

It will definitely be hard, however, the 

year will speed by similarly to the first 

half of my classes’ high school experience. 

Despite the challenge of returning to 

a normal schedule, there will be many 

opportunities for fun, class-wide activities 

throughout the year, starting with our 

missed sophomore semi-formal dance. 

Our class officers have been considering 

the idea of rescheduling the missed dance 

last year for a date sometime in the fall. 

Even if it is impossible to reschedule 

sophomore semi, juniors can look forward 

to the junior prom in the spring, which 

will hopefully be similar to previous 

years. In addition to these organized 

dances, students will be able to return to 

spectating Friday night football games, 

which are always attended by the majority 

of the school. 

Besides the inescapable fear of a 

tough, new year of school, I have hopes 

for a great year as students are provided 

with the chance to get a fresh start. This 

is a year for discovery and questioning 

as many students are able to figure out 

what they want to choose as a career in 

a society with limitless options. With 

school-organized events and sports 

to break up the difficulty of physics, 

AP U.S. history, and AP language and 

composition, I’m sure that this year will be 

a positive experience for all involved. 

Talia Schwartz is a Marblehead High 

School Class of 2023 member. She is the 

technology editor of the school newspaper, the 

Headlight, and spends the majority of her 

time in ballet classes at Northeast School of 

Ballet in Reading. 

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Good buds 

By Tréa Lavery

A CANNABIS CULTIVATION-COMPANY 

SPROUTS FROM CHILDHOOD FRIENDSHIP 


Almost 130 miles 

away from 

Marblehead, in 

Brownfield, Maine, 

Mark Panagakis 

has headquartered 

a growing venture 

in which his budding entrepreneurial 

skills are making him plenty of green. 

The small town on the New 

Hampshire border is where the North 

Shore native and his good friend Peter 

Slattery, originally from Salem, started 

ZOVA Craft Cannabis, their marijuanacultivation 

business. 

"Having a goal to work toward and the 

ability to make a mark in this community 

and in our lives, it's really liberating for 

us," Panagakis said. 

The two men first met as kids, when 

they attended Marblehead Community 

Charter Public School together, and 

became close in fourth grade. 

Panagakis became interested in 

the marijuana industry when a friend, 

Christian-Olivier Lalonde, died in a car 

accident. Together with more of Lalonde's 

friends and family, Panagakis helped 

set up Platinum Jane, Lalonde's vision 

of a hemp and CBD company (hemp 

and marijuana are both derived from 

the cannabis plant, but only marijuana 

contains THC, the compound that creates 

the "high.") 

Later, he partnered with another group 

of friends, working in wholesale hemp and 

CBD from their property in Rutland, Vt. 

for AGR Hemp Solutions. 

"I got a hands-on experience with 

them," he said. "I saw all my buddies up 

in Vermont and what they're doing with 

so little." 

Panagakis began growing marijuana 

plants in his own apartment, getting 

the hang of the complicated growing 

cycle with specialized grow lights and 

environmental controls. Eventually, 

though, he decided he was ready to 

expand. 

He explained that his grandfather had 

purchased the Brownfield property in 

1999, but that for two decades it had sat 

there without being used. 

Working in a team with friends and 

family, Panagakis and Slattery spent the 

fall of 2020 clearing and grading a portion 

of that property, getting it ready for use. 

They purchased a greenhouse and built 

it over the course of about a month, and 

ZOVA was born. 

"I'm not anticipating anything big at 

the start, but we want to get our brand 

on the maps and at local dispensaries," 

Panagakis said. "I know it's not going 

to happen overnight, so we have to stay 

resilient and keep at it." 

Panagakis and Slattery explained that 

while weed grown in Maine can legally 

only be sold within that state, being there 

makes it much easier to get started in 

the industry. Licensing fees are much 

lower than those in Massachusetts, and 

the market is more friendly to small 

businesses as opposed to corporate 

producers. 

"The market around Maine is very 

consumer-driven. If your stuff isn't good, 

you'll know it," Panagakis said. 

Slattery agreed, saying that he had 

seen that many of the players in the local 

industry began as consumers, so they 

know what they want from the market. 

Many of those small players also work 

together to lobby the government for 

laws that work in their interests, not 

the interests of the bigger, multi-state 

companies. 

"It's nice to know the guy who grows 

your pot," he said. "Whereas, when you go 

to a dispensary, it's very commercial." 

