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Robert Brooks Johnson

Robert Brooks Johnson

It is with sadness that the family of Robert Brooks Johnson announces his passing after a very brief illness. He was born in Somerville, Mass. on...

Winter Class Registration

NEWBURYPORT – Winter class registration is now open: art, music, paleontology, writing, gardening, world languages, yoga, tai chi, dancing, SAT...

Newbury Water Bills (Past) Due!

A Message from the Newbury Water Department The Water Department sent out the fall bills October 1st and they were due December 1st. If you have not...

West Newbury Library Pies!

Cortland Apple Pie, Apple Crisp, Pecan Pie, Blueberry Pie, Pumpkin Pie, Key Lime Pie, Ghiradelli Triple Chocolate Brownie Pie, Gluten Free Crisp,...

Salisbury Annual Lighting of the Tree

SALISBURY – All are encouraged to join in on Tuesday, December 2, from 4 to 7 pm, at the annual Salisbury Lighting of the Tree on the Town Common....

Whittier Caution

HAVERHILL – They're back! Whittier Regional Vocational School has re-grouped to begin pushing a new tax increase on towns to fund a new school. The...

Harvey Mades

Harvey Mades

Harvey Mades of Newburyport, formerly of Georgetown, Massachusetts died peacefully on October 26, 2025, at the age of 93 surrounded by the love and...

Helen Louise (Wilkins) Downing

Helen Louise (Wilkins) Downing

Helen Louise (Wilkins) Downing passed away on October 13, 2025, at Portsmouth (NH) Regional Hospital. Most recently a resident of Amesbury, Helen...

Penelope ‘Penny’ J. Verow

Penelope ‘Penny’ J. Verow

With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of Penelope 'Penny' J. Verow on October 18, 2025, in Newburyport, MA, at age 78. Born in Walthamstow,...

DEATH NOTICES

DEATH NOTICES

  John H Douglas of Beverly, Mass. (C.R. Lyon & Sons Funeral Home - Danvers, 978-777-7900) Dr. Richard “Dick” R. Dussault of Peabody, Mass....

Georgetown: Trying to Resolve Differences Proves Challenging

Georgetown: Trying to Resolve Differences Proves Challenging

GEORGETOWN – The town’s SelectBoard (BOS) and Conservation Commission (ConCom) met last week in hopes of burying the hatchet between the two boards, discussing three issues that have caused tensions. But the meeting was barely over when old animosities resurfaced. Several officials said they included calls for Rachel Therrien, a BOS member and chair of the ConCom, to resign her positions because she said the ConCom had “voted” in favor of holding its meetings as both on Zoom and in person. At a September meeting,...

Kraken Gaming – Vintage Toys & Games Treasure in Rowley

Kraken Gaming – Vintage Toys & Games Treasure in Rowley

ROWLEY – Pokemonâ, Play Stationâ, Nintendoâ, Genesisâ, Pikachuâ, Shogun Warriorsâ, Magicâ, Start Trekâ, Star Warsâ, Play Stationâ, Game Boyâ, and XBoxâ, are just some of the offerings at Kraken Gaming- the place to find vintage toys and games. The packed shop located in the plaza at the intersection of Rte. 133 and Rte. 1 - across from the iconic Agawam Diner if full of treasures. Toys? They have them. Action figures? You bet. Memorabilia? Everywhere. Comic books? A Marvelâ Comics (and others) gold mine, and so...

West Newbury 2026 Dog Licenses Now Available

Stop in the town clerk's office in person to complete your application and pick up your tags, or use your 2026 Town Census form, or go online at  epay.cityhallsystems.com/selection and enter West Newbury, MA then click "View/Pay bills." Then, select "Clerk Department" then "Dog License." Fee schedule: $15.00 each for Spayed or Neutered Dogs; $25.00 each for Intact or Unaltered Dogs Escalating late fees of $10 a month will be assessed as of the 1st of each month from May through August There is no charge for...

