Every Thursday morning when I get into the office, the first thing I do is head to the windowsill at the front desk to pick up a copy of Marblehead Weekly News (Or as we call it, MWN). It’s something I look forward to every week.
Not just because it is great to see the hard work that my coworkers and I put in, or to see what I like about the paper and how we can improve going forward, but because each edition is a reminder of how proud I am to be a journalist in a community that truly supports and welcomes local journalism.
Oddly enough, my journalism career and MWN are about the same age. I started on Aug. 1, 2022, and a few days later, was notified that we were starting a new newspaper, one I was going to be a part of.
I was excited enough that I was beginning my career in journalism, but to be a part of something as special as creating a brand-new paper in the year 2022? That’s a rare opportunity.
So we took advantage of it. As our first edition on Aug. 19, 2022, says on the front page, we have been bringing “A New Perspective on Marblehead” for an entire year.
I can’t say how many times over the past 12 months people in the community have come up to me to tell me how happy they are that our paper stepped up to the plate to provide community journalism to a town that had been neglected.
I’ve received so many phone calls, texts, and emails from community members saying that they love reading the stories we put in the paper.
Because I think we find interesting stories. Sure, we cover the news, and report on what is buzzing in town, but we also look for the stories that make Marblehead, well, Marblehead. A runaway tortoise that can climb over fences. Raymond Hawkins, a 25-year-old organ-player prodigy playing in St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, which has been around for three centuries.
Our News Editor Rachel Barber even found a way to localize the global Taylor Swift pandemonium by interviewing Marblehead resident Scott Ginsberg, who co-founded Titan Casket and had one of their caskets featured in Swift’s “Anti Hero” music video.
We’ve done countless features on the artists and musicians who give the town its reputation for arts and culture. I’ve been welcomed onto the properties of Leah Bokenkamp and Mike Rozinsky, who hold concerts for homegrown talent in their backyards, and Margi Flint, who brings the community together with Jazz concerts in her beautiful garden.
From Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer to Light Board Commissioner Adam Smith, we’ve written in-depth profiles on town officials to give you insight into their goals and personalities.
From countless meetings, small businesses that keep the town going, and historical fun-facts to school lunch menus, calendars, and upcoming events, we have covered it all in the last year.
Just last week, I caught up with a group from Rock N Row that was taking part in the Barbie sensation at the Warwick. And, for what it’s worth, the printer liked it so much that he thought it was the only story worth printing (You may have noticed the printing mishap on page 1 last week).
Even when I’m not writing, I’m still enjoying so many aspects of the community.
Whenever I find myself with some time to kill, I’ll take a walk up to Fort Sewall to get a breathtaking view of the harbor, or take a joy ride with the windows down over the causeway and around the Neck to catch an ocean breeze.
I wish I had the entire paper to write about Marblehead’s history. I remember the first day I went into town my very first week on the job. Clueless as to where I was and what I was doing in town, I went straight to Abbot Hall to get a sense of the community I was in, and boy did that help a lot.
From learning about the building itself, to how the American Navy started with the help of Gen. John Glover, the town is rich in history, and it has been fun writing about it. Some of my favorite stories included quirky history facts like why there are no gas stations in town or how an Ivy League school was almost built in Marblehead. If “you learn something new every day” was a town, this would be the place. Did I mention how much more awesome Glover’s Regiment makes every event it attends?
I’ll never forget the little things either. As a sports junkie, watching the high school’s football team train during the summer was great. Eating delicious beer-battered fish and chips at Maddie’s Sail Loft was a pleasure, not to mention that I also learned rather quickly that it is known for its strong drinks.
Whether I’m out reporting in town or taking a break to enjoy its many treasures, I’ve enjoyed every second I’ve spent in Marblehead. What I’ve enjoyed even more, however, is the way we have been able to provide a new spin on community journalism in our paper, tailored specifically toward Marblehead. Being able to cover the news while telling unique untold stories is what makes us different.
That’s what makes us Marblehead Weekly News.