Marblehead Current Editorial Board

Last week, a staff member at the Town Clerk's Office told the Current there would be no in-person early voting for the June 9 election — the vote that will ask Marblehead homeowners to decide on a three-tiered Proposition 2 1/2 tax override that could reach $15 million. The apparent decision came without consulting the Board of Registrars. It's worth noting that last year's referendum, solely on the MBTA Communities Law question, included early voting. Yet this year, with a major override and a full…

What a difference a year makes, right? One night instead of three. Three-plus hours, not 10 or more, of mostly civil discourse. Virtually all articles and amendments passed handily, including Article 29, leading to June’s Prop 2 1/2 override vote (more on that later). All that plus another impressive turnout, along with an end — perhaps — to Marblehead’s noncompliance with the MBTA Communities Act. Voters have approved new zoning districts that allow for, but do not guarantee, construction of multifamily housing along Broughton Road…

The winter holidays may be known as the “most wonderful time of the year” (thank you, Andy Williams), but for local news outlets, Town Meeting and election season is perhaps the most important stretch on the calendar. It is a time when voters are demanding reliable information to help them make informed decisions. But thanks to social media and individual agendas (some more benign than others), it can be hard to separate the news from the noise. Town meeting has been called the “purest form…

Consider two Marblehead residents walking into Town Meeting. One has spent the past several months following a local elected official's detailed dispatches in a private Facebook group — long, passionate posts about the budget, the proposed override, increased fees and what's going on behind the scenes. The other doesn't use Facebook and has no idea those posts exist. Both residents will cast votes that impact the town. One of them recognizes some of the names, has followed some of the arguments and thinks they know…

On Thursday, April 9, newsrooms and communities across the country will mark Local News Day — a national day of action celebrating the trusted local news and information that helps communities stay informed and connected. Local News Day is built around a simple idea: Start Local. At a time when national headlines dominate our feeds, it’s easy to overlook the news taking place outside our doors. But the most important news is close to home: the decisions affecting local schools, the businesses opening downtown, the…

After 15 years of leading MHTV, Executive Director Joan Goloboy has retired, and we are taking this moment to both recognize and thank Joan for her many contributions to local access public television in Marblehead. Cable television came to town in the mid-’80s, with Continental Cablevision being the first of many cable companies to provide such service to homeowners looking to abandon their roof-top antennae. From the beginning — as part of their franchise licenses with the town — cable companies have dedicated at least…

Why are the core principles embedded in two of our country’s foundational documents — the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution — up for discussion at this year’s Town Meeting? And how does Marblehead’s historic role in fighting for these inalienable rights figure in how the town might vote, considering our current political climate? We don’t know how Article 40 will fare. But its timeliness should resonate with most if not all voters, however symbolic its likely passage would be in terms of town governance.…