More local news
The crew posing with a piece of the B-18. From left, Luke Donohoe, Gus Hall, Fred Rossi, Jackson Burbage, and Donald Hall. 

Troop 3 Completes Annual World War II Bomber Hike  

The trip started on Friday as everyone piled into a car and drove up to Woodstock, New Hampshire.  We arrived at the Walker Brook Trailhead at around 8 p.m., and proceeded to hike around a mile before hitting a clearing and setting up camp for the night. 
ME Regional High School Class of 2030 Debaters, from left, Zoe Rubens, Emma Nesbit, Lucy McInnis and Maddie Eurich. 

Novice Members of the MERHS Debate Team Compete in Their First Tournament

This Halloween, the newest members of the Manchester-Essex Regional High School Speech & Debate Team took their first step in their debate careers, competing in their first tournament on Saturday, October 31, at the Manchester-Essex Regional High School.
After Tuesday’s election, Andrew “Dru” Tarr (D-Gloucester, far left) bested Christina Delisio (R-Manchester) and Gilbert “Gil” Frieden (I-Essex) to win Cape Ann’s 5th Essex District seat in the MA House of Representatives.

Tarr Wins Full Term in 5th Essex District

After a truly energized local election season, it was incumbent State Rep. Andrew “Dru” Tarr, D-Gloucester, who won a full two-year term to represent Cape Ann on Tuesday, defeating Manchester …
President and CEO Julie LaFontaine, on left, and Director of Operations Gary Sprague welcome clients back for in-person shopping on Monday.

The Open Door Resumes In-Person Grocery Shopping

The Open Door welcomed clients back for in-person grocery shopping last week, marking a return to a service model the regional food pantry used before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Local Manchester public safety personnel at Manchester's public dock at Tuck's Point as they receive a recovered body off of Gale's Ledge.

Body Recovered Off Manchester Identified as Missing Boater James Wolcott

The body recovered Sunday from waters off Manchester-by-the-Sea has been positively identified as James Wolcott, 37, of Hamilton, who had been missing since a fatal boating accident off Singing Beach …
Local Manchester public safety personnel on the Manchester Yacht Club dock waiting for the incoming harbormaster vessel in Sunday's recovery of a body off of Gale's Ledge.
Body Recovered Off Gale's Ledge in Manchester Sunday
A body was recovered from the waters off Gale's Ledge in Manchester Sunday morning, three weeks after a boating accident off Singing Beach left one man dead and another missing. The body was …
Looking at the Tax Impact
As Manchester-by-the-Sea prepares for Special Town Meeting on November 16, residents will consider two major proposals: the Essex Elementary School project and a Senior Community Center.
Manchester Scholar Joins Gloucester Lyceum Panel on AI’s Promise and Peril
Artificial intelligence is changing the way we work, communicate and navigate daily life.  But who is responsible when the technology gets things wrong?  What happens to personal privacy? …
Lifestyle

Local Property Transfers in Manchester and Essex

Manchester Property Transfers 87 Bridge St. (Residential property) Sold Oct. 30 for $2,650,000 21 Central St. (Mixed-use property) Sold Oct. 26 for $2,500,000 Arms-length …

A Small House, With the Great Outdoors Next Door

In a town where historic homes and sprawling estates dominate much of the real estate landscape, the opportunity for single-level living is relatively rare—and particularly appealing to those …
“kwll” ‐ Oil ‐ 24 x 30, Stephen LaPierre

Key West Comes to Gloucester in New Plein Air Exhibition

A little Key West sunshine is coming to Gloucester this November, courtesy of local artist Stephen LaPierre.
Downtown was crawling with little ghosts, goblins, pirates, princesses, and plenty of other characters on Saturday.

GOBLINS, PIRATES, CUTE CREATURES 

Downtown Manchester was crawling with little ghosts, goblins, pirates, princesses, and plenty of other imaginative characters Saturday as record crowds turned out for the town’s annual Wobblin' Goblin Halloween celebration.
“Tide will Turn” Beth Bathe’s 2025 Cape Ann Plein Air winning painting, brings the beautiful marshes of West Gloucester to life.

