REGIONAL – When Dr. Gary Gastman became the executive director for Link House nine years ago, it had an annual budget of $1 million, and as he described the major mental health services provider, it had “good bones,” but needed “some improvements.” On Oct. 20, when...
Stewart Lytle
Stewart Lytle is the lead reporter for The Town Common newspaper. Before joining The Town Common, he was a national correspondent for Scripps-Howard Newspapers in Washington, D.C., covering the Pentagon and Congress. He has also written for newspapers in Dallas, TX, and Birmingham, AL.
As a national reporter for the Scripps Howard newspaper chain, Stewart wrote the inside story on military life of soldiers and sailors and their families. He landed on aircraft carriers, experienced oxygen deprivation for high-altitude flight training and crawled through the mud with Marine snipers.
One of his proudest achievements outside of journalism was assisting USAA Chairman Robert McDermott in securing federal legislation that mandated air bags in vehicles.
Stewart is also a novelist and has written non-fiction books. He is currently working on a non-fiction book and screenplay about an incident that occurred in Boston.
His first novel, Iron City Conspiracy, explores power in a city. It features a black newspaper editor solving the bombing of a historic black church in a tough Alabama town.
Following in the footsteps of his idol, Ernest Hemingway, Stewart has completed a new novel about a love affair in the midst of the Spanish Civil War. The book, Montserrat, is based on a true story and has been made into a screenplay that will become an international feature film.
A graduate of Phillips Academy and Princeton University, Stewart lives with his wife, Mary, in Newburyport.
Sip a Pumpkin Beer, Listen to Classic Rock
TOPSFIELD -- If you enjoy Dunkin’ Donuts’ spice coffee, you may want to try True North Ale Co.’ Topsfield Fair Giant Pumpkin Ale in the Topsfield Fair’s Beer Garden, especially while listening to the classic rock sounds of Starship, featuring Mickey Thomas and special...
Hot Sauce Helps Oceans
HAMPTON, NH – New England Hot Sauce Fest weathered the threat of storms this summer to raise more than $12,000 to help environmental groups’ fight to protect New England’s seacoast and ocean. The festival, produced by Gabe DiSaverio, owner of the Spicy Shark sauces...
Conservation Commission Battle Gets Hotter
GEORGETOWN – The Board of Selectmen called a special meeting last week to consider ousting Carl Shreder as chair of the town’s Conservation Commission for sarcastic comments he made about using Town Hall as a fire suppression exercise. Select board member Douglas...
Fighting Climate Change Locally
REGIONAL – If climate change and new weather patterns were not already top of mine, the city of Newburyport plans to make sure residents of all ages on the North Shore are aware of ways they can help reduce the impact of rising seas, hurricanes and storms. With almost...
Students To Learn ‘In the Shay Way’
AMESBURY — In a “just in case letter,” Amesbury High School graduate Sgt. Jordan Shay asked that his family and friends to create a scholarship fund for students who “want to make a difference in the world.” After his battlefield death 30 miles north of Baghdad during...
LaFrance Recognized as Heroine
IPSWICH -- Lori LaFrance is no stranger to being recognized by prestigious national organizations for her work on environmental issues with students at Ipswich High School. LaFrance, who has been teaching science for 17 years to mostly juniors and seniors, was one of...
‘No Place to Park’
NEWBURYPORT – “Less park, more parking” was the refrain Mary Jo Haley, the city’s parking enforcement supervisor, heard repeatedly last week from frustrated employees and potential customers of downtown businesses. “There is no place to park,” she told the city’s...
Conservation Commission Battle Boils Over
GEORGETOWN – The town’s Conservation Commission is closed, at least temporarily. The last two members of the commission’s staff resigned as part of a continuing battle with the town administrator and other town employees over the commission’s future. The veteran...
Ray Pike: On the Mend
REGIONAL – Ray Pike, the Salisbury harbormaster for 16 years, was enjoying a scenic hike in the White Mountains last fall along a ridge high enough to see maybe as far as Canada when he stumbled and fell. He ended up in the hospital for weeks and for almost a year...