UPDATED: Book Set In Town

L'SHANA TOVAH!

JCC Preschoolers sounded their handmade shofars to celebrate the Jewish New Year, or Rosh Hashanah, today. Teacher Marla Mindel led the way with the traditional ram's horn shofar. See a photo of the kids attached to this column!

WICKED AND LOCAL

Did you know that best-selling author Janet Evanovich has a new book coming out on Sept. 14, which is set in Marblehead and Salem? It's called Wicked Appetite. Evanovich lives in New Hampshire. Check back on MarbleheadPatch this week to find out why she chose to set her novel in town.

SWIM AT YOUR OWN RISK

You can take a dip at any local beach now, but it will be at your own risk. After six beaches were closed due to high bacteria counts, five were re-opened last week. Last Thursday, the last closed beach, Stamski's Beach was re-opened.Last Wednesday's testing was the last testing day for the summer. The Board of Health does not test after Labor Day so keep your mouth closed while you swim during Indian Summer or suffer the consequences!

COME QUILT

Calling all quilters!  The Marblehead Council on Aging will sponsor the formation of a local Quilt Guild and all quilters of any age are encouraged to attend a gathering on Thursday, Sept. 16, at 7 p.m. at the Community Center. The season for quilts is upon us!

LACK OF PUBLIC RELATIONS GOES OVER LIKE A LEAD BALLOON

Selectman William Woodfin suggested some employees at Woodard & Curran, the company in charge of cleaning up the former site of the lead mills, take "management 101" after selectmen voiced frustration over their unwillingness to inform the public of their plans or come to a selectmen's meeting.

The quip came at Wednesday's Board of Selectmen meeting when Assistant Town Counsel Lisa Mead and Town Administrator Tony Sasso informed the board that Woodard & Curran did not respond favorably to requests for transparency. 

"At our Aug. 18 meeting, we asked them to present a public public relations campaign to tell the public how they would be affected," Mead said, noting they have been invited to the next selectmen's meeting. "They didn't think it was their job to do PR."

On Wednesday afternoon, Daniel Garson, senior vice president of Woodard & Curran Inc. sent a letter out to the press and town, but Mead said the letter offered few specifics.

"It says work will commence shortly and be completed several months later," she said.

"There has been a lot of push back," Sasso said. "So my feeling is, we give Garson's number out to the public so they can ask questions."

Sasso instructed the public to call Garson at 781- 251-0200 or on his cell phone at 781-929-2020 with any questions they may have. 

The projects is expected to begin shortly after the first of October and will involve trucking lead contaminated soil out of Marblehead by way of Lafayette Street. 

"This will be an inconvenience for months," Sasso said. 

POLICE HIRE TWO OFFICERS

Two new police officers were appointed to the department at Wednesday's night Board of Selectmen meeting. Daniel Gallagher and Daniel Katz were both appointed as officers.

Gallagher, a Salem resident, grew up in Danvers and previously worked for the State office of Children and Families. Katz is a life-long Header and previously worked for the Essex County Sheriff. Both referenced their commitment to community policing. 

OLD MEDICATION? 

The police department will accept old, expired or unused medication at the station of Saturday, Sept. 25 from 8 a.m. to noon. Police are participating in a national campaign to clean out medicine cabinets.