01907 Spring 2019

IN THIS EDITION 

For the love of 

Swampscott 

Stepping Stones 

for Stella 

Patsios building 

a legacy 

Draft 

king 

$5.00 | SPRING 2019 | NO. 15

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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 

Community Relations Director 

Carolina Trujillo 

Controller 

Susan Conti 

Editor 

Roberto Scalese 

Contributing Editors 

Cheryl Charles 

Emma LeBlanc Perez 

Contributing Writers 

Bill Brotherton 

Gayla Cawley 

Bella diGrazia 

Thomas Grillo 

Thor Jourgensen 

Steve Krause 

Bridget Turcotte 

Photographers 

Spenser Hasak 

Owen O’Rourke 

Advertising Sales 

Ernie Carpenter 

Ralph Mitchell 

Patricia Whalen 

Advertising Design 

Trevor Andreozzi 

Mohamed Diop 

LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER 

TED GRANT 

Todd, Todd, Todd 

In the 15 years I lived in 01907, one of my favorite pastimes was stopping at Phillips Park on the way 

home from work and watching the Frank DeFelice-coached Big Blue baseball team play. I sat on a bench 

in the outfield that was at least a Jeff January blast away from home plate but, for those few innings, life 

was good. 

One of the couple hundred players I watched was Todd McShay who, before he became the 

preeminent authority on the NFL Draft (sorry, Mel, Todd’s better) was a pitcher/first baseman on 

Swampscott’s 1993 state championship team (even if DeFelice will never let him forget who was 

responsible for the “1” in that squad’s 24-1 record). 

McShay was a good enough baseball and football (QB on a Super Bowl team) player to have been 

selected for induction into the SHS Hall of Fame this year. Draftniks might argue he should someday 

be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame for his immense contributions over the last 15 years. 

The Entertainment and Sports Programming Network — you might know it as ESPN — bills itself 

as the "Worldwide Leader in Sports." It has not only changed the dynamic of how sports is reported 

and presented on television, it has spawned its own stable of stars and personalities (I'm partial to 

Mike Greenberg, Neil Everett, and Sage Steele). 

You can include McShay on that list. His shtick with fellow draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. has become 

such a staple that comic/impressionist Frank Caliendo made it part of his routine (delivered, 

appropriately enough, on ESPN). "Todd! Todd! Todd! Todd!" 

During bowl season, you'll see McShay on ESPN often. And with draft season upon us he is 

ubiquitous. 

McShay's days during his busy seasons do not seem to end. He told our Steve Krause just how busy 

those days get, and how much he values the few months of down time he has once draft season has 

ended but before the college football season revs up again. 

This, the 15th edition of 01907, is heavy into sports -- but, then again, we are talking about the Land 

of the Big Blue. 

Joe Caponigro grew up when the Big Blue mystique was at its zenith. And he loved all of it, from 

Swampscott Little League to Pop Warner to basketball. He played baseball competitively well into his 

40s. He coached at Lynn English for 13 seasons. (One of the players he groomed over that time was 

Ben Bowden, who was on the mound and pitching for the Colorado Rockies during spring training.) 

Joe’s long journey home is complete. He will coach his first baseball game for the Big Blue in April. 

Again, Steve Krause — in sticking with the sports theme, our MVP (most versatile player) — has the story. 

Some may describe Jackson Katz as an anti-domestic-violence advocate, but he also deals with issues 

of gender violence, or gender-based violence, including sexual assault. Katz (himself a former three-sport 

athlete at Swampscott High) seeks to change peer culture to encourage men to speak up against and 

prevent domestic violence, sexual harassment and sexual assault against women. Gayla Cawley has the story. 

When Charlie Patsios breaks ground later this year on a $500 million transformation of the vacant 

former GE Gear Works property off the Lynnway into a new neighborhood, complete with its own 

commuter rail stop, it will be his second major project in two years. Not bad for someone who never 

intended to be a builder. Thomas Grillo has the story. 

Also, check out Thor Jourgensen's story on For the Love of Swampscott; Bridget Turcotte's trip 

across the causeway for a look at the Nahant-Northeastern University squabble over NU's proposed 

expansion; and Bella diGrazia's take on fashion. 

In the meantime, you'll have to excuse me. It's time for SportsCenter (and a few Law & Order reruns). 

Design 

Tori Faieta 

ESSEX MEDIA GROUP 

110 Munroe St., 

Lynn, MA 01901 

781-593-7700 ext.1234 

Subscriptions: 

781-593-7700 ext. 1253 

01907themagazine.com 

INSIDE 

04 What's up 

06 Stepping Stones 

08 Draft king 

10 Style 

12 House Money 

14 Building blocks 

17 Sliding into home 

22 Local Flavor 

23 Town vs. Town 

26 Speak up 

28 Tennis wonderland 

30 Uniting through art 

32 For the love of... 

34 Nahant vs. Northeastern 

36 A day in the life 

02 | 01907

04 | 01907 

Yoga for EveryBody 

WHAT: An Iynegar-inspired yoga 

class with Stacie Nardizzi, from 7:15- 

8:20 p.m., at $17 per class. The class 

will focus on precision, alignment, 

and self-empowerment. 

WHERE: ReachArts, 89 Burrill St. 

WHEN: Every Monday 

Sipping on a good read 

WHAT: An afternoon book club 

that serves tea and a discussion of 

"The Music Shop" by Rachel Joyce, 

beginning at 1 p.m. 

WHERE: Swampscott Library 

WHEN: March 19 

WHAT: A discussion, over tea, of 

"The Trust" by Ronald H. Balson, 

from 1 - 2 p.m. 


WHEN: April 16 

Time for a TEDTalk 

WHAT: A monthly meeting to 

help the community at large stay 

on top of social, political, and 

cultural issues, from 7 - 8 p.m. For 

the month of March, the topic will 

revolve around the concept of body 

image. 



A "Blyssful" Mind 

WHAT: Crayola Tidd, a certified 

mindful meditation teacher, will 

teach a class about the art of 

mindful meditation, from 7 - 8 p.m. 



Poetry Open Mic Night 

WHAT: The Tin Box Poets will 

hold their annual open mic event 

from 5:30-8:30 p.m. The annual 

event draws poets from all over 

to North Shore and encourages 

them to share their work. 


WHEN: April 1 

WHAT'S UP 

Rainbow Reads 

WHAT: A reading group for adults 

who identify as, or are allies of, 

the LGBTQIA+ community, from 

7 - 8 p.m. Members read books 

that discuss characters within the 

community and the issues they 

deal with. For the month of April, 

discussions will revolve around "If I 

Was Your Girl" by Meredith Russo. 


WHEN: April 2 

Open for talent 

WHAT: Larry Power and Lee Eric 

Freedman host a free open mic 

night for spoken word and musical 

performances, from 7 - 10 p.m. 

Featured performer will be Blaine 

Hebbel, a poet and publisher. 

WHERE: ReachArts, 89 Burrill St. 

WHEN: April 5

Summer at the J Camp 

is the place to be this summer! 

AMAZING CAMPS FOR TODDLERS TO TEENS! 

at the jj 

Join us for a Summer filled with 

Sunshine and Fun! ! 

REGISTER AT JCCNS.ORG 

Use the code 01945-01907-Mag 

to get an additional 5% discount! 

Pay in full by March 17 th for the 

10% 

EARLY BIRD 

DISCOUNT. 

