Marblehead Current Editorial Board

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…

This is the best time of the year to be here, right? The week we invite friends so we can show off Marblehead at its finest. The Festival of Arts, the Harbor Illumination, the concerts at Crocker Park and the fireworks are Marblehead's annual rites of summer. This year, the celebration carries an extra charge. The Festival turns 60 and the country turns 250 the same week, a fitting double celebration. Marblehead rightly stands proud of its place in the Revolution. The Marbleheaders of Glover's…

Board of Health member Tom McMahon is not wrong when he said of the town’s new trash collection program on Facebook recently, “We’re here now and need to move forward.” However, McMahon is too dismissive about the value of what he called “Monday morning quarterbacking.” Usually, when municipal government action is greeted with outcry — as the invasion of the oversized barrels has been — there are lessons to be learned. There also may be quick fixes that can ameliorate a situation, even if everyone’s…