Dear LBIA Families,

Renewing your MA Driver’s License, or applying for a Real ID before May 7, 2025  provide you the opportunity to choose your Residential Address and Mailing address.

Real ID: Beginning May 7, 2025, you will need a REAL ID or other acceptable ID, such as a valid passport, to fly within the U.S., access federal facilities, or enter military bases.  You can apply for a REALID on line at “My RMV”  by clicking here. https://atlas-myrmv.massdot.state.ma.us/myrmv/_/

To prepare to apply on-line for a Real ID, you will need to gather a number of verification documents to reference. The RMV website provided a Documents Check list.

Class D MA License Renewal- When your license expires, the RMV also provides you the opportunity to choose your residential address and mailing address.  You may renew your standard Class D MA Driver’s license at "MY RMV “ by clicking here.   https://atlas-myrmv.massdot.state.ma.us/myrmv/_/

Each of you likely fall into one of these three categories when you apply for, or eventually renew a REAL ID and /or a standard Class D MA License

I.     Current Rockport registered voters from Long Beach.  Under MA Law, you have already chosen Rockport as your domicile for voting purposes. When applying for a Real ID or renewing your standard license with the RMV,  you may choose to have your Long Beach address as the residential address on record with the RMV, and you may choose a different mailing address.  If you do not list your Long Beach address as your residential address with the RMV, the Town of Rockport (Town) will remove you from being registered to vote in Rockport and they will reject your attempt to renew Rockport as your domicile for voting purposes. The Town has already removed and rejected two of our long -time Long Beach neighbors who voted in Rockport for over 20 + consecutive years each

II.    Former Rockport registered voters from Long Beach.  If you have been removed from the Rockport voting rolls, either voluntarily or involuntarily,  and you want to be able to one day again choose Rockport as your domicile for voting purposes, list your Long Beach Address as your residential address on your RMV Real ID or MA  license and choose a different mailing address.  Listing your Long Beach address on your Real ID does not register you to vote in Rockport.

III.   All other eligible voters who have not previously chosen Rockport as your domicile for voting purposes. Have you ever considered that one day you, or other members of your family, may want to vote for a Federal or State Grant to rebuild the section of the LB Seawall in front of your cottage investment?  Have you ever considered voting when a Rockport Town Warrant Article directly affects your cottage investment? If you want a voice and a vote and you believe that Long Beach to be your home, choose your Long Beach address as your residential address on your license and choose a separate mailing address. 

Sincerely,

LBIA Legal Sub Committee

To:  Currently Registered Rockport voters living at Long Beach,

cc: All LBIA for your information

Dear Registered Rockport Voters living at Long Beach,

Summary:  Please complete and return a 2025 Annual Census Form to avoid the Town of Rockport from removing you as a registered voter. Since the Town is sending the census to our Long Beach Address, you should fill out the attached Census Form to remain on the Rockport voter roll.

Details:

Many of you have chosen Rockport to be your domicile for voting purposes. Updating an Annual Census in Rockport is required.

However, the recent and intentional decisions by the Town to:(1) postal mail the 2025 Annual Census (to Rockport residents from Long Beach) to an address (known by the Town) to be an undeliverable postal mailing address, (2) to communicate nothing to all of us effected Rockport residents from Long Beach when the Census were returned by the Federal Post Office in mass, to the sender (Town), and, (3) to make no attempt to deliver the Census to our proper mailing addresses on file at Town Hall before the legal date required by MA State, fall far short of ensuring an accurate Census process being conducted with integrity by Rockport. The Town mails our Long Beach Land Rent, Real Estate Taxes, Water Bills. etc., to our mailing addresses on record and the Town has an official email address to communicate with each domicile as well.

Accordingly, we must complete and return a 2025 Annual Census Form on our own to avoid the Town of Rockport from removing us as registered voters. 

You can find the Census form on our website at https://longbeachrockport.com/s/Rockport-2025-Census-BLANK_202412241308003064.pdfor on the Town web page at this link, https://www.rockportma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/476/Blank-Census-Form-2025---Town-of-Rockport-PDF?bidId=.  

