Thursday, May 16, 2013
The memorial service for Byron "Bob" Foucht, long-time and beloved music teacher in the Swampscott schools will be held Saturday, May 18, 10 a.m. at the First Church in Swampscott.
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. Mr. Foucht was a huge jazz fan." Bondelevitch went on to study jazz composition at the Berklee College of Music with the legendary Herb Pomeroy. "…
Friday, May 10, 2013
In his letter to the editor, union President Steven Tolman said Swampscott's decision to vote down the home rule proposal should reverberate around the commonwealth and beyond.
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Friday, May 10
By Steven A. Tolman, President of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO Former U.S. Speaker of the House and Massachusetts titan, Thomas “Tip” O’Neill famously said that, “All politics is local.” Perhaps no greater demonstration of that slogan of democracy exists than the Town Meetings that occur in municipalities across our commonwealth. On Tuesday May 7ththe town of Swampscott demonstrated the power of grassroots democracy and the political outcomes that can be achieved when the facts get directly to the people without the clutter, noise, distraction, and dissembling of modern politics. Swampscott’s Board of Selectmen sought to have the Town Meeting adopt a Home Rule Article to seek approval by the state legislature to change the town employees’ …
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Screening panel members looking for an interim superintendent have settled on a finalist.
Committee members seeking interim superintendent candidates for Swampscott schools have found one person who is well suited to meet the district's needs, said Rick Kraft, a member of both the School Committee member and interim search panel. That candidate is Garry Murphy, a former superintendent in the Triton Regional School District. He will interview in public before the Swampscott School Committee 5 p.m. on Monday at Swampscott High School. He will come to the committee recommended by the search panel. If Monday's interview goes well, the plan is to bring Murphy's recommendation to the School Committee for a vote on Wednesday, April 24. Originally, the screening committee planned to bring three or four finalists to the School Committee…
Monday, April 15, 2013
Abednego Ramsdell lived in a part of Lynn that later became Swampscott. He was killed at the battle of Lexington and Concord. April 19, 1775.
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 was last seen running through Lynn with his stockings down. He and Joe caught up with their company near Arlington. Surprised from the rear, …
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Swampscott High senior Jackie Thomsen finished sixth in the state of Massachusetts.
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 second time representing Swampscott in the state Poetry Out Loud competition. She earned the opportunity in 2013 by placing first in the SHS competition …
Monday, March 4, 2013
Turnover in our schools.
The announcement this week that our high school principal, Layne Millington, has resigned to become principal of Marblehead High brings an opportunity for us to learn from the past and improve the process for selecting and retaining our next high school principal. There are many things that will always remain outside our control, but other factors we can and should control. We have an opportunity here. First, we are hearing quite a bit about turnover. People are wondering why Swampscott has so much. Is it a problem unique to Swampscott or part of trend that is occurring in towns and cities across America? If so, should we conduct searches or grow talent from within? Turnover is the new reality Before we go too far down that road, we need…
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Clips from King's Beach to Preston Beach in advance of the latest storm predicted this weekend.
Ninety seconds or so of clips running mostly from King's Beach to Preston Beach on Thursday afternoon. A look at the coast, with stops at Fisherman's Beach, Eisman's and Phillips Beach before the latest round of snow falls.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Crews were expected to work through the night repairing the break.
Crews were scheduled to work over night to repair a water main break at 25 Swampscott Avenue. The break was reported by police about 7 p.m. Thursday when an officer noticed water seeping through cracks in the asphalt near the gas station at corner of Paradise Road, said Gino Cresta, director of the Public Works Department. The director called in a contractor to chase down the break in the 6-inch main and repair it. He expected the crew would work through the night. The flow of water to 10-12 homes was to be turned off once the break was found, the director said. He hoped the repairs would be done and service restored by 7 a.m. Friday. This is the first water main break that the director recalls on Swampscott Avenue. The lines are about…
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
This week the Mass Dept of Transportation is appraising the MBTA-owned Swampscott train depot.
The Mass Dept of Transportation is appraising the MBTA-owned Swampscott train depot this week. Town Administrator Tom Younger said last week that once the town learns the value the state has attached to the property then local officials will talk about what's next. Younger, Assistant Town Administrator Dave Castellerin and Town Planner Pete Kane will talk about the building's valuation and whether it is in the town's price range. "On whether it is a solid number or not," he said. Members of the Historical Commission and other Swampscott residents would like to see the historic property preserved and possibly developed. The Railroad Avenue station is on the MBTA Commuter Rail's Newburyport/Rockport Line. The station is more than 130 years…
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Swampscott Train Station
25 Railroad Ave, Swampscott, MA
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Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Let us know stories you think will emerge in the coming months.
2013 promises major change in Swampscott. And the town may opt for more change in the coming months. These changes, and possible changes, make up our list of items to watch. 1. What will the recommendation be for meeting the town's elementary school needs? In October at a special town meeting, members approved the $500,000 school feasibility and schematic design study. The study was expected to take 6-9 months. Expectations are that the study will recommend a consolidated school. But, if this is the case, what will the particulars be and when will it go to the public for a vote? 2. The changing face of Humphrey Street. Building projects are scheduled to become operational or habitable: the new Swampscott Police Station; the new Gateway …
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531 Humphrey St, Swampscott, MA
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David J. Bondelevitch
3:30 pm on Friday, May 17, 2013
In four years, actually, and I got through Berklee in five semesters. I say that not to brag, but to make a point about Mr. Foucht. One of the reasons I made it through Berklee so quickly was that I passed almost entirely out of freshman year on my placement exam. That's quite an accomplishment considering I never had a theory, harmony, ear training, or arranging class in high school. I learned … more ›