POY 2023

20
23
Persons
of the Year

2 | PERSONS OF THE YEAR
CONGRATULATES
Peabody - Henry Breckenridge
Lynn - Magalie Torres-Rowe
Lynnfield - Craig Stone
Marblehead - Jodi-Tatiana Charles
Nahant - Virginia Fiske
Saugus - Gene Decareau
Swampscott - Elizabeth Smith
and Andrea Amour
2023 ESSEX MEDIA GROUP
PERSONS OF THE YEAR
Charles Gaeta, Executive Director
Steve Martin, Susan McGinnis-Lang
Robert Muise, Justin Anshewitz,
Directors

2023 | 3
Publisher
Edward M. Grant
Chief Executive Officer
Michael H. Shanahan
Directors
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Michael H. Shanahan
Controller
Susan Conti
Creative Director
Spenser Hasak
Art Director
Sam Deeb
Opinion Editor
Stuart Foster
Copy Editors
Stuart Foster
Nini Mtchedlishvili
Writers
Joey Barrett
Anthony Cammalleri
Vishakha Deshpande
Charlie McKenna
Benjamin Pierce
Ryan Vermette
Photographers
Spenser Hasak
Emma Fringuelli
Jakob Menendez
Advertising Sales
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Ralph Mitchell
Patricia Whalen
Design
Sam Deeb
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LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER
2023 Essex Media Group
Persons of the Year (plus one)
The number seven seems to come up quite a bit in this, our 2023 Essex
Media Group Persons of the Year awards. For the seventh year, we are
honoring those who have made significant contributions to the seven
communities we cover.
The contributions made by our EMG 7 rate higher than 7 on the standard
1-10 scale; they score 10s across the board.
For instance, we honor a Lynn teacher who started a nonprofit focused on
helping Latina mothers learn English and guide them through the American
education system to ensure their children’s success. In Lynnfield, a legendary
coach has developed hundreds of students in tennis and wrestling for five
decades and was a guest of honor at a gala last year to help raise money for
new tennis courts.
In Marblehead, we have a woman with an intense passion for the arts who
is helping expand and brighten the future for the town’s Festival of Arts after
being named president of the yearly summer festival.
In Nahant, nearly 80 years after the end of World War ll, a 105-year-old
veteran reflects on her time served in the Women’s Army Corps; and in
Peabody, the legacy and life of a 40-year beloved police officer is honored
by friends, family, and colleagues after his death last July. His service and
dedication to the community resulted in a scholarship being started in his
name.
In Saugus, we have a 94-year-old lifelong resident who is still dedicating his
time to donating to the food pantry on a weekly basis, in addition to being a
decades-long member on the town’s retirement board.
Last, but certainly not least, two individuals in Swampscott have upped the
ante on the King’s Beach cleanup, founding a movement that has grown in
popularity and effectiveness after it began as a social-media post in 2021.
Those are our seven 2023 EMG Persons of the Year. Accomplished, all.
But a conversation I had with a friend a couple of weeks ago prompted me to
add one more name. Let’s call her an unofficial 2023 EMG Person of the Year.
Laurie Walsh of Lynn.
The co-owner of John’s Oil in Lynn, a longtime Democratic State
Committeewoman, and a 20-plus-year chairperson of the Lynn Housing
Authority & Neighborhood Development, died Jan. 28 at the age of 69.
LHAND CEO Charlie Gaeta called her “my person of the year.”
That’s good enough for me.
Ted Grant

