Will Dowd

2613 Posts
Marblehead board maps strategy after housing law referendum defeat
24 Jul

Marblehead board maps strategy after housing law referendum defeat

Will DowdTop Stories
The Marblehead Select Board outlined a three-part strategy July 18 to address the town’s noncompliance with state housing law after voters rejected required zoning changes July 8. The approach includes preparing a revised proposal for 2026 Town Meeting, exploring direct state engagement for compromise alternatives and accepting noncompliance while mitigating consequences. Board members agreed to pursue multiple paths simultaneously during a goals-setting retreat at the Municipal Light Department. Planning Director Brendan Callahan told officials the town faces immediate pressure from state enforcement expectations. “We really…
Read More
Marblehead taps ex-Ipswich chief as new light manager
23 Jul

Marblehead taps ex-Ipswich chief as new light manager

Will DowdTop Stories
The Marblehead Municipal Light Commission selected Jonathan Blair as its new general manager Tuesday, choosing the former Ipswich Electric Light Department leader from a field of more than 90 applicants. Jonathan Blair, left, speaks at a past electric vehicle charging station ribbon-cutting while serving as general manager of Ipswich Electric Light Department. Blair was named the new general manager of Marblehead Municipal Light Department on Tuesday. COURTESY PHOTOS / IPSWICH LOCAL NEWS Blair currently works as a senior managing consultant at Energy and Environmental Economics…
Read More
DIGITAL DOCS: Coffee (or other liquid) meets keyboard: Quick moves after a laptop spill
23 Jul

DIGITAL DOCS: Coffee (or other liquid) meets keyboard: Quick moves after a laptop spill

Will DowdColumns, Opinion
The Digital Docs see at least ONE liquid spill every week! A single splash of coffee, soda or even plain water can knock out the nerve center of your digital life in seconds. The fix starts the moment the liquid lands. First, shut the machine down. Hold the power button until the screen goes dark, then yank the charger from the wall. Pull out every cord, drive, mouse and headphone jack. Electricity and liquid play a dangerous game, and you want to stop it before…
Read More
BLISTERING SUMMER: Town’s outside workers power through as heat index hits 107 degrees
23 Jul

BLISTERING SUMMER: Town’s outside workers power through as heat index hits 107 degrees

Will DowdPublic safety, Top Stories
The cramp hit landscaper Stephen Martin’s leg like a vice grip, a sharp reminder that after 47 summers in landscaping, his body still demands respect. Sgt. Timothy Morley directs traffic along Pleasant Street on July 15, as road crews work under intense heat. The day’s high reached 90 degrees, with a heat index near 100. CURRENT PHOTOS / GREY COLLINS “You’ll get some muscle aches, almost like a charley horse,” Martin said, describing the warning signs when he doesn’t drink enough water during Marblehead’s increasingly…
Read More
Local teens direct period film set in 1892 Marblehead
23 Jul

Local teens direct period film set in 1892 Marblehead

Will DowdArt, Education, Top Stories
Candlelight illuminated the scene as two actresses in gilded age dresses read their lines on an authentic 19th-century set. Boom microphones were held overhead, a large camera focused on the scene, and the directors eagerly watched their vision come to life. While this seems like something that could only happen in Hollywood, it was actually a scene filmed by high school students in the basement of the Marblehead Arts Association. Student filmmakers shoot a scene in the basement of the Marblehead Art Association. CURRENT PHOTOS…
Read More
RIDE OF A LIFETIME: Local teen navigates Italy’s iconic Mille Miglia race
23 Jul

RIDE OF A LIFETIME: Local teen navigates Italy’s iconic Mille Miglia race

Will DowdTop Stories
Dante Genovesi, 18, of Marblehead, was at the mall last fall when his 2025 summer plans changed in an instant. At the same time, his mom, owner of Roses and Thistle on Pleasant Street, was chatting with family friend Jeff Gault about the iconic Italian car race Mille Miglia. Dante Genovesi sits in Mookie’s in Marblehead, reviewing Mille Miglia route maps and reflecting on his summer racing through Italy. CURRENT PHOTO / WILL DOWD Mid-conversation, Gault — a longtime racer in the event who also…
Read More
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: Rule of Thirds Photo Booth captures candid party moments
23 Jul

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: Rule of Thirds Photo Booth captures candid party moments

Will DowdColumns, Opinion
The following is an interview with Shauna Martin, owner of Rule of Thirds Photo Booth, conducted by Discover Marblehead. Rule of Thirds is a photo booth rental for all types of events. To learn more about booking Rule of Thirds for your next event, go to ruleofthirdsphotoboothllc.com Shauna Martin owns the Rule of Thirds Photo Booth. COURTESY PHOTO Tell us about Rule of Thirds Photo Booth and why you started it. “After years of planning events, I’ve seen first-hand how quickly the day flies by…
Read More
FOOD 101:  How to decode egg labels and elevate your breakfast game
23 Jul

FOOD 101:  How to decode egg labels and elevate your breakfast game

Will DowdColumns, Food
Eggs have been in the headlines for months. When something becomes rare or costly, it forces a closer look. Similar to Marblehead’s ups and downs of lobster. Linda Bassett, the Current’s food columnist, writes about understanding egg labels and preparing chef-style scrambled eggs with caviar. CURRENT PHOTO / LINDA BASSETT To better understand eggs, first read the box. Lots of verbiage. Some significant, some meaningless, some misleading. Here are a few translations and definitions. “Natural” means nothing. Eggs are always naturally manufactured by chickens. “Cage…
Read More
NEWS IN BRIEF: Week of Monday, July 21, 2025
21 Jul

NEWS IN BRIEF: Week of Monday, July 21, 2025

Will DowdLocal News
The Current welcomes submissions (150-200 words) to the news in brief. Send yours to wdowd@marbleheadnews.org. Moulton joins 988 protest Congressman Seth Moulton joined fellow lawmakers and mental health advocates on Capitol Hill July 17 to protest the Trump administration’s elimination of the LGBTQ+ line of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. The LGBTQ+ line went that same day. "Letting kids die is not government reform—it’s cruelty," Moulton said. "When your child is in crisis, the last thing on your mind should be politics. But Donald…
Read More
Decision on new MMLD leader expected after finalist interviews
21 Jul

Decision on new MMLD leader expected after finalist interviews

Will DowdTop Stories
The Marblehead Municipal Light Commission plans to select its next general manager Tuesday from three finalists after deciding not to renew General Manager Joseph Kowalik’s contract, which expires April 7, 2026. The Marblehead Municipal Light Commission planned to select its next general manager Tuesday, July 22, from three finalists after deciding not to renew General Manager Joseph Kowalik’s contract, which expires April 7, 2026. The finalists, interviewed last week, were Salem resident Mary Usovicz, current general manager of Merrimac Municipal Light Department; Gloucester resident Jonathan…
Read More