Dear LBIA Families,

As we begin 2025, our Long Beach community is dealing with what I believe is the most significant challenge initiated by the Town of Rockport. Whether you are currently registered to vote in Rockport or not, please read this email carefully. The future of your Long Beach cottage/condo is at risk.

It is crystal clear that the Town of Rockport is unfairly targeting and systematically removing Long Beach family members from the Rockport voting ranks. This absurd and un-American behavior is being carried out by the 4 members of the Rockport Board of Registrars while the Rockport Select Board (Long Beach landlord) sits by idly and does nothing to stop it.

The targeting of Long Beach family members by the Town of Rockport began immediately after Rockport wide voters approved the $2.8M FEMA EMERGENCY GRANT to rebuild a 350 foot section of the Long Beach Seawall. The vote was approved at the 2024 Annual Town Meeting —431 Yes votes  to 142 No Votes  (2/3rds vote required to pass).

During the three months following the approval vote, the Rockport Board of Registrars carefully planned and proceeded to summarily remove about 66 registered Rockport voters living at Long Beach from the Rockport voting ranks.

More recently the Town of Rockport started expanded their targeting of Long Beach by denying two long-term Rockport voters their right to re-register to vote in Rockport when their MA State license was renewed. The two Long Beach and LBIA members are people from two unrelated families.  One neighbor who was denied has voted continuously in Rockport since 1998 ( 26consecutive years) and the other neighbor denied has voted continuously in Rockport since 2002 ( 22 consecutive years).  This is a deliberate attack on every one of us just because we showed up and voted at Town meeting. The Town has decided it wants  “taxation without representation”  at Long Beach.

MA General Laws includes,  “Every citizen eighteen years of age or older…who is a resident in the city or town where he claims the right to vote at the time he registers…may have his name entered on the list of voters in such city or town, and may vote therein….” Mass. Gen. Laws, c. 51, sec. 1.

The Town of Rockport is attempting, once again, to divide and marginalize our collective voices. We are not insignificant residents of Rockport and we will not allow our voices to be disempowered because we encouraged voters to vote to rebuild a seawall that has been neglected by our landlord for 100 + years. Apparently, our landlord did not learn about our principled resolve and our unwavering commitment to eliminate unfair treatment. 

I have established a legal subcommittee of the LBIA Executive Committee comprised of Antoinette Giugliano agg@protectinventions.com  Steve Sheehan, stevegsheehan@gmail.com , Rose Mooney, rmmooney12@gmail.com,  and myself,  to work closely with Attorney Bill Sheehan on the behalf of all Long Beach families. The legal sub committee will be communicating with you regularly throughout 2025.

We know from the unified response that everyone delivered at the largest turn-out for a LBIA Annual meeting this past August, that this repugnant behavior by the Town cannot be ignored and will not be accepted.

Attorney Bill Sheehan strongly advises us to pursue this all the way to the MA Supreme Judicial court, if necessary. This is a court whereby the case is heard by seven (7) MA Supreme Court Justices at the same time.  Attorney Sheehan is also offering the LBIA a ceiling cap on our legal expenses through the conclusion of the MA Supreme Court hearing. We will have more to report on this soon. 

In the meantime, click here to see the 12-12-24 Gloucester Daily Times page 1 article  quoting LBIA’s Attorney, Bill Sheehan. He is unwavering in his belief that what the Town of Rockport is attempting to do to us will be found to be unlawful by the MA Supreme Judicial Court

If you have any immediate thoughts, questions, ideas or concerns, please do contact me or any member of the legal subcommittee.  

Sincerely yours, 

Chip Tarbell

President, LBIA

chiptarbell@gmail.com

617-257-3683 (cell)

Dear LBIA Families

Yesterday, October 29, 2024, the Gloucester Daily Times published an article regarding the denial of injunctive relief to permit 17 residents living at Long Beach to re-register to vote in Rockport. Click here to see the article. A link to the article is also on the landing page of our resident only portal. 

Both Melanie Waddell, Rockport’s Town Clerk and our attorney Bill Sheehan, were quoted.  Attorney Sheehan said that said he remains “steadfast” in the belief the court will rule in favor of their argument. “It remains our position the voter gets to choose which (property) will be his domicile for voting purposes,” he said. “It is no more or no less complicated. That’s it in a nutshell.”

 Keep in mind, the standard for a Preliminary Injunction is a high standard.  Going forward, we will have a trial for the court to consider the full merits of the case and it is likely to be scheduled sometime in 1Q 2025. 

We stand strong and will fight another day in court.  We thank you for your continuing commitment to the future of Long Beach.