4 | PERSONS OF THE YEAR
MAGALIE TORRES-ROWE
LYNN
By Anthony Cammalleri
Item Staff
Because of her unwavering and
impactful service to the City of Lynn’s
Latino community, Latina Center
Maria founder and Executive Director
Magalie Torres-Rowe is Essex Media
Group’s 2023 Lynn Person of the
Year.
In December, Torres-Rowe,
alongside Mayor Jared Nicholson,
other elected officials, and a team of
officials from Latina Center Maria,
cut a ceremonial ribbon to open the
nonprofit’s Escuela Latina location at
271 Western Ave.
In 2016, Torres-Rowe, a teacher at
Lynn Public Schools, founded Latina
Center Maria to teach Latina mothers
English and help them navigate the
American education system to ensure
their children’s academic success. She
said that as a bilingual educator who
spoke with Latino parents in English
and Spanish, her students were able to
achieve A and B grades in her class.
“The main problem with Latino
dropouts is that the parents don’t
speak English, so they can’t help their
kids with homework, and also, they
cannot talk to teachers about what’s
going on with their kids,” Torres-
Rowe said. “When people know how
the U.S. educational system works,
it’s going to be easier for parents
because a blind person cannot guide
another blind person. You have to
learn how the system works.”
Torres-Rowe credited the city’s
personnel director, Drew Russo, for
helping her set up initial biweekly
classes at the LynnArts center.
As the organization grew, Torres-
Rowe said Lynn Housing Authority
and Neighborhood Development
Executive Director Charlie Gaeta
opened LHAND’s Community Room
for the Latina Center Maria to host
classes.
As the program continued to grow,
the Latina Center Maria expanded
to include various programs aimed
at assisting Latino families, such as
childcare for Latina mothers, family
movie nights, citizenship workshops,
parenting classes, book clubs, and
English classes.
In 2020, Torres-Rowe received the
Commonwealth Heroines Award for
her strides to expand opportunity for
immigrant and Latino households in
Massachusetts and create the firstever
Spanish National Junior Honor
Society, which she founded while
working at Lynn Public Schools.
“Two girls were the officers at
the Spanish Honors Society at Breed
— one of them was the salutatorian
at Lynn Classical last year,” Torres-
Rowe said. “The two of them are
now studying at Yale University in
Connecticut.”
As a Peruvian immigrant who
came to the U.S. in the ’90s and
received a Ph.D. from Southern
STAFF PHOTO | SPENSER HASAK
New Hampshire University at no
cost, Torres-Rowe said she works
tirelessly out of gratitude to God for
the opportunities that came her way
and for the satisfaction of seeing her
students succeed.
“I do this from the bottom of my
heart… my piggy bank is with God in
heaven,” Torres-Rowe said.

2023 | 5
Congratulations to all the Winners
Lynn - Magalie Torres-Rowe
Lynnfield - Craig Stone
Marblehead - Jodi-Tatiana Charles
Nahant - Virginia Fiske
Peabody - Henry Breckenridge
Saugus - Gene Decareau
Swampscott - Elizabeth Smith
and Andrea Amour
2023 ESSEX MEDIA GROUP
PERSONS OF THE YEAR
781-592-5420 • stjeanscu.com

