It was a standing-room-only crowd at the League of Women Voters Candidates Night on May 20, where people running for election shared their views, policies and goals and answered questions.
The School Committee race, with five people vying for two seats, is the most hotly contested this cycle.
Incumbents Sarah Fox and Alison Taylor said despite a tumultuous few years (with multiple superintendents, lawsuits and an 11-day teachers strike), they are proud of the administrative team they hired last summer.
“I’m running again because despite the turmoil, we’ve made tremendous progress,” said Taylor. “The work isn’t done, but we’re on the right track.”
Fox suggested that School Committee members with experience are best qualified to continue that momentum and support the new superintendent as he develops a strategic plan for the district.
Candidate and attorney Kate Schmeckpeper could not attend due to illness, but sent a statement calling for change.
“I’m running for School Committee because I believe we need fresh perspectives to find solutions to complex issues,” Schmeckpeper wrote. “We need leaders who focus on consensus, professionalism and collaboration. Rebuilding public trust and confidence in the School Committee is crucial to the success of our students. Our schools need calm, not chaos and I have both the skills and temperament to help us move forward.”
Candidate Henry Gwazda, a graphic designer with children in Marblehead, said new people are needed to repair damage done by the current School Committee.
“We have a lot of ground to make up with our teachers, students and community. I would like to see them get more involved with setting goals and keep us on task. I would like to see them get more involved in setting, developing and revising the School Committee and the district’s goals and trying to keep us on task.”
Emily DeJoy, who works in investing, said the current School Committee spent too much time on a new flag policy.
“We need to shift our focus from divisive issues and focus on what truly matters,” she said. “We spent 18 months debating a flag policy while our reading and math scores plummeted.”
The candidates were asked about their views on diversity, equity and inclusion. Fox and Taylor said those policies are handled at the state level, with decisions being handed down to local districts.
“What people seem to be unaware of is that our state frameworks come directly from DESE (Department of Elementary and Secondary Education),” Fox said. “They identify what we should be teaching. It is not for the local school committees to divert from those frameworks.”
Gwazda said he supports DEI and would expand it to include more people, including Jewish residents and special education students.
“It applies to everybody in town. Diversity is the broad range of human differences and I think we could do a better job of supporting this,” he said.
DeJoy responded, “I believe in merit-based, equal opportunity. If we focused more on that then 52% of our fifth graders wouldn’t be below reading levels.”
Select Board
Yael Magen, a municipal attorney, and Jim “Jimmy” Zisson, an engineer, pitched for a three-year Select Board term, discussing sustainability, charter reform and zoning.
“Literally my daily job is helping municipalities,” Magen said. “I draft town charters, decisions, contracts, warrants, zoning bylaws, bylaws and anything that has to do with helping a town with its own uniqueness.”
Zisson, who serves on town committees, emphasized fiscal discipline.
“No BS,” Zisson declared. He highlighted his project management record, helping finish the Brown Elementary project as a member of the oversight committee by “$1.5 million under budget.”
Both prioritized climate resilience.
“We need to find grants and I will try to find every federal or state grant to help build the seawall and infrastructure,” Magen said.
Zisson supported the sustainability coordinator position: “I think that position brings in multiple grants,” he said.
Meanwhile, they addressed the multifamily zoning controversy and special election on July 8 to revisit the Town Meeting-approved MBTA Communities Act districts. Magen co-sponsored the referendum to reverse the Town Meeting vote.
“I am really sad that 3A became a partisan issue,” said Magen. “We are a peninsula and we don’t have a lot of land. We risk losing all our businesses on Pleasant Street.”
While not weighing in on 3A itself, Zisson criticized the process: “It’s too bad that a (townwide) vote couldn’t be done on day one,” he said.
On charter reform, Magen cautioned against shifting authority from elected officials.
“We have to ensure that we don’t give power to the town administrator and take away from the Select Board,” she said.
Zisson disputed Magen’s assertion about moving from open Town Meeting to a representative one, pledging to oppose such changes.
Board of Health candidates
Two people are running to fill the Board of Health seat held by Helaine Hazlett for nearly 30 years.
Dr. Amanda Ritvo is a family medical physician who lives in Marblehead with her husband and two young children.
“I’m running for the Board of Health to bring science, clear communication and compassion to local decision making and to advocate for policies that protect all residents, especially the most vulnerable,” Ritvo said.
Ritvo talked about her plans to launch a health newsletter and create a resource packet for new parents.
“As a family doctor, I’ve spent my career listening closely, solving problems and advocating for my patients,” she said. “I’ll bring that same approach to the Marblehead Board of Health, leading with science, compassion and a deep commitment to our community.”
