01907 Winter 2022

WINTER 2022
VOL. 7, NO. 4
AHOY,
ARNE
SWAMPSCOTT'S
97-YEAR-OLD
BOAT BUILDER

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WINTER 2022 | 1
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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
Anthony Cammalleri
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
85 Exchange St.,
Lynn, MA 01901
781-593-7700 ext.1234
Subscriptions:
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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.
And third-generation marine professional Rob Scanlan has more than 40 years of
experience and prides himself on being one of the most experienced marine surveyors
in New England. Check out Anthony Cammalleri’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

WINTER 2022 | 3

4 | 01907
Gobble gobble
WHAT'S UP
What: The indoor Thanksgiving farmers'
market is sure to get you in the mood for
turkey and the fixings.
Where: High school cafeteria, 200 Essex
St.
When: Sunday, Nov. 20, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Check swampscottma.gov/recreation/
events for updates.
Conservers
What: The Swampscott Conservancy
website details its commitment "to strive
to both protect and admire, to enjoy and
advocate for the natural wonder of our
beloved coastal community."
Where: King Forest, Charles M. Ewing
Woods, Palmer and Muskrat Ponds, and
Beach Bluff Park are among the local
treasures the Conservancy seeks to
preserve.
When: Email SwampscottConservancy@
gmail.com for meeting and activity
schedule.
Groups galore
What: The public library hosts book
groups appealing to interests ranging
from cookbooks, to themed reads, and
popular titles.
Where: Visit the library, 61 Burrill St.,
or go to swa@noblenet.org for group
meeting locations.
When: The Popular Titles Book Group
generally meets on the last Tuesday (Nov.
29) of the month at 7 p.m. The Young at
Heart group holds a hybrid meeting Nov.
30, 6 p.m.
Thanks Giving
What: The annual turkey treasure hunt
is a family-friendly competition for a
20-pound turkey with participants urged
to donate to Anchor Pantry.
Where: The hunt begins at the Linscott
Park gazebo at the end of Monument
Avenue. Check swampscottma.myrec.
com for details and donation list.
When: Sunday, Nov. 20, 10 a.m. - noon.

THEY KNOW
WHAT'S TICKING
AT THE BOSTON
MARATHON
WINTER 2022 | 5
BY ALLYSHA DUNNIGAN
PHOTOS BY LIBBY O'NEILL
On the morning of the Boston
Marathon, Jeffrey Blonder and
his son Zach make their way to
the Copley Plaza Hotel at 6 a.m.
They board a bus full of officials
to head to the starting line in
Hopkinton.
Jeff carries two watches with
him, one for the women's race
and one for the men's. When
the guns go off, Jeff and the two
other official timers he works
with press start on their watches
and zone in for the next two and
a half hours, tracking the time of
the elite runners.
After the runners begin, Jeff
and the other timers get a police
escort to the finish line in Boston.
They stand on a platform at the
finish line, with their watches still
running, getting ready to track
the time of the first 100 runners,
as the other thousands of runners
rely on the chip in their bib to
track their time.
"My responsibility is to
certify the winner's time. The
three officials sign off and say
'we've correctly timed this and
this is the official time,'" Jeff said.
"Sometimes they're coming down
Boylston Street and it's tough
to see, especially when there's a
bunch of runners… It's a lot of
pressure for that short period of
time."
Jeff 's watch has a tool that
tracks the time while he yells
out the times to another person
writing and recording them.
While he loves working as an
official timer for the Boston Marathon,
Jeff said the only downside
is that he doesn't really get to see
the whole race, besides the first
100 people.
"The Marathon has a thousand
stories of people, athletes, people
running for cancer, former Marathon
bombing victims. When
you sit in the stands, you see all
of those people go by," he said.
"I'm so focused on just those elite
runners, I don't see the rest. I go
home and see them on T.V."
Zach, on the other hand, has a
Father and son, Jeffery and
Zach Blonder are poised to
sprint into another Boston
Marathon.
different view.
His schedule is the same as his
dad's until the gun goes off, signaling
the start of the race. Zach,
27, spends the rest of his morning
in the back of a pick-up truck,
about 20 feet in front of the lead
runners. (Yes, he is in between
the huge camera that streams the
leaders of the Marathon on TV.)
When the gun goes off, Zach
starts his timer and for the entire
length of the Marathon, he takes
splits of the top runners at specific
mile markers to report back to
Marathon officials and the media
through his headset.
On top of that, he also acts as a
set of eyes for the runners.
"Maybe there's a fan that got
in the street or maybe there's
a water bottle that was in the
road… Anything that can be
considered as a reportable dent in
the Marathon that could impact
the results of the lead men, me
and my partner are there to
BLONDERS, continued on page 6