6 | PERSONS OF THE YEAR
CRAIG STONE
LYNNFIELD
By Joey Barrett
Item Sports Editor
When it comes to Lynnfield tennis
and wrestling coach Craig Stone, it’s
hard to find a box unchecked – as a
coach and, more importantly, as a
person.
We know about the conference
titles, state championships, Coach of
the Year awards, and 1,200-plus wins
between the two sports.
But beyond any swing of the racket
or pin on the mat, Stone has touched
an incredible amount of lives – just by
being himself.
“Craig has always been ahead of
the game in coaching, relationships,
partnerships, and teaching people,”
said Nick Secatore, Lynnfield’s police
chief who wrestled for Stone in 1997
before becoming his assistant coach.
“More than that, just showing students
the right way to behave – how you
win, how you lose, and how you
improve.”
Things came full circle for Stone
last March when he served as an
honorary guest during a Lynnfield
gala to raise money for new tennis
courts.
The gala welcomed roughly 240
people, and more often than not, they
had relationships with Stone. He was
a mentor, friend, and even a father
figure to many in attendance.
“It’s not like they were 240
strangers,” said Stone, who was
pleasantly surprised by a cardboard
cutout of himself that night.
The few hours were “very
nostalgic,” as said by Stone, who
enjoyed recreating stories and
laughing the night away.
It was just a snapshot of Stone’s
impact since 1972, the year he was
hired into Lynnfield’s school system.
Mike Bodek used to wrestle for
Stone, but not always.
“I had a buddy who told me, ‘You
don’t want to play basketball; you
want to come wrestle for this guy,’”
Bodek said.
The end result was Bodek
becoming one of the best wrestlers
in Lynnfield High history and, more
importantly, finding a new friend.
“He was awesome,” said Bodek,
who added how important Stone was
in coping with his mother’s cancer.
“He had a great effect on me in high
school and it’s carried up to today.”
Jill Migliero McEwan, a doubles
player on Lynnfield’s 1997 state
championship team, spoke about
Stone’s coaching style.
“He’s the perfect combination,”
McEwan said. “He pushes you, but
he’s kind and considerate… He’s just
a great human being.”
Nicholas Saggese, one of three
Saggese brothers to wrestle for Stone,
said his respect for his former coach
“has no expiration date.”
“What kids need today is what Mr.
Stone gave us: old school discipline
and respect,” Saggese said. “Today, I
only know Craig Stone as Mr. Stone.”
It’s a two-way street. The
community loves Stone, and he loves
it back.
“It’s very positive and very
receptive,” Stone said. “It’s just been
a collection of people at all levels.
I’ve been fortunate to work in a
community that’s very supportive.”
STAFF FILE PHOTO | JAKOB MENENDEZ
And he’s passionate. What was
once an old mudroom in the Stone
household has turned into a room
full of newspaper clippings and other
memorabilia – not about himself, but
the others.
“I just so much enjoy reading
the alumni names,” Stone said. “A
lot of them come back to say hi and
update me on their families and their
experiences.”
With more than 600 tennis
wins and 500 in wrestling, Stone’s
philosophy remains more important
than any victory in competition.
“To affect in a positive way,” Stone said.

2023 | 7
Congratulations to the 2023 Essex Media Group Persons of the Year!
MAGALIE TORRES-ROWE
LYNN
CRAIG STONE
LYNNFIELD
JODI-TATIANA CHARLES
MARBLEHEAD
VIRGINIA FISKE
NAHANT
HENRY BRECKENRIDGE
PEABODY
GENE DECAREAU
SAUGUS
ANDREA AMOUR AND ELIZABETH SMITH
SWAMPSCOTT
Representative Brad Jones
Massachusetts State House, Rm 124
Boston, MA 02133 • 617.722.2100
Bradley.Jones@MAHouse.gov • repbradjones@comcast.net
I am proud to represent the Essex Media Group’s
The
Craig Stone
of Lynnfield & A Local Hero
Congratulations to all Persons of the Year:
Magalie Torres-Rowe, Craig Stone, Jodi Charles, Virginia Fiske,
Henry Breckenridge, Gene Decareau, Elizabeth Smith and Andrea Amour

8 | PERSONS OF THE YEAR
JODI-TATIANA CHARLES
MARBLEHEAD
By Ryan Vermette
Item Staff
For her work in expanding,
influencing, and continually evolving
the Marblehead Festival of Arts as
its president, and for her countless
hours of work volunteering and
teaching for numerous organizations
locally, nationally, and internationally,
Jodi-Tatiana Charles is Essex Media
Group’s Person of the Year in
Marblehead.
For more than 60 years, the
Festival of Arts has been led by town
volunteers in order to celebrate the
arts through an annual festival that
has become one of the town’s most
iconic events.
Last year, Charles took over as
president after volunteering with the
festival for nearly a decade, and it
has only grown and flourished since
taking the role, with 2023’s festival
showing evidence of that.
In addition to the festival, Charles
also volunteers her time with two
other nonprofit organizations.
Growing up in a Catholic family, she
said that volunteerism was a big part
of her upbringing.
“In my family, it was just
automatic. We always, always, always
gave back,” Charles said. “It was a
great way to understand and know
your community.”
From a young age, Charles was
always surrounded by the arts, both
in her own home and wherever she
traveled. Her family was always
taking trips to museums and galleries
as her father taught her their value in
learning about a community’s history
and culture, which is a primary reason
for her love and involvement in
Marblehead’s art community today.
“To live in a coastal town where
there’s so many amazing artists, I
wanted to volunteer,” she said.
Now, her focus is to improve and
expand the festival to reach as many
people as possible. That goal began
at last year’s festival, with a number
of new events and activities being
implemented. A 5K run and walk was
added, in addition to Chalk this Way,
which aimed to incorporate a streetart
element to the festival.
By adding more events containing
various forms of art, Charles is hoping
to provide different avenues for a
more broad and diverse audience to
enjoy.
The festival also partnered with
local business Hestia Creations
to create a scavenger hunt where
nonprofits partnered with artists to
paint orbs that were then hidden
along the trails in town, which when
found, taught people about the various
organizations, generating more traffic
and publicity on their websites.
Those additions are just some of
STAFF PHOTO | SPENSER HASAK
the ways that under her direction,
Charles is hoping to bring in new
ways of thinking to allow for events
to evolve to reach all demographics.
“It brought the community together,
young and old. So for me, it’s all about
how do we sit there and make this
festival for everyone of all ages, all
sizes, all ethnicities,” Charles said.

