Wenham Select Board Approves Police Promotion, Purple Heart Status, and Park Restroom

WENHAM — April 14, 2026 — Wenham Select Board votes unanimously on police promotions, Purple Heart designation, park restroom, and historic district vendor. The board, meeting virtually on April 14, approved the appointment of Officer John Phillips as Patrol Sergeant effective April 26 and the transition of retiring 20-year veteran Sergeant Michael Massis to a budget-neutral special police officer role, with Police Chief Peter presenting both items and noting Phillips holds degrees from Salem State University and Southern New Hampshire University. The board also voted to pursue Purple Heart community status following a presentation by Cape Ann Veteran Services liaison V. Ciparini, herself a Purple Heart recipient, and Veterans Committee Vice Chair Bill Wilson, who identified 10 Wenham residents who received the decoration, including Gary Cheeseman's brother Alan, killed in Vietnam in 1970. Resident Laurie Heil secured conditional approval to place an ADA-accessible portable toilet at West Wenham Park — opened in October 2025 without sanitation facilities — funded by roughly $1,590 in private donations, with removal required by October 31. The board also selected Barrett Planning Group, at a voter-approved $50,000, to rewrite the town's historic district guidelines, last updated in the late 1990s.