6 | 01907
BLONDERS, continued from page 5
report that back." Zach said. "We report it
to the operation center, the officials who are
organizing the Marathon, to see if it was
with intentional cause."
Zach has held this role for the past two
years, and said those races have been pretty
clean with not much to report, so he mostly
just took the splits.
"It's exciting – you go through Wellesley,
you go through Boston and you hear
everyone screaming the whole time and it's
like two hours, two-plus hours, of people
screaming and cheering and it just feels like
you're a big part of the day," Zach said.
One of the Blonder duo's favorite parts
about working the race is being a part of
making sure it runs smoothly.
"The eyes of the world are upon Boston
that day. It's one of the most famous races
in the world," Jeff said. "They depend on us
to do our jobs… We want to make sure we
start our watches on time, get to the vehicle
and get to Boston on time. Anything can
happen."
Jeff recalled two years ago when the police
escort from the hotel to the starting line
was driving slowly, and everyone on the bus
was anxious about getting there on time.
"We got there on time but it was kind of
funny because school buses were passing us
and we had a police escort," Jeff said.
While Jeff and Zach work as official timers
for about two and a half fours, just until
the elite runners finish, Zach said it flies by.
"You're working the entire time. I'm taking
splits basically every four or five minutes.
You don't notice the time flying by but it
goes super quick," he said.
When their shift is up, Jeff and Zach
meet up for lunch after and talk about what
they saw and unwind from the busy, early
morning they had.
While they love officiating the Marathon,
neither said they have any desire to run it.
Jeff did say, however, that he is amazed at all
the people who do run and finish it.
"I used to work in Boston and take
the blue line home and I'd see people, on
Marathon day, getting on the blue line and
getting off at the airport, and you could tell
they ran because they still had their running
clothes on and those blankets they give you
at the end, those space blankets," Jeff said. "I
can't imagine running 26 miles, getting on a
train then flying somewhere."
Zach was a runner, doing track for four
years at Swampscott High School and
at Carnegie Mellon, but said he stuck to
sprints so long distance isn't an interest of
his.
"I did the 100 in high school and went to
college and did the 60 meter dash and the
100 meter dash, so that's way, way too long
for me to do a Marathon," Zach said. "I'd
Father and son, Jeffery and Zach
Blonder, both work as offical timers
for the Boston Marathon.
do a 5k but that's it."
Zach isn't the only one in the family with
a history in track and field — Jeff has been
a track and field official for about 25 years
with the Massachusetts Track and Field
Officials Association, which has a contract
with the Boston Athletic Association and is
how he got into timing for the Marathon.
BLONDERS, continued on page 8
71

