Excitement stirred at Duratti-Holmes-Cerone Field Wednesday over 12-year-old Jake McIntire's pitching. Jake allowed no hits and no walks in a complete game victory over the Indians, 6-0. The 12-year-old threw 66 pitches over 6 innings, striking out 13 of the 18 batters he faced. Coach Pete Inzana said Jake did a great job mixing and locating his fastball and knuckle-curve.  The team did its best to back their pitcher in the field and keep quiet in the dugout about the unfolding drama. "And once, when one of our players did mention it, I just put my finger to my lips and he then knocked on …

  The Swampscott Middle School students glimpsed orange fish wriggling below the pond's dark surface and announced an idea. The idea was something like this: let's drive the goldfish toward shore and fish them out with long-handled nets and rope-strung buckets. Wednesday, last week, the six Environmental Club kids' ideas resulted in splashes but no fish. But through trial and error they are determined to capture the goldfish. Middle school teacher Elizabeth Rogers regularly uses the pond to teach science lessons. Her 6th and 7th graders recently discovered that someone had released large …

Four Swampscott High honors physics students spent three days at MIT learning about laser light and acoustic wave generation in thin films.   Two of those days were during April vacation. A third day was rescheduled due to the bombing incident, so the students finished their experiments on May 12, said Swampscott High science teacher Jill Sewell, who provided the information for this article. Jill is in charge of the high school/university connection at MIT and works there every summer on experiments for high school students to encourage them to pursue the science and engineering field in the…

The memorial service for Byron "Bob" Foucht, long-time and beloved music teacher in the Swampscott schools who passed away on Feb. 7, will be held Saturday May 18, 10 a.m. at the First Church in Swampscott.As part of the service, five former students will perform the world premiere of a jazz arrangement created by a sixth student in Mr. Foucht's honor — the Swampscott Marching Band's signature "On Wisconsin."David Bondelevitch (SHS '81) says the idea for the arrangement came during discussions about the memorial. "Perhaps my happiest times in high school were playing in the stage [jazz] band…

The Swampscott Yacht Club is inviting the public to celebrate its 80th birthday with an open house, special discount memberships, birthday cake, raffle, refreshments and guest vendors.    Hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be served on May 11 between 1 and 4 p.m. and a cash bar will be open. The Swampscott Recreation Commission and the Swampscott Harbormaster will be on hand to answer questions. In addition, local maritime-related businesses, such as West Marine in Marblehead and Ocean House Surf, the new stand-up paddle board rental and retail outfit on Humphrey Street, will also have …

Here is Q & A with Swampscott hockey enthusiast Molly Conner. Molly, president of the Swampscott Historical Society, has loved hockey since she was 6 years old. She was a pioneer on ice, lacing up skates at a time when very few girls played the sport. She also has a history of playing for winning teams. Back in the day she played for a team called the Polar Bears, and competed in the national championship. Her hockey odyssey continued at the University of New Hampshire where in 1990-91 she played on the Women's ECAC Championship team. Back in 2010, she played in Detroit in the Women's B …

  On April 26, Stanley School students in grade 3 and 4 enjoyed the return of the PTO Cultural Arts Program "Kites for Kids."    Sea Side Kites, Inc. from Hull, came back for their annual kite day.   The students created their own kites and then had perfect weather for a day of flying kites on the field.     This article and the accompanying photos are courtesy of Maureen Caron.

  In nearby Boston, an army of technicians, agents and officers continue to assemble bits and pieces of evidence they hope will yield clues to solve the bombings that killed three and maimed and injured scores of innocent victims. In Swampscott, Tuesday, 50 people including five local spiritual leaders came forth to gather light and seek peace and healing in a broken and dark time. First Church Swampscott Pastor Ian Holland hosted an interfaith prayer service. The gathering sought solace for those who suffer, for Boston and for themselves. Pastor Holland, Rev. Thomas Rafferty and Rev. Wallace…

At the intersection of Cherry and Essex streets there is a boulder dedicated to Abednego Ramsdell, killed at the battle of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775.Abednego and his friend Joe Richards were duck hunting at what is now the Palmer Pond area, located by Phillips Beach.On their return they met Joe's father and learned of the rider who came through Swampscott with the news that the British were marching on Lexington and Concord.Abednego returned home — on the site near the boulder at Essex and Cherry — grabbed his musket and a ration of Indian bread and was off to join the fight.He …

The Clarke School children pointed to and then touched ceramic pieces they had added to the mosaic.  There, on their school hall wall, 25,000 tiles made a large, colorful scene — children sailing on an adventure. Many hands were on deck for the mosaic making. Mom hands, dad hands, and, mostly, kid hands. The entire school, k-4, was involved, under the direction of artist Joshua Winer, said fourth graders Isla Herring and Anna Nazarenko.  Each person placed about 83 tiles, they said. Isla especially liked sticking the tiles in place. Classmate Elizabeth Green liked making the boat with its …

