Susan Down-Cripps is the new Anchor Food Pantry president 
Big Blue Bargains cut the ribbon at its new Clarke School location || Brendan Cassidy Big Blue Bargains’ new space. || Brendan Cassidy 
Students made robots || Brendan Cassidy 
Students create craft projects || Devosha Pearce The new Chronolog at Fisherman’s Beach || Courtesy Photo Sen. brendan Crighton won an award || Courtesy Photo 
A sign the students made || Devosha Pearce 
Former Swampscott Librarian Elyse Cregar published a book on cats || Courtesy Photo 
Boys basketball won on Thursday against Marblehead. || Brendan Cassidy
Big Blue Bargains opened its new shopping space inside Clarke Elementary School on Saturday. The non-profit thrift store also recorded its highest sales that day since re-opening in February 2025.
Big Blue Bargains is operated by volunteers. Apart from some money from sales used to maintain the store, all proceeds are donated to various organizations and schools in Swampscott. Over the last year, over $27,000 in money made from Big Blue Bargains sales was given back.
Rachel Taradash, who sits on the Big Blue Bargains Board of Directors told the Swampscott Tides that the space allows the thrift store to be more “spread out, to accept more items, sell more items, and it gives a much better shopping experience.”
On the other half of Clarke Elementary School, the Swampscott Recreation Department hosted a variety of February Break events, including family bingo, basketball clinics, Lego Builders Club and Art Explorers.
In Art Explorers, elementary-aged children explored a variety of artistic mediums, including air-dried clay, paper and felt. They made a range of projects as well like popsicle sculptures, banners and “Pop-Tarts.”
Robots also took over the Recreation Department, as RoboThink hosted a class for local children to use materials to create their own robots that could be remotely controlled.
Down the road some, Anchor Food Pantry now has a new president, Susan Downs-Cripps, who told the Swampscott Tides that it’s “so amazing that we’re able to help people.”
Anchor Food Pantry is open Monday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Wednesday 5 to 7 p.m., as of February 25.
Continuing along the water, there’s now a Chronolog station at Fisherman’s Beach to track tides and sea-level rise. The Swampscott Conservancy, in collaboration with the town, has installed the station at Chaisson Park to create a time-lapse sequence showing changes to the area over time.
Looking ahead to this weekend, the North Shore Philharmonic will host its winter concert at the Swampscott High School on Saturday, February 22 at 3 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at nspo.org, or at the door on Saturday, for $35 for adults and $30 for seniors and students. Children 12 years old and younger are free.