WINTER 2022 | 7

8 | 01907
BLONDERS, continued from page 6
Jeff hadn't been able to work the finish
line until two years ago, because of his work
schedule, but when he retired, he decided to
finally apply.
When Zach was in college, he followed
in his father's footsteps and began officiating
meets, instantly enjoying it.
"It's not a difficult time commitment
and it's fun," he said. "You get paid to be
surrounded by a sport you like being a part
of so it was good for me."
When he graduated college in 2017, he
continued officiating, adding college meets
to his roster, and then transitioned to the
Marathon.
To officiate the Marathon position, you
have to get your USA Track and Field
(USATF) official credential. Zach got his
USATF official credential and saw an opening
for a timer in the Marathon.
"I'd say without having that connection
that my dad had with the officiating organization,
it would have been more difficult to
apply," Zach said. "I knew all of the officials
from doing track, and obviously my dad
knew others, and then kind of having that
connection there was helpful for me to get in
to officiate."
Jeff and Zach said they both plan to reapply
to work the Marathon again next
07
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Retired? Not quite:
Jeff Blonder gives
back to fellow vets
BY RACHEL BARBER
PHOTO BY SPENSER HASAK
Since retiring from his consulting job
last year, Naval veteran Jeffrey Blonder
said he is busier than ever.
Blonder served 15 months in Afghanistan
from 2008 to 2009. He retired
from the Navy Intelligence Reserve
Program in 2014. Upon his return to
Swampscott, Blonder became involved
in multiple North Shore veterans
organizations. He is the commander of
the E.F. Gilmore Disabled Veterans of
America in Swampscott and is certified
as a chapter services officer by the
Department of Massachusetts Disabled
American Veterans.
“I’ve been fortunate and I have a very
supportive family,” Blonder said. “My
17 COLUMBIA STREET, UNIT 7
SWAMPSCOTT
MATT@WOLFEBUILDERSLLC.COM
chapter has become really active. …I
feel blessed that I can help other veterans
that aren’t as lucky as I am.”
Blonder’s certification makes him one
of the most important links between
the North Shore disabled veterans’
community and the Disabled American
Veterans National Service. As a chapter
services officer, he provides information
to veterans and ensures they are receiving
relevant benefits. He also counsels
veterans filing financial claims with the
Disabled American Veterans National
Service.
Blonder said while his organizations
are consistently looking to raise money
to assist veterans, they are also planning
a veterans expo for next spring that will
advertise relevant resources. He said the
organizations aim to serve about 500
career, Vietnam War, and World War II
veterans who live in Swampscott.
He said he and other representatives
from Swampscott’s veteran services
organizations have started to meet
monthly with Town Administrator
Sean Fitzgerald to discuss what more
Swampscott can do to support its
veterans.
“We’re looking at making mental
health a really big push,” Blonder said.
“Veterans are really suffering.”
Blonder cited a 2013 United States
Department of Veteran Affairs study
analyzing veteran mental health from
1999 to 2010. It showed that, in that
time, roughly 22 veterans were dying
by suicide per day or once every 65
minutes.
Beyond assisting veterans, Blonder
is often volunteering elsewhere around
town. He said he has been a Town
Meeting member for over 30 years, sat
on Swampscott’s Planning Board for
about 20 years, and volunteers one day
each week at the Senior Center. There,
he is responsible for the center’s weekly
newsletter.
In his free time, Blonder also referees
high school and college sports including
track and field, soccer, volleyball,

WINTER 2022 | 9
165 Pleasant St., Marblehead, MA
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Greeted by Kevin Lee, who
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us could not be more helpful,
friendly and attentative if he
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innovative and full of
amazing choices.”
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lacrosse, and softball.
When he is not working, he is usually
spending time with his wife, Cindy,
whose family also lives in Swampscott.
Blonder is originally from Chelsea,
where he was raised by his father, a
World War II veteran.
This December, Blonder and his
chapter will participate in the Wreaths
Across America Program, placing
Christmas wreaths on veteran graves
in Swampscott and Lynn. A ceremony
open to the public to honor Swampscott’s
veterans will take place at
Swampscott Cemetery at 11 a.m. on
Dec. 17.
“If you know someone who is a veteran,
say thank you and ask them how it
is going,” Blonder said. “We don’t know
who is hurting. Just saying hello might
bring to light some issues and help
07
them get the help they need.”
“We came to Mai Tai Lounge
tonight and it was amazing.
The food was outstanding, we
were like the Phantom
Gourment and ordered six
different dishes and each one
was incredible
Eddie V. Facebook
“If you haven’t tried this
place, do yourself a favor and
come try this place out. You
will not be disappointed my
husband and I considered
ourselves as real foodies. We
traveled a lot just to try
different kinds of food. And I
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Julie C. Facebook