Sincerely,   

Steve Sheehan

Antoinette Giugliano

Dear LBIA Families

On Friday, October 26, 2024, a Superior Court judge decided not to grant immediate injunctive relief to permit 17 residents living at Long Beach to re-register to vote in Rockport. As you know, these 17 residents, along with several others, were taken off the voter roll in August 2024 by the Rockport Board of Registrars after 3 days of hearings.  We know all of you are disappointed in this initial decision by the court and we are disappointed too.  The decision can be found on our private portal here (the first article under “Voting Documents & Articles”). 

Keep in mind, the standard for a Preliminary Injunction is a high standard.  Going forward, we will have a trial for the court to consider the full merits of the case and it is likely to be scheduled sometime in 1Q 2025. As such, yesterday’s decision is not the final decision on the case. Our attorneys, as do we, truly believe in the merits of the case. 

Despite this set back, we stand strong and will fight another day in court.  We thank you for your continuing commitment to the future of Long Beach.

Sincerely,   

Chip Tarbell,

Steve Sheehan

Antoinette Giugliano

Dear LBIA Families

On Friday, 10-18-24,  Attorney William Sheehan, on behalf of the Long Beach family members he represents for being removed as registered voters in Rockport, filed a complaint in Essex Superior Court.  In the complaint, he requested that the Board of Registrar’s decision be overturned.  Attorney Sheehan is also seeking a preliminary injunction that the Rockport Board of Registrars be prevented from declining to enroll each of the Long Beach family members represented by him. In our private resident portal, the complaint can be found  here and the Memorandum of Law in support of the preliminary injunction can be found here.  If you haven’t created a log in, please do so to allow you access to the private resident portal.

On Thursday, October 24, 2024, an Essex Superior Court Judge, based in Lawrence, MA will hear arguments from Attorney Sheehan requesting the injunctive relief to allow those represented by Attorney Sheehan to re-register to vote in Rockport in time for the presidential election. The Judge is expected to rule on this one item only by Friday 10-25-24. The full complaint will be heard by the Court at a later date.

We sincerely thank each of the Long Beach family members represented by Attorney Sheehan for pursuing the path to Protect and Preserve the rights of Rockport residents living at Long Beach. We equally thank so many of you for your voluntary financial contributions to the LBIA legal fund.

We will communicate again as soon as more information is available.

Sincerely,  

Chip Tarbell,

Antoinette Giugliano

Steve Sheehan

Dear LBIA Families,

Multiple updates to share with you today:

1. Status of LBIA Fund Raising for our family members and friends stricken by the Rockport Board of Registrars from voting in Rockport.

The commitment and generosity of LBIA families and friends continues to be impressive. Long Beach families truly understand that, by supporting the initial voter suppression cases, we protect our own right to choose Rockport to be our domicile for voting. No doubt that we have learned that every vote in Rockport counts. It will take many more FEMA grant approvals at Rockport Annual Town Meetings to rebuild the entire Long Beach Seawall.

Please understand that initially your generous contributions to the LBIA legal fund will pay the legal invoices related to the following two major events:

(1) the legal preparation, strategy, guidance, representation and administrative costs related to the three days of Rockport Board of Registrar hearings conducted on August 21-23, 2024, and,

(2) the legal preparation, strategy, guidance, representation and administrative costs at the MA Superior Court. At MA Superior Court, Attorney William Sheehan will seek to reverse the Rockport registrars removal decision for those he represents, thereby reinstating their right to choose Rockport as their domicile for voting purposes. Should Attorney Sheehan be successful, each reversal will serve to benefit others who want to re-register in Rockport.

As Attorney William Sheehan continues to prepare for MA Superior Court, we are extending the current fundraising effort 2 weeks through Friday, October 11th . If you cannot afford the $1,500 requested amount, please contribute an amount you can afford.

Make check payable to “LBIA” and mail to:

Mr. Stacy Ho

35 Granger Avenue

Reading, MA 01867

Note: Following full payment to Attorney Sheehan, any remaining financial funds raised will go directly into the LBIA Legal Fund.

2. Renewing your MA License may be problematic for your voting location.

Q1. What automatically happens to your voting status when you renew your MA driving license and /or register a new vehicle?

Answer 1- There is a major flaw in the MA license renewal system. As crazy as it seems, if your car is not registered at your Long Beach home address, you will automatically be removed from voting in Rockport. Your voting location will revert back to your drivers license mailing address through no fault by you.

Q2. What should I do if this happens to me at the RMV but I want to continue my domicile for voting purposes to be Rockport?