Pay in full by April 22 nd for the 

5% 

EARLY BIRD 

DISCOUNT.


stepping stones for 

S 

T 

E L 

L 

A 

PHOTO: OWEN O'ROURKE 

The 

Puzzo 

family 

has 

inspired 

a 

community 

sStella Puzzo, a student at Clark 

Elementary, munches on an after-school 

snack of Pepperidge Farm Goldfish. 

"How was class today?" asks the reporter. 

"Boring," she replies, then laughs. 

Seems like any other 9-year-old. But 

Stella was born with spastic diplegia 

cerebral palsy, a neurological condition that 

permanently affects muscle control and 

coordination. 

Stephen and Nicole Puzzo, who grew 

up in Springfield and Norwell respectively, 

were living in Charlestown when Stella 

was born. "It changed our world. The 

BY BILL BROTHERTON 

first couple of years were emotional and 

challenging," says Nicole. "Her big sister, 

Chloe, who's 12, deserves so much credit. 

It wasn't easy for her; she spent a lot of 

time with babysitters while we spent a lot 

of time with doctors." 

Close friends lived in Swampscott and 

the beach-loving couple fell in love with 

the town during visits. Upon learning 

that the town offers integrated preschool, 

meaning Stella would be in the same 

classroom as able-bodied kids, the couple 

decided to raise their family here. They 

moved in 2011. 

Nicole says Stella "is a strong-willed 

little girl" who loves to be independent 

and is comfortable and confident in her 

own wheelchair and walker. She's also a 

lucky girl, because her loving family has a 

strong support system. That support system 

has now helped numerous other families 

— 510 and counting — navigate life's 

challenges. More on that later. 

Nicole's "very handy" father, John Banda, 

has an engineering background and since 

Stella was born has "invented" several items 

to make life easier for the family. One day, 

Banda watched Nicole struggle on the way

to the beach, carrying Stella in a baby sling 

while pushing Chloe in a carriage and 

juggling myriad beachgoing items. 

"He developed a buggy out of PVC 

pipe, with big tires, that allowed us all to go 

to the beach. It was a game changer," says 

Nicole. "It moved over the rocks at Preston 

Beach with no problem. Dad found a way 

to make everything easier for me." 

Four local families saw the buggy and 

approached Nicole at the beach, asking 

where they could buy one. Of course, it was 

one-of-a-kind and unavailable. 

The Puzzo clan realized many families 

could benefit, so papa Banda, newly retired, 

and a friend fine-tuned his invention and 

personally made more than 100 buggies, 

10 at a time. That led to the founding of 

Stepping Stones for Stella, a 501(c)(3) 

nonprofit organization whose mission 

is to provide buggies to children with 

disabilities to ensure they and their 

families experience the joy and freedom of 

the great outdoors to its fullest. 

To date, 510 buggies have been 

delivered at little or no charge to families 

across the United States and Portugal, 

where the family of a boy Stella's age 

requested one and found it to be a 

godsend, the first of 13 buggies sent to 

Portuguese families. Puzzo said buggy 

requests come in daily. 

The cost of a fully adapted buggy is 

nearly $550, depending on its size, add-on 

components and shipping requirements. 

Insurance will not cover the cost, deeming 

it a luxury. They are now manufactured in 

Indiana. 

The program is supported mainly 

through financial donations made to the 

Stepping Stones for Stella organization. 

Donations come from many sources, 

including buggy recipients, if financially 

able. Lack of the ability to make a 

donation does not alter eligibility to receive 

a buggy. Physical need is the only criterion. 

Since 2013, more than $130K has been 

raised through a variety of fundraising 

events, corporate donations and small 

donations. 

The 4th annual 5K Freedom Run and 

Walk (1 mile) to raise money for Stepping 

Stones for Stella will take place at 9 a.m. 

on June 16 at Temple Emanu-EL, 393 

Atlantic Ave. One hundred percent of 

event proceeds will be allocated to the 

production and shipment of buggies to 

families across the country. 

Nicole says the efforts of board 

member Melissa Stern, who serves as event 

manager, and Ashley Steeves of High5Em 

have helped make the race a success. 

John and Eilene Grayken have hosted 

two successful fundraisers, one in 2017 at 

their penthouse in Boston, and 2018 at 

their home in Cohasset. NESN also offers 

support by promoting the charity during 

Red Sox games; it also held a successful 

volleyball tournament in 2016 on Long 

Beach in Nahant. 

Dozens of glowing testimonials are 

shared on the Stepping Stones for Stella 

Facebook page. A couple of examples: 

"We are so lucky, I am so thankful for 

organizations like yours! My sweet 

daughter just played in the sprinkler for 

the first time because of your beach buggy. 

I can't wait to take it on a trip and allow 

her to experience things I could've never 

imagined before. Thank you!" and "Today 

my girl got to enjoy the beach for the first 

time! It is one of my favorite places in the 

world to be and a big part of my childhood 

that I can now share with her! If it wasn't 

for Stepping Stones for Stella this would 

not even a possibility! Thank you, thank 

you, a million times thank you!!" 

To learn more about Stepping Stones 

for Stella, please visit http://www. 

steppingstonesforstella.org/ 

212 HUMPHREY STREET, 01907 

WWW.KATSBOUTIQUE.CO 

781-593-0300


Todd McShay 

is one of 

the worldwide 

leaders 

BY STEVE KRAUSE 

Todd McShay has two jobs at ESPN. 

And just when the pace for the first one 

reaches its tipping point, his second one 

kicks in. 

The buildup for that is steady until 

the first week of April, when it explodes 

and he barely has time to think. 

But the 41-year-old Swampscott 

native also understands that even though 

he has goals he'd still like to reach, his 

status as one of ESPN's foremost college 

football and NFL draft experts already 

places him at what most people would 

consider a career pinnacle, and he's fine 

with that. 

"There was a time," he said, "when I 

thought I might want to move over to 

a personnel position, with a National 

Football League team. But people I've 

talked to tell me I'm crazy. 'Don't do it.'" 

McShay understands why. 

"I see what some of my friends do," 

he said, "and they're worked long and 

hard, and put in long hours, and they've 

done great work. Then, because some guy 

gets hurt and the team doesn't do well, 

he gets fired. 

"I want to continue doing this," he 

said, "There are still goals to reach." 

"This," in McShay's case, is being a 

college football expert for ESPN, and 

the job takes two shapes. The first, which 

runs from August through the beginning 

of January, involves being a commentator 

on college football games. This requires 

him to travel extensively, week to 

week, study film on the various teams 

participating, and be ready when the time 

comes to do games with Steve Levy and 

Brian Griese. 

"It's the same most every week," said 

McShay, who lives in the South End 

with his wife, Loren, and children Alaire 

and Tate. "I meet the players and coaches 

on Friday and then do the games on 

Saturday. 

"But," he said, "I also talk to coaches 

about the players in the country and take 

notes on them." 

Naturally, McShay has an opinion on 

January's national championship game, 

in which Clemson defeated Alabama 

handily (44-16). 

"I was really surprised," he said. 

"That was the only result that would 

have surprised me. I wouldn't have been 

surprised if Alabama went on a roll and 

won by a couple of touchdowns. And I 

wouldn't have been surprised if Clemson 

pulled off a win. But this (blowout by 

Clemson) surprised me." 