10 | 01907
The seaworthy life
of Arne Heitmann
BY EMMA FRINGUELLI
PHOTOS BY SPENSER HASAK
You wouldn’t know that 97-year-old
Arne Heitmann is a completely selftaught
shipwright, especially not when
you see the 34-foot-long powerboat he is
building in his side yard.
Over the past 81 years, Heitmann has
been mastering his craft, one he began
teaching himself at the age of 16. It was
then that he launched his first boat onto
the water — or into the water, rather, as a
missing pin caused the boat to sink.
Once he got the water out and the pin
in, Heitmann’s boat caught the attention
of the Weymouth Yacht Club, whose
members gave him a free membership.
He has continued to stun people with
his creations in the eight decades since.
Heitmann’s boats are all original designs,
straight from his imagination. After
spending time in the Navy and working as
a jet engine engineer at General Electric,
it is the freedom to create something on
his own terms that helps him relax. He
considers what he wants in a boat and
then he makes it — answering to no one
but himself.
“You think: what do you want to
accomplish with the boat? What sleeping
accommodations do you need? Where do
you put the propulsion engines? Those
things, you add them up, and it develops
the boat design…. The fact that I can
create something from scratch — that
creativity is what I enjoy. Nothing more
than that.”
Even if they are “selfish” pursuits, as
Heitmann put it, the designs have captivated
people around Swampscott for years.
Susan Heitmann, Arne’s daughter-inlaw,
recalled hearing stories of the entire
neighborhood gathering at his house to
watch his boats leave for the harbor.
She said strangers would come up to
the family while they were out on Cape
Cod with the boats and ask about the
builder, remarking how impressive his
boats were. But Heitmann doesn’t care
what people think, compliments or not.
“It’s something that satisfies me, I don’t
worry about other people. I just enjoy the
process…. I don’t try to impress anybody.
It’s very selfish, I just want to please
myself.”
At 97-years-old, Heitmann says he
builds boats for the thrill of launching
them into the harbor, nothing more, nothing
less. It is the satisfaction of creating
something and watching it work just as
intended that makes all the labor worthwhile.
“When the boat gets launched and
it floats, that’s the most exciting part of it.
Very exciting.”
When Heitmann’s five children were
young kids, they used to help him out
with the building, but they have since
moved on from helping their father build
boats in their backyard, and his wife has
passed away, but good memories still persist.
He recalled an example of the support
his wife, Cill — even in the less glamorous
part of boat-building.
“She did quite a bit! My wife was a
great supporter of the things I did. When
we would, for example, do some resin
work, she would be down in the hull,
slopping resin with me. And that’s not
something a female likes to do, but she
did.”
Though boat-building is not the family’s
forte, enjoying the boats Heitmann
makes out onto the water is. Heitmann
BUILDER, continued on page 14

WINTER 2022 | 11
Arne Heitmann sands down a piece
of bulkhead for the powerboat he's
building in his yard.

12 | 01907
HOUSE MONEY
PHOTOS COURTESY OF LUXE LIFE PRODUCTIONS

WINTER 2022 | 13
259 Puritan Road
SALE PRICE: $1,800,000
SALE DATE: October 17, 2022
LIST PRICE: $1,990,000
DAYS TO OFFER:222 days to closing
LISTING BROKER:
Paula Dangelo-Pickett,
Coldwell Banker Realty
SELLING BROKER:
Paula Dangelo-Pickett,
Coldwell Banker Realty
LATEST ASSESSED
VALUE: $1,995,000
PROPERTY TAXES: $25,938
PREVIOUS SALE: $405,000 (1994)
YEAR BUILT: 1895
LOT SIZE: 9,365 sq. ft.
LIVING AREA: 6,055 sq ft
ROOMS: 15
BEDROOMS: 7
BATHROOMS: 4.5
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Charming Victorian oceanfront
property next to Eisman’s Beach with
original detail dating back to the 19th
century. Generous front and rear
porches and a seaside patio. Hardwood
floors and Old World craftsmanship
throughout this classic home, featuring
an open concept chef’s kitchen with
great ocean views, formal dining room
and several comfortable sitting areas
including multiple fireplaces. Multiple
bedrooms on the second and third
level will accommodate lots of guests.
Source: MLS Property Information Network.

Arne Heitmann's boats spring to life in his mind and jump to the drawing board.
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BUILDER, continued from page 10
had photos of his multigenerational family
out on his previous boat, a 44-foot Hinckley,
his largest boat. Perhaps Heitmann is
better off working on his own, considering
that the Hinckley went up in flames in
Marblehead Harbor while Heitmann and
his son were doing engine work.
Not discouraged by losing two decades
of work and even more years of memory-making,
Heitmann took up his tools for
one more boat. “He just doesn't like having
kids and grandkids not having a boat
anymore,” Susan Heitmann said.
He opted for a powerboat over a sailboat,
citing his age. “I’m not agile enough
to be on a sailboat anymore,” he said,
laughing, “so I’m building myself a powerboat.
I’ve designed it to be [easier] for me
to move around.”
While Heitmann admits he is less agile
than in years past, he shows no signs of
stopping. With occasional help from his
neighbor, Nathaniel, he still climbs in and
around the 34-foot-long hull he is building
in his side yard. He expects to finish
in September — but first, he is going to
07
reassess his paint choices.
14 | 01907

A
WATCH
ON
HISTORY
WINTER 2022 | 15
The tower on Colby Hill in Nahant
was the first of five watchtowers
built in 1943.