Bringing the Landscape Home

There are few things more distinctly “Cape Ann” than the sight of an artist standing at an easel, looking out toward the harbor, marsh or ocean, trying to capture a fleeting moment of light.
Home and Garden
PETS & PEOPLE
Labrador dog in surgery

Going Under the Knife

For more than thirty years, surgery was the part of my work I loved most.  There is a particular pleasure in practicing a special skill and practicing it well: the careful preparation, the steady hands, the quiet satisfaction of a job done right.

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

What's Safe in Your Dog's Bowl, and What Isn't

Pet dog eating his food.

One of the most confusing areas of pet care are what to feed your companion animal.  Many of the answers should be guided by the age, breed and health of the dog or cat.

Books

Manchester Library Notes | November 6

Artful Mechanisms

There are great things happening this week, Presidential Series, Artful Mechanisms, Dungeons and Dragons for kids, and much more.

Columnists

2026 Ford F-150 Raptor: America's Favorite Guilty Pleasure

Ford F-150-Raptor exterior view

There are few vehicles you can buy today that are more politically incorrect than the 2026 Ford F-150 Raptor.  It's enormous and thirsty, and its supposed reason for existing is to travel very quickly over terrain that would destroy a normal truck, which virtually no prospective buyer will ever do.

Sports
Practice makes perfect.  ME Hornets Varsity Field Hockey finds itself in a pretty position, confirmed as Cape Ann League’s Baker Division Champs for the fifth year in a row with a season record of 10-4-2.

Fifth CAL Baker Crown in Hand, ME Field Hockey Readies for Tourney

The Hornets completed their regular season with a record of 10-4-2 and were confirmed as the Cape Ann League Baker Division Champions for the fifth year in a row, continuing a streak of excellence for one of the premier high school sports programs in the area.

  ME Boys Soccer Wins CAL Baker, Eyes Tourney Run

If winning 12 games during the season is considered an accomplishment to be proud of, then accomplishing that in the ultra-competitive Cape Ann League Baker Division should be seen as a next-level achievement.

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
Virginia Faye (Christensen) Keville
Virginia Faye Keville (nee Christensen) left us on October 22nd.  She passed peacefully at home with family in attendance.  She was ninety-one years old. She was born in Mount …
Jean Sara McKenna
Jean Sara McKenna, 89, of Beverly, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully on Monday, October 19, 2026. S he is deeply loved and missed by her family, friends, neighbors and church community. Jean …
Helen Bethell  
Helen Bethell, a leader in local and state conservation for almost five decades, died on October 19. She was 94. Born February 13, 1932, in Greenwich, Connecticut, Helen Marie Anne Delage was …
John Edmund Donoghue
John Edmund Donoghue of Cape Coral, FL, formerly of Manchester-by-the-Sea and Tewksbury, MA, passed away suddenly on October 13th, 2026, at the age of 74. Born in Winchester, MA, on May 4th, …
Carolyn (Hull) Anderson
Carolyn (Hull) Anderson, the revered oldest resident of Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully on October 10, 2026, having beautifully completed a remarkable 100-year journey of …
Find us on Facebook
Letters
Around the web
Traveling for the holidays? Here's how to save
Ally Financial reports tips for holiday travel budgeting: create an agenda, budget your stay, shop early for gifts, travel off-peak, go with a group, and consider travel insurance.
The Thanksgiving NFL archive: 5 statistical anomalies that defy decades of football logic
SBD reports on five Thanksgiving NFL statistical anomalies, highlighting remarkable performances, odd trends, and historical records from Turkey Day games.
The Thanksgiving NFL archive: 5 statistical anomalies that defy decades of football logic
SBD reports on five Thanksgiving NFL statistical anomalies, highlighting remarkable performances, odd trends, and historical records from Turkey Day games.
What research shows about studying techniques and recall
Quizlet reports that research shows self-testing improves memory retention more than rereading materials, despite students feeling more confident when rereading.
Money-saving energy tips to brave the cold months
Intuit TurboTax reports energy-saving tips for winter after Daylight Saving Time, including bundling up, using space heaters, and sealing drafts.