Beacon Hill

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…
Read More
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.…
Read More
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…
Read More
Marblehead officials praise launch of statewide coastal resilience program
06 Dec

Marblehead officials praise launch of statewide coastal resilience program

Will Dowd0 CommentsBeacon Hill, Environment, Local News, Municipal Matters, Top Stories
Local officials are praising the launch of a statewide coastal resilience program focused on safeguarding seaside communities like Marblehead from the escalating threats of climate-fueled flooding and erosion. A winter storm in December 2022 batters Marblehead’s Front Street buildings. COURTESY PHOTO / BRUCE DURKEE Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll announced ResilientCoasts, which will establish regional coastal resilience districts based on climate vulnerabilities to develop strategies and solutions tailored to those areas. A chief coastal resilience officer will lead the coastal resilience efforts…
Read More
Marbleheaders weigh in on daylight saving time
08 Nov

Marbleheaders weigh in on daylight saving time

Will Dowd0 CommentsBeacon Hill, Local News, Top Stories, Uncategorized
Marblehead residents have mixed feelings about whether the biannual ritual of switching the clocks forward and back should continue. Senate Sergeant at Arms Charles Higgins turnsforward a clock for the first daylight saving timeat the U.S. Capitol in 1918. COURTESY PHOTO/ HARRIS & EWING COLLECTION “I hate it. I know everyone I know hates it,” said Marblehead resident Merilee Wolfson. “Every year [lawmakers] want to do something — and they never follow through with it. Let’s just get rid of it.” State Rep. Jenny Armini,…
Read More
Locals speak out on gun reform push after latest mass shooting
01 Nov

Locals speak out on gun reform push after latest mass shooting

Will Dowd0 CommentsBeacon Hill, Health, Local News, Public safety, Top Stories
The mass shooting that left 18 people dead and 13 injured in Maine reignited calls for gun reforms across the nation — including in Massachusetts. The shooting in Lewiston was the deadliest in Maine's history. Police say an Army reservist opened fire inside a bowling alley and a bar last week and then took his own life. His body was found after a two-day manhunt. Ghost guns and ghost gun parts are displayed on a table in Attorney General Andrea Campbell's office at a press…
Read More
Marblehead lawmakers talk local benefits tucked into $1B tax package
18 Oct

Marblehead lawmakers talk local benefits tucked into $1B tax package

Will Dowd0 CommentsBeacon Hill, Local News, Municipal Matters, Politics, Top Stories, Uncategorized
Massachusetts lawmakers recently enacted a $1 billion tax relief package that includes benefits for Marblehead residents, earning praise from state Rep. Jenny Armini and Sen. Brendan Crighton. The relief targets families, renters, seniors and businesses with changes to credits, deductions and tax rates. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll snaps a selfie Wednesday, Oct. 4, with Gov. Maura Healey, after Healey signed a $1 billion tax relief law in the frame. Healey signed the bill into law at a packed ceremony at the State House. COURTESY PHOTO…
Read More
Rep. Armini, Zisson advocate for three-year Select Board terms
27 Sep

Rep. Armini, Zisson advocate for three-year Select Board terms

Will Dowd0 CommentsBeacon Hill, Local News, Municipal Matters, Politics, Top Stories
State Rep. Jenny Armini told colleagues on Beacon Hill that the time has come for Marblehead to transition to three-year terms for its Select Board. At a Sept. 26 hearing, she emphasized that the constant campaigning required by one-year terms is detrimental. State Rep. Jenny Armini spoke in support of three-year Marblehead Select Board terms on Tuesday, Sept. 26. COURTESY PHOTO Town Meeting last May approved the change, but it needs to be approved by the Legislature to take effect. Testifying before the Legislature's Joint…
Read More
State law requires town to identify a total of 27 acres of denser zoning
19 Sep

State law requires town to identify a total of 27 acres of denser zoning

Will Dowd1 CommentBeacon Hill, Local News, Municipal Matters, Politics, Top Stories, Travel
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to remove references to outdated information about how close to bus stops multi-family housing must be located under the new state law. Final guidelines released by the Executive Office of Housing & Economic Development on Aug. 10, 2022, allow communities like Marblehead with fewer than 100 developable acres within a half-mile of a bus station to choose any appropriate location for the revised zoning. The Marblehead Planning Board is exploring ways to comply with a state law that…
Read More
PLUGGING IN: How is Marblehead preparing its power grid for the electric-vehicle boom?
30 Aug

PLUGGING IN: How is Marblehead preparing its power grid for the electric-vehicle boom?

Will Dowd1 CommentBeacon Hill, Environment, Local News, Municipal Matters, Top Stories, Travel, Uncategorized
As electric vehicles (EVs) gain traction in Marblehead, the town's officials are taking proactive measures to ensure the local power grid can accommodate the growing demand. Across Massachusetts, communities face a state mandate to cut carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. Widespread EV adoption is a key strategy, aiming for at least 900,000 electric cars on state roadways by 2030. ‘10 years is really tomorrow’ "EVs are coming. How quickly are they going to come? That is the question," said Jean Jacques Yarmoff, a Marblehead…
Read More