2023 | 9
VIRGINIA FISKE
NAHANT
By Vishakha Deshpande
Item Staff
At 105 years old, Virginia Fiske
is a living testament to Nahant’s
enduring spirit.
A World War II veteran, Fiske’s
journey has been one of resilience,
service, and a deep connection to
the coastal town that she once called
home. Although she now resides in
Chelsea, her heart remains in Nahant,
where she spent more than 50 years in
her Karolyn Circle residence.
Fiske’s ties to Nahant trace back
to her summers spent at her family’s
beach home, a tradition that began
during her upbringing in nearby
Everett. The allure of the ocean
and the charm of Nahant eventually
drew her to the town permanently in
1961. It was a decision fueled by her
husband’s pursuit of a career in the
restaurant business, anchoring the
couple in the oceanside community
that would become an integral part of
their lives.
“There’s nobody else in our
family,” her son Lew told The Daily
Item. “My brother’s passed on and I’m
just by myself. It’s hard sometimes,
but you have to make the best of it.
I’m fortunate to have my mother. Not
too many people have that.”
Enlisting in the Women’s Army
Corps at 24 in 1942, Fiske embarked
on a service journey during World War
II. Her dedication to her country and
her love for Nahant would later weave
a unique tapestry of experiences that
define her legacy in the town.
“Some of the service people found
out my information. They called
me, and I said yes, I would go along
with it,” Fiske told The Daily Item
previously. “At the beginning of my
service, I was working in the Everett
National Bank, and then when I
retired from the army, I went back to
the bank for a couple of years, and
that was it.”
In her retirement years, Fiske found
a new calling in the heart of Nahant,
working for Town Assessor Sheila
Hambleton at Nahant Town Hall
in 2002. Being the town’s longestliving
veteran, Fiske embraced the
opportunity to contribute to the
community that had become an
intrinsic part of her identity.
“She’s a spitfire, let’s just say,”
Hambleton, a longtime friend, told
The Daily Item. “She keeps asking
me to bring her more work (to do
at home), and she loves to go out to
dinner. She’s Italian — fully Italian
— and she makes very good Italian
meals.”
Fiske’s story is a living chronicle
of Nahant’s history intertwined with
STAFF PHOTO | SPENSER HASAK
her journey of love, service, and
community. As she looks back on her
105 years, Fiske continues to be a
beacon of inspiration for both Nahant
and Chelsea, leaving an indelible mark
on the landscapes she has called home.
“None of us know how much longer
we have,” she said.