Football has always been a big part of 

McShay's life. He was the quarterback 

for the Big Blue, and graduated from 

a class that also produced Todd Kline 

(his best friend), chief commercial 

officer for the Washington Redskins; 

Peter Woodfork, senior vice president 

of baseball operations for Major League 

Baseball; David Portnoy, founder of 

"Barstool Sports;" and Matt O'Neil, 

owner of the Blue Ox restaurant in Lynn. 

After graduating from high school, 

McShay went to the University of 

Richmond as a walk-on. He made it onto 

the scout team, but hurt his back and as a 

result had to stop playing. 

But he wanted to stay involved with 

the team, so he learned how to break 

down film from the coaching staff. 

And that last bit of education has 

served him well. He went on to work 

for a scouting bureau that specialized 

in projecting the NFL draft (do not

call him a "draftnik," because he hates 

the term), and when the company was 

absorbed into ESPN, there he was, 

paired with Mel Kiper Jr. 

And if you're wondering, McShay 

says he and Kiper have a very good 

relationship. Still, Google the Frank 

Caliendo skit on how the two relate on 

camera. 

After the national championship 

is settled, McShay switches into draft 

mode. And that's really when life begins 

to pile up on him. 

"It's a long process," he said. "It's 

crazy. Through March, I'm mostly 

locking myself in a room and watching 

tape, except for the Senior Bowl (in late 

January), and the NFL scouting combine 

(February) and some pro days. 

"The rest of it is just watching tape 

until about April 1," he said. "Then, I get 

a hotel room near Bristol (Conn., home 

of ESPN's headquarters). I might get 

home for a day and a half, on weekends, 

and get some stuff done. But otherwise, 

it's five days a week, at least. And 

they book the schedule so tight it's in 

15-minute increments. 

"I'll get up and work out at 4:30 

in the morning, shower, dress and get 

over to the studio," he said. "We can go 

through 8 or 9 o'clock at night. It's so 

hectic during the day that they assign 

a producer to me solely to manage the 

schedule, and brief me as I'm going from 

one studio to the next. It's constant." 

If you've followed the process at all, 

you know that McShay does a mock 

draft leading up to the actual event, 

which this year runs from April 25-27. 

It's an imprecise science, but McShay 

points to a couple of predictions over 

the years on which he was unusually 

prescient. 

"The (Tom) Brady draft was my first 

draft," he said. "I said in 'Sporting News' 

that he was a third-round pick, and 

that he was the most underrated person 

in the draft. That helped get me some 

recognition." 

Brady was eventually famously picked 

in the sixth round. 

He was also high on Russell Wilson, 

who is now the starting quarterback for 

the Seattle Seahawks, and who won a 

Super Bowl in the 2013 season. 

"I gave him a late second, early third 

(he went in the third round). That was 

one of the few where I got to spend some 

time on him, had a feeling that he was 

going to be special." 

On the other hand, there's JaMarcus 

Russell (Oakland Raiders). Just about 

everyone whiffed on the 2007 top pick, 

including McShay. 

"I learned a valuable lesson there," he 

said. "I learned how important relationships 

are. I trusted the wrong people. I was pretty 

young, and I was burned. 

"I liked Blaine Gabbert ( Jacksonville 

Jaguars No. 1 pick in 2011) a little too 

much," he said. "I got caught up in the 

fact that he had one good game — a 

bowl game." 

Once the draft is over, that's when 

McShay finally gets to wind down. 

"My message box goes from 

overflowing to crickets," he said. "I 

finally shut it down in July, and spent the 

month with my family in Nantucket." 

But then comes August, preseason 

football camps begin, and before he 

knows it, another season is on the 

horizon. And the fun begins anew. 

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STYLE 

The weather is 

warmer and the 

sun is shining. 

That means it's time 

to switch up your 

wardrobe. Stay on 

trend with spring's 

most influential 

essentials. Whether 

you want your daily 

dose of denim or a 

scent of floral print, 

there is a look for 

everyone this season. 

BY BELLA diGRAZIA 

PHOTOS BY 

SPENSER HASAK 

"Saylor" Marina 

Chatham floral 

dress $228 

Available at Chic Streets, 

434 Humphrey St. 

Cluster flower pearl 

stud earrings $175 

Available at Kat's Boutique, 212 Humphrey St. 

"Weill" cloudy blue 

hand-stitched flower 

blouse $210 


"Free People" 

ivory sunflower 

crop top $128 



"Saylor" 

tweggy 

Chatham 

floral top 

$185 

Available at Chic 

Streets, 434 

Humphrey St. 

"Fallon & Royce" plastic mini 

tote with clutch straps $98 

Available at Chic Streets, 434 Humphrey St. 

"Surf Gypsy" 

white eyelet romper $58 


"Fallon & Royce" cream 

quoted clutch $68 


blossom into 

SPRING

SPRING 2019 | 11 

Pearl Drop faux Cheetah 

fur earring $36 


Everyday pearl 

necklace with 

magnetic clasp $260 

→ Available at Kat's Boutique, 212 

Humphrey St. 

"Free People" 

Westminster blue 

denim skirt $50 



"Free People" 

high-rise washed 

out indigo denim 

$98 

→Available at Chic Streets, 


when in doubt, 

WEAR 

DENIM 

"Free People" 

Sparrow denim 

skirt $68 

→ Available at Chic Streets, 


"Blaire" button 

denim tie dress $65 


"Farrah" crop white 

flare denim $125 


Spanx medium was 

distressed denim $128 


"Carmel Sol" baby blue 

rubber studded crossbody bag $185 

Available at Chic Streets, 434 Humphrey St.


HOUSE MONEY 

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MAGGIE SLAVET

A peek inside 

267 Humphrey St., Unit 2 


SALE PRICE: $1,650,000 

SALE DATE: April 10, 2018 

LIST PRICE: $1,799,000 

TIME ON MARKET: 

269 days (December 11, 2017) 

LISTING BROKER: 

Mitch Levine, Sagan Harborside 

Sotheby’s International Realty 

SELLING BROKER: 

Francene Amari Faulkner, 

LAER Realty 

LATEST ASSESSED 

VALUE: 

$1,967,400 

PREVIOUS SALE PRICE: 

$1,950,000 (2017) 

PROPERTY TAXES: 

$31,478 

YEAR BUILT: 

2016 

LOT SIZE: 

Condominium 

LIVING AREA: 

2,996 square feet 

ROOMS: 7 

BEDROOMS: 3 

BATHROOMS: 2, plus 1 half 

SPECIAL FEATURES: 

This new home in Swampscott 

Village features sweeping ocean 

views of Swampscott Harbor, 

Nahant and Boston’s skyline, 

deluxe chef’s kitchen, high 

ceilings, direct elevator access, 

four wall-mounted TVs, remote 

control window treatments, wide 

oak floor throughout, and a twocar 

garage. 

Source: MLS Property Information Network.


BLOCKS 

BY THOMAS GRILLO 

Charlie Patsios never planned to become a builder. 

But when the 59-year-old Swampscott resident breaks 

ground this year on a $500 million transformation of the 

vacant former General Electric Co. Gear Works property into a 

new neighborhood, complete with its own commuter rail stop, 

it will be his second major project in two years. 

Charlie Patsios 

stands on the 

land that he 

is developing 

behind the 

Lynnway in 

Lynn. 