Answer 2 - The legal advice we received is to re- register to vote in Rockport as soon as you realize this automatic change effects you. You can easily re-register on line. If you are denied your re-registration by the Rockport Town Clerk’s office, please save all communications and let us know immediately.

3. 2024 LBIA Dues- Stacy Ho, Treasurer reports that 87% of LBIA families paid the $100 annual dues in 2024 with 50% of annual dues contributed going to our legal fund. Consistent with the 2024 Annual Dues guidelines from the EC, LBIA members who decide not to contribute dues in 2024 will remain LBIA members and continue to be welcome to attend LBIA meetings, but they will not have the privilege of voting at LBIA meetings, and they will not receive access to the Protect and Preserve web site or receive group LBIA emails. Those who subsequently decide to contribute dues in 2025, their contribution amount will be $200 (2024 +2025 dues).

4. LBIA 2024 Annual Meeting Minutes- The short version minutes of the Annual Meeting can be found here. Going forward, the minutes will be in the Resident Portal and so you will need to create a login if you have not already done so. You will recall we dedicated our annual Meeting to conduct a Membership wide discussion and next steps regarding voting rights in Rockport. The voting rights summary was previously e-mailed to you on 9-2-24.

5. e-Mail Communication to LBIA - As we continue to develop and operate from the Protect and Preserve Web site, for awhile you may continue to receive two versions of the same email - one continuing from Steve’s personal email address, and one from the Protect and Preserve Web site initiated by Antoinette and/or Steve. Thank you for your patience.

6. Protect and Preserve Website- If you have not already created a login, please visit now at,

https://longbeachrockport.com/residents-page-home

Creating a login will enable you to access the Resident Only area of the website. Also, at this time, please join the Long Beach Next Generation’s initiative and send a letter of concern about Rockport residents living at Long Beach voting rights to Senator ’s Elizabeth Warren, and Ed Markey, Congressman Seth Moulton and Governor Healey. The core letters are already prepared on the Web Site and you

may add, modify and personalize them, or simply sign and send. The 7 members of the LBIA Executive support this initiative and all 7 will be sending letters. Thank you to the Long Beach Next Generation leaders, Rose Mooney, #104, Brianna Manzelli, #100, and Josh Stavis, #96 for leading this worthy initiative.

7.Notice of Lease (NOL) - LBIA Attorneys will proceed with one submittal to the Registrar of Deeds with all NOL’s received. When the NOL’s are officially recorded, we will communicate again.

Sincerely,

LBIA Executive Committee

Chip Tarbell, President,

Stephanie Erb, Vice President

Stacy Ho, Treasurer

Steve Sheehan, Secretary

Antoinette Giuliano, Member

Heather Carbone, Member

Rose Mooney , 1st "Next Generation" Member

Dear LBIA Families, 

 Two items of importance today. Voting in Rockport and Notice of Lease.  

I. Voting in Rockport

Here is additional advice the LBIA Executive Committee (EC) received from the LBIA Attorney to pass along to LBIA family members regarding your registering to vote and/or voting in Rockport: 

 “Please ask anyone who is given a hard time by the Town when registering to vote, or voting,  to write down in narrative form everything that was said and happened, along with copies of any documents relating to the same.” 

 If a concern emerges, we ask that you write and date a quick email/handwritten note to yourself (for your own record purposes) and let either Antoinette Giugliano, agg@protectinventions.com  cell # 978-335-8112 or Steve Sheehan know that you experienced a voting related issue on x-date.  You do not need to send us your personal note (to yourself) for the record. Antoinette and Steve will simply keep a log of name and date only. Thank you.  

 As an example, recently one of our neighbors,  who is a Rockport resident and registered voter  living at Long Beach went to Town Hall to cast his vote early for the MA State Primary.  While he was permitted to vote, he was issued a page from the MA State General Laws that contained the following except, “ If after examination of an affidavit of registration, it appears to the registrars from the facts set forth in the affidavit that the person is not qualified to be registered as a voter or the affidavit  is incomplete, they may decline to enter his name on the annual register.”   This person is keeping a written record of this incident. 

 Thank you for your remembering to document anything that may happen to you personally and letting us know of the date. 

         II. Notice of Lease (NOL’s) 

 On 7-31-24, one LBIA family member, who is also a LB cottage/condo owner,  was sent an email from the LBIA Executive Committee regarding directions for notarizing your Notice of Lease (NOL) . Shortly thereafter, this same family member was sent an email from Kathy Sabbio from the Law Office of Attorney William Sheehan. We asked that your NOL be notarized and the original returned via mail to the law office by Friday Sept 6th. As of 8-30-24 Kathy Sabbio is missing 89 NOL’s. 

