Choosing the top stories of any year isn’t easy. Here are the headlines that resonated the most with the Current newsroom.
MBTA Communities Act
The state’s MBTA Communities Act, which requires 177 cities and towns to zone for multifamily housing, dominated Marblehead headlines this year.
Town Meeting in May approved a plan identifying three multifamily housing zones: Broughton Road, part of Pleasant Street near Village Plaza and Tioga Way. Before Town Meeting adjourned, opponents of the law — known as 3A — began collecting signatures to force a special election to reconsider the vote.
They invoked a never-before-used bylaw to bring the issue to the ballot, and in July, voters rejected the zoning plan. The outcome left Marblehead noncompliant with state law, jeopardizing millions of dollars in potential state grants and prompting warnings from the Attorney General’s Office about possible legal action.
Town leaders later met with 3A opponents to explore a new approach and recently submitted a revised zoning proposal to the state for preliminary review. The updated plan still includes Broughton Road and adds rezoning at Tedesco Country Club for multifamily housing. If the state gives a green light, the proposal will return to Town Meeting in May.
13-year-old dies in crash
On Aug. 19, 13-year-old Savanah Gatchell was killed in an early-morning crash on Atlantic Avenue. Police charged a 16-year-old boy with operating under the influence and motor vehicle homicide.
Hundreds attended a candlelight vigil at Devereux Beach, tossing flowers into the waves in Gatchell’s memory. The boy’s family released a statement saying they were “devastated and heartbroken” for the victim’s family. Police and the Essex County District Attorney’s Office have not released the suspect’s name because he is a juvenile.
The crash renewed community discussions about teen substance use and abuse. Officials from the Select Board, Board of Health and School Committee have all been involved in the conversations.
Flag policy
After more than a year of debate and student-led protests, the School Committee on May 1 approved a controversial flag policy restricting which flags and banners may be displayed in Marblehead schools.
Following several revisions, the policy permits U.S., Massachusetts and POW/MIA flags, along with flags recognizing a limited number of heritage days. Students seeking to display additional flags or banners must request permission from the superintendent.
Trash strike
Marbleheaders made lots of trips to the Transfer Station this summer when a Republic Services trash and recycling strike disrupted curbside pickup from July 1 through Sept. 19. The strike affected several North Shore communities and beyond.
Republic’s 10-year contract with the town expires in 2026, and the Board of Health has projected that a new contract could double in cost to about $2 million annually.
ICE raid
ICE and FBI agents detained three Marblehead landscapers on Sept. 12, pulling them from their truck on Beach Street. One man was deported to Guatemala, while two others remained in detention in Louisiana, according to their former employer at Lassana Landscaping.
Community members donated more than $13,000 through a GoFundMe campaign to assist the men and their families.
Gallo settlement
On Oct. 22, the town announced a $295,000 settlement with Police Officer Chris Gallo for back salary, missed overtime and detail pay he might have earned while suspended with pay from June 2021 until his reinstatement in March of 2025.
Gallo had been suspended and later fired after being accused of spending extended periods at home during overnight shifts and engaging in conduct unbecoming an officer. He appealed, and on Feb. 12 an arbitrator ordered the town to reinstate him.
The settlement came on top of at least $340,149 in legal and related costs incurred during Gallo’s suspension and arbitration, according to town financial records obtained through public records requests.
Monk lawsuit
On Oct. 22, Marblehead monk Father Andrew Bushell filed a federal lawsuit alleging that the town and the U.S. Department of Justice colluded to prevent Bushell from “engaging in protected religious activity within Marblehead’s borders.”
The FBI raided Bushell’s Conant Road residence on Oct. 13, 2022, and arrested him on charges of misusing federal COVID-19 relief funds. The Justice Department later dropped the charges “in the interests of justice,” according to a DOJ statement.
The lawsuit claims Marblehead officials, motivated by hostility toward Bushell’s religious operation, made false reports to the FBI questioning his status as a monk and the legitimacy of his organizations. The suit includes multiple plaintiffs, including St. Paul’s Foundation; the Shrine of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Patron of Sailors, Brewers and Repentant Thieves; and Marblehead Brewing Co. LLC.
Cove Lane
A longstanding footpath to the ocean on Marblehead Neck became the subject of legal review after a neighboring homeowner moved to restrict public access, raising broader questions about so-called “paper streets” throughout town.
The path, known as Cove Lane, runs between private homes off Kimball Street and leads to a small beach overlooking Chandler Hovey Park. Though narrow and grassy, it has been used informally for decades and appears on town maps as a traditional passageway.
In July, abutter Gerald M. Shea of 13 Kimball St. filed a legal notice asserting private ownership and warning against any claim of public access “by custom, use or otherwise.” The notice was recorded July 21 at the Southern Essex District Registry of Deeds and posted on the property.
Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer said this fall that town counsel responded with evidence of joint ownership.
“As the town is a joint owner of that property, the town and the public have the right to access the property,” Kezer said, adding that he was unaware of any response from the homeowner’s attorney.
E-bike safety
E-bikes became a flashpoint this year as residents complained about teenagers speeding and riding erratically around town. The Traffic Safety Advisory Committee discussed the issue multiple times, and Police Chief Dennis King issued an alert to residents.
Under Massachusetts law, only Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes — which provide motor assistance up to 20 mph — are recognized as bicycles. Faster Class 3 e-bikes, capable of assisted speeds up to 28 mph, are classified as motor vehicles and require a driver’s license.
The committee ultimately decided against placing an e-bike-related article on the Town Meeting warrant this May.
New trike
One of the Current’s most-read stories of the year centered on a simple act of kindness.
Members of the Marblehead High School track teams often saw 38-year-old Nikolay Kuzmina, who is neurodiverse, riding his large tricycle around the school parking lot in the afternoons — a daily ritual he cherished. When the trike’s axle snapped after hitting a pothole, the teams stepped in.
The track teams raised $1,200 to buy Kuzmina a new trike and surprised him with it at the school in March.
“I’m really overwhelmed,” Kuzmina told the Current. “I really like my bike so much. It’s good exercise, and I get a lot of fresh air.”
Editor Leigh Blander is an experienced TV, radio and print journalist.