PHOTO: 

SPENSER HASAK

Help save the last 

undeveloped headland 

between Boston and Gloucester 

Photo Credit: Dave Morin 

East Point, Nahant. A rugged finger of land that juts out into the Atlantic surf. Beloved by visitors for its soaring 

cliffs and spectacular views that stretch for miles in every direction, it is an important habitat for migratory birds, 

home to wild animals, butterflies, bees and other pollinators. 

Today, East Point is under threat from Northeastern University (NU). For decades the University has operated a 

small Marine Science Center at East Point, with an unobtrusive campus that integrates neatly within this quiet, 

residential community and the state’s smallest town by land area. 

As part of an aggressive expansion program, NU now plans to construct a 60,000 square foot building at East 

Point, a structure nearly twice as big as the largest existing building in tiny Nahant. Parking lots for hundreds of cars 

will further scar the land, traffic will increase greatly, and the burden on public infrastructure is one Nahant cannot 

sustain. Not only will unique natural habitat be destroyed, but the character of our town will forever change. 

The concerned citizens of Nahant have come together to preserve this precious and wild open space. In an open 

letter, 1,700 residents, representing 60% of the adult population, asked Northeastern to reconsider its expansion 

plans, to no avail. 

We need your help. 

If this permanent loss of the North Shore’s open space concerns you, please write to Ralph C. Martin, Senior Vice 

President and General Counsel for NU at r.martin@northeastern.edu, or call his office at 617-373-2157. 

Thank you for your support. 

Visit our website www.KeepNahantWild.org to learn more. 

Keep Nahant Wild Movement is a part of The Nahant Preservation Trust, Inc., an all-volunteer, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) 

qualified-charitable organization.


Not bad for the Massachusetts Bay 

Community College graduate who 

designed, sold, installed and serviced 

home security systems for more than 30 

years before switching careers. 

Shortly after he sold his company, 

Atlantic Alarms, to Wayne Alarm 

Systems in the mid 1990s, he became a 

national account manager for Tyco Fire 

& Security. And he discovered real estate 

almost by accident. 

That's when he spotted a shuttered 

Ohio gas station for sale for $550,000. It 

was the perfect location, he thought, for 

a fast food restaurant, so Patsios made 

an offer and signed a purchase and sale 

agreement. 

"At the last minute, the seller decided 

not to sell," he said. 

"It turned out Home Depot had 

announced it was opening a store nearby, 

which would bring lots of customers to 

the area," he recalled. 

When Patsios explained he had a deal 

to close in 30 days, the seller offered him 

$200,000 to go away. 

"I told them to mail the check and 

thought, hey, this real estate business is 

really good," he said. 

After depositing the check, Patsios 

directed his attention away from security 

and to real estate in Swampscott. He 

paid $275,000 for a dilapidated twofamily 

home at Humphrey Street 

and Commonwealth Avenue that he 

renovated and sold at a profit. 

His next transaction would be a gamechanger 

for him and for the city of Lynn. 

While working as a commercial real 

estate broker when the GE Factory of 

the Future was selling its vacant parcel 

on Western Avenue, he saw several deals 

crumble. When potential buyers, including 

the Lynnway Auto Auction and Prime 

Energy walked away, Patsios stepped up. 

"Those sales fell through because 

GE was concerned about liability from 

contaminants on the site," he said. "I 

knew if I were sensitive to their concerns 

and could calm them, they would take 

my offer." 

And they did. 

Patsios bought the 16-acre property 

in 2013 for $4 million. Last year, the 

abandoned parcel became a $25 million 

Market Basket supermarket offering low 

prices for residents and competition to 

Shaw’s, Stop & Shop and PriceRite. 

Today, Patsios still owns the real 

estate and leases the site to Market 

Basket for an undisclosed price. 

But perhaps the biggest project of 

his career is underway near the General 

Edwards Bridge, at the gateway to 

Lynn. 

When completed, the complex is 

expected to feature 1,260 apartments, 

boutique retail, restaurants, a gym and 

new roads within walking distance to 

bike trails, beaches and the T. 

Patsios paid $7.6 million in 2014 

to purchase the parcel from GE. His 

team has been working to win approvals 

from the Conservation Commision, the 

city’s Inspectional Services Department 

and the Massachusetts Department of 

Environmental Protection. 

"Somerville used to (be) 

Slummerville, Charlestown was the place 

where bank robbers came from, Seaport 

was just a collection of railroad tracks, 

and Mission Hill was a place to avoid," 

he said. "It's all changed. And Lynn is no 

different. This is Seaport North." 

James Marsh, Lynn's community 

development director, said Patsios is one of 

a few developers who are investing in Lynn 

and seeing it as the next place to develop. 

"The Market Basket site, the Munroe 

Street apartment company and the 

Beacon Chevrolet site have been gamechangers 

for Lynn," he said. "When 

GE's Gear Works takes off it will make a 

huge difference to the city." 

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SLIDING INTO 

HOME 

Joe Caponigro is having a ball 

BY STEVE KRAUSE 

Calling Joe Caponigro a prodigal son who has returned home wouldn't be quite 

right — though in a sense it is. 

Caponigro, 58, grew up in Swampscott, and played basketball and baseball for 

the Big Blue. Baseball is his No. 1 love, however, and one of the town's enduring 

legends — Frank DeFelice — was firmly established as the varsity coach for the Big 

Blue. And there was no way Caponigro was going to change that. 

So he waited. He helped out DeFelice with the sub-varsity, helped establish the 

North Shore Baseball League team now known as the Swampscott Sox, ran clinics, 

ran an indoor baseball facility with Marblehead coach Mike Giardi, and finally, in 

2004, went outside the town and succeeded another legend — Ron Bennett — as 

baseball coach at Lynn English. 

If you're thinking that's quite an apprenticeship, you'd be correct. But all's well 

that ends well. As of this spring, Caponigro is back in town, and will be sitting in the 

home dugout in April when the Big Blue play their first game. 

"Growing up in town, I always wanted to play for the Big Blue, and always 

wanted to coach," Caponigro said. "So, I'm honored and thrilled to have this 

opportunity." 

Caponigro spent the early part of his childhood in East Boston, and moved to 

Swampscott when he was 9. From there, he went through the town's sports system, 

playing Little League baseball, Pop Warner football and town basketball. He rubbed 

elbows with the likes of Al Cerone, Frank Kelliher, Peter Beatrice, Andy Homes, 

and Al Durati. Like many athletes from Swampscott, Caponigro bled blue. 

"I remember as a kid going to those games, especially football," he said.

Joe Caponigro is the new 

head baseball coach of 

Swampscott High School. 

PHOTO: SPENSER HASAK 

SPRING 2019 | 19


"I watched all those guys — Dick Jauron, 

Mike Lynch, Danny Losano, Sandy 

Tennant — and that's what you wanted to 

do. You wanted to play Big Blue sports." 

He never got the chance to play football, 

though. He broke his leg when he was 12 

playing Pop Warner, missed eight weeks 

of school, "and my parents wouldn't let me 

play after that. 

"It bothered me for a while," he said. 

"But I got jobs in the fall. Plus, I was a 

pretty good student." 

He played baseball at every level in 

Swampscott, including Senior Babe Ruth 

(there was no American Legion team when 

he played), and his coach was former Fire 

Chief Bill Hyde. 

"In those years," he said, "like a lot of 

kids, I used to get summer jobs with the 

town. For some mysterious reason, I got 

stationed at the firehouse the summer I was 

playing Senior Babe Ruth." 

