More local news
Friday’s 17th annual Happy as a Clam 5K Race was a huge success.

AND THEY’RE OFF!

Some of Essex’s youngest runners were all smiles—and serious about their starting positions—at Friday’s 17th annual Happy as a Clam 5K Race, Walk & Fun Dashes at Essex Elementary School.  
MA Governor Maura Healey visited Woodman’s in Essex to distribute state money to clammers who lost out with this summer’s bed closures after a massive sewage line leak in Haverhill.  With her are Essex clammers John Grundstrom (a third-generation clammer) and Scott Adams. 

Healey Brings $300,000 in Relief to North Shore Clammers

Gov. Maura Healey came to Essex Monday bearing $300,000 in relief for North Shore shellfish harvesters who lost more than two weeks of work during the peak summer season.
The 25th Anniversary of 9/11

A Quarter-Century Later, Manchester Remembers

Manchester fire and police personnel assembled with residents outside Fire Headquarters on School Street shortly before 10 a.m.  The observance began at 10:05 a.m., only minutes after the 9:59 a.m. moment 25 years earlier when the South Tower collapsed.
Elder Brethren Everett Morss with the Boston Post Cane.

Well Deserved Honorees at “Elder Brethren” Picnic

Elder brother Everett Morss is presented the Boston Post Cane for being the oldest member present at this year’s Old Man’s Chowder Party in Manchester. 
Carolyn Anderson, at her Bennett Street home as the recipient of the town’s Boston Post Cane.

A CENTURY—AND THE CANE!

Carolyn Anderson, who turned 100 in June, was honored Monday at her Bennett Street home as Manchester’s eldest living resident and recipient of the town’s Boston Post Cane. 
2026 Singing Beach Lifeguards Staff
Summer Recreation Review
As August comes to an end and the start of school is around the corner, it is a great time to reflect on the busy summer season in the Parks & Recreation Dept.
Manchester Elder Brethren in 1924. 
Manchester Elder Brethren Gathering and Picnic Sept. 12
The 2026 meeting of the Elder Brethren will take place on Saturday, September 12th.  The group will gather at the Tuck’s Point Chowder House. 
The Trash Bins Are Here!
A sea of black and blue has taken over Manchester-by-the-Sea.
Lifestyle
The Open Door’s third annual Thrift the Runway fashion show featured more than 100 looks styled and accessorized with clothing donated to Second Glance

Thrift the Runway Puts Fashion to Work for Hunger Relief

Fashion and philanthropy shared the spotlight earlier this month when more than 400 people packed The Cut in Gloucester for The Open Door’s third annual Thrift the Runway fashion show.
Guest speaker Meg Black, Ph.D. will present “Artists and Gardens: Turning Gardens into Great Works of Art,” at the North Shore Horticultural Society’s Tuesday, Oct. 27 meeting in Manchester. 

North Shore Horticultural Society Launches New Season of Garden Programs

The North Shore Horticultural Society has successfully kicked off its 2026-27 lecture season in Manchester, beginning with a timely look at how even small gardens can play an important role in supporting pollinators.
Wild Fire/Wild Heart 2020, Katherine Downey Miller, acrylic on canvas, 72” X 72”. 

Katherine Downey Miller to Lead ‘Waterborne’ Gallery Walk

Artist Katherine Downey Miller will lead a public walk-through of her exhibition, “Waterborne,” at Jane Deering Gallery in Gloucester on Saturday, Oct. 3, offering visitors a chance to hear directly from the artist about the work and ideas behind the show.
The Manchester by the Sea Museum will host Cape Ann Plein Air painters during the event’s Manchester “Quick Draw” on Saturday, Oct. 10. 

Manchester Museum Sets Full Slate of October Programs

The Manchester-by-the-Sea Museum heads into October with a busy schedule of programs ranging from local history and art to activities for teens and families.
Painting, watercolor, Kathryn Roberts.

Cape Ann Artisans Open Their Doors for Fall Tour

There’s looking at art in a gallery, and then there’s seeing where — and how — it actually gets made.
Home and Garden
Teens and adults enjoyed a morning Junk Journaling at the library.  

Essex Library Notes | Sept 18

The TOHP Essex Burnham Public Library this week has the Library Garden and Patio Grand Opening, Story Hour, Open Saturdays and much more.

Some design trends that arrive with great fanfare and disappear just as quickly.  Americana isn't one of them.
Pets and People

Euthanasia: The Good Death

People ask me if euthanasia is the hardest thing I do.  The honest answer is yes and no.

Books

Manchester Library Notes | Sept 18

Thank you to Manchester resident Kellie Dodd for sharing her seed saving expertise and so many seed varieties.

There are great things happening this week at the Manchester Public Library, including the Mystery Book Group, High-Yield Retirement, and much more.

Columnists

September Reading Preview      

As we get deeper into August, all of us who work in the Book Shop have started furiously reading books due to publish in September so we can be prepared to recommend (or not!) the biggest new releases.

Sports
SPORTS
ME Regional High School Varsity Cross Country boys and girls v. Ipswich at Crane's Beach

ME Cross Country Teams Jump Out to 2-0 Start

Depth and chemistry have been a boon for Manchester Essex boys and girls cross country teams, respectively, so far this season.

ME Golf Team Finds Its Footing At Midseason

There was a bit of a learning curve at the start, but the Manchester Essex golf team seems to be figuring things out near the season’s midpoint.

Different Methods, Similar Results for ME Lax Teams in Tourney

Charlie Thurlow charges the net against the East Bridgewater Vikings during MIAA D4 Round of 32.  The Hornets prevailed 17-4..
While the end result was essentially the same, both Manchester Essex lacrosse teams found different ways to earn decisive wins in the first round of the MIAA Div. 4 Tournament this past …
Obituaries
Lane H. Mann
Lane H. Mann June 15, 1957 – September 28, 2026 Lane Hartwell Mann, 69, passed away on September 28, 2026, surrounded by the love and laughter that defined so much of his life.  His …
Mrs. Susan Louise Beverett Hudson
Mrs. Susan Louise Hudson, known lovingly to many as Susie, passed away on September 15, 2026, in Alexander City, Alabama, at the age of 81. Born on May 30, 1945, in Montgomery, Alabama, Susie …
Madelyn Moon Sheilds
Madelyn “Lyn” Moon Shields, age 77, of Manchester, Massachusetts died on Thursday September 10, 2026 of complications from cancer. Lyn’s lifespan may have been cut short, but her wingspan …
Peter Boyd Germond
Peter Boyd Germond, MD, 91, of Gloucester, MA (formerly of Manchester, MA) passed away peacefully on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, surrounded by his loving family. Peter was born on December 14, …
Frances Marguerite Stirgwolt
Frances Marguerite Chandler Stirgwolt was born October 8, 1924, in Lynn, Massachusetts, to Frank Otho Chandler and Jennie Frances Pension.  She died September 10, 2026 in Danvers, Massachusetts, …
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