Friday, May 18, 2012
Dr. Lawrence Block of the Board of Health would support a safe and sound Blocksidge Field renovation.
Two news stories were published on May 17 which made me think about how I hope the renovation plan to install artificial turf at Blocksidge Field progresses. The first report was that the Centers for Disease Control lowered the threshold for lead poisoning in children, from 10 to 5 mcg/dl. Overnight, the number of children in the US with lead toxicity doubled to 450,000 cases. Of course, there has never been a safe level of exposure to lead or to any other heavy metal; it just took until now for studies to prove such low levels to be toxic. Similarly, of the 80,000 chemicals approved for sale by the US government, few have been studied to demonstrate their long-term safety. Concern for possible lead (present in some artificial …
Sunday, May 13, 2012
How important are lists?
We are a culture obsessed with lists. We like when our child gets into a college on one of the many U.S. News and World Report top college lists. We like when our school system shows up in Boston Magazine’s best school list. We like when our school has top MCAS scores, sports championships and awards for art, drama, science and math. When we don’t make a list, we fret. What do we need to do to make it next time? What resources should be devoted to this goal? These are valid questions that should be examined. We also need to ask ourselves how important is the list versus the others things that we value? Do lists blind us to things that might be more important? For example, a friend, coming from a private middle school with a large drama…
Marblehead Patch columnist Brenda Kelley Kim talks about play dough, practice tests and paperwork.
“It is only the ignorant who despise education.” - Publilius Syrus This is true. Growing up, my parents were as serious as a heart attack about school. My father served on the school committee long before he ever had children. My mother put herself through private Catholic high school on her babysitting money because the public schools were, in her mind, “not going to get me where I wanted to be.” She wanted more than sewing class and glee club. Her school allowed her to take biology and physics instead and when she graduated, she joined the Navy as part of a flight-support crew. While neither of my parents went to college, they were both more educated than anyone I’ve ever known. When my oldest went to kindergarten, I was committed to …
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Thomas McEnaney tells stories through poems.
Each April Swampscott hosts a poetry contest for teens, named for Lee Golomb Cadiff, a local poet, and funded by her family. A collaboration of efforts go into making the competition work: Sandy Moltz, in her position of Teen Librarian, the English teachers at the Middle and High School, and the local Tin Box Poets, all contribute their time and effort to gather the poems and then to judge them. First prize comes with cold, hard cash — $100 for the High School winner, more money than many accomplished poets earn for placing a poem in a prestigious literary journal. Swampscott High junior Thomas McEnaney has taken first prize four years running. He won in the Middle School category as an 8th grader. As a freshman, he won first prize in …
Patch Columnist Brenda Kelley Kim talks about snapshots, snacking and sitting still.
“It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.” - John Cassis You know, at first I thought this quote was a little too trite. Then I left the house and became convinced that in much of my environment, the places I go, the people I run across, nice is in short supply. All out of nice? Yes, it’s entirely possible that the supply is dwindling to a dangerously low level. A friend joked about it once, but I think it’s happening. I thought maybe it was just here, around town. But it’s not. I know people all over the country, and they tell me the same thing. This isn’t a local issue; I’m convinced it’s national, if not global. What can we do? I wish I knew, it’s a hugely complex problem. And to be honest, I’ve had a fair amount …
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Newly elected School Committee member Ted Delano looks forward to serving the town.
I am honored that the residents of Swampscott elected me to serve on the Swampscott School Committee and look forward to being part of our children’s future. Swampscott is lucky to have so many dedicated individuals who serve on the many boards in town. I would like to commend Jackie Kinney for her dedication to the community. I think we should all recognize her for having the level of commitment and dedication to the community that serving on the committee entails. I would also like to thank the current members of the Swampscott School Committee and the School Administration, they have all have been most helpful and welcoming to me. I appreciate their kindness. During the campaign, many people reached out and offered their assistance…
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
New selectman looks forward to serving Swampscott.
I want to take a moment to thank the residents of Swampscott for electing me to the Board of Selectmen. Matthew Strauss ran a great campaign and I wish him my best in his future endeavors. During my campaign, I had the privilege to meet with many of our neighbors to discuss important issues affecting our town. In many cases, I was invited into their homes. This touched me greatly, and only reinforced my belief that Swampscott is a wonderful place to live and work. Swampscott may have six districts, but it is ONE town, and we all want the best for Swampscott's future. I look forward to working with my fellow selectmen and our new town administrator. Best regards, Glenn Kessler
What year was this photo taken? One guess per person. Enter your guess in the Leave A Comment box at the bottom of the page and hit submit. Be first to enter the correct answer and win a prize.
Then and Now asks when? What year was this photo taken? One guess per person. Enter your guess in the Leave A Comment box at the bottom of the page and hit submit. Be first to enter the correct answer and win a prize. Check back on Friday to see the answer and the winner. We'll also keep the Then and Now feature going by posting another image of a historic house or location on the following Monday. This contest is open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are 18 and older. To enter, just submit your answer in the comments section below. All entries must be received by midnight tonight, Eastern Time. Readers may only offer one answer per week. The winner will receive a $5 gift card to a local …
Monday, April 30, 2012
The former selectman expresses gratitude for the chance to serve the town.
To The Editor: I would like to thank the residents of Swampscott for giving me the opportunity to serve our town on the Board Of Selectmen for the past three years. It was an extremely rewarding experience and I am hopeful that my time on the board is viewed in a positive light for the town. I would also like to thank the 981 people that came out on election day and voted for me. The feedback and support that I have received from all of you has been overwhelming and for that I am truly grateful. Congratulations to Glenn Kessler. This is an important and exciting time to be on the Board of Selectmen and I am sure he will do a fine job. I look forward to seeing all of you around town. Sincerely Matt Strauss
Sunday, April 29, 2012
How many hot dogs can you eat?
For the third, but not last time in the high school career of my sons, I had a great time hosting a team dinner. This one was for lacrosse. Basically, my co-hosts and I prepare the hotdog buffet and then wait for the team to arrive, an inexact science that relates to the end of practice, weather and any number of variables. When they do, some 40 hungry boys in various states of stinkiness, descend on the hot dog bar so happily that it can't help but bring a smile. They are polite and thankful, and they even help clean up, but mostly the are ready to fill their bellies with more hot dogs than I thought humanly possible. In the past, some big eaters competed to eat the most and there were several players that exceeded 10 and perhaps two …
John B Goode
12:56 pm on Friday, May 18, 2012
I think the proposal lacks support for a few reasons. It's expensive no matter which way you go. It does not affect the clear majority of families, hence the vote results. The folks that want it are losing credibility by constantly changing their story about what was or will be proposed. Lynn and others are realizing their artificial turf is not quite what they were told. It may be better, but it… more ›