Caponigro, who works for Panakio 

Adjusters in Lynn, bided his time in the 

Swampscott system until the English job 

opened up. He took a stab at it, and felt he had 

a good interview with then-principal Andy 

Fila. 

He took over the program in the spring of 

2004 and coached his final game there in the 

Nipper Clancy Tournament two years ago. 

While at English, Caponigro had the 

privilege — as he called it — of coaching lefthanded 

pitcher Ben Bowden, a second-round 

draft choice of the Colorado Rockies in 2016. 

Bowden's pedigree was solid. His 

uncle is Derek Dana, a former St. Mary's 

baseball player who was a catcher in the San 

Francisco Giants system. 

"He was an eighth-grader when I met 

him, through Derek," Caponigro said. "I 

was pretty sure he'd be going to St. Mary's 

with his uncle (who is the school's baseball 

coach), but instead, he said 'I'm going to 

play for you'." 

"I knew right away he was a legitimate 

pitcher," said Caponigro. "He just looked 

like a Division 1 player. He had good 

baseball acumen, and he progressed every 

year with pitching, hitting and fielding." 

As a junior, Bowden pitched a perfect 

game against Marblehead. 

After finding out from Bowden that 

he wanted to play in the Southeastern 

Conference, Caponigro reached out to 

Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin, who returned 

his call almost immediately. 

"I still remember it," said Caponigro. "I 

was driving. Tim says to me, 'You know, I 

get lots and lots of these calls every year.' 

I said, 'I'm sure you do. But you haven't 

gotten one from me up to now.' 

"That must have hit a note with him," 

Caponigro said. "Thankfully, it all worked 

out." 

Did it ever. Bowden ended up pitching 

in two College World Series finals, 

one of them resulting in a Vanderbilt 

championship. 

While all this was going on, the baseball 

situation in Swampscott was growing more 

and more fluid. DeFelice departed amid 

controversy and rather than get involved 

in it, Caponigro stayed away. He stayed 

at English as T.J. Baril and then Jason 

Calichman coached the Big Blue. 

But when Calichman was promoted to 

principal of the middle school three years ago, 

Caponigro felt it was finally time to make 

his move. He resigned the English job after 

the 2017 season, sat out last year, and was 

appointed when Calichman decided he could 

no longer devote the time to coaching. 

So, after all these years, Caponigro 

has come full circle. And not only has he 

acquired a wealth of experience coaching, he 

has a keen understanding of the role parents 

can play. He was the parent of a high school 

soccer and basketball star at Swampscott — 

his daughter Jaymie. 

"As a coach myself, and knowing what 

the difficulties are, you respect the coaches 

and their individual styles," he said. "I used 

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to just sit by myself, away from everyone 

else. I'd hear things, but I never wanted to 

get involved. I was just there as a parent, to 

watch my daughter." 

Coaching also runs in his family — 

sort of. His wife, Kelly, a teacher in the 

Lynn school system, is the sister of Bishop 

Fenwick hockey coach Jim Quinlan. 

He'll have the pleasure of coaching 

his son, John, this spring; and his older 

daughter, Katie, played field hockey, both at 

Swampscott and Bentley University. 

Through his journeys, Caponigro has 

realized that baseball his his passion, and so 

is coaching. 

"I just love the game," he said. "I love 

the fact that something can happen every 

time the pitcher throws the ball, and that 

you have no idea what it is. There's the 

potential for something special to happen 

every time. 

"And to be honest, one of the biggest 

honors I think I could ever have is to have 

someone who I've coached come up to me 

and simply call me 'coach.' That is the ultimate 

respect to me. You want to be a good person, 

to help mold people, be a friend and a mentor, 

and be someone kids can look up to. Calling 

me 'coach' means I've accomplished that."


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BY BELLA diGRAZIA | PHOTO BY SPENSER HASAK 

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comfort food comes to an end (for most people). Satisfy your hunger 

grumbles with light, healthy foods that still pack a flavorful punch. 

Mission on the Bay, 141 Humphrey St., is serving up 

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TOWN 

MARBLEHEAD 

VS. 

TOWN 

SWAMPSCOTT 

19,808 

$689,500 

$11.02 per $1,000 

$110,025 

$15,359 

97 percent 

70 percent 

23 percent 

Population: 

Median home price: 

Residential tax rate: 

Median income: 

Per pupil expenditure: 

High school graduation rate: 

Residents with a four-year 

degree or higher: 

Number of residents 

65 or over: 

15,177 

$580,000 

$15.20 per $1,000 

$105,169 

$16,442 

95 percent 

55 percent 

15 percent 

Sources: The Warren Group, Massachusetts Department of Education, U.S. Census Bureau, the towns of Marblehead and Swampscott. 

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S P E A K 

UP 

Jackson Katz has an enemy: 

domestic violence 

Swampscott native and activist Jackson 

Katz has worked to change peer culture 

and encourage men to speak up against 

domestic violence, sexual harassment and 

sexual assault against women. 

Katz, 58, lives outside Boston with his 

wife, Shelley Eriksen, and their 17-yearold 

son, Judah Katz. He has a PhD from 

the University of California, Los Angeles 

(UCLA) and speaks across the country 

on issues of gender, race and violence. 

Some may describe Katz as an antidomestic 

violence advocate, but he also 

deals with issues of gender violence, or 

gender-based violence, including sexual 

assault. 

Katz started his signature program, 

the Mentors in Violence Program 

(MVP), in 1993 at Northeastern 

University's Center for the study of 

Sport in Society, while he was a student 

at the Harvard Graduate School of 

Education. 

Being a former three-sport varsity 

athlete — football, basketball and track 

— at Swampscott High School, he 

wanted to create a program that would 

train male college student-athletes to 

speak out about domestic violence, 

homophobic bullying, and sexual 

harassment and assault. 

Katz said the sports culture was 

important to start with, in terms of 

encouraging men who already have some 

stature and respect from other men to 

BY GAYLA CAWLEY 

speak out about those issues. Men may 

have been policed into silence, wanting 

to fit in. 

"This isn't just about helping men 

speak out about bad things men are 

doing to women," Katz said. "It's also 

helping men to develop stronger skills 

and ethical decision-making skills, to 

be better human beings themselves 

and to be healthier. The same system 

that produces men who abuse women 

produces men who abuse men and 

themselves. 

"The same system that produces 

a college student who rapes a college 

student produces a Wall Street 

(employee) who harasses a female 

colleague and produces a man who 

shoots himself in the woods. It's about 

power, abuse of power." 

MVP has since been implemented 

across the country. In 1997, Katz created 

and directed the first system-wide 

program in the military. Today, four 

major military services and the U.S. 

Coast Guard either directly run the 

program or one version of it. 

The program was the first in the 

field of sexual assault to introduce the 

bystander approach, Katz said, which 

works to go beyond the victim and 

perpetrator and focus on the bystander, a 

friend or colleague in many cases. 

For instance, it's about challenging 

a friend who tells a rape joke, or a 

Jackson Katz (left), an anti-domestic 

violence advocate, sat on the same 

panel as the Dalai Lama at the 

University of Northern Iowa in 2010 

PHOTO COURTESY JACKSON KATZ 

colleague who makes a sexualized 

comment about a new female colleague, 

by not laughing along and telling him 

it's not cool. The approach is not about 

intervening, but rather about changing 

the social norms that underlie abusive 

behaviors, or trying to change the 

cultural attitudes and beliefs that lead 

some men to act that way. 

