Submitted Content - Marblehead Current

29 Apr

LETTER: Sure, things change; but we need to fund our town

Submitted ContentLETTERS, Municipal Matters, Opinion

To the editor: Enough with not funding our town. And please don’t start complaining about how “things have changed.” Sure, if you’ve been around long enough things DO change! Need gas? Can’t count on Phil’s Mobil anymore. (Not that Phil would EVER charge us over $4 for gas.) Need a newspaper? Oh…Howard’s is gone. Asprin? No going to Eaton’s. What hasn’t changed is our beautiful harbor and the proud history of this town that we hold so dear. And the community of people we live…

29 Apr

LETTER: Our town is being rattled to its core; support the override

Submitted ContentLETTERS, Opinion, Town Meeting

To the editor: Both my husband and I grew up here and chose to raise our family here. Anyone who is drawn here can see why: A beach is within a half-a-mile of anywhere you go; the sense of community runs deep; a small town feel with relative accessibility to a large city — what's not to love? And because of these things, Marblehead will always be special. However, it’s the not-so-visible or obvious things that are rattling our town to its core, ones that…

29 Apr

A message from School Committee members regarding budget cuts, overrides

Submitted ContentLocal News

This is an excerpt from the School Committee’s latest newsletter to the community. This section relates to the upcoming budget and override votes. On April 9, the School Committee voted unanimously to approve a $47.6 million operating budget for fiscal year 2027. This is the budget we will bring to annual Town Meeting on May 4 for final approval by residents. Reaching that number required $3.1 million in total reductions from the cost of maintaining current services. $47.6MFY27 approved budget.$3.1MTotal reductions fromlevel-services cost18.25FTE positions eliminated…

28 Apr

SUSTAINABLE MARBLEHEAD: Energy questions? We’ve got answers

Submitted ContentColumns, Community Resources, Education, Environment, Local News

As we face more and more geopolitical uncertainties leading to rising energy costs, most of us have seen our utility bills increase. In addition to being anxious about affordability, many of us are worried about climate change and how that could impact us and future generations in our coastal community. It might be time to make some strategic changes in our home equipment and appliances to stabilize our monthly utility bills, while also helping mitigate the potential effects of rising global temperatures. To help Marbleheaders…

28 Apr

LETTER: The override, our neighbors and the relief they may not know exists

Submitted ContentLETTERS, Opinion

To the editor: People, schools, safety, services, amenities, people. These are the ingredients of a thriving town, and it starts and ends with people. I would like to vote for the highest tier of tax increase to get our town back on track financially, for the reasons carefully explained in recent months in these pages. However, I would also like to know that we have a full understanding of the impact these taxes will have on our fixed income neighbors and other vulnerable residents of…

27 Apr

LETTER: Let’s vote on budget, override early

Submitted ContentLETTERS, Opinion, Town Meeting

At Town Meeting (which begins this coming Monday night, May 4, at 7 p.m. in the Marblehead High School field house), voters will decide whether to send a general override question to a town-wide ballot in June. Given the severe cuts our schools, town services and infrastructure are facing, this is one of the most consequential decisions Marblehead has faced in many years. The budget and override articles fall later on in the warrant (Articles 23 & 29) and likely won't come up on their…

27 Apr

LETTER: What does MMLD have against electric vehicles?

Submitted ContentLETTERS, Opinion

To the editor: I own a plug-in hybrid electric car. I love it. This type of car is especially appropriate for a place like our town with many short trips. Thankfully, I can charge the car at home. Last month, I bought 1.6 gallons of gas for it. Until recently, the Marblehead Municipal Light Department’s public use charging stations simply charged what the power would cost from an outlet in your house. The charging stations down the street from where I live seemed to be…

27 Apr

LETTER: Newly discovered perk at Abbot Library

Submitted ContentLETTERS, Opinion

To the editor: Just another way the Abbott Library serves the community. We just discovered Kanopy, an app that streams movies and TV shows and the only requirement for access being an Abbot library card!Better still, unlike, say Netflix, that sometimes seems as bottomless and barren as the Mariana trench, all the content there is curated by librarians.Less is always more. We just watched two award-winning shorts, “The Phone Call” and “Chuchotage” that were moving and funny in equal measure.In the normal course of things,…

27 Apr

LETTER: ‘Einstein insists’ on the library

Submitted ContentLETTERS, Opinion

To the editor: I write today in earnest in support of our town’s library. I realize we are currently facing budget struggles, but that is often the case as any parent or “head of household” will tell you. However, we have a responsibility to keep our library (fully) open to offer the materials needed for early and lifelong learning. In the words of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, “Free libraries are the cradle of democracy.” Honestly, there is no doubt in my mind as to the…

27 Apr

LETTER: Grassroots democracy

Submitted ContentLETTERS, Opinion

To the editor: I encourage everyone to participate in grassroots democracy right here at our upcoming Town Meeting on May 4 at 7 p.m. at the high school. Democracy works from the ground up, that is, from each one of us engaging in the decisions that form the structure of our communities and our country. And I ask Town Meeting attendees to vote "yes" on town warrant Article 40, an affirmation of the town's commitment to this country's founding principles and documents such as the…