16 | 01907
Swampscott
Swampscott
2 Lincoln House Point | $4,649,000
5 BD | 7F 2H BA | 6,821 SF
Waterfront
Charting a
new course
in Swampscott.
Scan code to follow our
journey and stay up
to date with the
Swampscott market.
Swampscott
Swampscott
72 Blodgett Ave | $3,399,000
4 BD | 4F 1H BA | 4,624 SF
Waterfront
15 Lincoln House Avenue | $2,595,000
4 BD | 3F 1H BA | 2,739 SF
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compass.com
25 Outlook Road | $1,150,000
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@willisandtierney | willisandtierney.com
Compass is a licensed real estate broker and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity
laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information
is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in
price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. This is not intended to solicit property
already listed. Photos may be virtually staged or digitally enhanced and may not reflect actual
property conditions.

WINTER 2022 | 17
A military tower built during World
War II overlooks East Point in
Nahant.
Harbor Defenses of Boston.
All in all, Nahant has five fire control stations. U.S. Army personnel at
the stations were on lookout for approaching enemy aircraft, ships, and
submarines. Equipment in these stations were EE-91 telephones, a time
interval bell, and a depression position finder instrument.
“The assignment was to locate enemy planes and/or ships, determine
their position through intricate plot finding, and make ready to fire upon
them if needed,” said Tarmy.
By the end of the war no crafts of any type had been fired upon by the
Nahant guns, in 1945 all observation details were canceled, and in 1946
the guns of Fort Ruckman were tested for the final time with a warning
to the residents of Nahant issued via a Lynn newspaper to close the windows
and protect fine china “from the percussive impact of the firing.”
In 1946, the Harbor Defenses of Boston were deactivated, and in
March of 1951, the General Services Administration conveyed the Fort
Ruckman Military Reservation to the Town of Nahant, and then the
Cold War started.
In 1952, the Harris estate fire control station was reactivated. Its new
purpose was for long-range air defense radar. A year later, an M33 radar
and fire control system was installed in East Point and a new long-range
radar was placed on top of the Harris tower.
The Harris Estate tower was finally terminated in 1958 when that
radar became outdated and the towers gradually became part of the town
landscape.
“The towers have been around for my entire life. They are an important
part of Nahant’s history,” said Tarmy.
She said that the view from the top of the Mifflin Estate tower was
just spectacular, and the visitors could see for miles “even without Army
issued spy glasses.”
07
BY OKSANA KOTKINA
PHOTOS BY SPENSER HASAK
Ever stop and wonder about the history and purpose
of the town’s military towers? Local historians
explain that the towers — and this small municipality
— played a vital role in the coastal defense of the US
during World War II.
“Throughout the ages, humans have defended their
villages from hostiles by posting lookouts in strategic
areas. Nahant is no different,” said Executive Director
of Nahant Historical Society Julie Tarmy.
According to Military Annals of Nahant, a book
written by Gerald Butler, a retired captain in the
Massachusetts State Guard, prior to America’s
involvement in World War II, intelligence showed
that Germany was developing long-range bombers
that would be based in the Azores with the express
function of bombing America’s coast.
For that end, on Sept. 25, 1940, the U.S. Secretary
of War approved a secret modernization of coastal defenses.
Nahant was already part of the coastal defense
for the Boston Harbor, and following the declaration
of war in 1941, plans were drawn up for the first fire
control station in Nahant.
Thus, the first tower was constructed on Colby Hill
in 1943. The first Nahant station, officially designated
Location 130, Site 1-A, had a primary function
to provide data for specific gun batteries within the
In watchtowers like this one
overlooking 40 Steps in Nahant,
coast watchers scanned the air and
ocean for German invaders.