In addition to some instructions on the back of the Census form, here are a few additional steps to follow:

1.   We are Precinct 3 . Write  in” 3” on the box  upper right corner.

2.   In the box on “For Resident(s) at” write in your Long Beach Address only.

3.   Under “Mailing address”(top left on Census), leave it completely blank 

4.  In the main section of the form, list every member of your domicile who is currently registered to vote in Rockport. Include their DOB, Occupation, and Political Party in the columns provided.

5. Sign your name, date, telephone number and email address as the person completing the form  

When completed, print a copy for yourself and either postal mail or drop off the original signature completed form to:

                                       Ms Melanie Waddell

                                       Town Clerk

                                       34 Broadway

                                       Rockport, MA 01966  

Any questions or difficulties, please let us know.  

IMPORTANT:  Voting By Mail - Also, the 2025 Voting by Mail guide can be found here. This directs the Town Clerk to mail your ballot to your preferred mailing address. Every family member that you list on your 2025 census may complete the “Voting By Mail” form and  indicate his/her own preferred mailing address. For example, if your son or daughter have chosen Rockport to be their domicile for voting purposes, but have a different mailing address than you do, accomplishing the Voting By Mail Form also provides the Town every individuals preferred mailing address. The LBIA Legal Sub Committee advises every person to do this for 2025.

Note: We know many Rockport registered voters from Long Beach are currently either out of MA State or a good driving distance from Rockport. Those of you in near proximity to Rockport, may also choose to drop off your completed Census, in person, at the Town Clerks office.  If you do, we advise you to ask the Town Clerks office to hand you your census envelope that was mailed to Long Beach and immediately returned to the Town by the Federal Post Office in Rockport.  Keep it for your records.  You may continue to submit your completed Census to the Town Clerk office.  The Town caused you to take extra personal time to complete it yourself. The Town Clerks office must accept your completed form. If the Town Clerks office refuses to accept , ask the person for their name and the reason why they are refusing to accept your completed Census and leave it on the Town Clerks counter.

Sincerely yours,

LBIA Legal Sub Committee

Dear LBIA Families,  

The list below provides the names of our neighbors and friends who have volunteered to be litigants in the fight to maintain all of our rights to choose Rockport as our domicile for voting purposes.   

We recognize and thank each of them. Being a litigant requires courage, conviction, and determination, and these 20 LBIA family members certainly personify these attributes. The names listed include both seniors and next generation, male and female, and 1st, 2nd and 3rd row family members alike. You will likely recognize some of the names, or perhaps you know some personally.  Every one of them is fighting for themselves, their family,  and for every family on Long Beach--whether or not you are currently a Registered Rockport voter.  

Peter Grammas

Chrissy Grammas

Betsey Hanifan

Trisha Francis

Don Francis

Janice Mirabassi

Denis Devine

Bill Johnson

Barrie Stavis

Rachel Stavis

Sue Dowd

Jane Fox Dobson

William Dobson

Chris McCarthy

Carolyn Tucker

Rachel Tucker

Grace McCarthy

Susan Siebeking

John Amendola

Rick Carter

Every volunteer litigant generously contributed $1500, or more, as well. If you have not already contributed, please support the Long Beach Community today by making a $1500 contribution to the LBIA Legal Fund. Todays the Day. You can contribute via the web site or write a check. Please make the check payable to “LBIA" and mail to LBIA’s Treasurer:

Mr. Stacy Ho

35 Granger Avenue, 

Reading, MA 01867.

After you make your contribution, consider reaching out to one or more of the above Long Beach family members to express your sincere appreciate their commitment to Protect and Preserve Long Beach for all our families.  You can also do this when you see them in person this year at the beach. Thank you.  

Sincerely,  

LBIA Legal Sub Committee

Dear LBIA Families ,

We know that people in Rockport want to take away our right to choose Rockport as our domicile for voting purposes. Now people in Rockport are proposing a vote to potentially raise our taxes.