Newbury Looks to Build Senior Center

NEWBURY – The Council on Aging is looking for a new home for its programs and events that serve the seniors of this town. Its first choice to build a new senior center is town-owned land on Kent Way adjacent to the library and Little League field no. 1. Currently, the Council on Aging’s F. Rayburn Lynch Senior Center is in rented space at 12 Kent Way that is not large enough for its programs and the senior population that uses them. The committee estimates that the senior center will need between 6,000 and 7,000...

Newbury Town Library 2025 Hat & Mitten/Glove Drive Delivers Big

Newbury Town Library 2025 Hat & Mitten/Glove Drive Delivers Big

NEWBURY – Last week, Newbury Town Library Head of Circulation Liz Flaherty and Assistant Director Katherine Szuplat delivered 300 hats and mittens/gloves donated by the community to Tiffany Nigro Executive Director at the Pettengill House. Started in 2021, the Library holds the drive annually each December. The Pettengill House, Inc. is a nonprofit community social service agency providing comprehensive case management, basic needs support, emergency assistance, crisis intervention, and an array of essential...

Focus on Real Estate by Stewart Lytle – Lower Green Home  Steeped in History

Focus on Real Estate by Stewart Lytle – Lower Green Home Steeped in History

NEWBURY – If you are looking for a home that was part of early Newbury history with the same views of the Parker River that the earliest settlers enjoyed, a two-bedroom home that has been updated with modern amenities just came on the market. Built originally in 1728 as a tavern that served locals and visitors traveling between Boston and Portsmouth, NH, the 2,356-square-foot home at 7 Lower Green once stood in the path of what today is State Rte. 1A. Then-owner Florence Bushee, a conservationist and...

West Newbury Library Programs: Native Seed Planting Workshops for Kids and Adult

Friday, January 16 and Saturday, January 17 The Library has two native seed planting workshops coming up this month; one for kids and families and one for adults. Get a jump on your spring gardening and help us to built a healthy community ecosystem for native pollinators, such as Monarch butterflies who depend on milkweed. Milkweed Seed Planting Workshop Friday, January 16 1:30—3:00 PM Teen Room, G.A.R. Memorial Library Drop-in after school to plant locally-harvested milkweed seeds in planters made from recycled...

Plant Matters

Plant Matters

What we covered in 2025 and what is ahead in 2026. We discovered some great plant people in 2025 Carol Decker of West Newbury Wild and Native  (WN2) described how WN2 encourages people to cultivate ecological landscapes. https://www.wnwildnative.org Dianne Plantamura and The Master Gardeners who created the Miyawaki forest  in Groveland at Veasy Park and her vision and work for rewilding Veasy Park. https://www.grovelandma.com/town-tree-project Matthew Martin of Restoration Horticulture and his dedication to his...

Whittier Tech Students Pitch in at Georgetown Light Department

Whittier Tech Students Pitch in at Georgetown Light Department

Georgetown Municipal Light Department General Manager Mary Snow, right, joined Whittier Tech carpentry students and their instructor, Mike Sandlin, second from right, on the steps the students rebuilt for the light department. The Whittier Tech students completed the project as part of their community outreach.

Local Students Named to Honor Lists

Lebanon Valley College Elizabeth Kemp of Georgetown, Mass. has been named to the Lebanon Valley College Dean's List for the fall 2025 semester. Dean's list students must maintain a GPA of at least 3.4 out of 4.0. Kemp is pursuing a bachelor of arts and bachelor of science in accounting and economics at The Valley and is a graduate of Georgetown Middle-High School. Newton's Lasell University The Fall 2025 Dean's List includes students who have completed at least 12 credits as a full-time student in that semester...

Please Contribute to the Georgetown Troop #50 Boys Scouts with Your Returnable Bottles and Cans

by Kay Lee Ogden Georgetown, Mass. I'm asking all you folks if you would be kind enough to donate all your recyclable, returnable bottles and cans for the Boy Scouts of Troop 50 in Georgetown. The boys use this money to do their projects and go on trips during the winter and summer. They also donate scholarships! They could not do this without your support! My name is Kay Lee Ogden, and I am willing to drive around and pick up your recyclables, and cash them in and give the money to the Scouts! My son is an...

