Marblehead Current Editorial Board

Let's start with what's most important, and what's actually reassuring: When the new U.S. News & World Report ranked Marblehead High School 78th in Massachusetts, down 17 spots from 61st a year ago, no one in the town panicked. There was no wave of anxious letters, no dueling statements from override supporters and skeptics, no attempt to spin a single composite score into either an indictment or an exoneration. It showed up as a brief item in the Current and mostly stayed there. In a…

In the aftermath of an unusual Board of Health meeting whose sole agenda item ended in the censure of one of its members, more than a few people have suggested it is time to move on. We understand the impulse, and in one sense it is right. Tom McMahon has pledged to “be better.” Nothing anyone says or writes will determine whether he does. We wish him luck. But if this episode can be a teachable moment for Mr. McMahon, it can be one for…

"History tends to forget." When Fire Chief Jason Gilliland made this statement to the Current this week, he was referring, of course, to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the 25th anniversary of which will be observed with the traditional ceremony at Memorial Park on Friday, beginning at 10 a.m. We were struck by the chief’s comment, too, that he now has firefighters in his department who weren't yet born when the towers fell. Similarly, many residents were not here a quarter-century ago. They…

Let’s start with what’s most important: Best we can tell, our town officials — and indeed, most adults — share a commitment to doing whatever they can to lessen the chances that another local family will have to bear the worst consequences of teen drinking. Unfortunately, what that concern has recently spawned — a debate led by the Board of Health over whether the cause might be served by repealing the town’s social host bylaw — is a case of misdirected energy. To review: The…

Summertime in Marblehead is hard to beat. Every type of summer activity can be found here: swimming, fishing, sailing, paddle-boarding and kayaking, historical and cultural attractions, camps, and all the athletic and artistic programs the town and other groups offer. There is something for everyone to enjoy. But in recent summers, there has been a less idyllic situation with the increase in the number of e-bikes, e-scooters, mopeds and electronic motorcycles (micromobility devices) on our roads and bike paths. While the majority of these devices…

There but for the grace of God go we. That is how we cannot help but feel about the ongoing lack of a reporter shield law in Massachusetts. Thankfully, we at the Current have not yet faced the time and expense of going to court over a subpoena or to fight contempt charges over a refusal to reveal a source. But given our commitment to tell the stories that need to be told — no matter whom they might offend or whose power they might…

Marblehead's finances did not get sicker the moment Thatcher Kezer and Aleesha Benjamin announced they're leaving. If anything, the record they're handing off is stronger than many residents may realize. The town's audited financial statements for the year ended June 30 show a 16th consecutive AAA bond rating from Standard & Poor's — the highest rating a municipality can hold — and the town's outside auditors gave its books a clean bill of health — no red flags, no disputed numbers. The general fund's total…