By MEAGHAN CASEY

After decades of putting his artistic passions on the backburner, Tom Jefferies finally acknowledged it was a calling he just couldn’t continue to ignore.
Jefferies, who was raised in Bath, England, hails from a family of artists.

By Meaghan Casey

Entering Diana James’ Living Swell boutique, customers are transported into another world — a world in which they can almost imagine being whisked out to sea, likely on one of the beautifully captured sailboats or yachts staring back at them from photographer Cory Silken’s work.

Members of the Swampscott High School Class of 1967 held their 50th reunion July 22 at Hawthorne by the Sea. A social gathering was held the night before at Fantasy Island and a service was held the day after at Fisherman’s Beach, in memory of classmates who have passed away. A splendid time was had by all.

By Brion O’Connor

Peter Hale, one of the most decorated track and field athletes in Swampscott High School and Williams College history, was no overnight success. His first competitive foray into running was one he’d probably rather forget.

Boston Red Sox outfielder Tony Conigliaro is carried off the field on a stretcher by teammates and the trainers of both the Red Sox and the California Angels after he was beaned by Angels pitcher Jack Hamilton in the fourth inning of their game at Fenway Park in Boston, Mass., Aug. 18, 1967. (AP Photo/Bill Chaplis)

By STEVE KRAUSE

He had been in a slump. Tony Conigliaro, the 22-year-old kid who, earlier in 1967, had become the youngest player in the history of the American League to reach the 100-homer mark, was in a rut and hadn’t hit one out in 10 days.

By STEVE KRAUSE

Looks can be deceiving.

That’s true whether you’re sizing up a blind date or trying to figure out how healthy a person is. And it’s especially true with traumatic brain injuries — or, as they are commonly known, concussions.

By SANDI GOLDFARB

Swampscott’s historic cemetery is a peaceful place. Mature trees shade walkways that wind through the well-maintained grounds, while the sounds of birds mingle with the gentle hum of traffic. Grave sites are marked by small American flags waving in the breeze and by flowers and balloons that pay tribute to loved ones long gone.  

Anne Driscoll making a difference in Emerald Isle

By STACEY MARCUS

“I arrived in Ireland with no phone, no home and no hairdresser,” said Anne Driscoll, an award-winning journalist, social worker and author.

The longtime Swampscott resident details her experiences as a Fulbright Scholar working with the Irish Innocence Project in her engaging three-volume Irish You Were Here book series, which showcases her superb storytelling skills.

Swampscott men tackle the ‘Mount Everest of swimming’

By MEAGHAN CASEY

There will likely be jellyfish, water temperatures dipping below 60 degrees, salt-water induced swelling of lips and tongues, skin chafing and stretches of hunger and fatigue, but that won’t stop Swampscott’s Andy Jones and Tommy Gainer from attempting to swim the English Channel this summer.

By BILL BROTHERTON

Bill Laganas is on a roll … a lobster roll.

Laganas, Swampscott High Class of 1984, is standing behind his 20-foot custom lobster/clambake trailer, which is parked on Puritan Road in Swampscott, in front of the Atlantic and across the street from where the New Ocean House hotel once stood. He bought it used, from Jasper White, the Summer Shack owner and Jersey boy who’s considered the premier authority on New England food and its history.