More local news

Facts About Manchester's Proposed MBTA Zoning

Residents will decide to approve or reject a new zoning bylaw that establishes proposed overlay districts in four areas of town at the November 18 Special Town Meeting. The proposed districts have …
Kids at 2024's annual

Annual Fire and Police "Touch a Truck" Delights Local Kids

On Saturday, September 28 Manchester’s DPW and fire and police departments hosted a Touch-a-Truck event behind the Town Hall. The display of motorcycles, ambulances, fire apparatus, snow removal …
The Essex school community welcomed new Essex Principal, Mrs. Kimberly Provost.

EES First Schoolwide Meeting with New Principal, Mrs. Kim Provost

The Essex Elementary School community has happily welcomed a new, permanent principal this school year, after two years with an interim principal.   Mrs. Kimberly Provost, comes to EES with a …
A strong showing of the Manchester-by-the-Sea Museum board braved the rain last Thursday for the official ribbon cutting of the museum’s new portico, which restored an original exterior element of the Trask House that had been missing for more than 100 years.  From left, board members Axel Magnuson, David Lumsden, Suzanna Thompson, Rebecca Campbell, John Round, Marianne Coons, Mary Minott, Carol Bundy, Tom Durken (museum president), Constance Leahy, Alison Anholt-White, Matt Genta, and museum associate director Matthew Swindell.

Manchester by the Sea Museum: New Portico, No to Trolleys

The Manchester-by-the-Sea Museum officially kicked off its 2024-2025 lecture season last Thursday with a presentation on the 19th Century proliferation of—and Manchester’s successful efforts to …
ME girls cross country team heads out at the start of a match with Ipswich.

Fast Starts, Close Calls for ME Cross Country Teams

The Manchester Essex girls’ cross-country team is off to a fast start, while the boys just missed on picking up victories in their first two meets of 2024. The girls beat Ipswich by a 22-37 …
Hornet quarterback Zach Hurd celebrates ME’s first touchdown against Rockland at home on Friday night.  Under the lights and with a packed stadium the Hornets delivered a 38-18 win.  They are 2-0 this early in the season.
ME Football Runs All Over Rockland to Improve to 2-0
With a more condensed regular season and an expanded postseason schedule with the change to the format for high school football a few years ago, each victory and loss seems to carry more weight than …
Fresh energy at SEF, promoting the 2024 “Night of the Stars” fundraiser.  From left, Alicia Palmer, Maile Madigan, Sarah Conway, Ryann Hilton, Lindsay Banks, Kate Taylor, Veronica Wu, Lisa Manganiello, and Betsy McKeen.  (Not pictured: Brooke Orr, Sarah Wolf, Wendy Brady, Sarah Chamberlain, and Jen Mayer.)
Fresh Energy at the Spaulding Education Fund
With all the challenges surrounding public school district budgets, it’s hard to zero in on the very particular line that separates the funding required for basic school district operations and …
Paula Sullivan-Reggio and Kate Glidden Join Beauport Financial
Gloucester-based Beauport Financial Services this week announced two additions to its firm, including financial services professional Kate Glidden and administrative assistant Paula Sullivan-Reggio. …

Magnolia Library’s 4th Annual Magtoberfest Returns

The weather aside, many turned out on Sunday for this year's

Magnolia’s community beer garden (“biergarten”) festival, Magtoberfest , returned for its fourth year this weekend.  It was a rainy, cold morning on Sunday, but locals …

Mom and Dad clearly need help at home…and they say, “NO WAY.” Help!!

Well … You are not alone. Anecdotally, I can confidently report that 80-90% of clients coming onto service for care with Aberdeen were initially very resistant and insisted that they did not have …

A Bag Full of Hooks

Robert Orrall at home, 2024.

Art surrounds Bob Orrall, literally.  Stepping into his home, your eyes are sort of frantically undecided as to which delightful painting/sculpture/cuckoo clock to study.  It’s everywhere.  …

Sports

Smooth Sailing So Far for ME Field Hockey

Hornet Abby Kent fires a shot towards the back of the net in an earlier match against Danvers.  ME won 4-0.  At press time the Hornets are 7-1-1.  Kent has a record of 6 goals and 7 assists.  ME next faces Gloucester on October 3.
It’s probably a sure sign that things are going well when a coach calls her team’s lone loss in a season a, “slump.” To be certain, there aren’t many things to complain about when it comes to the Manchester Essex field hockey team in 2024. The Hornets have been spectacular ...
ME Hornet Conrad Garfield punches through the Rockland defense during a Friday night 38-18 win over the Bulldogs.
After the Manchester Essex football team suffered its first loss of the season, Joe Grimes says it’s time for his team to use the circumstance as a springboard to bigger and better things. “We …
Read more.
SPORTS
ME’s Ernest Taylor fights his way towards the Ipswich goal in a close match that ended in a win, 1-0, for the Hornets.  At press time the boys are 4-1 for the season. Photo Paul Clark

For ME Girls Soccer, Experience is Everything

While they may be new to each other, the returning members of the Manchester Essex girls soccer team and new coach Scout Grifoni have one crucial element in common: experience.  This is …

ME Varsity Golf, Girls Soccer, X Country, and Field Hockey Play for Sept. 27

There's a lot going on with ME Regional High School sports this week in the Hornets Nest, inlcuding Girls Soccer, Cross Country, Field Hockey, and Golf ...

