Leigh Blander - Marblehead Current

03 Jan

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT: Rand recalls brush with Zsa Zsa as Molly Waldo waitress

Leigh Blander0 CommentsLocal News, Top Stories

"Been There, Done That" is a regular feature of the Marblehead Current, which spotlights the memories and life lessons of Marblehead seniors. To nominate the next senior to be featured, email us at info@marbleheadnews.org. Name: Janice Rand Age: 89 Place of birth: Mary Alley Hospital, Marblehead How long have you lived in Marblehead? About 75 years all together. We moved away for a few years for my husband’s job, but we always moved back again. What is your fondest childhood memory? Sailing or skiing with…

03 Jan

Glover’s Regiment commemorates Delaware River crossing

Leigh Blander0 CommentsLocal History, Local News, Top Stories

With a volley salute at the State Street landing on Friday night, Dec. 30, Glover’s Marblehead Regiment commemorated a turning point in the American Revolutionary War. Gen. George Washington’s crossing of the Delaware River allowed the Continental Army to launch a sneak attack against Hessian soldiers and secure its first major victory in 1776. Marblehead’s Gen. John Glover and his men, many also from town, were instrumental in carrying out the mission. Glover's Marblehead Regiment fire a vollet salute.COURTESY PHOTO / BRUCE DURKEE The National…

30 Dec

Marblehead fire crews battle two house fires, chief has warning about chimneys

Leigh Blander0 CommentsLocal News, Public safety, Top Stories

It was a busy couple of days for Marblehead firefighters, who battled fires in two local homes. On Tuesday, Dec. 27, crews responded to a single-alarm fire in the attic at 247 Atlantic Ave. No one was hurt, but the fire did displace two people. Fire crews respond to an attic fire in a home on Atlantic Avenue COURTESY PHOTO / TYLER MERULLO “It originated above a bathroom light or ceiling fan and rolled across the attic for a while,” Fire Chief Jason Gilliland told…

28 Dec

Start the New Year with health, connection & support at the Y

Leigh Blander0 CommentsCommunity Resources, Nonprofit corner, Press releases

Content from the Lynch/van Otterloo YMCA In 2023, we know you’ll see many ‘New Year, New You’ messages and we want you to know that at the Y we understand not everyone is the same and not everyone needs a ‘New You.’ Some of us just need new options, more support and genuine encouragement to start or stay on a path to health and wellness. The fact is, everyone’s health goals are different and the Y has many options for you to find what works…

28 Dec

New Year’s resolutions, Marblehead style

Leigh Blander0 CommentsLocal News, Municipal Matters, Top Stories

The Marblehead Current reached out to leaders across town to ask about their New Year’s resolutions for 2023, both for their service to Marblehead and in their personal lives. Here are the responses we received. Jenny Armini, 8th Essex District state representative, Marblehead residentProfessional: “Apply the determination of General Glover and the heart of the Spirit of ’76 to the 21st century challenges of state government.”Personal: “Eat more Meltaways from Stowaway Sweets. Eat fewer Meltaways from Stowaway Sweets. Clearly, I’m conflicted here." Thatcher Kezer, Marblehead…

28 Dec

Marblehead parents weigh in on school budget priorities

Leigh Blander0 CommentsLocal News, Marblehead Public Schools, Top Stories

At the Marblehead School Committee meeting on Jan. 5, Superintendent Dr. John Buckey will present the results of a recent ThoughtExchange survey that asked residents to rank their budget priorities for the schools. The top three responses: Better staff compensation, updated curriculum and tuition-free kindergarten. “I’m not at all surprised by the results,” Buckey told the Marblehead Current. Nearly 340 residents took the online survey, which ran the first two weeks of December. Respondents offered 172 different “thoughts” about priorities and then offered 12,202 “ratings”…

26 Dec

COUNCIL ON AGING: Events, programs, classes for seniors

Leigh Blander0 CommentsCommunity Resources, Local News, Municipal Matters

All programs and events are held in the Judy and Gene Jacobi Community Center unless otherwise stated in the individual briefs below. Questions should be directed to 781 631-6225 or councilonaging@marblehead.org. Lunching at the COALunch is offered on Tuesdays at noon for $3. The meals are prepared in the Council on Aging’s commercial kitchen. The generosity of the Friends of the Council on Aging offsets the cost of lunch. Grab-n-go lunchesGrab-n-Go lunches are offered on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at the Council on Aging. This…

24 Dec

Marblehead teens travel the world, lead service-learning projects

Leigh Blander0 CommentsBusiness, Local News, Top Stories

Fifty Marblehead teenagers will be heading across Europe this summer on service-learning trips with the local nonprofit Stone & Compass. They’ll be volunteering at a Sicilian orphanage, planting trees in the Scottish Highlands and running a summer camp in Bulgaria. Stone & Compass interns Clara Donovan (left) and Maeve McIlroy, both MHS students, on a dairy farm in the Azores COURTESY PHOTO “The thing about Stone & Compass that I find extraordinary is that it’s built around making global connections,” said Clara Donovan, a Marblehead…

23 Dec

Storm bursts into Marblehead, batters waterfront; MMLD restoring power

Leigh Blander0 CommentsLocal News, Public safety, Top Stories

The Marblehead Police Department has reopened the Veterans Memorial Causeway and Beacon and Front streets after a pre-Christmas storm burst in and hit the town hard, flooding out the waterfront on Friday morning. Atlantic Avenue is closed at the Swampscott line. Police warned people to stay away from coastal flooding areas as gusty winds, giant waves and heavy rain pounded Marblehead's waterfront. The storm batters Front Street buildings. COURTESY PHOTO / BRUCE DURKEE At the 10:30 a.m. high tide, waves were crashing over the causeway's…

21 Dec

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT: How did Dragan get nickname ‘Kenya’?

Leigh Blander0 CommentsLocal News, Top Stories

“Been There, Done That” is a regular column in the Current spotlighting Marblehead seniors. Name: Dave Dragan Age: 81 Place of birth: Everett How long have you lived in Marblehead? Nine years. We moved here because we wanted a good school system for our granddaughters (who live with him). What is your fondest childhood memory? Going to Hampton Beach for 10 days every summer. We’d rent a cottage and just run loose. We’d hit the penny arcade, go swimming and sit on an old inner…