Beacon Hill

At State House, Marblehead woman shares story of sexual abuse by doctor
16 Apr

At State House, Marblehead woman shares story of sexual abuse by doctor

Leigh BlanderBeacon Hill, Health, Top Stories
Rory McCarthy says her life changed forever when a prominent Boston doctor sexually abused her during a medical exam. “I am a survivor of sexual violence within the Massachusetts medical system. This experience has completely derailed my life and my identity,” McCarthy testified at a State House briefing on April 9. McCarthy, 31, is one of more than 200 people who say Brigham and Women’s Dr. Derrick Todd sexually abused them. Todd has been arrested and charged with rape. There is also a civil case…
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ELECTION 2024: Local educators, student weigh in on MCAS ballot question
16 Oct

ELECTION 2024: Local educators, student weigh in on MCAS ballot question

Leigh BlanderBeacon Hill, Education, Local News
COURTESY PHOTO / CHASE YAWS This is the latest in a series of articles examining the five ballot questions facing voters on Nov. 5. Marblehead High School senior Jared Kaplowitch will cast his first votes on Nov. 5. And he’s looking forward to voting “yes” on Question 2 to eliminate the MCAS graduation requirement. “I’m all for getting rid of MCAS,” said Kaplowitch, who is MHS senior class president. “It’s not a good measure,” he added. “It doesn’t tell you anything about how good a…
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Select Board members will reluctantly back MBTA zoning
29 Apr

Select Board members will reluctantly back MBTA zoning

Will Dowd0 CommentsBeacon Hill, Local News, Municipal Matters, Top Stories, Town Meeting, Uncategorized
This article is part of a series looking at key warrant articles leading up to the Town Meeting on May 6. Check out the Current's 2024 Town Meeting Guide HERE. The Select Board engaged in a lengthy discussion about the controversial MBTA Communities Act and its mandated multifamily zoning, which Town Meeting voters will accept or reject on Monday. The Select Board engaged in lengthy discussions on April 24 regarding proposed zoning changes to comply with the state's MBTA Communities Act, which mandates allowing higher-density,…
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Petition opposing MBTA zoning proposal surfaces
28 Mar

Petition opposing MBTA zoning proposal surfaces

Will Dowd0 CommentsBeacon Hill, Local News, Municipal Matters, Politics, real estate, Top Stories, Town Meeting, Uncategorized
EDITOR'S NOTE: In the article "Petition opposing MBTA zoning proposal surfaces," there were two inaccuracies regarding the proposed overlay district in Marblehead. First, the correct maximum building height is 35 feet, even for multi-family buildings. Second, the correct minimum lot area per dwelling unit in the three proposed districts (Broughton Rd, Pleasant Street, and Tioga Way) would range from 2,200 to 2,500 square feet. The Marblehead Current regrets the error. A Marblehead man has initiated an online effort to challenge the town’s proposal related to…
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Gov. Healey signs law, changing Select Board terms to three years, effective immediately
15 Mar

Gov. Healey signs law, changing Select Board terms to three years, effective immediately

Will Dowd0 CommentsBeacon Hill, Local History, Local News, Municipal Matters, Top Stories, Town Meeting
On March 14, Gov. Maura Healey signed legislation extending the terms of Marblehead Select Board members from one year to three years. The home-rule petition, which was the result of a positive vote at 2023 Town Meeting, will take effect immediately, increasing the importance of the upcoming June 11 town election. State Rep. Jenny Armini and Sen. Brendan Crighton expedited the home-rule petition through both chambers of the state legislature over the past year before it reached Gov. Healey's desk for approval. The decision to…
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Tuesday’s primary election: How and where to vote
01 Mar

Tuesday’s primary election: How and where to vote

Will Dowd0 CommentsBeacon Hill, Local News, Municipal Matters, Politics, Top Stories
Tuesday, March 5, is primary election day in Marblehead and across the state. Voters must cast ballots at their designated polling precinct. Voters can find their precinct via the Massachusetts Election Division’s website: bit.ly/49qoGcA. Polls will open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at three locations around town: — Precinct 1: Old Town House, One Market Square— Precincts 2 & 3: Abbot Hall Auditorium, 188 Washington St.— Precincts 4, 5 & 6: Judy & Gene Jacobi Community Center, 10 Humphrey St. Voters will have one…
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Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll swears in town administrator as newest SSU trustee
01 Feb

Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll swears in town administrator as newest SSU trustee

Will Dowd0 CommentsBeacon Hill, Education, Local News, Municipal Matters, Uncategorized
Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer was recently appointed to serve a five-year term on the Salem State University Board of Trustees. Town officials and family members recently celebrated the swearing in of Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer as a trustee of Salem State University at the Hawthorne Hotel. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, former mayor of Salem and pictured in red, administered the oath. Courtesy photo / Thatcher Kezer. "I want to congratulate you, Thatcher," said Select Board member Bret Muarry during the Select Board's Jan. 24 meeting.…
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IN MEMORIAM: Ann Maguire, LGBTQ activist and political strategist, dies at 80
10 Jan

IN MEMORIAM: Ann Maguire, LGBTQ activist and political strategist, dies at 80

Will Dowd0 CommentsBeacon Hill, Culture, Local News, Obituaries, Politics, Top Stories
Marblehead resident Ann Maguire, an LGBTQ activist, breast cancer research advocate, political strategist and mentor who made a difference in countless lives, died Dec. 29. She was 80. "I often talk about the debt we owe to the trailblazers who paved the way for all of us in the LGBTQ+ community today," wrote Gov. Maura Healey on X. "When I think about those trailblazers, Ann Maguire is one of the first who comes to mind." Ann Maguire with Gov. Maura Healey, whom the Marblehead resident…
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BEACON HILL: Marblehead’s state lawmakers talk 2024 priorities
04 Jan

BEACON HILL: Marblehead’s state lawmakers talk 2024 priorities

Will Dowd0 CommentsBeacon Hill, Local News, Municipal Matters, Politics, Top Stories
With major policy proposals already queued up, Marblehead’s two lawmakers on Beacon Hill plan to hit the ground running in 2024. Rep. Jenny Armini, D-Marblehead, and Sen. Brendan Crighton, D-Lynn, aim to expand and improve public transportation options for their districts. Armini plans to continue pushing a bill she co-sponsored last session to electrify the Newburyport/Rockport commuter rail line, prioritizing the stops in environmental justice communities like Lynn and Salem. State Rep. Jenny Armini spoke in support of three-year Marblehead Select Board terms on Sept.…
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Marblehead judge moving from state’s top court to UMass general counsel
06 Dec

Marblehead judge moving from state’s top court to UMass general counsel

Will Dowd0 CommentsBeacon Hill, Local News, Politics, Top Stories
After more than seven years of handing down rulings on Massachusetts' highest court, Supreme Judicial Court Justice David Lowy of Marblehead is handing in his black robe for the head general counsel post for the University of Massachusetts system. On Nov. 18, 2016, then-Gov. Charlie Baker swore in Justice David Lowy of Marblehead to a seat on Massachusetts’ highest court before other state officials in the chamber of the  House of Representatives. COURTESY PHOTO “This opportunity came up, and it’s just too awesome a job…
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