My old Kentucky home?
Nope.
Sweet Home Alabama?
N/A.
Homer?
I am. (Without an Iliad or an Odyssey.)
And I totally agree with Dorothy: There’s no place like home.
My home is the North Shore.
I was born and raised in Lynn. After BC, I moved to Marblehead. Lived there for 5 years. Built a house across from Danny Dill and Pat McGrath in Nahant and lived there for another 5. Then moved to
Swampscott for 15.
Then I moved outside my box. Five years in the Back Bay. Lived next door to a nice couple named Tom and Giselle. He worked in Foxborough.
Ours was a great place, overlooking the Charles. I ran the Esplanade every day until my knees decided they’d had enough. Replaced both of them and moved back to Marblehead. (Forgive me, 01907 inhabitants.)
Now, most of my days begin in the gym at Tedesco, often with two guys from 01907, Dick Jauron and Dick Murray, both among the finest gentlemen I’ve ever met. They’re men of few words, but like that old E.F. Hutton commercial (Google it), when they speak, you should listen.
(There’s one other in there every day with us, Phil DiCarlo, a Marblehead guy. However, whereas Dick Jauron and Mr. Murray are to be listened to, DiCarlo and I are decidedly not — unless you want to listen to us debate whether the chocolate coconut is the best Dandee Donut. Which of course it is.)
Mr. Murray, at age 90, is in the gym most every day, and is a walking Swampscott encyclopedia. I’m thinking, starting next edition, we’ll begin publishing some of his photographs and memories. You’ll be enthralled.
As for this edition of 01907, I think it hits home.
The ocean lured many us to Swampscott. If you read Jersey native Dr. Ron Plotka’s story, it was the ocean view from his dental practice on Humphrey Street that brought him here; and designer Anita Clark was equally enraptured by the coast when she left Texas and made her home in Swampscott three
decades ago.
For a few others profiled in this issue, there’s something special about coming home. Michelle Nigro, who admittedly resisted the idea of becoming a “townie,” is proud to be back. And Louie Gallo might have changed his postal address, but he’ll still never call another zip code home.
Not that you can’t get out of town every now and again. We also explore Bermuda in this issue. Granted, I’d rather see it on a postcard than onboard a sailboat, but six Nahant guys had a different opinion. Read about their adventure, and maybe you’ll be inspired to follow suit in time for the 35th America’s Cup.
All in all, I’ll call this edition a home run and hope you agree.