ME Boys Soccer In Control At Start of Season

It was supposed to be a soccer game, but by the end of regulation the Manchester Essex boys’ soccer team turned it into a game of “Keep Away.” The Hornets beat Pentucket by a …
Lifestyle

Audi’s Electric Ascension

Audi is now a leader in the luxury battery electric vehicle (BEV) space, and they’ve achieved that status by building vehicles that provide the “Audi-ness” customers crave along …

A New Side of Willie Alexander on Exhibit Oct. 11 in Gloucester

A local musician this week will give locals a new way to appreciate his creativity when "Willie Alexander | Goya’s head found on Half Moon Beach" opens Friday, Oct. 11 at the Jane Deering Gallery …
Dahlias on Gloucester's Boulevard

Generous Gardeners Holds Annual Dahlia Bouquet Sale Oct. 12 in Gloucester

This weekend's "Stacy Boulevard Dahlia Bouquet Sale" will give the public a chance to purchase many of the beautiful flowers that line Gloucester's waterfront. It is also a familiar annual event that …
The cast of the paranormal play “Simon Says,” opening Oct. 16 in Beverly.  From left, Molly Chiffer, Kayode Akinyemi, and award-winning Gloucester actor Malcolm Ingram.

Perfectly Offbeat: “Simon Says” at the Larcom Opens Oct. 16

Just in time for Halloween, the critically acclaimed play, “Simon Says,” will open at the historic Larcom Theater in Beverly on Oct. 16. Described by the New York Times as “exciting,” the …

A Big Night Celebrating American Blues with Barrett Anderson in Manchester

Boston-based Blues singer and guitarist Barrett Anderson will host an  evening of story and song in Manchester later this month with a program of telling the story of early Blues music, the …
Home and Garden
AT HOME NOW

Are ADU’s 4U?


I have long been obsessed with discovering how people live in small spaces. One year for my birthday, I dragged my husband and four young children to the RV show at the convention center in Boston. …

Reconciling an historic home with modern living can be tricky. These properties are beautiful house with solid bones, but it's important when you tackle this type of design renovation to proceed with a healthy dose of caution ...
Pets and People

Heartworm Disease

Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal disease in pets in the United States and many other parts of the world. It is caused by worms (heartworms) that live in the heart, lungs and …

Books

Manchester Library Notes | Oct. 4

Ozobot (Courtesy Photos)

This week at the library, Ways to have a Green Holiday Season, Hearthside Book Club, Author Katherine Howe and much more! Open Sundays | Beginning October 20th, the library will be open Sundays …

Columnists

What's New in Home Design for Cape Ann?

Lean into a non-neutral this year.  Jen Coles like jewel tones, like this.

Spring is finally starting to be sprung.  Those brave spring bulbs are sticking their skinny green necks out, and so far all I’ve wanted to do is wrap a scarf around them—but they …

Obituaries
Wendy Ann Smith
Wendy Ann Smith of Manchester-by-the Sea passed away peacefully on October 12 after a difficult pulmonary disease. During her time at the Kaplan Hospice House, she was continually surrounded by …
William Siderewicz
William Siderewicz, 74, of Manchester-by-the-sea, passed away peacefully on August 13, 2024 at Mass General Hospital, in Boston. Bill (or Billy) was born on July 7, 1950 in New London, CT, the son of …
Carolyn J. Cassidy
Carolyn J. Cassidy, formerly of Ipswich who for more than 41 years served as a Grade One teacher in Essex, passed away Friday, September 27, 2024, at the Brooksby Village Retirement Community. Daughter of the late Thomas and Janet (Rae) Cassidy, Carolyn was …
Mary-Lou O’Brien
Mary-Lou O’Brien, 89, passed away on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, and is now reunited in spirit with her beloved husband Carl. She grew up in Manchester-by-the-Sea and was the daughter of …
Gordon Q. MacDougall
Gordon Q. MacDougall's life was a vibrant journey, marked not only by his longevity but by the depth of his connections and the strength of his spirit.  At the remarkable age of 101, Gordon, …
Find us on Facebook
Letters
Around the web
23 Halloween candies ranked from healthiest to unhealthiest
Hers ranked 23 of the most popular Halloween candies in the U.S. based on the pounds sold in each state and their nutrition content.
The holidays can take a bite out of your budget—but you don’t have to let them and TextNow can help.
Six Ways To Save Money This Holiday Season
(NAPSI)—Shopping for the holidays is more expensive than ever. With Americans carrying more debt than ever before, many are expected to spend $18.5 billion using third-party buy now, pay later …
How cattle grazing protects and benefits the land
(BPT) - With cattle ranching featured front and center in America's living rooms due to the popularity of shows highlighting the western lifestyle, and with Climate Week piquing interest in …
Retirement savings report card: Most U.S. adults grade themselves a 'B' or 'C' on saving
(BPT) - Approximately 11,200 Americans turn 65 each day, with most stepping into a new life of retirement. It’s a time to be free of financial stress, but that means planning ahead. A new …
4 Ways to Help Protect Against Tick Bites This Fall
(BPT) - Beautiful fall days captivate many people, offering a burst of color as the leaves change and cooler temperatures that encourage outdoor adventures. However, as you're outside enjoying the …