"We need men who are willing to 

challenge and interrupt other men who 

are acting up in disrespectful or abusive 

ways toward women," Katz said. "A lot 

of guys will say, 'This is not my problem. 

Other guys abuse women, but I'm a good 

guy.' We need to raise the bar for what 

it means to be a good guy. To say 'I'm 

not a rapist' is not good enough for me. 

You need to treat women with respect or 

you're not going to get respect from me." 

Men's sexual entitlement to women's 

bodies has become normalized, Katz 

said, and that speaks to a deeper problem 

in society. It's more comforting for 

people to think of the perpetrator as 

someone sick or disturbed, rather than 

someone normal, which is typically 

the case. But he said the question then 

becomes what does it mean to be normal 

in society, which the bystander approach 

aims to address.


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Katz said he became interested in 

engaging more men in addressing the 

problem, because it became clear to him 

as a sophomore at the University of 

Massachusetts Amherst that women had 

been at the forefront of speaking against 

sexual assault. He said men's voices and 

leadership were missing. 

Today, he said, there are a lot more 

men doing this work than there were 

when he graduated high school in 

1978. But there's still work to do. It's 

a complicated picture, as there's a lot 

of positive things happening, but some 

discouraging things happening at the 

same time, he noted 

"It's real tricky terrain right now," 

Katz said. "There's been a backlash 

against the #MeToo movement. A lot 

of men feel under attack. Women have a 

voice they've never had in history. Men 

have always been doing these things to 

women but (women) have never had the 

forum to talk about it and now they do. 

Men feel they've been unfairly targeted. 

"There's also men who are very 

supportive of what's been happening. 

They know they're part of a culture that's 

very toxic and I think they see this as a 

constructive moment." 

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SERVING 

A NEW TENNIS WONDERLAND 


The first tennis match in the United 

States was played on a sprawling lawn in 

Nahant in August 1874. Dr. James Dwight 

discovered the game while traveling in 

England after graduating from Harvard 

and brought equipment back to his 

aunt, Mrs. William Appleton. She had 

no interest in tennis, so Dwight and his 

cousin, Fred R. Sears Jr., set up a grass 

court on the estate's grounds and decided 

to give it a go. 

For the rest of the summer, wealthy 

young Brahmins in Nahant played tennis 

on Mrs. Appleton’s lawn. By 1876, enough 

people had taken up the game to have a 

tournament. 

And, thanks to Nahant Country Club 

Tennis, the game continues to flourish in 

town on four clay courts and two platform 

courts available to members and the 

public at modest fees. Today, the courts are 

located on the grounds of Nahant Country 

Club, a separate business entity known for 

its historic setting, wedding receptions and 

special events, instead of Mrs. Appleton's 

luxuriant lawn. 

For years, Staten Island, N.Y., boasted 

that American tennis began there, when 

Mary Outerbridge brought a tennis set 

back from Bermuda. But Bud Collins, the 

acclaimed tennis writer known for wearing 

frighteningly colorful trousers, researched 

the matter and said it was hogwash: 

Nahant was definitely first. 

"We (Nahant Tennis) are actively looking 

for members," said Peter Foukal, tennis club 

president. "We admit anyone who wants to 

play; you do not have to live in Nahant. The 

four clay courts are a real find, the equal of 

courts at any private club." 

Player annual tennis fees for those 

signing up before June 1: Individual (age 

18-30), $200; Individual (age 31 and 

older), $295; Family (up to age 64), $395; 

Senior Family (with anyone 65 and older), 

$300; Junior (younger than 18 without 

an adult), $75; Senior (age 65-74), $200; 

Super Senior (age 75 and older), $75. 

Introductory tennis fees, for new players 

only: Individual (age 18 and up), $200; 

Family (adults or with children older than 

15), $300. Some fees increase by $25 after 

May 31. It is open to the public for modest 

fees, as well. 

Platform tennis fees, for those signing 

up before Nov. 14: Individual (age 25 

and older), $200; Family (adults or with 

children over 15), $300. Introductory 

platform fees, for new players: Individual 

(age 25 and older), $100; Family (adults or 

with children over 15), $150. 

"The raised platform tennis courts 

extend the season," said Foukal. "They 

are open year-round, are lighted and are 

heated to help melt the ice and snow. The 

clay courts are generally open from May 

through October. It's an all-volunteer 

effort. The largest portion of membership 

dues goes toward maintaining the clay 

courts." 

There's also a new warming hut that 

can accommodate eight to 10 people. "It's 

a magnet for people who enjoy sitting and 

having a hot chocolate or a beer," said 

Foukal. 

Foukal said the addition of a second 

platform court and construction of the 

warming hut "owes much to the hard work 

and perseverance of John Falat and of the 

immediate past president, Sandy Burton." 

Karen Falat, a longtime member, said 

Nahant Country Club is "an important 

community asset" with its sports facilities 

open to the public for modest fees. The 

magnificent granite-fronted clubhouse 

was built in the 1870s by Frederick Tudor, 

the Ice King, who harvested ice, stored it 

in Nahant, and shipped it to the South. 

Tudor was also a big planter of trees, after 

Nahant was deforested by Lynn farmers 

who transported their cows to the island 

for grazing. 

The property was acquired by the New 

Nahant Land Company in 1962, allowing 

town residents to keep the property away 

from developers. Nahant Country Club 

was formed at the same time to preserve 

the tennis courts. Both Nahant Tennis and 

Nahant Country Club are lessees. 

A youth tennis camp is run each 

summer for two months, providing


instruction four days a week, again for 

modest fees. 

Tennis pro David Altshuler offers 

lessons, as does pro Dmitri Vlassov of 

Marblehead, who is director of the summer 

youth program, which was formerly run by 

Brit Lombard. Membership includes three 

current coaches of local high school tennis 

teams: Nina Rogers (Swampscott girls), 

Mike Flynn (Revere boys) and Foukal's 

wife, Elisabeth (Marblehead boys). 

The Foukals and their children moved 

to Nahant in 1980 and joined the tennis 

club immediately. "We have all enjoyed 

the club and have formed many lifelong 

friendships. It's a congenial environment, 

and the kids picked up on the junior 

program right away." 

For details and membership information, 

go to www.nahanttennis.org or call 781-816- 

3035. 

Opposite page: Rainer Bauder plays platform tennis 

in Nahant. 

Above, Rainer Bauder, Elisabeth Foukal and Peter 

Foukal use the warming hut at the Nahant platform 

tennis courts. 

PHOTOS: OWEN O'ROURKE


UNITING 

THROUGH 

R T 


The impressive two-story building at 

89 Burrill St. had been vacant for some 

eight years. Built in 1885 as a singlefamily 

home, it survived an early fire and 

went on to serve as the Leon Abbott 

American Legion Hall until 1980 and 

then as the town's senior center until 

September 2007. 

It then sat empty, totally neglected, 

until the town's arts community saw 

its potential and came together as 

ReachArts, a non-profit group of artists 

and residents working to create a cultural 

hub in Swampscott. 

David Shear, director and vice 

president of ReachArts, said, "The whole 

idea is to create a community. I love the 

internet, but people need people." 

The group signed a lease with the 

town to rent the property, at a cost of 

$1 per year. The goal is to restore the 

building and turn it into a space for 

artistic expression, creative learning and 

community functions, a place where 

Swampscott artists will be able to gather, 

teach, perform, create and exhibit. 

