The Current welcomes 150- to 200-word submissions to News in Brief. Send them to info@marbleheadnews.org.
Damage leads to Crocker Park dock removal
One of Marblehead’s most popular swimming spots, the dock at Crocker Park, has been removed after suffering damage during a heavy rainstorm.
A flotation log beneath the dock broke late July 7, according to Harbormaster Mark Souza.
“We are in the process of assessing the extent of the damage and how long it will take to make repairs,” Souza said.
Tax bills contain land area display error
The town is notifying residents that FY2027 preliminary tax bills contain an error in the land area listed for properties. But officials stressed the mistake does not affect assessed values or the amount of tax owed.
“It has come to our attention that the land area displayed on FY2027 preliminary tax bills is incorrect,” Treasurer Cammi Ianelli said in a statement. “As this is the town’s first billing cycle using the new collection system, we are working closely with our implementation team to resolve the issue.”
According to the town, the new billing software displayed acreage information from the assessing system as square footage. Officials said the problem is a display error only and does not affect property valuations or tax bills.
The town recently transitioned its tax collection operations from Patriot Software’s CollectPro system to the Tyler Munis collection system. As part of the transition, the mailing address for tax payments has changed. Residents with questions about the land area shown on their bills should contact the Assessor’s Office at assessors@marbleheadma.gov.
Town seeks Planning Board member
The Select Board is accepting letters of interest from residents interested in serving on the Planning Board.
Letters are due by July 17 and should be addressed to the Select Board, Abbot Hall, 188 Washington St., or emailed to wileyk@marbleheadma.gov. More information is available at marbleheadma.gov/town-planning-board.
According to the town website, “It is the responsibility of the Planning Board to approve different types of development including divisions of land to create new lots, all new nonresidential buildings over 700 square feet and all new residential construction and additions that are over 500 square feet within the shoreline and harbor front districts.”
Dollars for Scholars awards scholarships
At its annual awards ceremony on May 30, Marblehead Dollars for Scholars honored 17 high school seniors with scholarships totaling $66,000. Over the summer, the local nonprofit organization will award an additional $177,000 to rising college sophomores, juniors and seniors, who must reapply for their scholarships each year.
Major contributors to the awards distribution amount are the Harold and Elizabeth Shattuck Memorial Foundation and Old North Church.
Members of the Class of 2026 and the endowed scholarships they received in parenthesis include, front row, from left: Lucia Possidente (Robert & Nancy Graves), Audrey Bathurst (Karl Johnson), Lillian Reddy (Capt. Richard Bridgeo), Quinn Harris (F. Reed Cutting), Sara Beane (Linda LoConte).
Back row, from left: Ariana Ruiz (Twin Towers and Old North Church), Quinn Scheib (Jean Howe), Mollie Farber (H. Alden Johnson Jr.), William Pelliciotti (Standley Goodwin), Adam Loughlin (Harold & Elizabeth Shattuck), Sebastian Mellen-Bloom (Old North Church), Abdullah Al Janabi (Bradley C. Sheridan), JJ Downey (Howard Hunter Craig IV), Luna Velandry (Doug MacLean Go Giver), Sasha Ganezer (Joseph Despres) and Joy Meshulam (Emily Foster).
Missing from the photo is Viktoriia Usenko, who received the Ira and Betty Dyer scholarship.
The presentation of scholarships at the annual awards ceremony is the fulfillment of the organization’s mission to support deserving high school graduates in their pursuit of higher education, Marblehead Dollars for Scholars President Jac Bentley said.
“We are very proud of their achievements, and we wish them continued success in college,” he said.