  Ella Parker is forging ahead in her mission to gather shoes and clothes for kids who need them. Swampscott's representative to the governor's Project 351 has rallied her middle school classmates to make signs and spread the word: "Please donate new and gently used clothing and shoes for children up to age 12." The Spring Greening clothing drive will run at the Swampscott Middle School from April 1st to April 11th. Donors can drop shoes and clothes in a box in the school lobby. Ella and her helpers will sort donations and deliver them to Cradles to Crayons, a program that outfits children in…

  Swampscott High senior Jackie Thomsen brought home a sixth-place finish in the state Poetry Out Loud competition. In the finals, 23 students recited poems at the Old South Meeting House in Boston on March 10. They had learned their poems by heart and were scored on their presentations. "We are tremendously proud of her," said Holly Flanagan, a SHS English teacher. "As a senior who has participated in POL for four years, and all-round student who embodies SHS' Core Values of both academic and civic/social expectations, Jackie is well-deserving of this accomplishment." This was Jackie's …

  The open screen door and ice cream cone sign hanging outside Popo's Friday signaled two things for the Humphrey Street landmark: spring is upon us and Popo's is open. Actually, the restaurant has been open since March 9 — a welcome sign for hot dog aficionados and ice cream lovers. Store Manager Jackie Coppola said Popo's/Kell's Kreme is serving a relatively new product — it was introduced late last season — called Dole Whip. It tastes like a soft-serve sherbert and is lactose/gluten/fat/cholesterol-free. Jackie said customers have been asking for lactose-free and gluten-free products so …

  Last month's reported sighting of a "coywolf" — a coyote-wolf hybrid — in North Andover unleashed speculation about whether such a creature pads Bay State forests and streets. Some wildlife officials hold that Massachusetts coyote are just that — coyote; while other biologists maintain the eastern coyote is a hybrid of the western coyote and eastern wolf.  Whatever they are, sightings of the animals are reported from time to time in Swampscott. Town Animal Control Officer Diane Treadwell doesn't know enough about the biology of the animals to have a position on whether they are a wolf-…

  Senior Jackie Thomsen won the Swampscott High School Poetry Out Loud Competition on Wednesday, Feb. 13th, and will represent SHS for the second time in the state competition. She will compete on Sunday, March 3rd at the Cape Cod Cultural Center in S. Yarmouth at 1 pm. Jackie will recite "Hysteria" by Dionisio D. Martinzez and "The Statesman" by Ambrose Bierce.   Wednesday evening was a strong demonstration of poetic poise, articulation, dramatization and talent among the 13 students. Olivia Forman was runner-up and Anna Hunt came in third place. The English Department is proud of the …

  Jackson Park Project's Kevin Donaher enjoys a sunny winter afternoon at the park even as he looks forward to spring. Regardless of the season, Jackson Park will be a place for people to exercise, play and enjoy, he says. On Sunday, high school students, parents and their young children slid down the park's hills, newly covered with snow.

  In a briefing at Town Hall late Thursday DPW Director Gino Cresta explained the department's game plan for responding to the storm. He also stressed the importance of people staying off the roads once the storm hits. Sign up for Swampscott Patch’s daily newsletter, “like” us on Facebook and “follow” us on Twitter to get news, blogs, announcements and events. Want to share your opinions with your community? Start your own blog here.

  I read in the paper that the Walt Disney “Snow White” movie is seventy-five years old.  That item triggered this happy memory from my childhood. My parents went from Dennisport, on Cape Cod, to Brooklyn, New York, for the wedding of my Aunt Sunny and Uncle Gil.  It was 1939.  New York was a very long drive and they’d never before left the four of us kids, who were all under twelve years old, in the care of others, for a whole week. But Aunt Sunny was Mother’s beloved younger sister and this was a very important occasion. While in New York, our parents went to see the Rockettes perform and …

  Selectmen are scheduled to vote next week on a proposal to name the Upper Jackson track after Dave Whelan, a parent and Swampscott schools supporter who died in September. Dave's wife, Jean, his son, Trevor, and former Swampscott track coach Dom Finelli were in the audience Wednesday when School Committee member Marianne Hartmann presented the proposal to selectmen. Dave Whelan was a former School Committee chairman, town treasurer, track supporter and tireless advocate for Chapter 70 education funding for Swampscott. He spent some of his best days at the Upper Jackson track watching the …

  This article was submitted by Anne Driscoll. The Swampscott Yacht Club is hosting its next Fish Tales from the Fish House lecture entitled “Lobsters vs. Cod” by Jon Grabowski, a professor and researcher from the Marine Science Center of Northeastern University in Nahant. Grabowski will give a public talk on January 23 at 7 p.m. at the Fish House in Swampscott about two of the most treasured seafood species of coastal Massachusetts and Maine and their interactions with each other. This is the fifth community lecture since Fish Tales from the Fish House lecture series was launched on May 2 …