10 | PERSONS OF THE YEAR
HENRY BRECKENRIDGE
PEABODY
By Charlie McKenna
Item Staff
When Henry Breckenridge died
tragically on Wednesday, July 19,
2023, it seemed all of Peabody came
to a screeching halt.
The 40-year-old police officer
was beloved — not just within the
department or at Bishop Fenwick
High School, where he was a star
athlete, but everywhere in the city and
especially in its schools. Breckenridge
had a special bond with the city’s
youth, and it’s only fitting his name
will live on forever at the West
Elementary School playground.
Breckenridge, Essex Media
Group’s 2023 Person of the Year for
the City of Peabody, was “quite an
amazing kid,” remembered Police
Chief Tom Griffin.
“I knew he was doing some
community work, but when the
tragedy happened, all the people that
came forward… it was amazing,”
Griffin said, adding Breckenridge
served on the force for a relatively
short time, just eight years. “For him
to impact so many people in that short
a time is incredible.”
But Breckenridge didn’t serve
the community to garner any sort
of recognition. He did so because,
simply, it was the right thing to do.
And he loved Peabody. And Peabody
loved him.
At Breckenridge’s wake in July,
Griffin recalled the service lasting
“four solid hours” as more and more
people recalled stories and memories
of Henry.
“A 40-year-old kid to have that
many people come out … you usually
see that when someone’s been around
for a long, long time,” Griffin said.
“This kid made such an impact.”
Henry’s mom, Charlotte, said
she hasn’t gone anywhere in the
past seven months without someone
coming up to her to talk about her
son. She remembered him as a “big
kid” who loved everybody and tried to
do his best.
“We thank everybody for giving us
the strength and the knowledge and
the heart to continue his fight… to do
well, to get people to be good to each
other,” Charlotte said, fighting back
tears.
She said those who knew Henry
had different stories to share,
memories from differing areas of his
life.
Mayor Ted Bettencourt, who
coached Henry in Little League, said
he left an “amazing legacy of kindness
and dedication to our community.”
“He will always be remembered,”
Bettencourt said.
To ensure Henry’s memory, a
scholarship fund was named in his
honor — one that Griffin said is doing
“quite well” — and his portrait still
hangs on the wall of the police station.
When asked for a story that
summed up her son, Charlotte recalled
a time when her husband and two
sons, Henry, then just two years old,
and Robert, an infant, were locked
out of the house when her husband
loaned his brother his car. When her
husband discovered he was without
his keys, he wiggled open the window
to Henry and Robert’s bedroom on the
first floor, managing to squeeze young
Henry in with instructions to let his
father and brother in.
But Henry had other plans.
The night before, Charlotte had
baked a cake, which remained on the
kitchen table. And so, looking at the
kitchen table, then back at the door,
young Henry sat down and began
eating the cake rather than opening
the door.
“That’s the kid,” Charlotte said
with a chuckle.
Henry also loved to cook,
influenced by his grandparents, trying
out different recipes and passing
them around at family gatherings —
even making his father jealous by
outdoing his sweet potato pie, adding
a chocolate crust to satisfy Charlotte’s
love for chocolate.
“That’s Henry, trying to remember
what you liked and what you didn’t like,”
she said. “Always a smile on his face.”

2023 | 11
Peabody
Mayor Edward A.
Bettencourt, Jr.
Would like to congratulate all
the 2023 Persons of the Year!
Peabody - Henry Breckenridge
Lynn - Magalie Torres-Rowe
Lynnfield - Craig Stone
Marblehead - Jodi-Tatiana Charles
Nahant - Virginia Fiske
Saugus - Gene Decareau
Swampscott - Elizabeth Smith
and Andrea Amour
2023 ESSEX MEDIA GROUP
PERSONS OF THE YEAR
Congratulations to all the
2023 Persons of the Year!
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Congratulations to all the
2023 Persons of the Year!
Peabody - Henry Breckenridge
Lynn - Magalie Torres-Rowe
Lynnfield - Craig Stone
Marblehead - Jodi-Tatiana Charles
Nahant - Virginia Fiske
Saugus - Gene Decareau
Swampscott - Elizabeth Smith
and Andrea Amour
2023 ESSEX MEDIA GROUP
PERSONS OF THE YEAR

