The Select Board appointed two new measurers of leather and a new Cultural Council member at its most recent meeting. The board found itself short-handed as members Alexa Singer and Moses Grader were unable to attend.
Residents Amy Egelja and Bryan Ruocco were the two candidates who expressed interest in the measurer of leather position. After being equally impressed by the two interviewees, the three present board members voted unanimously to appoint them both.
“According to the Mass General Law, the selectmen of a town upon request of two or more voters thereof shall annually appoint one or more measures of leather,” Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer explained.
Kezer went on to clarify that Ruocco and Egelja will each serve a simultaneous term that ends on June 30, 2024.
Egelja told the board that she has more than 30 years of experience working in the shoemaking and footwear industry and that measuring leather is a large component of her job. Meanwhile, Ruocco brought samples of his leatherworking skills, including historically-accurate leather canteens he has crafted through his work as part of Glover’s Regiment.
“They’re lined with boiling pine pitch, the outside is melted beeswax, and the string is all done by hand with linen thread… as things progressed, I decided to dive into other things that were leather-related,” Ruocco said at the meeting on Oct. 25.
Resident Jeanie Stahl was the sole applicant for the open spot on the Cultural Council.
“I feel I’d like to give something back to the town, and I felt this was a good match for me,” Stahl said. “I’ve worked with museums and dealt with getting grants on the receiving end.”
The board voted unanimously to appoint Stahl to the Cultural Council.
In addition to the appointments, the board also approved renovations to the Marblehead Counseling Center.
Counseling Center Vice President Ron Grenier explained what the renovation plans entail.
“At its core, what we’re trying to do is center all our administrative activities downstairs and only have counseling therapy behavioral services on the second and third floor,” Grenier said.
The reason why this change is necessary is due to administrators processing information like insurance claims in an open environment, which could lead to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act infractions.
“We’re trying to put those folks behind a wall. There’s a lot of confidential information that’s being shared about insurance payment,” Grenier said.
He thanked Craig Bosworth of Bosworth Architect for providing a complimentary design scheme. The renovations are funded through a lease agreement of the Samuel Hobbs Memorial Building and are of no cost to the town.