Kim Crowley, who owns Light House Fitness in town, is also running. She touted her experience working with people to improve their health.
“The wellness of Marbleheaders is my priority,” Crowley said. “My connection to this town is unmatched. I have the best interests of Marblehead local businesses in mind.”
Asked about how they might handle issues like masking and vaccinations in the case of another pandemic, the candidates differed in their responses.
“It will have to come to the data and looking at where the policies are coming from and the reasoning behind that, and that’s where I think my strengths are,” Ritvo said.
Crowley said, ““I’m a big believer in science, I’m also a big believer in numbers. I think it’s very important for us to give criteria and numbers to our townspeople on when and why we do things. That was one failure that I think we, as a town, made a mistake with. Our board was not willing to give criteria on why and when things would cease, as far as suggestions or mandates went.”
Town clerk race
In the town clerk race, incumbent Robin A. Michaud emphasized her experience, while challengers Terri Tauro and Melissa Flanagan advocated for expanded voter access and modernization.
Michaud, who has served since 2007, highlighted her track record.
“I have run over 45 elections, registered over 2,000 births, deaths and marriages,” Michaud said during her closing statement. “I’ve issued over 60,000 dog licenses, hundreds of business certificates, Zoning Board of Appeals’ decisions, applications and processed 24 years of censuses. I could go on, but I’ll run out of time.”
Michaud noted her certification and technology improvements, stressing experience for the July 8 MBTA Communities Act referendum.
“With this special election coming up for 3A in just three weeks after the town clerk gets sworn in, why put someone new in the position that doesn’t have any experience?” Michaud asked.
Tauro, former Marblehead Municipal Employees Union president, positioned herself as an advocate for accessibility.
“Early in-person voting for local elections is a really important matter for me,” Tauro said, suggesting the Brown School as a potential voting location. “That’s easy for people with mobility issues or small children.”
Tauro cited her preparation, emphasizing her commitment to residents.
“Democracy works best when every voice is heard and respected,” Tauro said. “I will never, ever forget who I work for — the voters of Marblehead.”
Flanagan, a deposit operations specialist at Marblehead Bank, highlighted her financial background.
“Accuracy is paramount in both banking and town clerk duties,” Flanagan said. “I’m hoping to bring increased community engagement, enhanced accessibility, proactive information sharing and voter turnout.”
She emphasized youth civic engagement and proposed outreach activities.
“I’m creative, dependable, resourceful, authentic and driven,” she added.
Planning Board
Marblehead voters will choose between longtime Planning Board member Edward O. Nilsson and first-time candidate Timothy Swigor.
Nilsson, an architect, said he brings “continuing participation and experience” to a board that is guiding major housing and redevelopment decisions.
A supporter of the MBTA Communities Act zoning bylaw that Town Meeting approved May 6, he said he would “let the law take its course” on the July 8 referendum to repeal it.
Swigor, who runs a data-solutions firm, could not attend the forum and instead sent a statement highlighting his opinion on a gamut of development issues.
“My first position is that I have always opposed 3A from the beginning. I believe Marblehead can’t handle more development, traffic, noise and stress on our infrastructure. I want to keep Marblehead … Marblehead.” He also argued that “no person should hold a board seat for 40 years,” saying voters deserve a “new, fresh perspective.”
Nilsson sees his experience as “critically important” to balancing density with design standards, while Swigor says an outsider’s voice will better defend the town’s historic character and sense of community.
Cemetery Commission
Rose McCarthy and Jerry Tucker are vying for a three-year term on the Cemetery Commission. Tucker missed the forum and did not provide a written statement, but his name remains on the ballot. The LWV underscored that a candidate’s absence shouldn’t sway voters’ judgement.
McCarthy used the forum to spotlight aging infrastructure at Waterside Cemetery — broken water spigots, deteriorating roads and understaffing — and pledged to push for downtown meeting locations (rather than the department’s Waterside Cemetery office) and steady capital funding for irrigation, paving and tree work.
Marblehead officials announced new polling locations for the June 10 town election. The Select Board voted to change locations due to accessibility issues at the Old Town House.
Voters in Precincts 1 and 2 will cast ballots at Abbot Hall, 188 Washington St., while those in Precincts 3, 4, 5 and 6 will vote at Marblehead High School Field House, 2 Humphrey St.
The deadline to register to vote is May 30, and applications for mail-in ballots must be received by June 3 at 5 p.m. Absentee ballots remain available for voters who will be absent, physically unable to vote in person or have religious conflicts.
For questions, residents should call the Town Clerk’s Office at 781-631-0528.
Editor Leigh Blander is an experienced TV, radio and print journalist.