12 | PERSONS OF THE YEAR
Congratulations, Gene, having you
in Saugus is a WIN for everyone.
100 Salem Turnpike, Saugus, MA 01906
WINWASTESAUGUS.COM
37 Tremont St. and 79 Lynnfield St.
Peabody • 978-531-5767
Luso-American.com
Congratulations to Andrea and
Liz on their tireless work to
advance the mission and vision
of Save King's Beach.
2023 ESSEX MEDIA GROUP
PERSONS OF THE YEAR
Congratulations to all
of this years Winners!!
Peabody - Henry Breckenridge
Lynn - Magalie Torres-Rowe
Lynnfield - Craig Stone
Marblehead - Jodi-Tatiana Charles
Nahant - Virginia Fiske
Saugus - Gene Decareau
Swampscott - Elizabeth Smith
and Andrea Amour
2023 ESSEX MEDIA GROUP
PERSONS OF THE YEAR

2023 | 13
GENE DECAREAU
SAUGUS
By Charlie McKenna
Item Staff
While Gene Decareau might be
94, he isn’t letting that fact slow him
down — now or ever.
The lifelong Saugonian is a
member of the town’s retirement
board, a post he has held for more
than a decade, and joined the Lions
Club well before even that, roughly 55
years ago. And he still donates to the
food pantry every week, though he no
longer drops the food off himself.
“My philosophy on life is very
simple,” he said in a recent telephone
interview. “You don’t worry about
anything because worrying makes
you sick, it doesn’t help you. What
will be, will be… you might as well
understand that… and be happy and
keep busy.”
And keep busy Decareau does.
On his birthday in November,
Decareau taught a class at the Senior
Center, instructing a group on how
to make popovers. An avid baker,
Decareau said he would make a pie
for someone who wrote a $50 check to
the Lions Club, noting that every cent
donated to the organization for charity
actually goes to charitable efforts.
Decareau credits his volunteer
spirit to his mother, who despite
raising nine children in the throes
of the Great Depression, always had
a seat at the table for anyone who
walked through her front door.
“During the Depression, everybody
helped everybody else because
nobody had anything,” Decareau said
in a recent telephone interview. “I
was taught up to always help others
so that’s why I do what I do. I just try
to help people. I enjoy doing it. And I
hope they enjoy me helping them.”
Though he added quickly, “they
think I’m a pain in the tush for sure.”
Despite his age, Decareau said he
takes no medications, and while he
has his “aches and pains,” he remains
in good health. His secret? He eats a
banana every day.
Decareau’s wit remains sharp, too.
When asked what keeps him going,
Decareau, who has been married to
his wife, Arlene, for 77 years, said,
“My wife wants to know that too.”
Arelene Decareau added that “he has
a lot of energy.”
But, on a serious note, Decareau said
he feels it’s his obligation to help others.
“I enjoy working with people,
STAFF PHOTO | EMMA FRINGUELLI
that’s just who I am,” he said. “It’s
nice to help others.”
“I’ve been involved in that town
and the community ever since I can
remember,” Decareau added. “It’s a
great town. I love Saugus.”

