NEWBURYPORT – Port Plaza, the site of the now-vacant former Kmart store, has begun the permitting process for what could become the city of Newburyport's largest building. And though the city of Newburyport is a partner in the development, don’t expect the regulatory...
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.
Georgetown SelectBoard Ousts ConCom Chair
GEORGETOWN – In the ongoing battle over control of the town’s environmental agency, three members of the SelectBoard voted last week to oust the current chair because she would not commit to resign as chair. The SelectBoard was trying to fill three vacant seats on the...
Georgetown SelectBoard Chairman Hoover In His Own Words
GEORGETOWN – After hearing from several residents about the way SelectBoard Chair Robert Hoover voted on reappointing Conservation Commission Chair Chris Candia, we asked him for a more in-depth explanation. Here is his response: “I’m not surprised...
Newburyport Builds New Tennis Courts
NEWBURYPORT – This city’s high school tennis teams have gone from famine to feast with the construction of three new courts beside the Nock Middle School. With two that were already there, Newburyport has moved from having only three courts, when at least four were...
Newburyport Lantern Festival Returns to Bartlett Mall this Weekend
NEWBURYPORT – The Newburyport Lantern Festival will be held this Saturday, June 28, at Bartlett Mall. Come launch a lantern in honor of a memory or hope for the future. The annual festival, which promotes ovarian awareness cancer, begins at 6:30 p.m. with the...
Steven P. Rosenthal’s Gift Continues to Give Free Swim Lessons Across North Shore and Cape Ann through Northeast Arc’s Saving Lives Swim Program
REGIONAL – It is summer, when families love to head to the beaches and pools. For safety, every child, whether he or she have disabilities or not, should know how to swim. Northeast Arc, a not-for-profit organization that helps children and adults with disabilities...
Town Releases ‘Imperfect, Incomplete’ Stirm Group Report
GEORGETOWN – Amid complaints from the SelectBoard chair and several members that the Stirm Group report is flawed, the board last week unveiled the long-awaited report from the private detective firm about the town’s Conservation Commission (ConCom) and particularly...
‘Clipper Ship’ Arrives on the Waterfront
NEWBURYPORT WATERFRONT – The arrival home of a clipper ship in the early days of this city meant not only great wealth for locals, but also that fathers and brothers were returning home after months at sea. In 2025, the arrival of Aaron T Stephan’s clipper ship...
Clipper Ship Arrives on the Waterfront
NEWBURYPORT WATERFRONT – The arrival home of a clipper ship in the early days of this city meant a lot to the maritime economy. Now, the arrival of Aaron T Stephan’s clipper ship sculpture on the waterfront, heralding the city’s past, is likely to draw cash-totting...
NEWBURYPORT Adult and Community Education (NACE)
REGIONAL – Looking for a fun, maybe life-enriching experience this summer. Try learning to make pottery or fulfill that childhood dream of shooting a bow and arrow. There is always try your hand at watercolors or decoupage oyster shell art. Maybe you wish you knew how...
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