YEAR IN REVIEW: The top 10 Marblehead stories of 2024

Choosing the top 10 stories of the year is never easy. Here are the headlines that resonated the most with the Current newsroom.

Teachers strike

Marblehead educators staged an 11-day strike in November in a contract fight for higher wages, better benefits and safer classrooms. Emotions escalated for weeks, as hundreds of people rallied for teachers, and the School Committee targeted four union leaders in court. Both sides accused the other of bad-faith bargaining. The two sides settled on a 10.5-16% wage increase for teachers over four years, 15 paid days of parental leave and the formation of a new school safety committee.

Marblehead votes ‘no’ on MBTA zoning

Marblehead’s Town Meeting in May narrowly rejected Article 36, a measure to implement zoning changes required by the MBTA Communities Act, with 410 residents opposed and 377 in favor. The debate intensified throughout summer and fall, coming to a head during a contentious September Select Board meeting where residents packed Abbot Hall, chanting “no means no!” and “respect the vote!” The board ultimately decided against calling a special town meeting to reconsider the measure before a Dec. 31 deadline. Once out of compliance, Marblehead may lose out on several state grants. Some officials and residents believe the issue could return to Town Meeting in May 2025.

Property assessments, bills shock residents

Faulty property assessments fueled widespread anger in Marblehead, with 334 abatement requests filed — an all-time high since the 2008 financial crisis. Of those, over 80% were approved, resulting in approximately $541,000 in reduced property taxes. At meetings on the issue, residents expressed frustration over the town’s lack of clear communication about the valuation process. Many missed out on a deadline to file abatements. They also demanded greater transparency, while others criticized inconsistencies in how neighborhoods were assessed. The controversial property assessment errors led to a departmental shakeup, with the Board of Assessors firing Assistant Assessor Karen D. Bertolino in July and hiring Todd Laramie in September. Laramie promised to restore public trust through hands-on property inspections and improved oversight.

Student restraint, civil rights suit against district

Four Glover School teachers were placed on leave for months — and ultimately left the district — after the restraint of a student. The restraint prompted an outside investigation that ultimately determined that educators violated policies when restraining the child multiple times. The boy’s family filed a lawsuit against 11 educators, the School Committee and the town, claiming the boy’s civil rights were violated. One of the fired educators is also suing the district.

July 4 fireworks barge fire

Flames broke out on the fireworks barge in Marblehead Harbor late July 3, leading to the cancellation of the fireworks display this past summer. Fire Chief Jason Gilliland determined the fire was accidental. The $50,000 worth of fireworks had not yet been loaded onto the barge. Rather than try to reschedule the display, the town’s fireworks committee decided to save the money and spend it for the July 2025 celebration.

Deceased whale comes ashore — twice

A humpback whale that came ashore twice this spring, first in Marblehead and then 300 yards down the beach in Swampscott, was buried under about 10 feet of sand at Preston Beach. The 42-foot, 65,000-pound female first appeared among the rocks near Preston Beach in Marblehead on April 25. Marblehead Harbormaster Mark Souza worked with the EPA and Smith Marine to tow the whale first to a mooring about 1 mile offshore and then farther out to sea. The operation cost $27,000. On May 14, the whale’s body reappeared, this time in Swampscott. Swampscott Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald consulted with several state and federal environmental agencies to come up with a plan to bury the whale.

Flag controversy

In August, the School Committee indefinitely tabled its discussion of a new flag policy for school properties. Its proposed policy would ban all flags except for Marblehead, U.S., Massachusetts and P.O.W. flags. It would lead to the removal of the Black Lives Matter and pride flags at Marblehead High School, which angered many students and community members. Students staged protests, spoke at committee meetings, wrote letters to the editor and more.

Sharks in Marblehead waters

In July, multiple shark sightings off Marblehead’s shores, including at least four basking sharks and one great white, caused a stir. Harbormaster Mark Souza confirmed the sightings, which spanned from Devereux Beach to Halfway Rock. Despite reassurances from marine experts, some residents avoided the water, while others downloaded apps like Sharktivity to track nearby activity.

Police problems

Two police disciplinary cases reached resolutions in Marblehead in 2024, with both officers departing the force. Officer Christopher Gallo was fired in February after a two-and-a-half-year paid suspension for allegedly spending over 100 hours at home during work shifts. He is in arbitration. Officer Michael Robert Farewell resigned after being placed on leave following allegations he violated department policies during a June Tasing incident involving an alleged drunk driver who crashed into a house on Clifton Avenue. The internal affairs investigation found Farewell violated policies on Taser use, falsified records and failed to cooperate with investigations.

Town Meeting mic throw

A dramatic scene at May’s Town Meeting saw resident Tom Peach throw a microphone onto the stage after the heated MBTA zoning vote. When resident Angus McQuilken moved to reconsider the 410-377 rejection, cries of “sham!” filled the room. Peach approached the stage and, after Moderator Jack Attridge refused to yield control, threw the mic before storming out. The unprecedented outburst became the talk of the town.