Columns - Marblehead Current

22 Nov

EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY: Get thee to a fire pit

Will Dowd0 CommentsColumns, Opinion, Virginia Buckingham

Lest I be accused of being obsessed with fire, let me share that one of us eight Buckingham siblings once played with matches and lit a neighbor’s yard on fire and subsequently ran away from home. That sibling was not me! But if not obsessed, I am indeed, let’s call it, enthralled. Last year around this time I wrote a column about embracing the onset of early darkness. Wearing it like a cozy blanket. My theory was that if my attitude was one of welcoming…

22 Nov

ASK LIZZIE: Making trips to the pediatrician a little less stressful

Leigh Blander0 CommentsColumns, Parenting

Dear Lizzie, I'm often at the pediatrician's with my kids, and the waiting room has become a test of patience. Can you suggest ways to make the wait less tedious? Dear reader, With the arrival of the cooler months, many of us are spending a lot of time in the pediatrician's waiting room. While this can be a challenging space for keeping little ones contained and entertained, I've gathered some tips to help make your visits less daunting. Involve your kids in preparing for the…

22 Nov

FROM THE VAULT: Scandal at the Lee Mansion

Will Dowd0 CommentsColumns, Local History, Top Stories

From 1804 until 1904, Marblehead National Bank (no relation to today's Marblehead Bank) owned the Jeremiah Lee Mansion and operated from inside the room that once served as the Lee family's formal parlor. The head cashier of the bank and his family lived in the east side of the building. The bank was a respected business in town. In the fall of 1903, scandal erupted in town. For a week, word spread in the local newspapers and among residents that Marblehead National Bank's head cashier,…

17 Nov

‘THE WATCHDOG IS AWAKENING’

Leigh Blander0 CommentsColumns, Local News, Nonprofit corner, Top Stories, Viewpoints

Nonprofit news has made it possible for millions of people to once again have the information they need to make informed decisions, a return to the journalism that holds power to account. For many of us, nonprofit journalism is the antidote for our collective malaise. For two decades now, we’ve looked on in disbelief, and often averted our eyes, as the vigorous journalism we had been accustomed to withered away. Walter V. Robinson, Boston Gloe editor at large Over the last several years, this existential…

16 Nov

MARBLEHEAD CARES: Shower the people you love with love (and those you don’t)

Will Dowd0 CommentsColumns, Health, Opinion, Viewpoints

Lots of things come to mind when we think about Thanksgiving. We might think about turkey, stuffing, turkeys crossing Pleasant Street, football, turkey trots, powder puff football, pumpkin pie or family gatherings. Traditionally, Thanksgiving invites each of us to consider the things we feel grateful for in our lives. As our world feels so rife with struggle, violence and painful conflict, it can be a welcome pause to reflect instead on gratitude. As a concept, it seems easy enough to think about, but as an…

15 Nov

EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY: It’s okay to look away sometimes

Will Dowd0 CommentsColumns, Opinion, Virginia Buckingham

Initially, I planned to entitle this column “Don’t look away.” The topic is the toll of consuming news during these painful times in the country and the world. And the importance of staying informed, and bearing witness. I still believe those things are important. I also have come to understand that taking a break from doing so preserves our energy to engage at all. I’m a daily newspaper reader and have noted in the past that Twitter (or that platform now known as X)…

15 Nov

MARBLEHEAD CHRONICLES: Letters in the Select Board’s room

Will Dowd0 CommentsColumns, Local History, Marblehead Chronicles

The fact that they still exist and can be seen by anyone who visits Abbot Hall is due to the care and diligence of the Marblehead Historical Commission, with many volunteers who work on cataloging and maintaining the archives. The general history of the American Revolution, and the colonists' commitment to founding a new nation is certainly well known. But how do we know it? Histories have been written and stories have been told. These accounts are based on and supported by primary documents. That…

15 Nov

FOOD 101: French chicken or rabbit

Will Dowd0 CommentsColumns, Life Style

Even for those of us who seem born to it, there are times when cooking is just plain too much. In the rare instances I feel this way, it hits hard. I seem physically unable to open the refrigerator, call for takeout, pop something in the microwave. I don’t even feel like going to a restaurant. That’s where I’ve been for the last week or so. It’s all because I’ve recently acquired a granite kitchen. This has always been a dream. And now, the shock!…

15 Nov

OUR OPEN SPACES: Finding our way

Will Dowd0 CommentsColumns, Culture, Environment, Local News, Uncategorized

It’s tough to get lost in many of Marblehead’s loveliest conservation areas. Ware Pond, for instance, a wetland and woodland gem of 8.8 acres, has just a couple of trails and borders two roads and the railroad path. But some of the larger areas, especially when the foliage is full, can confuse those of us without a strong inner compass. Fortunately, help is close at hand. The map box at the lower entrance to Forest River from Lafayette Street across from Carna Road. Take a…

08 Nov

DOC IN A BOX: Tips to maximize computer skills

Will Dowd0 CommentsColumns

Here are 10 ways to better learn how to use your computer, for newbies and pros alike. The Digital Docs believe that most of us are only using a fraction of what today's computers can do for us. If you want to learn how to make this powerful tool really work for you, read on. 1. Take a computer class. Many community colleges and adult education centers offer affordable computer classes. These classes can teach you the basics of using a computer, such as how…