WEST NEWBURY Thurs., Jan 22, 2026 Republican Town Committee

WEST NEWBURY Thurs., Jan 22, 2026 Republican Town Committee Join us at the Merrimac Brewing Company on Thursday, January 22 at 7 PM for a WNRTC Meeting and Social.  Please bring your friends. At the meeting we will be electing delegates to the MassGOP Convention on April 25, 2026 at the DCU Center in Worcester.  I expect representatives from at least one of the Gubernatorial Campaigns to be in attendance. Merrimac Brewing Company, on the second floor of the Carriage House building in the back of 12 Maple Street,...

Newburyport Whale Watching and the Plight of Whales Event at the Maritime Museum FRIDAY

Newburyport Whale Watching and the Plight of Whales Event at the Maritime Museum FRIDAY

NEWBURYPORT – If you love whales, the Custom House Maritime Museum has got a treat waiting for you. On 2026’s first First Friday lecture, Kristin Daley, a marine naturalist at the Newburyport Whale Watch will speak at 6:30 p.m. Friday about Newburyport Whale Watching and the Plight of Wales. “Take a deep dive with naturalist Kristin Daley into the biology, behavior, migration and communication of whales in our Gulf of Maine backyard,” announced Julia Bradley-LaBonte, the museum’s senior manager. “What helps these...

Focus on Real Estate: Featured Property – A New Gateway to Plum Island

Focus on Real Estate: Featured Property – A New Gateway to Plum Island

PLUM ISLAND – The character of residences on this 11-mile barrier island has been undergoing major change over the last decade. Once a popular vacation destination where people from all over the Northeast rented cottages to enjoy the beach. Sunburned, hungry and thirsty, the beachgoers would gather at one of a handful of bars and restaurants, most notably the Plum Island Grille, where they watched the sun set over the Great Salt Marsh. “The Plum Island Grille has a glorious past,” said Mark Friery, who once owned...

Cantemus Invites Tenor and Bass Singers to Audition

Cantemus Invites Tenor and Bass Singers to Audition

Cantemus Chamber Chorus, now in its 44th year of providing the North Shore with imaginative and skillful choral performances, invites tenor and bass singers to audition for the spring semester and beyond.  Ten-minute auditions will take place by appointment on January 13th between 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. at First Church, 1 Arbor St., Wenham. Alternative audition times can be arranged as needed. Please email info@cantemus.org to schedule your audition. For audition details, visit www.cantemus.org/about-us/auditions/....

Meet the Town Common Team Who Serves You

Meet the Town Common Team Who Serves You

REGIONAL – The Town Common newspaper welcomes Nate Allard, the former president of the Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce and Industry, to its team as a senior Newburyport and Salisbury advertising sales consultant. Born in Newburyport and raised in Salisbury, Nate’s reach is much further than either of the two cities he knows so well. He has spent his career help businesses of all types succeed, working with businesses large and small find unique, creative ways to keep their name in the forefront of...

Plant Matters – Burn the Burning Bush!

Plant Matters – Burn the Burning Bush!

Let us just burn Burning Bush.   I’ve been concerned about “introduced” ornamental plants from countries outside the USA since I worked for the U.S.D.A. (U. S. Department of Agriculture) in the Port of New York. I have been working in the green industry over the last four decades and have become alarmed by the negative impact  that ‘invasive’ ornamental plants have had on local ecosystems. One shrub that has been classified as a significant threat to local ecosystems is Euonymous alatus which was introduced...

Georgetown: Trying to Resolve Differences Proves Challenging

Georgetown: Trying to Resolve Differences Proves Challenging

GEORGETOWN – The town’s SelectBoard (BOS) and Conservation Commission (ConCom) met last week in hopes of burying the hatchet between the two boards, discussing three issues that have caused tensions. But the meeting was barely over when old animosities resurfaced. Several officials said they included calls for Rachel Therrien, a BOS member and chair of the ConCom, to resign her positions because she said the ConCom had “voted” in favor of holding its meetings as both on Zoom and in person. At a September meeting,...