 As reported last Saturday at the LBIA Annual meeting, we are extending this due date.  Please mail per the instructions previously sent to you and return by Friday, September, 20th.  

 Sincerely,

 Steve Sheehan 

cell (781-223-0764)

(Sent on behalf of the LBIA EC)  

Our Right to Vote in Rockport is Being Challenged 

Please read carefully. 

Dear LBIA Families, 

Last Saturday at the tennis court, the largest assembly of LBIA families during the past decade joined together at the 2024 LBIA Annual Meeting.  We assembled to Preserve and Protect our right to choose Rockport as our domicile for voting purposes. Many “Next Generation” family members participated. 

Everyone in attendance listened intently as we learned first-hand, from the initial group of Rockport residents living at Long Beach who were summoned and testified, how the Rockport Board of Registrars arbitrarily searched for, and then latched onto, any excuse to remove as many as possible from the Rockport Voter list.

The Town of Rockport Board of Registrar’s conducted 3 days of the most un-American voter registration challenge hearings imaginable.  Here are just a few examples of the charade the group experienced: 

• A registered Rockport voter living at Long Beach, who has voted in Rockport since 2014, was removed from being a Rockport voter because of a homestead declaration from another Town 19 years ago.

• A registered Rockport voter living at Long Beach was removed because she volunteers, via zoom from her home at Long Beach, on a committee in the Town where she resides in the winter.

• A registered Rockport voter living at Long Beach, who is 6 months pregnant, opened her summons package from the Town to find a copy of her father’s obituary included. During testimony, the Board of Registrars also asked if she was planning a nursery, and in which home (Rockport, or her other home) would the nursery be located?

  She responded “both locations” but the Board of Registrars removed her from voting in Rockport.

• Registered Rockport voters living at Long Beach were asked if they keep their valuables at their Long Beach homes or at another home.

• Registered Rockport voters living at Long Beach were advised that,

  if you sell your other home outside of Rockport, we will welcome you back to Rockport.

Everyone attending the LBIA Annual Meeting Saturday supported the EC recommendation to appeal the voter removals at MA Superior court. We are respectfully asking every LBIA cottage/condo family to make a voluntary contribution of $1500 to the LBIA legal fund. If you would like to contribute more than $1500, you are most welcome to do so. If you cannot afford the total amount of $1500, please contribute the maximum you feel you can contribute. Six of the seven members of the LBIA Executive Committee have already pledged $9,500 to the legal fund. We request your contributions be made by Sunday, September 15th. 

Two Calls To Action: 

1. Please Donate to the LBIA Legal Fund

You can mail a check, payable to “LBIA”  to the following address:

                         Mr. Stacy Ho

                         35 Granger Ave

                    Reading, MA 01867

  or pay online at,   www.longbeachrockport.com

II. Please Go to the Long Beach web site  www.longbeachrockport.com  Click on Log IN and then  "Don’t have an account? Sign Up “ .   Every LBIA family member that wants access to the private website to learn more about the LB Seawall, Voting, and more, is welcome to create a log in.   

We did not choose this fight but we are forced, once again, by the Town to defend our rights.   

Thank you for supporting each other and for the many ideas generated during the LBIA meeting.  

Sincerely, 

LBIA Executive Committee Members

Chip Tarbell, President,

Stacy Ho, Treasurer

Steve Sheehan, Secretary

Antoinette Giugliano, Member

Rose Mooney, 1st “Next Generation” Member 

Dear LBIA Families,                       

LBIA 2024 Annual Meeting Agenda

Saturday August 31, 2024 Tennis Court 10AM.

Our LBIA  “Preserve and Protect” initiative was initially launched with your full support to  preserve”Rockport’s  public Long Beach for all Rockport residents and visitors for generations to follow and to protect our investments in our Long Beach homes from the Towns neglect and negligence of the LB Seawall.  Now, the Town of Rockport is challenging our sacred right to vote in Rockport.  We are now being forced to fight to preserve our legal right to vote and protect our legal right to choose our domicile for voting purposes in MA.  

There has never been a more important LBIA membership meeting than Saturday at 10am. Please make every effort possible to have at least one LBIA family member attend the 2024 LBIA Annual Meeting this Saturday. 

You will also hear and learn how 4 members of the Board of Registrars searched for any excuse imaginable to remove voters from being registered in Rockport. This all unfolded in the presence of elected Rockport Select Board members and the Town Administrator——each of whom remained silent without the courage or conviction to even say a single word about this travesty of Justice.  