Work began in 2016, and a ribboncutting 

was held on May 6, 2017. The 

ReachArts community center was up and 

running. 

"The Marblehead Arts Association 

and its Hooper Mansion are among our 

models," said Shear, a retired attorney. 

An artist specializing in abstract 

expressionism with a studio gallery in 

Boston's South End SOWA complex, 

Shear, said his volunteer job includes 

being in charge of the building. And 

David Shear, the director and vice president of ReachArts 

in Swampscott, stands at the entrance to the building. 

PHOTOS: SPENSER HASAK AND JIM WILSON


during a recent tour, it's evident this 

3,500-square-foot structure can be 

something special. 

Shear said the state approved a 

three-year variance for use of the entire 

building while ReachArts raises funds 

for a $400,000 renovation budget that 

includes installing an elevator ($200,000) 

to make the place handicappedaccessible. 

Right now, only the basement 

gallery is handicapped-accessible. 

Another big-ticket item is a $70,000 

sprinkler system. 

A new boiler and heating system has 

already been installed on the lower level. 

"Three years from now, I envision 

we have a paid director and the entire 

building will be open, beautiful and 

vibrant. Programming through the 

building will be every day. It will be a 

real community center focused on the 

arts, where people meet each other, get 

together, cross-pollinate and become less 

isolated," said Shear. 

There are four rooms on the first 

floor, including the "Fireplace Room," a 

cozy space where writers' workshops and 

meetings are held. Currently there are 

" 

The whole idea is to create a 

COMMUN I TY. 

I love the internet, but people need people. 

DAVID SHEAR, director and vice president of ReachArts 

also yoga and meditation events, drawing 

classes by Tereza Swanda and "The 

Artist's Way" course led by Laura Smith. 

Open mics, hosted by Larry Power and 

Lee Eric Freedman, are held monthly, 

usually on the first Friday. 

A multi-cultural event with food and 

music, and wine and cheese, is planned 

for spring and is designed to attract 

families and children, said Shear. 

ReachArts Pg. 35

They're spreading 

LOVE 

around town 

BY THOR JOURGENSEN 

For the Love of Swampscott is 

off to a running start in 2019 

to build on its four-year track 

record of promoting goodwill 

and encouraging town unity. 

"This town always shows up," said 

Board President, Diane O'Brien. 

Founded in 2015 with its website 

proclaiming a mission to " …bolster 

strong cohesive connection among 

our residents," the group completed 

its transition in spring 2018 from the 

organization's founding board to a new 

group of enthusiastic residents serving on 

the board. 

In addition to O'Brien, the board 

includes Vice President Cheryl Barker, 

Treasurer Erica Petersiel, Secretary 

Stephanie Paskievich, and members 

Casey Frein, Julie O'Donnell Lever and 

Jessica Todd. 

The board is a mix of secondgeneration 

residents like Frein, lifelongers 

like Petersiel and transplants like 

O'Brien, a Reading native who has lived 

in Swampscott for 14 years. 

Relative newcomer or townie, board 

members share the group's commitment 

to working with other Swampscott 

organizations to highlight the town as 

a place where people can forge strong 

neighborhood connections. 

The group's event-packed 2018 

activity agenda helped underscore that 

objective. For the Love of Swampscott 

sponsored a "For the Love of Baseball" 

outing at a North Shore Navigators game 

in Lynn and a summertime "unity fire" 

complete with four supervised beach fires 

and 300 s'mores. 

"It brought 500 people to Fisherman's 

Beach," O'Brien said. 

She said the "unity fire" was 

organized in part as a response to a 

concern that a town resident who had 

recently moved to Swampscott found 

it difficult to meet people in town and 

make social connections. 

The group helped celebrate the 

International Day of Peace recognized 

by the United Nations, Sept. 21, with a 

picnic complete with conversations on 

peace among adults and pinwheels for 

kids. 

"I think my 4-year-old thought it 

was cool and my 6-year-old got what it 

meant, including peacefulness for the 

community," Frein said. 

The group sponsored a fall festival 

featuring a 350-square-foot "jumpin'


pumpkin" bounce pad in Linscott Park, 

plus slime and a visit by town fire trucks. 

O'Brien said the festival defined the 

group's goal of engaging the community 

in a shared experience. 

"We want to make it as big as 

possible and our goal is to make a dollar 

more than we spend," she said. 

She said board members see 2019 as a 

year to collaborate with a variety of other 

Swampscott organizations to emphasize 

community and neighborhood unity. 

Petersiel and other board members 

share fond childhood memories 

growing up in tightly-knit Swampscott 

neighborhoods, with Petersiel 

riding bikes with friends around her 

neighborhood near the Marblehead line 

and Frein living in a tightly-knit Forest 

Avenue neighborhood. 

"There's that small-town feeling you 

can still get," Petersiel said. 

O'Brien said members don't 

take it for granted that every town 

neighborhood and street is filled 

with plenty of kids for playmates and 

residents who talk to one another. 

For the Love of Swampscottsponsored 

activities, especially ones 

launched in collaboration with other 

town organizations, are opportunities 

for neighbors to meet and residents 

from around town to discover shared 

experiences, backgrounds and goals. 

"I like everything about helping out 

the town and keeping love of the town 

alive," Frein said. 

Opposite page: From left, For the Love of 

Swampscott board members, Jessica Todd, 

Julie O'Donnell Lever, Cheryl Barker, Casey 

Frein, Diane O'Brien, and Erica Petersiel. 

Below, s'mores were a hit at the 2018 bonfire. 

PHOTOS: OWEN O'ROURKE


Nahant vs. Northeastern 

BY BRIDGET TURCOTTE 

The debate over whether Northeastern 

University should be allowed to grow its 

Marine Science Center on Nahant's East 

Point remains sizzling on the backburner. 

"At the moment, the town is focused 

largely on other issues and Northeastern 

isn't on the top of people's discussion 

points but it's an issue that hasn't gone 

away," said Attorney Jeff Musman, who 

was on the Northeastern University 

liaison committee before it was dissolved 

by selectmen last year. "The town remains 

opposed to any expansion there." 

Northeastern has proposed a 

60,000-square-foot expansion on its 

20-acre parcel. 

If approved, the project would be 

built into and atop the existing Murphy 

Bunker on Nahant's East Point. The new 

facility would add research and teaching 

space, the same activities the center has 

been engaged in since it opened in 1967, 

according to the school's website. 

But many Nahant residents have 

voiced strong objections to the 

plan. While they say they support 

Northeastern’s science programs, they 

cannot embrace the expansion, which 

some have called “an educational 

Walmart at East Point.” 

In public meetings, voters have let it 

be known they plan to stop any expansion. 

Last year, dozens of residents trekked to the 

school’s Boston campus to deliver nearly 

1,700 signatures from opponents, armed 

with signs reading "stop Northeastern 

expansion" and "Keep Nahant Wild." 

Keep Nahant Wild is a movement 

created under the Nahant Preservation 

Trust, which formed more than two decades 

ago to preserve the Valley Road School and 

later the Nahant Life Saving Station. 

Musman, also a board member, said 

it was activated again in its quest to 

preserve East Point. 

"We know that Northeastern's 

proposed development is not allowed under 

our existing bylaws and we hope to defend 

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that and we hope that the town joins us in 

doing that," said Mark Cullinan, a Nahant 

Preservation Trust board member. 