Kraken Gaming – Vintage Toys & Games Treasure in Rowley

Kraken Gaming – Vintage Toys & Games Treasure in Rowley

ROWLEY – Pokemonâ, Play Stationâ, Nintendoâ, Genesisâ, Pikachuâ, Shogun Warriorsâ, Magicâ, Start Trekâ, Star Warsâ, Play Stationâ, Game Boyâ, and XBoxâ, are just some of the offerings at Kraken Gaming- the place to find vintage toys and games. The packed shop located in the plaza at the intersection of Rte. 133 and Rte. 1 - across from the iconic Agawam Diner if full of treasures. Toys? They have them. Action figures? You bet. Memorabilia? Everywhere. Comic books? A Marvelâ Comics (and others) gold mine, and so...

West Newbury 2026 Dog Licenses Now Available

Stop in the town clerk's office in person to complete your application and pick up your tags, or use your 2026 Town Census form, or go online at  epay.cityhallsystems.com/selection and enter West Newbury, MA then click "View/Pay bills." Then, select "Clerk Department" then "Dog License." Fee schedule: $15.00 each for Spayed or Neutered Dogs; $25.00 each for Intact or Unaltered Dogs Escalating late fees of $10 a month will be assessed as of the 1st of each month from May through August There is no charge for...

Newbury Looks to Build Senior Center

NEWBURY – The Council on Aging is looking for a new home for its programs and events that serve the seniors of this town. Its first choice to build a new senior center is town-owned land on Kent Way adjacent to the library and Little League field no. 1. Currently, the Council on Aging’s F. Rayburn Lynch Senior Center is in rented space at 12 Kent Way that is not large enough for its programs and the senior population that uses them. The committee estimates that the senior center will need between 6,000 and 7,000...

Newbury Town Library 2025 Hat & Mitten/Glove Drive Delivers Big

Newbury Town Library 2025 Hat & Mitten/Glove Drive Delivers Big

NEWBURY – Last week, Newbury Town Library Head of Circulation Liz Flaherty and Assistant Director Katherine Szuplat delivered 300 hats and mittens/gloves donated by the community to Tiffany Nigro Executive Director at the Pettengill House. Started in 2021, the Library holds the drive annually each December. The Pettengill House, Inc. is a nonprofit community social service agency providing comprehensive case management, basic needs support, emergency assistance, crisis intervention, and an array of essential...

Focus on Real Estate by Stewart Lytle – Lower Green Home  Steeped in History

Focus on Real Estate by Stewart Lytle – Lower Green Home Steeped in History

NEWBURY – If you are looking for a home that was part of early Newbury history with the same views of the Parker River that the earliest settlers enjoyed, a two-bedroom home that has been updated with modern amenities just came on the market. Built originally in 1728 as a tavern that served locals and visitors traveling between Boston and Portsmouth, NH, the 2,356-square-foot home at 7 Lower Green once stood in the path of what today is State Rte. 1A. Then-owner Florence Bushee, a conservationist and...

West Newbury Library Programs: Native Seed Planting Workshops for Kids and Adult

Friday, January 16 and Saturday, January 17 The Library has two native seed planting workshops coming up this month; one for kids and families and one for adults. Get a jump on your spring gardening and help us to built a healthy community ecosystem for native pollinators, such as Monarch butterflies who depend on milkweed. Milkweed Seed Planting Workshop Friday, January 16 1:30—3:00 PM Teen Room, G.A.R. Memorial Library Drop-in after school to plant locally-harvested milkweed seeds in planters made from recycled...

Plant Matters

Plant Matters

What we covered in 2025 and what is ahead in 2026. We discovered some great plant people in 2025 Carol Decker of West Newbury Wild and Native  (WN2) described how WN2 encourages people to cultivate ecological landscapes. https://www.wnwildnative.org Dianne Plantamura and The Master Gardeners who created the Miyawaki forest  in Groveland at Veasy Park and her vision and work for rewilding Veasy Park. https://www.grovelandma.com/town-tree-project Matthew Martin of Restoration Horticulture and his dedication to his...

Whittier Tech Students Pitch in at Georgetown Light Department

Whittier Tech Students Pitch in at Georgetown Light Department

Georgetown Municipal Light Department General Manager Mary Snow, right, joined Whittier Tech carpentry students and their instructor, Mike Sandlin, second from right, on the steps the students rebuilt for the light department. The Whittier Tech students completed the project as part of their community outreach.

