Life Style - Marblehead Current

21 Feb

Marblehead’s Best Buddies champion inclusivity

Will Dowd0 CommentsLife Style, Local News, Marblehead Public Schools, Recreation, Top Stories, Uncategorized

The squeaking of sneakers and thumping of dribbled basketballs echoed through the Marblehead High School field house last week as over a dozen Best Buddies club members took over center court. The student-run Best Buddies chapter promotes friendships among MHS students with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities. During halftime of the varsity boys' basketball game against Gloucester High School, Buddies in grades 9-12 teamed up to shoot hoops and chat, highlighting the inclusive environment cultivated by the popular program. Oftentimes, neuro-typical students are paired…

14 Feb

Hometown hero Hayley Reardon releases new album

Leigh Blander0 CommentsArt, Culture, Life Style, Local News

Marblehead native and folk pop singer-songwriter Hayley Reardon just released her newest album, “Live at Starseed Studios,” recorded during a concert in Essex last summer. Reardon partnered on the project with Barcelona’s Pau Figueres on flamenco guitar and Arnau Figueres on acoustic bass. The August concert was called, “Folk Meets Flamenco.” The album features 13 live tracks. Hayley Reardon performed with Pau and Arnau Figueres at Starseed Studios in Essex last summer. COURTESY PHOTO / JOE ANGELINI “Playing with Pau and Arnau is a great…

14 Feb

‘Always putting each other first’: Marblehead couple celebrates 50+ Valentine’s Days

Will Dowd1 CommentCulture, Life Style, Local News, Top Stories

This Valentine’s Day, as thoughts turn to love and romance, one Marblehead couple is looking back on more than half-a-century of marriage. Barbara Bell (then Michaud) of Salem first met Ed Bell of Peabody on a blind date in the early 1970s, arranged by a coworker. She thought he seemed “nice” but noted he was “not too tall.” Ed’s first impression was that Barbara seemed “pretty cool.” Ed was a reporter and editor for WBZ Radio in Boston, while Barbara worked in human resources at…

14 Feb

DOC IN A BOX: Thinking of a new laptop or desktop?

Will Dowd0 CommentsColumns, Life Style

Word to the wise... While it is a huge convenience in other ways, buying a computer on Amazon is rarely your best bet. Here are a few reasons why: 1. They don’t vet vendors well. Even products that are “fulfilled by Amazon” are sourced from third-party sellers. Translation: Amazon has not properly vetted the product(s). Some reviews note the laptop or computer they got didn’t match the specs advertised. In others, the device was misrepresented. If this happens, you may be out of luck if…

07 Feb

MARBLEHEAD Y HAPPENINGS: The Lynch/van Otterloo YMCA celebrates 15 years on Leggs Hill Road

Will Dowd0 CommentsLife Style, Local News

For more than a century, the Y has been a staple of healthy living, youth development and social responsibility in Marblehead and its surrounding communities. Beginning in 1910, the original Marblehead Y on Pleasant Street served the local community and when it began to outgrow the space downtown, the move to Leggs Hill Road began. Marblehead Y recently marked its 15-year anniversary:, from left to right, Executive Director Brian Flynn, Mary Orne, David Gardner, Paul Gorman, David Quade and Rick Settlemeyer. With a groundbreaking…

25 Jan

FOOD 101: Summoning the sun with cherry tomatoes

Will Dowd0 CommentsLife Style, Local News

The quiet lull between New Year's Eve and Super Bowl can be the most relaxing time of year. Especially with just a dash of snow if you're a skier or a reader. Still, I miss the sunshine of fresh tomatoes. While the canned version provides a hearty substitute for long-simmered sauces and thick soups, I constantly search the produce section for something red and shiny. Cherry tomatoes. These little gems provide a flash of flavor. In hit-or-miss shopping expeditions, I try each shape — some…

24 Jan

Cultural Council announces 2024 grant winners

Will Dowd0 CommentsArt, Culture, Education, Environment, Life Style, Local News, Municipal Matters, Recreation

The Marblehead Cultural Council has awarded over $7,800 in grants to support various arts, humanities and science projects in the community this year. A collage of past Marblehead Cultural Council-sponsored programs from 2023. COURTESY PHOTOS / JIM MURPHY / SEAVIEWPHOTOS The council, one of 351 local organizations funded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, reviewed more than 20 applications before deciding on funding recipients. Grants will support live music performances, art installations, genealogy workshops, field trips and more. "Our council members diligently reviewed and considered over…

16 Jan

CURRENT EVENTS: Check out Marblehead’s best bets

Leigh Blander0 CommentsArt, Community Resources, Culture, Entertainment, Environment, Life Style, Local News

Current Events spotlights exciting happenings in the coming days. If you’d like to contribute a listing, please email Current Editor Leigh Blander at lblander@marbleheadnews.org. Marine Invaders on the MoveWednesday, Jan. 17, 6:45 p.m.-8 p.m. Green crabs and blue crabs and shore crabs, oh my! These crabs, along with colonial tunicates, European oysters and Dead Man’s Fingers, are just a few of the non-native species found in Salem Sound. Join Salem Sound Watch at Abbot Public Library, 3 Brook Rd., to hear about the marine trends…

15 Jan

Teen helps deliver puppies in the back of an SUV on I-95

Will Dowd0 CommentsLife Style, Local News, Top Stories

A Marblehead teenager helped deliver 10 puppies in the back of a Chevy Tahoe while traveling on Interstate 95. Fifteen-year-old Felix Regnault shares a moment with Kiki, his black Labrador, and her newborn puppies. COURTESY PHOTO Felix Regnault, 15, was taking his dog, Kiki, to the vet for a scheduled Cesarean section last month when the Labrador retriever went into labor earlier than expected. "I knew we were in for a ride when the first pup started emerging before we even got on the highway…

12 Jan

DOC IN BOX: Thinking about cutting the cord?

Will Dowd0 CommentsColumns, Life Style

The Docs recently did a deep dive on the average cable/TV/internet service at home. In a 10-year span, most average households will spend around $24,000. I've spent many frustrating hours on long chat sessions with cable reps, trying to get better rates. Alas, they almost always fail (if you don't count a couple of dollars here and there). So I thought: if you only watch a few channels on cable TV (because you have a number of other streaming services with great content) why not…