Opponents say they don't want the 

University developing on the waterside 

of the bunker and that a 60,000 

square-foot building is out of scale for 

the community, as it sits two times larger 

than the Johnson Elementary School and 

four times larger than any other building 

in town, said Musman. 

The total number of people at the 

facility will double if the project is 

brought to fruition, according to a 

written response by Northeastern to 

questions asked at a Dec. 11, 2018 Board 

of Selectmen meeting available on the 

town's website. 

At the meeting, three variations of 

building plans were presented. 

The number of faculty, technicians, 

and staff are proposed to increase from 

15 people to 30 and the number of 

students and interns would jump from 79 

to 158, according to the document. 

The proposed number of students 

includes 76 Ph.D students and 40 Master's 

and undergraduate students, interns, and 

Three Seas Program members. 

The campus has two classrooms, one 

in the Murphy Bunker and one in the 

trailers, and one small meeting room. 

There are no formal teaching labs at the 

facility. The proposal would result in three 

classrooms, the one that already exists in 

the Murphy Bunker plus two new lecturestyle 

classrooms. Each new classroom 

would serve an estimated 20-25 students. 

Courses would be expanded. 

Existing programs cover experimental 

design and statistics, marine invertebrate 

zoology and botany and oceanography. 

Under the plan, biogeochemistry, 

fisheries science, ecological and 

evolutionary genomics, and coastal 

dynamics would be added. 

There will be no cafe, food, retail, 

or auditorium space but two small 

kitchenettes are proposed. 

One variation of the proposal includes 

flexible classroom space that could be 

used for a meeting space for about 50 

people, according to the document. 

"Particularly important to our town 

— which you know is the smallest in 

New England and has one road to get 

in and out — is a development like this 

will have an enormous impact on our 

infrastructure," said Musman.


ReachArts continued from Pg. 31 

The main gallery occupies space in 

the basement, which will also house a 

recording studio and kitchen. The walls 

are currently decorated with folk art 

murals created about 30 years ago by 

students in the now-closed Machon 

School. Cooking demonstrations and 

classes are probable for the kitchen, 

when completed. 

Dance lessons and programs are 

planned for the upper floor ballroom, 

a gorgeous space featuring three lovely 

ceiling coffers. 

Shear said Jackie Kinney, president, and 

Ingrid Pichler, in charge of the galleries, 

are "a real driving force for our mission." 

Jake Lambert handles information 

technology/graphics and marketing. 

Cheryl Frary is the money expert. 

Leland Hussey, a contractor and 

longtime Swampscott resident, "has put 

his heart and soul and a lot more into 

this building," said Shear. "He's a big, 

big supporter." The impressive porch was 

donated by Paradise Construction. 

Shear grew up on Neighborhood 

Road in Swampscott. He spent 26 

years in Oklahoma City, where he 

and wife Heidi, who is ReachArts' 

David Shear, the director and vice president of ReachArts in Swampscott, sits in the Fireplace Room of 

ReachArts, which is used for meetings and a poetry club. 

program director, raised two children. 

When he retired as a lawyer for LSB 

Industries three years ago, they moved to 

Swampscott. 

"I've always been a lover of art," said 

Shear. "My mom ( Josephine) took me to 

the Museum of Fine Arts all the time." 

His paintings feature vibrant colors. 

And they're big. 

"Large to very large canvases, that's 

what I do," he said. "One was so large 

it wouldn't fit in my van, so I walked 

a half-a-mile from my gallery to a 

brownstone in the South End with the 

wind blowing like crazy. It was comical." 

His gallery is open the first Friday of 

each month and every Sunday. He tends 

to create in his home studio, though, on 

Ocean View Road. 

"I love Swampscott. It's a disability 

to live here; you can never move. It's 

beautiful and its residents are varied," 

he said. "Every time someone visits 

ReachArts, something good happens." 

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Brian Colantuno 

DELIVERS 

BY THOR JOURGENSEN 

For Brian Colantuno, it's all about the shoes. 

A United States Postal Service letter carrier working out of the Elmwood Road post office, Colantuno 

wears through an average of four pairs of shoes a year bringing the mail to Swampscott residents. 

You'll see him striding along in a pair of black Reeboks or Rockports or, in inclement weather, sensible 

boots. 

Twenty-two years on the job, Colantuno has come to call Swampscott his home away from home. People 

along his route count on the 43-year-old Salem resident for a friendly word or two or even a life-saving 

effort on Colantuno's part to save the family pet. 

Colantuno Pg. 38 

36 | 01907

A day in the life of a...


Colantuno continued from Pg. 36 

He prevented Joe Morales' Yorkie, 

"Chevy," from getting run over last 

November and Morales, a Spring Court 

resident, says greeting Colantuno is a 

highlight of his weekday. 

"I have about 10 people like Joe I 

talk to every day in the summer. You 

don't see people as much in the winter," 

Colantuno said. 

A letter carrier since 1996, Colantuno 

enjoys his customers' appreciation and 

employers' respect. Swampscott post 

office manager Antonio DePasquale said 

Colantuno ensures residents with at-home 

businesses get deliveries on time and that 

he is on time with scheduled pick ups. 

"He goes above and beyond to help 

customers," DePasquale said. 

Colantuno grew up, for all intents 

and purposes, in the postal service. His 

dad, Bob, was a letter carrier who worked 

Marblehead routes and Colantuno 

recalled how visits to the post office as a 

boy included rides around in the wheeled 

hampers carriers used to transport mail. 

Uncertain about he wanted to do for 

a career after finishing school, Colantuno 

didn't argue when his father urged him 

to consider following in his footsteps. 

PHOTO: OWEN O'ROURKE 

"He threw me in the car one morning 

and took me up to take the test. Hence, a 

career was born," he said. 

He has seen work on postal routes in 

Saugus and Lynn, but Swampscott and 

Colantuno have become a good match. 

"It's familiar, more stable. Singlefamily 

homes are a lot easier to deal 

with," he said. 

Working routes around town has 

allowed Colantuno to watch local kids grow 

up and introduced him to Swampscott 

quirks, including an Atlantic Avenue house 

with the unconventional mail box. 

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Above left, Joe Morales and his dog Chevy talk with Brian Colantuno. Brian recently saved Chevy's life. 

Above, Colantuno gets ready to set off on his route. 

PHOTOS: SPENSER HASAK 

"It's a four-pane window you open 

to slide the mail through — real old 

school," he said. 

A typical work day for Colantuno 

starts with "casing the mail" — letter 

carrier lingo for sorting and organizing 

delivery items — before loading his mail 

truck and starting his route at about 9 

a.m. 

The typical route with its 500 to 600 

homes is supposed to take eight hours 

to deliver but Colantuno said "a lot 

of variables" go into working a route. 

The holidays, with their onslaught of 

packages, threaten to overwhelm even 

veteran carriers like Colantuno. Weather 

is another complicating factor that 

requires planning. 

He drinks plenty of water during 

hot weather or cold and winter's frigid 

depths mean layering up, starting with a 

base of long johns and a turtleneck with 

a T-shirt, two sweaters and two coats 

piled on top. 

Weather and job demands aside, 

Colantuno said it is friendly Swampscott 

residents and his job's predictability that 

keep him delivering the mail. 

"I walk over the same crack every day 

at the same time," he said. 

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