Local Students Named to Honor Lists

Lebanon Valley College Elizabeth Kemp of Georgetown, Mass. has been named to the Lebanon Valley College Dean's List for the fall 2025 semester. Dean's list students must maintain a GPA of at least 3.4 out of 4.0. Kemp is pursuing a bachelor of arts and bachelor of science in accounting and economics at The Valley and is a graduate of Georgetown Middle-High School. Newton's Lasell University The Fall 2025 Dean's List includes students who have completed at least 12 credits as a full-time student in that semester...

Please Contribute to the Georgetown Troop #50 Boys Scouts with Your Returnable Bottles and Cans

by Kay Lee Ogden Georgetown, Mass. I'm asking all you folks if you would be kind enough to donate all your recyclable, returnable bottles and cans for the Boy Scouts of Troop 50 in Georgetown. The boys use this money to do their projects and go on trips during the winter and summer. They also donate scholarships! They could not do this without your support! My name is Kay Lee Ogden, and I am willing to drive around and pick up your recyclables, and cash them in and give the money to the Scouts! My son is an...

WEST NEWBURY Thurs., Jan 22, 2026 Republican Town Committee

WEST NEWBURY Thurs., Jan 22, 2026 Republican Town Committee Join us at the Merrimac Brewing Company on Thursday, January 22 at 7 PM for a WNRTC Meeting and Social.  Please bring your friends. At the meeting we will be electing delegates to the MassGOP Convention on April 25, 2026 at the DCU Center in Worcester.  I expect representatives from at least one of the Gubernatorial Campaigns to be in attendance. Merrimac Brewing Company, on the second floor of the Carriage House building in the back of 12 Maple Street,...

Newburyport Whale Watching and the Plight of Whales Event at the Maritime Museum FRIDAY

Newburyport Whale Watching and the Plight of Whales Event at the Maritime Museum FRIDAY

NEWBURYPORT – If you love whales, the Custom House Maritime Museum has got a treat waiting for you. On 2026’s first First Friday lecture, Kristin Daley, a marine naturalist at the Newburyport Whale Watch will speak at 6:30 p.m. Friday about Newburyport Whale Watching and the Plight of Wales. “Take a deep dive with naturalist Kristin Daley into the biology, behavior, migration and communication of whales in our Gulf of Maine backyard,” announced Julia Bradley-LaBonte, the museum’s senior manager. “What helps these...

Focus on Real Estate: Featured Property – A New Gateway to Plum Island

Focus on Real Estate: Featured Property – A New Gateway to Plum Island

PLUM ISLAND – The character of residences on this 11-mile barrier island has been undergoing major change over the last decade. Once a popular vacation destination where people from all over the Northeast rented cottages to enjoy the beach. Sunburned, hungry and thirsty, the beachgoers would gather at one of a handful of bars and restaurants, most notably the Plum Island Grille, where they watched the sun set over the Great Salt Marsh. “The Plum Island Grille has a glorious past,” said Mark Friery, who once owned...

Cantemus Invites Tenor and Bass Singers to Audition

Cantemus Invites Tenor and Bass Singers to Audition

Cantemus Chamber Chorus, now in its 44th year of providing the North Shore with imaginative and skillful choral performances, invites tenor and bass singers to audition for the spring semester and beyond.  Ten-minute auditions will take place by appointment on January 13th between 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. at First Church, 1 Arbor St., Wenham. Alternative audition times can be arranged as needed. Please email info@cantemus.org to schedule your audition. For audition details, visit www.cantemus.org/about-us/auditions/....

Meet the Town Common Team Who Serves You

Meet the Town Common Team Who Serves You

REGIONAL – The Town Common newspaper welcomes Nate Allard, the former president of the Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce and Industry, to its team as a senior Newburyport and Salisbury advertising sales consultant. Born in Newburyport and raised in Salisbury, Nate’s reach is much further than either of the two cities he knows so well. He has spent his career help businesses of all types succeed, working with businesses large and small find unique, creative ways to keep their name in the forefront of...