18 | 01907
Oval-shaped
dinner table, Oval
Office history
BY JOEY BARRETT
PHOTOS BY SPENSER HASAK
If you arrive in Swampscott and find
yourself near Humphrey Street, you’re just
a short walk away from what’s been called
a “happy house” since its construction in
1903 – and one that’s hosted two American
presidents.
“There’s only one request that I ask you
to bring to this home,” homeowner Charles
Patsios said, describing his family's large
Thanksgivings. “I want you to bring one
person with you that otherwise wouldn’t
have somewhere to go. If you do that, you
bless this home and you allow it to continue
to do what it’s always wanted to do,
which was to be welcoming.”
Charlie Patsios stands in the dining room of his
Swampscott home, which once hosted dinners
for presidents Calvin Coolidge and Franklin D.
Roosevelt.
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Patsios, long-time resident of Swampscott,
is the house’s current occupant, but
he describes himself as merely its “caregiver,”
not its owner.
The house, currently sporting white
walls, a piano, curved extensions, red and
gold curtains, and a horseshoe-shaped
driveway, was built by Frank and Annie
Gage – cousins of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Roosevelt, the United State’s 32nd
president, dined at the home’s oval-shaped
dinner table, and the 30th president. Calvin
Coolidge – whose family has deep New
England roots – did so as well. But partisan
politics stops at his threshold, said Patsios.
“Not just a Republican and not just a
Democrat, but both parties,” Patsios said.
“They can exist with each other. Maybe not
at the same time," he added, "but at the
same place.”
Patsios purchased the house in 2011
when it was in need of significant repair.
Although some people thought it should’ve
been torn down, Patsios wandered through
the house and said to himself – there’s just
HOUSE, continued on page 28
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WINTER 2022 | 21
Artist Richard Buckley is an accomplished painter
and photographer.
A painter propelled by passion
BY ALEXANDRA RODRIGUEZ
PHOTOS BY SPENSER HASAK
Richard Buckley, a Boston-born award-winning
painter changes his black and white paintings to
abstract impressions adding color to his life.
“It was all black and white and red for at least
10 to 15 years and then he moved here, and it’s
all been color ever since!” said Buckley’s daughter,
Diana Uhrich.
Buckley is a Swampscott resident who gets inspired
by the beautiful views of the Atlantic Ocean
directly from his apartment window. “I meditate
right outside the window. The leaves, the flowers,
the creatures. Oh, my God, everything! and the
water,” said Buckley.
Buckley has been meditating since his early
20’s starting with Zen meditation, with its art
equivalent of black ink on white paper, “To me, art
is spiritual. I meditate and when I meditate, the
paining’s happens for me. When I close my eyes,
I can see a painting before it starts to happen. I
meditate on nature,” said Buckley.
The Swampscott artist feels physically and mentally
elevated through meditation and sees nature
as his higher power.
In the past few years, Buckley found a higher
purpose for his painting by helping his daughter,
BUCKLEY, continued on page 26

Form and sparse function inform Richard
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22 | 01907

WINTER 2022 | 23
Photography was one of artist Richard Buckley's
first loves.
Abstract painter Richard Buckley ditches brushes
and prefers to use a putty knife to create his work.

24 | 01907
A place to thrive
and feel alive
BY SYLVIA CHEN
PHOTOS BY LIBBY O'NEILL
He's sat behind a lot of steering
wheels during his career as a driver,
but Robbi Mohammad Islam calls the
Swampscott Senior Center van the
"happiest" vehicle he has ever driven.
Driving Swampscott seniors to and
from the center in the many vehicles he
has operated, the "happy" van has been
his favorite means of conveyance.
Behind the steering wheel, he witnesses
how all the center has to offer
changes people.
“All the seniors come here and enjoy
their days, going home with smiles,
“said Mohammad Islam.
The Senior Center provides various
activities as a powerful force in the battle
with the rising mental health concern
among seniors. From trips to the
music theaters to every Friday’s movie,
the activities are rated “impressive” by
their members.
“The staff seems to be feeling our
needs,” said member at the Senior
Center Marion Garfinkel, “they have
many different activities, it is a pleasure.
Every day there's something different
on their agenda.”
In addition to maintaining a crowded
activity schedule, the Senior Center
arranges for hairdressers and podiatrists
to provide their services to seniors as a
time, travel, and money-saving option.
To hear some people tell the story,
the push to build Swampscott High
School included a plan to provide an
addition on the school to house the
senior center and, in return, garner
seniors' votes for the school project and
town financial commitment tied to it.
The Senior Center has been at its
location for 12 years till now, with 601
CENTER, continued on page 26