Please first read today's front page Gloucester Daily Times article (click here),  and then continue reading to consider your family's decision for the future of Long Beach.  

———————————————————————

Long Beach Families Future:

We can choose either:

To act and stay together and fight to protect our voices ( by preserving our legal right to choose Rockport as our domicile for voting purposes) .

or...

To observe as bystanders potentially enabling every LB voice to be silenced and every LB vote to be removed..

We know that to act and stay together is a proven and effective strategy for Long Beach as evidenced by our collective votes cast last year to pass the FEMA $2.8M Long Beach Seawall section rebuild.

If your family chooses to stay together with Long Beach friends and neighbors, the only action needed by your family at this time, if you have not done so already,  is to contribute $1500 per cottage/condo to the LBIA legal fund. Every family's involvement will ensure that we possess the necessary legal funding to proceed to the MA Supreme Judicial Court (highest MA court). We believe, if everyone stays together, that this will be the only financial contribution request we will need to make for the entire process regarding the voting registration litigation.  

If your family's choice is not to act and stay together, todays GDT article is probably a good indicator of what LB can expect in the future.

Your choice to contribute $1500 to the LBIA Legal Fund by February 20th will be greatly appreciated.  

Respectfully yours,

LBIA Legal Sub Committee

Red Alert Protect and Preserve Action Plan for LBIA

Dear LBIA Families,

Our collective goal is to Protect and Preserve our MA State legal right existing today, and the rights of the next generation of our family members, to be able choose Rockport as our domicile for voting purposes.  We further intend to Protect and Preserve our Long Beach financial investments, and we seek to rebuild the entire Long Beach Seawall towards a brighter future for the next generation of our families.

I. Summary of 4 -Step Action Plan:

1. ANNUAL CENSUS –Please fill out the Rockport census even if you did not get it in the mail so that you can keep your name on the Rockport voter Roll.

2. MA STATE LICENSERENEWAL-  A trap for the unwary.  By renewing your license, you can easily and accidentally cause your name to be taken off the Rockport voter roll and become registered in the town of your mailing address.  Please see the information below to avoid this from happening.

3. LBIAMEMBERSHIP’S RESPONSE & 2 LEGAL ACTIONS – Summary of legal actions filed below.

4. LBIA MEMBER FINANCIALSUPPORT $1500 – Please contribute (if you haven’t already) to preserve our right to vote, protect the funds for the seawall, financial investment in your home, and more.

II. Detailed Information for 4 Step Action Plan,  Please Read Carefully: You may want to print this entire email and keep it as a reference throughout 2025.

1. ANNUAL CENSUS - (This applies to current Rockport Registered Voters from Long Beach). The Town of Rockport intentionally decided to mail the 2025 Annual Census for registered Rockport voters from Long Beach to a non-deliverable mailing address. Our response will be that every current Registered Rockport Voter from Long Beach will complete a blank census form (found here: https://www.rockportma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/476 ), keep a copy,  and submit  in person or mail it to the Rockport Town Clerks office. The LBIA Legal Sub- Committee is currently preparing guidance for you to complete the 2025 Annual Census. We have time to do this and the Town of Rockport must accept our 2025 Annual Census submittals. Every current Long Beach voter who accomplishes this easy action prohibits the Town of Rockport for removing you from the Voting Register for not having completed your annual Census. Note: If you are not currently a registered Rockport voter, you should be receiving your Annual Census from the Town you are registered to vote in.  For those of you who are registered to vote in Rockport, if you want to stay on the Rockport voter roll, please do not fill out the census for the non-Rockport town of your mailing address.

