As the town slides into 2026, many of the issues facing the town government in 2025 have slipped into 2026 with a lot of talk but no action, no resolution. These issues include 3A; our fiscal crisis; school district dysfunction, performance and student exodus; social hosting; personal transport vehicles; alleged antisemitism in the schools; the future of the Coffin school property; and the Reynolds playground rink. We need to put many of our existing issues behind us. There will be others that arise.
Tedesco Country Club and 3A zoning proposal — creative but a blatantly obvious dodge
With their Harvard and Princeton degrees, our governor and AG are not country bumpkins that just fell off a pumpkin wagon. You can bet their staffs are working overtime to find grounds to disqualify Marblehead’s latest 3A proposal. We will know on Jan. 8, about the same time this column is published. Or perhaps they defer their decision to buy more time to disqualify Marblehead’s latest plan. An acceptance would be precedent setting, and a number or other towns would seek to amend their plan around a privately owned country club.
Then what? Does the town have another proposal in their back pocket? In any case, reread my Nov. 5 column for some scenarios. You can expect me to again sponsor an amendment to move any 3A warrant article to the beginning of Town Meeting.
Social hosting — the party needs to end
Sometimes facts have very specific implications. Tom McMahon’s exposure that no social hosting law has been enforced since 2017 is undisputed. It’s a fact confirmed by Town Clerk Robin Michaud. Where, from 2009 to 2017, 160 citations were written to parents whose kids were drinking. Some other facts — the police department is directly responsible for law enforcement, and the Select Board is responsible for managing the police department.
To be expected, the response by Select Board Chair Dan Fox to McMahon’s exposure was just a bunch of excuses protecting the police and the Select Board. Chief Dennis King explained that “many situations require careful investigation, documentation, parental engagement and, whenever it is appropriate, an arrest or diversion may occur. When enforcement is warranted, we pursue it through criminal complaints or local bylaw citations. When education and redirection will more effectively prevent future harm, we use those tools as well.”
OK, but what has changed since 2017 that no citations have been issued? It should be noted that King was only hired in 2021, so the lack of enforcement pre-dates him.
King is clearly an “education first” policing professional. That approach has its place and time. But at some point, when social hosting law education doesn’t work, the
laws need to be enforced, penalties issued and violators exposed. That would send a clear message — the party is over.
Select Board — not relentless in pursuing incremental revenue
In a prior column,I stated “the town needs to be relentless in pursuing and protecting each and every revenue source available.” In spite of much talk, the Select Board failed in capturing “new growth” revenue from all the house gutting and renovations that have occurred over the last several years and are still occurring today albeit at a slower pace.
Relative to 2017 and alcohol, I stumbled upon the fact that Marblehead’s alcohol license fees set by the Select Board have not changed since Dec. 13, 2017. The state establishes the framework and types of alcohol licenses. The actual fees are determined locally by each town’s licensing board — our Select Board.
I am sure the price of whatever you drink has not remained the same since 2017. Some stats: Visual Capitalist reported a 43% jump in Boston beer prices since 2020, putting it among the highest globally. A study found popular brands like Sam Adams Summer Ale jumped nearly 71% from 2015 to 2025, says Cheapism. Nationally, prices for alcoholic beverages away from home have experienced a general average inflation rate of nearly 4% per year between 1977 and 2025.
Select Board, get relentless in capturing more money from alcohol licenses!
Student exodus should not be surprising
The Current’s article “Why is Marblehead’s public school enrollment dropping? Superintendent offers more data” doesn’t tell you why. It just tells you how much Marblehead’s public school enrollment has declined. In the 2024/25 school year, 215 students, 8.2%, transferred out of district with 2,395 students remaining in district. Over the last five years, 1,050 students have transferred.
Given the chaos in the schools over two years (summer 2023 to summer 2025), it is not that surprising that students have been driven away by their parents from the district in droves. The district had a DEI (dysfunctional, enfeebled and incompetent) School Committee, revolving superintendent doors, principal resignations, a teachers strike and teacher walk-aways.
Some questions: Has the district reached its nadir? Was a turning point the election of two new School Committee members last June and the appointment of John Robidoux as permanent super? Does the district have the right team top to bottom from School Committee to teachers to lead a district turn around. I have one big doubt — the inability of SC to define and assign goals for recovery. Time will tell.
The only good news with this exodus is that the 2026 school budget should be lower than otherwise for “level services,” except Robidoux claims otherwise.
Prop 2 ½ workaround – more ‘friends’ groups needed
In Marblehead, we have numerous “Friends of” groups. They have provided significant funding for July 4 fireworks (started by my father), Fort Sewall, Village Street track, high school turf field, Elm Street playground, elders (Council on Aging), high school students (Dollars for Scholars), football team (Gridiron Club), etc. With the town’s dismal financial forecasts, one way around the limitations of Prop 2 1/2 is to create more friends groups. I am sure many would contribute to “Friends of” the harbor, beaches — Devereux, Grave Oliver, Gas House, etc. — and other playgrounds and parks.
With the performance of Transfer Station employees during the 82-day trash strike, many might contribute to “Friends of the Dump.” For certain contribution levels, there would be an exclusive lane for trash and recyclables drop-off. For even higher contributions, a concierge service would empty your trunk, tailgate or doors.
Given the third world state of our streets and electric poles, I am not sure that “Friends of” the DPW, water, sewer and light departments would be viable right now. But that could change.
E! E! E! — Personal Electric Transporter education
E! E! E! That’s what I scream when I see some dopey kid riding an e-bike, e-scooter or e-skateboard in the middle of the street, on the sidewalk or speeding the wrong way on downtown, one-way streets. And most without helmets. These personal electric transporters (PETs) are a problem. According to Chief King, “the department has documented about 300 accidents annually in recent years.” According to my 13-year-old great-nephew, it’s not cool to have a peddle bike anymore. And as technology reduces costs and increases speeds, the problem will only get worse. Actually, it’s not the PETs that are the problem, it’s their young and increasingly older riders. They have no clue on the basic rules of the road and PET regulations. And then there are the parents who buy these vehicles and let their kids loose.
At this time and place, I agree with King for “emphasizing education over enforcement” To start, how about requiring all junior and high school students to attend one classroom session at the beginning of each school year and at the end of each school year before they are unleashed for the summer to raise havoc. I don’t know how to require older rider education. Just last night I was confronted by two “adults” riding the wrong way on Front Street without lights. And educating the parents, who knows???
We can be thankful that we haven’t entered the George Jetson era yet. If you think PETs and drones are a problem, just wait until we have both young and old flying around with their jet packs everywhere without the constraints of two-dimensional streets.
James (Seamus) Hourihan was born in Marblehead and is a MHS graduate. For 35 years, he worked in finance, marketing and executive management roles at high-tech companies. He has lived here full-time since 2009. He currently sits on the Town Charter Committee.
