This Week in Marblehead History: 1970

Every week, Marblehead Patch digs through the Marblehead Messenger microfilm archives at to find out what was happening on this week in local history.

In 1970:

'Obscene' play gets sub teacher fired

"A substitute English teacher at Marblehead High School has been fired for introducing an allegedly anti-Baptists and obscene play into the curriculum. The 23-year-old Salem State College student, hired six weeks ago to fill in for Lloyd K. Towle, who is ill, had expected to finish out the school year. But after he assigned his 18-pupil senior class section Leroi Jones' play "The Baptism," which concerns a masturbating youth who believes he's Christ, he was dismissed by principal Charles V. Lovely for 'a serious lack of judgement."

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Selectmen don't heed litter plea

"Harbor Advisory Board Chairman George Berry recently wrote a letter alerting local residents to a "bad pollution problem" affecting Marblehead waters and accused the Selectmen of being unresponsive in heeding the board's request for a crackdown on offshore littering. In his complaint, Mr. Berry alleges that "for years" harbor officials have been trying to prod the Selectmen to take affirmative action against those who dump trash and debris into area waters."

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State has half-million dollar plan for Marblehead

"The Metropolitan Area Planning Council has a $500,000 plan for Marblehead's future. The proposal, outlined to The Messenger by MAPC spokesman James Miller, includes a walkway/bikeway along Front Street and extending out to Peach's Point, protection of such wetland areas as Black Joe's Pond on Gingerbread Hill and acquisition of selected scenic sites on Marblehead Neck. It's part of a $280 million - 152 town - plan: the first regional approach to open space planning for Eastern Massachusetts."

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Think Rink

"Think Rink organizers, charged with raising community funds to help construction of the $400,000 Vinnin Square area facility include: Thomas A. Jordan; James E. Marks, and Mrs. Gordon S. Borek; Elwin D. Mills; Mrs. Leo F. Johnson; James T. Martin; Benjamin A. Gatchell III; Mrs. Edward L. Casey, Jr.; and Edward G. Colby.

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High School Students Join National Honors Society

14 Marblehead High School juniors were inducted into the National Honors Society Wednesday - students are selected on the basis of scholarship, character, leadership and services. Inducted were: Robert Carver, Jeffrey Dennis, Helen Garten, Emily Gibson, Lawrence Habin, David Katz, Ernest Kessler, Paul Krivitsky, Meryl Kroner, Pamela Milligan, Shelby Shray, Richard Shube, Christopher Skinner and Lisa Von Sternberg.

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Do you recognize any of these names, locations or events? Let us know in the comments section.