2. MA STATE LICENSE RENEWAL-  (This applies to All Long Beach Family members.)The Town of Rockport rejected the voting registration of two 20+ year consecutive Long Beach voters after they renewed their MA Drivers License. The Registry of Motor Vehicles License Renewal form asks you to identify your residential address and your mailing address. This provides you the personal choice, when renewing your licenses in 2025, to choose your Long Beach address as your residential address and a different mailing address outside of Rockport. In a couple weeks, the LBIA Legal Sub Committee will provide everyone with specific guidance for the MA State License Renewal process. In the meantime, please check the expiration date on your MA license today.  If your MA License expires in Feb or March 2025, please contact us immediately so we may guide you. Most MA license renewals can be accomplished on -line so when you proceed, print and keep a copy for your records.  

3. LBIA MEMBERSHIP’S RESPONSE & 2 LEGAL  ACTIONS - At the 2024 Annual LBIA membership meeting on the tennis court, the LBIA membership spoke as one. Long Beach families would not be accepting of this targeted campaign against us, and agreed it cannot be ignored. The Town of Rockport apparently decided they no longer want to follow the voting registration advice provided, in writing, by the Rockport Town Clerk in 2013. Instead, Rockport officials chose to target and systematically remove and refuse to re-register Long Beach voters. Beginning in August 2024, the Town of Rockport has caused the removal of  ~75+ registered Rockport voters from Long Beach.  Following LBIA’s Attorney William Sheehan’s legal guidance, seventeen (17) Long Beach family members filed a complaint in Superior Court and can be found here. The Superior Court date is expected to be scheduled in the next few months.  After considering the most recent developments, on Friday, 2-14-25, LBIA’s Attorney, William Sheehan, filed an additional complaint (click here) on behalf of three more Long Beach family members, who also stepped forward to protect their right to choose Rockport as their domicile for voting purposes, and to protect the same right for all Long Beach families.  Each of the three individuals had received a “check-the- 3-box form letter” from the Town Clerk notifying them that they were no longer allowed to vote in Rockport.  If you receive a similar letter in 2025, or any other notification of denial,  please contact the LBIA Legal Sub Committee so we can provide you with immediate guidance. If necessary, Attorney William Sheehan plans to take all 20 cases to the MA Supreme Judicial Court.

4. LBIA MEMBER FINANCIAL SUPPORT $1500 -  We respectfully ask each and every Long Beach cottage and condo family to demonstrate your understanding of the seriousness of this issue by making a $1500 contribution, if you haven’t already, to the LBIA Legal Fund by February 20th by clicking here https://buy.stripe.com/14k5mDfW88dfcjmbII.

Some of you may be wondering when and how, or even if, I should go about registering, or re-registering, to vote in Rockport considering the Towns targeted campaign to remove and reject us. Choosing Rockport as your domicile for voting purposes, either now or sometime in the future, remains your personal decision.  Whenever you proceed to register/re-register to vote in Rockport, for your protection, please keep a copy of your signed Voter Registration form and affidavit, and any correspondence and/or documents you may receive from any MA Town.  

Every family at Long Beach decided to make a major financial investment when we purchased our cottage sand condos. We all cherish the time with our families and friends at Long Beach. 154 Long Beach families are not only being forced to Protect our investments, but to Preserve our legal rights. The Town of Rockport would like nothing better than to try and divide and weaken us. Let’s stay together and demonstrate that not a single one of us will tolerate this targeted unfairness being directed at Rockport residents from Long Beach.

Today, please join all of us who have already contributed and participate by contributing $1500 by February 20th. If every family contributes by Feb 20th, we anticipate having the legal funds needed to pay the entire legal fees.  If you have any questions, please let us know.

Sincerely Yours,

LBIA Legal Sub Committee  

Item Dear LBIA Families,

On Friday, the LBIA received a large financial contribution of $14,582.67 designated to assist the litigation to stop the Town of Rockport’s targeted and systematic removal and rejecting Rockport resident voters living at Long Beach.

The letter (can be see on our website by click here), from Fred Hochberger and Steve Sheehan, managers of the Long Beach Holdings,LLC Entity,  provides the background and origin of the $14,582.67 contribution to the LBIA legal fund. The LBIA membership is extremely grateful to receive this contribution at this challenging time.  

