Earth Day celebration at Lead Mills
The Marblehead Conservancy will host its 25th annual Earth Day/Arbor Day celebration at Lead Mills on Sunday, May 17, 9 a.m.-noon.
The Conservancy has been working for over a decade to convert the weedy Lead Mills into a native wildflower meadow capable of rebuilding native populations of pollinators.
“While the weeds are a tough enemy, we are making progress as demonstrated by our latest pollinator count there,” said Chair Don Morgan.
He added, “We invite the community to help us on Earth Day/Arbor Day to plant more native species to expand our ability to rebuild pollinator communities.”
The planting will include some small trees, shrubs, perennials and ground covers/sedges/grasses. People can choose their favorite from among species like scrub oak, bayberry, pussywillows, cranberry, yarrow, columbine, goldenrod, sunflower, black-eyed susans, wild strawberry, white heath aster, violet, tussock sedge and more.
Children are welcome. The Conservancy will provide gloves, tools, and potted plants.
Community Champion named
Grab the Bagel owner Dave Aldrich has been named the Marblehead Counseling Center’s Amy Saltz Community Champions award winner.
Named for the late Amy R. Saltz of Marblehead, the award recognizes the significant, ongoing contributions of an area resident with a passion for helping others. According to MCC, “Aldrich has spent nearly two decades giving back to the community, as founder of the national Grab the Torch foundation, working with high school students and schools across the country on the development of leadership, philanthropy, ethics and service. In 2024, he created Grab the Bagel, a nonprofit social enterprise based on the North Shore under the Grab the Torch umbrella. It helps raise funds to support local families, first responders, area schools and other community services in Marblehead and Swampscott.”
Aldrich was nominated by Paul Todisco, who wrote, “Dave is a caring person who selflessly gives of his time and energy without expecting anything in return. Dave has taken a number of area Ukrainians under his wing and become a real advocate for them.”
Todisco says Aldrich’s acts of kindness extend to individuals who face special challenges, such as those with intellectual disabilities, recently hosting a send-off party at The Beacon for a friend who lost his mother and primary caretaker in an automobile accident.
“Dave’s motto is ‘give to give, not to get,’ and that’s how he lives his life,” Todisco added.
Marblehead teen receives Fenwick FIRST award
Bishop Fenway High School senior Jackie Dormer of Marblehead has been awarded the Fenwick FIRST award.
“Jackie exemplified the core values that define the Bishop Fenwick community: faith, integrity, relationship, scholarship and tradition,” according to the school.
Fenwick said Dormer “models her faith” by serving as a Sunday school teacher for all four years of high school, and by volunteering to tutor students in Hebrew for her final three years of high school. “She relates well to people of all ages in her various leadership roles, from young children to older peers; she is an especially kind and loving presence to our friends from the Northeast ARC,” the school added in a press release. “She is an extremely hard-working student who has taken 11 AP courses and was recently named salutatorian for the Class of 2026.”
The school noted that Dormer is a leader, serving as a captain for the girls tennis team and as president for the French Club and the Women’s Leadership Club. She is also a decorated artist, having won the AP Art award, according to Fenwick.
Lynnway redesign — have your say
Marblehead residents are invited to attend a community open house to learn more about the Lynnway redesign project and provide feedback.
Representatives from the state will explain how the project will make the road safer, improve transit service and modernize traffic signals.
The meeting is at the Marblehead Community Center, 10 Humphrey St., Wednesday, May 20, 5:30-7:30 p.m. There is also a virtual meeting on May 14. Register for the virtual meeting at https://loom.ly/wAHB0EY.