We will rapidly proceed through the regular Annual Meeting Agenda and commit our full attention to a LBIA membership discussion about the charade that occurred at Rockport Town Hall last week so that everyone knows how our Town Government behaved. 

I. Pledge of Allegiance & Presidents Update- Chip Tarbell

II. LBIA Membership confirmation vote for Heather Carbone (Member),Stephanie Erb (VP), and Stacy Ho,Treasurer, to be elected to 3 Year Terms. 

III. Secretary Report- Steve Sheehan

     - Notice of Lease Update

III. Treasurer Report - Stacy Ho

 - LBIA Dues Update

 - Membership Vote to Transfer Funds from General Fund to Legal Fund 

IV. Preserve and Protect Website Update - (Antoinette Giugliano)

 V. Quick Recap of 2024 Long Beach Day

V.I Unfinished  Business-(All)  

VII. New Business- (All)

VIII. Adjourn 

Dear LBIA Families,

Last Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, the Town of Rockport targeted an initial group of Rockport residents at Long Beach and challenged our right to vote in Rockport, and most of those targeted were removed from the Rockport Voter roll. They proceeded to conduct a charade unimaginable in the United States. It is a real possibility that more groupings from Long Beach may be targeted based upon the abhorrent and un-American behavior our group witnessed and experienced.

Earlier this year, we shared great success, as a united group, with our “Protect and Preserve” Rockport-wide initiative when the matching funds for the Long Beach seawall 2018 FEMA grant was approved at Annual Town Meeting.

Apparently, the Town of Rockport is challenging us to “Protect and Preserve” our right to register to vote in Rockport.

Please carefully read today’s attached letter to the GDT editor, entitled, “No Taxation without Representation”. On Saturday, August 31, 2024,10am at the Tennis Court, come learn first -hand about what transpired, including the subpoena of sensitive and personal information such as bank records and tax statements. We strongly urge that at least one family member (from every LBIA member family) attend on Saturday and of course all are welcome. Please bring a beach chair with you.

On Saturday morning, you will hear stories about the travesty of justice that occurred last week, and no doubt you will be as astounded to learn what transpired. Town officials, including members of the elected Rockport Select Board (our landlord) and the Town Administrator allowed such hearings to proceed against this initial group of Rockport residents living at Long Beach.

Today’s GDT Letter Attached, “No Taxation without Representation”

Sincerely,

LBIA Executive Committee

Chip Tarbell, President,
Stephanie Erb, Vice President
Stacy Ho, Treasurer
Steve Sheehan, Secretary
Antoinette Giugliano, Member
Rose Mooney, 1st “Next Generation” Member

Dear Long Beach Family Members,

On Wednesday, August 21, at 1pm, the 1st group of scheduled Long Beach Voter Registration hearings begins at Rockport Town Hall Conference Room A.    

If your hearing is scheduled on Thursday and/or Friday, stop by if you can for a few minutes on Wednesday during the hearings—-not only to demonstrate support for your Long Beach neighbors, but to observe one of the hearings for your own peace of mind.    

At Monday night's meeting, attendees learned:

• No one at Long Beach has done anything wrong by changing your domicile for voting purposes to Rockport.

• Your personal and financial information requested by the Town under Schedule A is not going to be shared with the Town—-only your name and mailing address on the Schedule A requested documents.      

• Every person summoned will answer every question truthfully-especially when asked questions about your life in Rockport, your mailing address, how often you are present in Rockport, etc..

• Long Beach is just one of the places you call your “Home”, so refer to LB as your “Home" during the hearings. 

• Those of you who have requested a new date for your hearing because you are currently out of state, away on vacation, taking kids back to school etc, know that the attorneys are pursuing this for you.

• You have the right to formally engage with Attorney Sheehan as your Attorney, choose your own attorney, represent yourself, or decide not to attend the hearing.

• The LBIA Executive Committee met already and unanimously agreed to develop an approach to financially support this travesty against all LB families. This approach will be presented and discussed at our Annual LBIA Meeting on August 30th, if not earlier.

We plan to communicate Wednesday night what happens at Wednesday’s 1pm hearing.

Also, on Wednesday morning,  the Attorneys have asked us to collect responses from those of you scheduled for hearings on Thursday and Friday.  Thank you in advance for your prompt responses. 

Sincerely,

Steve sheehan

Secretary, LBIA

Dear LBIA family member,

Publicly posted earlier today on the Town of Rockport web site listing the schedule of the Long Beach Voter Registration Hearings.

More information tomorrow. 

Steve Sheehan