However, the LBIA Membership’s work is far from over. The targeted and systematic disenfranchising of Rockport residents continues.

If the Town of Rockport takes away our right to choose our domicile for voting purposes, we will not be eligible to cast our votes for future Federal or State Grants to rebuild the remaining areas of the Long Beach Seawall when they are damaged. We will not be permitted to vote for other important Rockport warrant articles. We will not be allowed to vote for future Select Board candidates. If the Long Beach Seawall is damaged or destroyed, all of of our cottages and condos are at severe risk of being damaged and destroyed.

We respectfully ask every Long Beach family, who has not already contributed $1500 to the LBIA legal fund, to contribute $1500 to the Legal Fund by February 20, 2025. A $1500contribution represents only ( .5%), or less, of the market value of your cottage and condo.

Let’s look directly into the eyes of the next generation of our family members and explain, “We are fighting to protect our right, and your future right, to choose Rockport your domicile to vote”, and, “We are standing together to Protect and Preserve Long Beach.”

Contributing to the LBIA Legal Fund is easy, with multiple payment options (credit/debit cards, Apple Pay, Amazon Pay, ACH, Klarna and Cash App) available all through one simple link by going to our website https://longbeachrockport.com/residents-page-home and click on "Contribute Here”

Simply choose your option at checkout - no need to write a check unless you prefer. However, contributing by writing a check avoids the fees if contributing via the on-line options, —so every dollar contributed via check goes directly to the LBIA Legal Fund without an on-line fee deduction. If you write a check, please make it payable to “LBIA" and mail to Stacy Ho, 35 Granger Avenue, Reading, MA 01867.

Sincerely yours,

Chip Tarbell, LBIA President , chiptarbell@gmail.com

Stacy Ho, LBIA Treasurer,  stacy.ho@gmail.comescription

Red Alert- Facts For All Long Beach Families

There is another deeply disturbing development related to the Town of Rockport’s targeted and systematic attempt to remove registered Rockport voters from Long Beach and to reject Long Beach family members from re-registering to vote in Rockport.

* In January 2025, the Town of Rockport mailed the Annual Census of every Rockport resident registered voter living at Long Beach, but mailed it purposely to our Long Beach addresses knowing full well that mail is not delivered to Long Beach in January.

* The Town of Rockport unequivocally understood what they were attempting to do. Every Annual Census mailed to the non-deliverable mailing addresses at Long Beach included the following warning on the outside of the mailing envelope. “Warning- Failure to Respond to this Mailing Shall Result in Removal From the Active Voting List and May Result in Removal from the Voter Registration Rolls Chaper 51 Section 4.” The Town of Rockport mailed the annual Census to our Long Beach addresses intentionally.

* While the Town of Rockport schemed and executed this offensive Annual Census mailing, they made certain that our Long Beach Land Rent, Real Estate Taxes, Water Bills, and Personal Property Taxes were delivered promptly to our mailing addresses on record at the Rockport Town Hall.

* Upon receiving the Annual Census addressed to Long Beach, the Federal Post Office immediately returned (in January) the Annual Census letters addressed to Long Beach.

* Since January, the Town of Rockport chose to remain silent. They communicated nothing to us about this and no corrective effort was initiated to deliver our Annual Census to our mailing addresses. This was no mistake.

* This deliberate Town of Rockport initiative against all of us follows an earlier Town action previously communicated with you —-the Town’s refused to reinstate two long-term Long Beach registered voters who have voted in Rockport continuously for over 20 consecutive years.

There are actions every one of us living at Long Beach can take to Protect and Preserve our families future and the future of Long Beach. In the days ahead, we will create an action plan to include how we will respond to the Town of Rockport’s mailing of the Annual Census to a non deliverable address.

Look for the next “Red Alert” communication from the LBIA Legal Sub Committee, and please notify us immediately if and when you receive a voting removal or rejection letter from the Town of Rockport.

Sincerely yours,

LBIA Legal Sub Committee

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