Columns - Marblehead Current

15 May

CUZNER IN NATURE: Spring is bursting

Rick CuznerAnimals, Columns, Environment, Top Stories

Spring is an excellent time to check out the local ponds and wetland habitats for all sorts of creatures. We have many different types of herons, turtles and frogs, in addition to the large variety of bird species. I was lucky enough to watch this green heron picking up a snack.

13 May

MONEY MATTERS: Preparing graduates for financial independence

Emily PromiseBusiness, Columns, Opinion

Graduation season is fully upon us. Whether your child is graduating from high school or college, it marks the beginning of a new chapter filled with independence, responsibility and important financial decisions. While every family’s situation is different, this transition presents an opportunity to help your child build habits that can positively shape their future for decades to come. Here are a few practical tips to help set graduates up for success. For high school graduates heading to college Marblehead's Emily Promise is founder and…

13 May

COLUMN: Why waiting feels harder than it used to

Margaret BaconColumns, Opinion

Waiting used to be part of life. Now it feels like a glitch. There was a time when waiting was simply built in. You waited for letters. You waited for harvests. You waited for news. If someone was late, you assumed weather or traffic, not a character flaw. Waiting was not an interruption. It was normal. A spinning wheel on a screen can raise the pulse. A delayed text can feel like a verdict on your character. A package that arrives in three days instead…

12 May

COLUMN: A bee-utiful conservation area

Elaine LeahyColumns, Education, Environment, Opinion

Do bumblebees have a “voice” that only a mother could love? No, it turns out that certain plants, such as the tomato and blueberry, also favor the bee’s buzz. Sometimes compared to a middle-C note, the buzzing sound is produced by the rapid movement of the bee’s wings.“The bees are literally singing to the flowers,” said Nick Dorian, Ph.D., at the Marblehead Conservancy’s annual membership meeting on April 29. This process, called buzz pollination, shakes loose pollen that would otherwise stay trapped, essentially rewarding the…

06 May

FOOD 101: Grilled cheese: The comfort food we all need right now

Linda BassettColumns, Food, Linda Bassett, Opinion

Was there ever a childhood comfort food to compare to a grilled cheese sandwich? Mom made it in a skillet or a grill press. At the diner or luncheonette, a cook slapped it on a well-greased grill top. Mom’s homemade sandwich was simple: two slices of American cheese — preferably orange — tucked between two slices of spongy grocery store bread. Gobs of butter heated and swirled in the skillet served to warm and melt the cheese and brown the bread. When cut, warm gooey…

06 May

DOC IN A BOX: Free websites so useful you’ll wonder how they’re free (Save this page)

Stephen BachColumns, Opinion, Stephen Bach

Every once in a while, I come across a website that just makes me stop and wonder — how can this actually be free? I’m not talking about the kind of “free” that comes with strings attached: no five-step registration, no sneaky ads, no “give us your social security number.” I mean sites that are genuinely useful, no nonsense and don’t make you jump through hoops. I’ve been working on computers and dealing with tech headaches right here in Marblehead for over 20 years now.…

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

COLUMN: Likes don’t shape a town, votes do

Margaret BaconColumns, Opinion, Town Meeting

In a world where it is easy to give a quick thumbs-up or thumbs-down online, Town Meeting asks something more of us. A click registers a reaction. A vote helps shape the schools, streets, services and taxes that affect daily life. Democracy is not something that happens only in Washington. Here in Marblehead, it happens in our high school field house, where neighbors gather to decide what kind of town they want to live in. That is no small thing. Marblehead has more than 16,500…

24 Apr

EVERYTHING WILL BE OK: Hope is a verb

Virginia BuckinghamColumns, Opinion, Virginia Buckingham

Like Virginia O’Hanlon’s (of “Yes, Virginia” fame) father once said of the New York Sun, if Merriam-Webster or Oxford says something is true then it is. And the estimable online dictionaries state unequivocally that the word “hope” is not just a noun (n- desire accompanied by expectation of obtaining what is desired or belief that it is obtainable) but indeed a verb, albeit a transitive one (v- to express desire for a specific outcome). Yes, I cherry-picked the definitions that most aligned with the purpose…

19 Apr

GUEST COLUMN: What to expect at Town Meeting

Jack AttridgeColumns, Opinion, Top Stories

Marblehead’s annual Town Meeting begins Monday, May 4, in the Marblehead high school fieldhouse promptly at 7 p.m. Town Meeting serves as the legislative body of our town government where Marblehead registered voters come together to debate and vote on the annual budget, local bylaws, major expenditures and other business which is included in the warrant. It is a privilege to be Marblehead's town moderator and an honor to oversee the important business of the town. In preparation for Town Meeting, I immerse myself in…