The 2,800-square-foot greenhouse is 

half covered by the canopy of the cannabis 

plants. Panagakis and Slattery are licensed 

for 24 mature plants each at a time, or 48 

total. Those 48 plants come from plenty 

of different strains, including "Master 

Kush," "Northern Lights," "Blue Dream," 

"Gorilla Glue" and more. 

Panagakis said his favorite strain is one 

he developed himself, which he named 

"Horchata" for its cinnamony scent. 

He and Slattery hope to work on 

developing more of their own strains in 

the future, once their first growing season 

gives them an idea of which plants they 

like best. In addition to their standard 

marijuana plants and a few "auto-flower" 

plants that grow flowers within about 70 

days, they have a handful of hemp plants. 

If the quality of these plants turns out to 

be on par with the THC flower, Panagakis 

said, they'll eventually start breeding them 

to develop a 50-50 THC and CBD strain. 

Before that, though, they need to get 

through the growing season –– something 

that is easier said than done. Unlike 

house plants, cannabis plants have very 

specific growing needs. After they get 

clones (cuttings from mature plants) in 

June, they need a strict light cycle, which 

gives the plants 14 to 16 hours of light a 

day. The plants grow with a trellis net and 

are "trained" through pruning to grow 

in a wider canopy, as opposed to straight 

up, to produce more leaves and flowers. 

They use a strategy called "integrated pest 

management" to keep gnats and other 

bugs at bay. 

When the light cycle is lowered to 

under 12 hours a day, the plants begin 

to flower. At this point, Panagakis and 

Slattery switch to a different nutrient 

fertilizer blend, with more phosphorus 

and less nitrogen. They also release 

ladybugs into the greenhouse to eat the 

smaller bugs so that they don't have to 

spray pesticides onto flowers that will 

eventually be smoked. 

While each strain has a different 

growing time, ZOVA's plants have 

an anticipated harvest date during 

the week of Oct. 10. Once the crop is 

harvested, they will trim the buds of their 

larger leaves, dry them in a 60-degree 

environment at 60 percent humidity for 

about a week, or until the stems snap 

easily, and then cure them by storing them 

in airtight barrels for around a month. 

After that, the product will finally be 

ready to be sold. 

"At this point, we don't know how 

much weed we're going to get," Panagakis 

said. "Everything's kind of up in the air at 

Peter Slattery of Salem, left, and Mark Panagakis of Marblehead are the owners of ZOVA, a cannabis-cultivation company in Brownfield, Maine. 

Photos: Spenser Hasak


ZOVA co-owner Mark Panagakis, above and partner Peter Slattery carefully source materials and growing products in their commercial marijuana cultivation process. 

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"Master Kush," and "Blue Dream" are some of the 

marijuana strains grown by ZOVA.


this point." 

Despite the uncertainty, the pair 

behind ZOVA are sure about their 

vision for the company. Slattery, 

who manages most of the building 

for the company, said that they 

think very carefully about how 

they source their building materials 

and agricultural products, buying 

from local businesses and using 

sustainable building practices. 

"We like to be really intentional 

with how we build and create our 

business, so sourcing from local 

sawyers is really important to us," 

Slattery said. "We're really excited 

about the way this greenhouse came 

out. It was important to build it 

ourselves and be in control of our 

destiny." 

After their first season, ZOVA 

hopes to expand its growing 

operation, including by clearing 

more of the property and using it to 

grow food, then offering it to local 

co-ops as a form of community 

outreach. 

"With the amount of space we 

have, it's crazy not to be growing 

our own food," Slattery said. 

With all of their plans, though, 

the pair still remain connected 

to their roots. Panagakis said 

that recently, while they were 

out working in the greenhouse, a 

neighbor walked by and said hello. 

In the conversation, they learned 

that he, too, originally hailed from 

Marblehead. 

"We take pride in being from the 

North Shore," Panagakis said. "The 

more I meet people, the more I see 

that it's such a small world." 

Currently, Slattery works fulltime 

as a carpenter and Panagakis 

still works at AGR Hemp Solutions. 

They put all of their spare time into 

ZOVA with the hope that, next year, 

it can become their full-time gig. 

"We're going to make mistakes, 

and that's okay. We have the ability 

to be our own bosses and the 

freedom to be out in the woods 

and not in the hustle and bustle," 

Slattery said. "It's a lot of work, but 

it's very rewarding." 

ZOVA co-owner Mark Panagakis trims a 

freshly-cut stem from an autoflowering 

cannabis plant as he prepares the buds to 

be tried and sold to a dispensary.


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