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26 | 01907
BUCKLEY, continued from page 21
Diana Uhrich, raise money for the
Mass General Hospital marathon team.
Uhrich is a pediatric nurse at Mass
General Hospital who ran in honor of
a former patient who at age nine was
diagnosed with bone cancer and passed
away at the age of 12.
The four-time Boston Marathon runner
has raised over $97,000 since 2016
for research and clinical care with the
help of her father’s paintings. “It’s not
about money for me, it’s about raising
money to help kids, and I love kids! Oh
God, and people here have some kids
I just love to see them outside and see
them play,” said Buckley enthusiastically.
The father and daughter duo aim to
raise $10,000 per year and as of this
year have raised $1,000 in the sale of
three paintings. “It makes me feel so
good helping kids with cancer. Oh God,
I can’t take a better purpose for painting,”
said Buckley.
Buckley’s art typically averages from
$2,000 up to $3,700 but can be found
as low as $100 to $250 for fundraising.
“What we found is that when we
moved here, he had all this work and
people love his work so they were
buying it knowing it would go towards
a great cause and it made them very
happy as well,” said Uhrich.
For decades, Buckley’s minimalistic
award-winning art has traveled the
world including, New York, Miami, Los
Angeles, London, Prague, and Europe.
Locally, his art can be found and seen
outside his home, at the Swampscott
farmers market, and at Marblehead’s
Arts Festival.
Buckley’s art can be purchased directly
at Saatchiart.com for regular price
and can be found on Buckley’s Facebook
page as Dick Buckley with direct
links to arts that go towards the Boston
07
Marathon fundraising.

WINTER 2022 | 27
An abstract of a woman painted by artist Richard
Buckley.
A double exposure captures artist Richard Buckley
and one of his abstract paintings.

28 | 01907
HOUSE, continued from page 19
too much history to risk losing it.
He rallied his family to get to work
on repairs, including a horseshoe-shaped
driveway among others. He’s hosted up to
78 people for Thanksgiving, adding that
“everyone has a place to sit.”
Patsios believes Swampscott is a special
place, and says there’s a level of satisfaction
knowing the history and significance of the
home.
“We just continued to love the home,”
Patsios said.
Alexander "Sandy" Tennant, who still
lives in Swampscott and is currently the
CEO of New England Strategic Development
Corp, lived happily in the house from
1994-2009. Tennant especially enjoyed the
annual Christmas parties, political fundraisers,
and seeing his kids grow up there.
Each of his five children are named after
republican presidents. His daughter, Reagan,
used to run kids camps at the house
featuring trampolines and an arts and crafts
table in the carriage house, while McKinley
and AJ took advantage of the full-court
basketball area – each going on to play at
the collegiate level.
“It was a great home for those kids to
07
grow up in,” Tennant said.
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WINTER 2022 | 29
Charlie Patsios' Swampscott home was built in
1903 by Frank and Annie L. Gage.
President FDR once had dinner in the home
currently owned by Charlie Patsios.
President Calvin Coolidge once had dinner in the
home currently owned by Charlie Patsios.

30 | 01907
CENTER, continued from page 24
members in 2022. Fifty-four percent of
the members come from Swampscott,
the remaining is from the other towns.
Attendance is 79 percent female,
according to Director of Aging Services
Heidi Whear. The daily active members
are around 50 in 2022.
The center meets an important, even
life-saving need, said Outreach Social
Worker Sabrina Clopton. In person and
in letters to town officials, Swampscott
seniors said they felt lonely, disconnected
from the world around them and
isolated at home.
In some instances, said Garfinkel, a
sense of dignity blocked seniors from
leaving their homes. To put it another
way, they were proud to seek help. She
credited Clopton for assembling an
extremely effective outreach program
connecting seniors to all the center has
to offer.
One challenge involved reaching
seniors in an online, social media-oriented
world.
“She (Clopton) does put everything
online, but a lot of people that are stuck
in the house, they probably don't even
know how to use their computer,” said
Garfinkel.
Clopton adapted her outreach to
identity seniors who recently became
non-drivers and were threatened by
inactivity, making sure that they had
access to the Senior Center.
She went out into the community
who wouldn't be able to leave their
building or wouldn't want to leave their
building to come out. That's where
Robbi Mohammad and his happy van
come into the picture with the driver
making the rounds to pick up seniors
and make their rides to and from the
center an occasion to kibbitz, laugh, and
look forward to a busy and fun day.
After working at MBTA for five
years, Mohammad believes the Senior
Center is the best place he has ever
been, “I always believe I am helping the
senior people.”
Clopton and Garfinkle said the
center is thriving. They agreed there is
more work to do to attract more older
residents to Essex Street and help enrich
their lives.
“If I could give myself a grade on
that, I don't think I'm quite an 'A' yet.
There are so many seniors that we just
don't know about that are home and
07
isolated,” said Clopton.

WINTER 2022 | 31
Halloween Zumba Fitness class participants at
Swampscott's Council on Aging.