Plant Matters – Burn the Burning Bush!

Plant Matters – Burn the Burning Bush!

Let us just burn Burning Bush.   I’ve been concerned about “introduced” ornamental plants from countries outside the USA since I worked for the U.S.D.A. (U. S. Department of Agriculture) in the Port of New York. I have been working in the green industry over the last four decades and have become alarmed by the negative impact  that ‘invasive’ ornamental plants have had on local ecosystems. One shrub that has been classified as a significant threat to local ecosystems is Euonymous alatus which was introduced...

Georgetown: Trying to Resolve Differences Proves Challenging

Georgetown: Trying to Resolve Differences Proves Challenging

GEORGETOWN – The town’s SelectBoard (BOS) and Conservation Commission (ConCom) met last week in hopes of burying the hatchet between the two boards, discussing three issues that have caused tensions. But the meeting was barely over when old animosities resurfaced. Several officials said they included calls for Rachel Therrien, a BOS member and chair of the ConCom, to resign her positions because she said the ConCom had “voted” in favor of holding its meetings as both on Zoom and in person. At a September meeting,...

Kraken Gaming – Vintage Toys & Games Treasure in Rowley

Kraken Gaming – Vintage Toys & Games Treasure in Rowley

ROWLEY – Pokemonâ, Play Stationâ, Nintendoâ, Genesisâ, Pikachuâ, Shogun Warriorsâ, Magicâ, Start Trekâ, Star Warsâ, Play Stationâ, Game Boyâ, and XBoxâ, are just some of the offerings at Kraken Gaming- the place to find vintage toys and games. The packed shop located in the plaza at the intersection of Rte. 133 and Rte. 1 - across from the iconic Agawam Diner if full of treasures. Toys? They have them. Action figures? You bet. Memorabilia? Everywhere. Comic books? A Marvelâ Comics (and others) gold mine, and so...

West Newbury 2026 Dog Licenses Now Available

Stop in the town clerk's office in person to complete your application and pick up your tags, or use your 2026 Town Census form, or go online at  epay.cityhallsystems.com/selection and enter West Newbury, MA then click "View/Pay bills." Then, select "Clerk Department" then "Dog License." Fee schedule: $15.00 each for Spayed or Neutered Dogs; $25.00 each for Intact or Unaltered Dogs Escalating late fees of $10 a month will be assessed as of the 1st of each month from May through August There is no charge for...

Robert Brooks Johnson

Robert Brooks Johnson

It is with sadness that the family of Robert Brooks Johnson announces his passing after a very brief illness. He was born in Somerville, Mass. on December 13th, 1937. He was the son of the late Albert Johnson and Adelaide (Small) Johnson. A proud veteran of the US Navy Destroyer fleet, he remained dedicated to those little ships: volunteering for many years with his beloved late brother-in-law Raymond Howell maintaining the museum ship USS...

GEORGETOWN Sat., January 17, 2026 Republicans Invited

GEORGETOWN Sat., January 17, 2026 Republicans Invited The Georgetown Republican Town Committee will be meeting on Saturday January 17 at 10am at the Georgetown Peabody Library to elect delegates to attend the MA GOP Convention which will be held on April 26, 2026. Anyone interested in being a delegate to the Convention can attend this meeting in person or send an email to lenny.mirra@gmail.com.  

ROWLEY THURS., JAN 22, 2026 Democrats to Meet

ROWLEY THURS., JAN 22, 2026 Democrats to Meet Rowley Democrat Town Committee   Submitted by Katie Chattan The Rowley Democratic Town Committee is holding this month's meeting meeting on Thursday, January 22 at 6pm (note time change) at the Rowley Public Library. We will be hearing from candidate for MA 6th Congressional District Dan Koh. Come meet Dan Koh and hear his priorities in person! The Rowley DTC provides a forum to meet...

Winter Class Registration

NEWBURYPORT – Winter class registration is now open: art, music, paleontology, writing, gardening, world languages, yoga, tai chi, dancing, SAT...

Newbury Water Bills (Past) Due!

A Message from the Newbury Water Department The Water Department sent out the fall bills October 1st and they were due December 1st. If you have not...

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