This Week in Marblehead History: 1979

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 1979:

Marblehead/Swampscott Town Officials Basketball Game: In 1979, town officials from Marblehead and Swampscott met in "an historic joint session on March 9 on the hardwood court of Swampscott High School’s new gymnasium to raise funds for the American Heart Association." Swampscott beat Marblehead 42-31. Check the photos attached to this post for some shots taken during game action, you may recognize a few names.

Business Booming at Village Plaza: An advertisement for Village Plaza claimed that the shopping area "Had it All." Do you remember the businesses that were there in 1979?  They were: Van Dell Jewelers;  Sam’s Cleaners and Laundromat; Great Sounds Inc., which sold records, tapes, leather carrying cases, posters and music accessories; Village Pharmacy, Marblehead Wallpaper, Rinaldo’s Interesting Foods; Together Leather, "We’re brimming with hats!"; David L. Kats General and Preventative Dentistry; and Hourneys Travel Service inc.

Showing This Week at The Warwick: In March 1979, Pardon Mon Affair, starring Jean Rochefort, Claude Brasseur and Guy Bedos was the matinee; Ice Castles, starring Lynn-Holly Johnson, Robby Benson and Colleen Dewhurst was showing on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights.

Branches Agree: Drinking Age Raised to 20: The House held two roll calls last week and Beacon Hill voted 118 to 31 to hike the drinking age to 20. Supporters argued the measure was a reasonable compromise and would help get liquor out of high schools and junior high schools. They noted it would help decrease traffic fatalities involving liquor and decrease vandalism among teenage drinkers.

Restaurateurs Question License Guidelines: More than a dozen concerned restaurant owners and operators met in March 1979 with members of the Restaurant Study Committee to express their concern over the inconsistent methods used in granting liquor licenses and bureaucratic confusion involved in restaurant inspection.

Do you recognize any of these names or events from 1979? Were you a town resident then? Let us know in the comments section.