01907 Winter 2022

2 | 01907
LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER
TED GRANT
A publication of Essex Media Group
Publisher
Edward M. Grant
Chief Executive Officer
Michael H. Shanahan
Directors
Edward L. Cahill
John M. Gilberg
Edward M. Grant
Gordon R. Hall
Monica Connell Healey
J. Patrick Norton
Michael H. Shanahan
Chief Financial Officer
William J. Kraft
Chief Operating Officer
James N. Wilson
Controller
Susan Conti
Editor
Thor Jourgensen
Writers
Rachel Barber
Joey Barrett
Sylvia Chen
Emma Fringuelli
Oksana Kotkina
Charlie McKenna
Alexandra Rodriguez
Photographers
Spenser Hasak
Libby O'Neill
Advertising Sales
Ernie Carpenter
Ralph Mitchell
Patricia Whalen
Design
Sam Deeb
INSIDE
4 What's up
5 Ticktockers
8 Selfless
10 Sea Worthy
12 House Money
15 Towering
18 Presidential
21 Artist extraordinaire
24 Senior Service
32 Family Affair
ESSEX MEDIA GROUP
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01907themagazine.com
Anything but
the same old story
When I think about where I’ll be in my 80s or 90s . . . well, I don’t. Not only
don’t I foresee me at 80 or 90 or even 70, I wonder how I’ve made it this far, given
my diet (cheeseburgers, pizza, and cookies are my essential food groups) and
family history (my father died of a heart attack in his sleep at 48). If I envision me
anywhere at that age, I’m assuming it’ll be as a tenant at St. Mary’s cemetery.
But should my exit paperwork gets lost and I do end up lasting another decade
or two, I can promise you you won’t find me on a golf course. I won’t be picking
up pickleball, or jetting off to a tropical resort or spa retreat (as much as Ms. Jansi
Chandler Grant might vote for any of those options). With any luck, I’ll be here, at
work.
That’s why I love our cover story about Arne Heitmann. At 97, he’s still working.
Building boats is his passion. For eight decades, he has brought his designs to
life — just for the thrill of launching them into the harbor. An engineer by trade,
Arne knows a thing or two about building, and he certainly has built a lifetime of
memories on the open water for his children and grandchildren. He’s on his seventh
boat now, and he’s showing no signs of quitting.
I – and you, once you’ve read Emma Fringuelli’s story about Mr. Heitmann –
owe a debt of thanks to John Spagnoli for insisting we do the story. I’ve known
Spags, a Swampscott guy who owns Apex Carpentry, for maybe 40 years, since
he was my brother’s Bentley College roommate. And I never heard him talk with
such enthusiasm about anyone as he does Mr. Heitmann. They met through Spag’s
girlfriend, Andrea, a neighbor of Mr. Heitmann, and Spags said he was immediately
taken by his friendliness.
My guess is you’ll soon be equally in awe of the 97-year-old craftsman.
Anti-retirement seems to be a bit of a theme in this edition of 01907. Officially,
Jeffrey Blonder is retired. But he’s busier than ever, teaming up with his son to
help manage timekeeping for the Boston Marathon. He also works with several
organizations with a focus on mental health challenges faced by those in the armed
services. Check out Ally Dunnigan and Rachel Barber’s stories.
Then there’s Dick Buckley. With a career spanning 40 years, this artist isn’t
slowing down, either. He’s shifting his painting style to add more color and teaming
up with his daughter to raise money for pediatric oncology research. See Alexandra
Rodriguez’s story.
Avoiding retirement being my goal, I’ve found some great role models.
Given my anti-retirement sentiment, I have found my role models in this
edition of 01907 – which also features a family business that has woven ties to the
community; a full schedule for seniors; efforts to preserve a historic mansion; and
the history behind Nahant’s coastal defense towers.
I suggest you retire to your reading room. Enjoy.
COVER Arne Heitmann has been building boats and sending them into the ocean for 81 years. Photo by Spenser Hasak