They
wove a
labor
of love
BY CHARLIE MCKENNA
The late Aftab Bashir has no regrets about his
money he poured into the business.
497 Humphrey Street, Swampscott, MA
781-599-3411
Mon - Th 9-5, Fri 9-3 781-581-7200
Even though The Rug Gallery was
only open for a short time, Fahad
Bashir has no regrets about the money
he poured into the business. Bashir
ran the business with his father, Aftab,
who passed away in June after a battle
with pancreatic cancer, and while they
had a difficult time achieving liftoff in
Swampscott, the business was a “labor
of love.”
“He always loved art and he really
had a great, great collection of wonderful,
usable art, which is rugs.I also happen
to share the same passion, of these
wonderful pieces, and really, the idea
was … we were looking at … what's
kind of another business that we could
do?” Bashir, who now works in tax mitigation
and wealth accumulation, said in
an interview. “About 10 - 15 years ago,
I used to be a part of the business you
know, so it was one of those homecoming
things … and we opened it up with
a lot of excitement and it was really
great.”
Aftab Bashir, over the course of his
life, operated four rug galleries across
the state, with locations in Falmouth,
Winchester, Natick, and Swampscott.
Fahad Bashir said he and his father
struggled to gain traction in Swampscott,
despite a location on the busy
Humphrey Street, with few customers
walking in to browse the wide variety of
rugs Aftab Bashir had collected over the
decades.
32 | 01907

WINTER 2022 | 33
But, Fahad Bashir said, they opened
the store with the knowledge that not
every business is going to succeed, and
ultimately made the most of the experience.
“It was around August 2021, I was
like ‘Dad we've been open right around
six months and … I don't think they're
responding so well. ‘Which is fine, not
every business is going to succeed, but
we had a really cool time because I got to
spend a lot of time with my dad. I would
come in a few days a week, on the days
that my schedule allowed,” he said. “It
was a labor of love … because I got to
spend a lot of time with my dad, which
was really awesome. The best thing was
we got to meet a lot of really, really great
people that had an appreciation for rugs.”
“It was a phenomenal experience, we
met so many awesome people, my real
heartfelt appreciation to the people of
Swampscott and also Marblehead, genuinely,
not only were there some really cool
pieces of my dad's heart, really because
they were part of his collection went to
some really awesome people. But I got to
spend so much time with my dad, which
I didn't know was gonna be the last deal
that we were going to ever do together
and it was fun as heck,” Bashir continued.
“I take that as really, really fond memories.”
Despite living in Holliston nearly
40 miles from The Rug Gallery, Aftab
Bashir, a former squadrom leader in the
Pakistani Air Force, commuted to the
store each and every day while it was
open. Fahad Bashir said the galleries
grew directly out of his father’s love for
rugs, and even though the businesses faltered
towards the end, Aftab Bashir never
lost sight of his love for what he did.
“Over the last, let's say, five to seven
years, I was like, ‘you know, the numbers
really don't make sense. Why don't you
do something else?’ … he was like ‘it's not
just about money’ and he basically told
me ‘It's about the passion. I like going in
and teaching,’” Fahad Bashir said, recalling
a conversation he had with his father.
“It's not just about the thing that you're
acquiring, That's just a thing, a product.
There's something beyond that, which
is the meaning behind the production of
it. There are master weavers that spend
months if not years of their lives, creating
this one singular piece that will then
be around for hundreds of years, ideally
speaking.”
Part of the appeal of the business for
X, continued on page 34
A sample of the wide variety of rugs Aftab Bashir
had collected over the decades.

34 | 01907
X, continued from page 33
his father, Fahad Bashir said, was also the
ability to form connections. Customers
became friends and confidants, with Aftab
Bashir often inviting them to marvel
at the latest rug he had acquired, with no
intention of ever parting with it. It was
that passion, Fahad Bashir said, that led
him and his father to open the Swampscott
location even though the store in
Natick had already shuttered its doors.
Fahad Bashir said he never once
considered not going into business with
his father for The Rug Gallery, becoming
emotional as he reflected on what his late
father meant to him.
“There's a reason why I always say that
my dad's a superhero, he's my best friend.
It's because he taught me never to
give up. And when he wanted to do the
project, it just made sense because I owe
everything to him,” he said. “Every step
of the way my dad helped me, when he
wanted to do it, there was no way that it
wasn't that I wasn't going to help. In fact,
it was him helping me if anything … I
got to spend time with probably one of
the coolest guys in the world.” 07

WINTER 2022 | 35
Formerly located on Humphrey Street, the Rug
Gallery sold rugs from three other locations.

36 | 01907
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