14 | PERSONS OF THE YEAR
ANDREA AMOUR AND ELIZABETH SMITH
SWAMPSCOTT
By Benjamin Pierce
Item Staff
Andrea Amour and Elizabeth Smith
are the founders of the Save King’s
Beach movement.
The beach, which consists of a mile
of shoreline shared by Swmapscott
and Lynn, is the endpoint of a storm
drain that often empties out sewage
during heavy-rain events due to
built-in overflows, which act as relief
points by releasing excess flows into
the nearest body of water.
For Amour, it all started with
a Facebook post in the popular
community group “Swampscott Nest”
in July 2021.
“I’m newer to town, but I’ve
seen WAY too many posts about the
water safety about King’s Beach, and
I’d like to do something about it,”
Amour’s post read.
Amour moved to Swampscott in
2020 to be close to the water, as she
and her husband are avid kitesurfers.
When the level of pollution became
clear to her, she decided to take
action.
“I was enraged,” Amour said.
“There was no obvious signage about
the sewer outfall. No town staff or
pedestrians stopped me to tell me that
my family was playing in sewageinfested
waters. I expected the town
to protect my family’s health and
I felt deceived by the total lack of
transparency.”
Smith got on Amour’s radar during
one of the meetings Amour held at her
home.
“Liz showed up to one of those
meetings with a giant binder,” Amour
recalled. “I remember feeling both
intimidated and impressed by her
level of knowledge — she could rattle
off dates of specific events and knew
all of the sewer infrastructure lingo
better than anyone who’d ever shown
up before.”
A Swampscott resident since 2015,
Smith also grew an affinity for King’s
Beach as her home was also in close
proximity. Amour’s “Save King’s
Beach” Facebook group appeared in
her feed in September 2021, and she
immediately became an important
figure in the organization.
“I started to research the history of
Stacey’s Brook and how sewage has
flowed into Nahant Bay for over 100
years. I read the 2015 consent decree
between the Town of Swampscott
and the Environmental Protection
Agency and researched meeting
minutes of the Swampscott Select
Board and Board of Health,” Smith
said. “I contacted DEP, EPA, and the
state Department of Public Health and
spoke with experts to learn the laws
and regulations that are supposed to
protect the users of King’s Beach.”
With the help of state Sen. Brendan
Crighton and then-state Rep. Lori
Elrich, Save King’s Beach helped
award Swampscott and Lynn $2.5
million each towards fixing sewer
infrastructure. 2023 had no shortage
of positive developments for the
duo and their supporters. Amour
noted how their efforts influenced
Swampscott to allocate funds for
phase two of sewer upgrades that will
help clean up Stacey’s Brook. Amour
and Smith also formed an official
leadership team in 2023, made up
of 12 people from both Swampscott
and Lynn. Amour and Smith both
highlighted the raised awareness for
the danger of the adjacent Fisherman’s
Beach as one of their most important
accomplishments of 2023.
“This past summer, Save King’s
Beach requested the public release
of EPA Consent Decree sewer work
updates. In the latest report, we
saw staggering bacterial counts
at a Fisherman’s Beach outfall —
sometimes 1000x the safe limit for
saltwater swimming,” the pair wrote
in a joint statement.
They are still spreading the word
about the current state of Fisherman’s
Beach, as they feel Swampscott’s
leadership has not done an adequate
job on notifying the community about
STAFF PHOTO | EMMA FRINGUELLI
the potential danger.
In September, more than 40
members of the organization picketed
on Lynn Shore Drive to raise
awareness. Amour and Smith plan on
additional similar picketing events in
2024.
When it comes to being recognized
as Swampscott’s People of the Year,
both Amour and Smith said that
it validates their belief that they
can make a difference. They also
expressed gratitude that even more
attention will now be focused on
an issue they feel is so important to
Swampscott.
“I want to extend my sincere
gratitude to the hundreds of folks
in our community who’ve gotten
involved through speaking up to
stakeholders, wearing a T-shirt,
sharing your support at Farmer’s
Market, or following our Facebook
group. Your support and positivity
keeps our momentum going and will,
one day soon, result in a swimmable
King’s Beach,” Amour said.

2023 | 15
We would like to congratulate
the 2023 Essex Media Group
Persons of the Year!
Brendan Crighton
State Senator
3rd Essex District
Bradley Jones
State Representative
20th Middlesex District
Donald Wong
State Representative
9th Essex District
Jenny Armini
State Representative
8th Essex District
Dan Cahill
State Representative
10th Essex District
Pete Capano
State Representative
11th Essex District
i

CONGRATULATIONS
Peabody - Henry Breckenridge
Lynn - Magalie Torres-Rowe
Lynnfield - Craig Stone
Marblehead - Jodi-Tatiana Charles
Nahant - Virginia Fiske
Saugus - Gene Decareau
Swampscott - Elizabeth Smith
and Andrea Amour
2023 ESSEX MEDIA GROUP
PERSONS OF THE YEAR
Charlie Gaeta, Tyrone Brown, Magnolia Contreras,
Paula Mackin, Kirirath Saing, Ted Smith, Rick Starbard
James M. Cowdell, Executive Director
jcowdell@ediclynn.org • 781-581-9399