Spring 2022

People & Places

Saving the planet one light switch at a time

Calling all Swampscott electricity users! You may be helping the planet in more ways than you think.  That is if you are using Swampscott Community Power, a community-based program under National Grid, created to meet the town’s sustainability goals, and also hopefully help you save a few bucks. Investor-owned utilities (IOUs) rates (such as National […]

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Life & Style Sports & Leisure

Ocean House Surf and Skate ride a wave of success

Amber O’Shea and Tim Oviatt have come a long way as owners of Ocean House Surf and Skate. The surf-and-skate shop had humble beginnings. The business started in Salem in 2011, with Oviatt selling gear out of his truck and garage. One year later, Oviatt moved his base of operations to Beverly Port Marina, and […]

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Food & Drink

All in the family

As she looks back on the last year, Vinnin Liquors President Angela Ansara said the business is recovering from the pandemic, but there is still a need for quality employees. “We’re still recovering a little bit, but it’s still hard to find the employees who want to work because of the pandemic,” she said. “A […]

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Food & Drink

A zest for the best

Ranging from ham-and-swiss hand pies, rosemary-and-lemon cookies, all the way to chartreuse cocktails and pomegranate martinis, there is something delicious for just about anyone at Zestfriendz, a bakery/small-bites bar in Swampscott.  Owned and operated by two “zest friendz,” Margie Peterson and Trudi Fagerlund, this bakery by day and small-bites bar by night prides itself on […]

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Past & Present People & Places

Who was Elihu Thomson?

Can you imagine a boy who wants to attend high school at 11 years old being told that he has to wait until he is 13? Can you imagine that boy being told he is not allowed to have books for two years? Imagine that 11-year-old boy saying, “If you do that, you might as […]

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Arts & Entertainment People & Places

The play’s the thing

Two years ago in pre-COVID times, many of us didn’t even know about Zoom — a cloud-based communications app. Although it provided convenience and changed the way we work and connect, some say that they are tired of virtual meetings. Still, it is undeniable that Zoom has been instrumental over these two years, not only […]

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Life & Style

Bringing the ends to the middle

The political spectrum is broader than ever with conservatives on one end and liberab Democrats like Bob Scheier on the other. Scheier wants both ends to meet in the middle.  Scheier thinks he has a way to soar above the social and mainstream media storm swirling around former president Donald Trump and fueled by the […]

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