Akanksha Goyal - Marblehead Current

29 Jan

School leaders outline deeper cuts, including 5 teachers, to level fund budget

Akanksha GoyalEducation, Marblehead Public Schools, Top Stories

After multiple rounds of reductions, Marblehead Public Schools officials said they are within $806 of a level-funded fiscal year 2027 budget at the School Committee’s Budget Subcommittee meeting on Jan. 29. The meeting included School Committee members Melissa Clucas and Jenn Schaeffner, Superintendent John Robidoux, Assistant Superintendent of Finance Mike Pfifferling, and Finance Committee liaisons Molly Teets and Pat Franklin. Part of the presentation at Thursday's School Committee Budget Subcommittee meeting outlining deep cuts to next year's budget. Pfifferling walked the subcommittee through a detailed…

17 Dec

Environmental notice bars housing, recreation facilities at 12 Atlantic Ave.

Akanksha GoyalLocal News

Contaminants found in soil at 12 Atlantic Ave. will limit uses for the commercial property. CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER The owner of 12 Atlantic Ave., a small commercial property currently home to btone Fitness and Eat Well Kitchen, has recorded an environmental notice that will limit how the site can be used in the future after contaminants were found in the soil. According to documents filed with the state Department of Environmental Protection, testing identified elevated levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, arsenic and lead…

11 Dec

Town’s fiscal concerns grow as long-term budget forecast projects rising deficit

Akanksha GoyalMunicipal Matters, Top Stories

Town officials are warning of a deepening fiscal crisis after a new three-year revenue and expense forecast showed a projected $7 million deficit in fiscal year 2027, soaring to $11 million in FY28 and $15 million by FY29 if current trends continue. At the Dec. 10 Select Board meeting, Finance Committee Chair Alec Goolsby, Vice Chair Molly Teets and Finance Director Aleesha Benjamin walked the Board through the updated model, describing it as the second phase of budget season and a continuation of long-term planning…

11 Dec

Health board member urges explicit support for police enforcing underage drinking laws

Akanksha GoyalHealth, Top Stories

At its Dec. 9 meeting, the Board of Health revisited the social hosting controversy that has dominated recent discussions about youth substance use, with member Tom McMahon urging a clear public declaration that police officers have full backing from town leadership when enforcing the laws against parents who allow underage drinking in their homes. McMahon told the board he recently spoke with Select Board Chair Dan Fox, describing the conversation as “very cordial.” While the two disagree on enforcement approaches, McMahon said they share the…

23 Nov

Planning Board pushes 3A plan toward state review, examines ADU bylaw revisions

Akanksha GoyalMunicipal Matters, Top Stories

The Planning Board on Nov. 20 advanced Marblehead's strategy to comply with the state's MBTA Communities Act. The board also began reviewing required changes to the town's accessory dwelling unit bylaw, following guidance from the Attorney General's Office. Planning Board member Marc Liebman said the town is working with counsel to identify parallels with previously approved 3A zoning projects in other communities and ensure Marblehead’s proposal meets state expectations before seeking preliminary approval from the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities. On Nov 3,…

19 Nov

FISCAL STORM: Town’s budget crunch mirrors broader statewide fiscal crisis

Akanksha GoyalMunicipal Matters, Top Stories

Marblehead’s looming budget challenges are part of a broader fiscal storm sweeping cities and towns across Massachusetts. According to a report from the Massachusetts Municipal Association last month, municipalities statewide are caught between rising service costs, constrained local revenue growth and limited, slow-growing state support. That combination, the MMA warns, is weakening many cities’ and towns’ ability to absorb new costs. Marblehead is already experiencing those pressures, town officials say. The MMA report found that municipalities are heavily dependent on property taxes and constrained by…

19 Nov

EDUCATION: MPS already on track as state pushes early literacy reforms

Akanksha GoyalEducation, Local News

Massachusetts lawmakers have advanced a sweeping early literacy bill aimed at addressing what they call a statewide literacy crisis. The legislation, which passed the House on Oct. 29 and now heads to the Senate, would require school districts to adopt evidence-based curricula and expand early screenings requirements for K-3 students. Marblehead is already ‘meeting the moment’ as the state pushes new literacy standards, according to Assistant Superintendent Julia Ferreira. COURTESY PHOTO While the measure could bring significant changes across the state, Marblehead educators say much…

17 Nov

Board of Health tops 2,600 survey responses, tackles underage drinking

Akanksha GoyalHealth, Top Stories

After weeks of urging residents to complete the town’s community wellness survey, the Board of Health said participation has surpassed 2,600 responses, and it outlined plans to build on that work through state funding at its Nov. 10 meeting. Board Chair Dr. Tom Massaro credited a recent CodeRED alert for boosting survey participation and said the board hoped to reach 2,500 responses before the survey closes Nov. 16. Hitting that mark, he said, would give the results “statistical legitimacy” to guide future public health efforts.…

12 Nov

From Beacon Hill to Capitol Hill: Local woman lobbies to protect patients from sexual abuse

Akanksha GoyalLocal News

Less than seven months after testifying at the Massachusetts State House about being sexually abused by a Boston rheumatologist, Marblehead resident Rory McCarthy has helped shape a federal bill that would require medical professionals nationwide to offer patients the option of a chaperone during sensitive exams. Rory McCarthy stands outside the State House April 9, where she testified about the sexual violence she says she endured at the hands of a Boston doctor. She hopes proposed state and federal legislation will protect other patients. COURTESY PHOTO…

21 Oct

Town officials weigh crypto ATM risks amid state debate

Akanksha GoyalPublic safety, Top Stories

With Massachusetts considering new rules for cryptocurrency ATMs, Marblehead officials are taking a closer look at whether to regulate the machines locally as police statewide report a rise in scams tied to digital-currency kiosks. The state’s Joint Committee on Financial Services heard hours of testimony last week on a proposal that would, for the first time, require cryptocurrency kiosk operators to register with the state, post fraud warnings and set daily transaction limits. It would also require kiosk operators to refund victims of fraudulent transactions.…