Current Editorials

Marblehead faces an acute housing affordability crisis. With over 77% of homes being single-family units, the town desperately needs more diverse and affordable options. Of Marblehead's 8,135 total households, 2,404 or 29% are considered low-income. Yet just 333 units, a mere 4% of all housing — qualify as affordable under state law. That's well short of  the 10% mandate. Two-thirds of those low-income households are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing. Monthly rents approach $2,000, even for a modest one-bedroom apartment. To afford such high rents, one needs an income of $76,000. These costs are pricing out seniors, young adults and working families vital to Marblehead's future. Responding to similar housing shortages statewide, Massachusetts passed a la...

What’s the “spirit of Marblehead”? The answer that immediately jumps to mind is the iconic Archibald Willard painting that hangs in the Select Board’s meeting room at Abbot Hall. "The Spirit of '76" was exhibited at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia and toured several major cities before Gen. John H. Devereux purchased it and brought it “home.” It was hung in Abbot Hall in 1880 by the artist and Devereux’s son, Henry, who had also served as the model for the young drummer on the left side of the painting. But in recent days, we have been reminded that the spirit of Marblehead has other facets, too. The spirit of Marblehead is resilient, as Thomas Smith demonstrated on Saturday. Smith overcame two hockey injuries and a subsequent car accident that left him paralyze...

It is time for the town to fish or cut bait in the case of Officer Christopher Gallo. The veteran police officer has been on administrative leave but collecting a town paycheck since June of 2021. Since that date, Marblehead taxpayers have been footing the bill to the tune of almost $220,000. Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer conducted a fact-finding hearing in May at which Police Chief Dennis King recommended that Gallo be fired for conduct unbecoming an officer and dereliction of duty. The charges stem from 2021 after an anonymous whistleblower provided photos of Gallo’s cruiser parked outside his home when he was supposed to be on patrol. Allegedly, he spent more than 100 hours at home while on duty during a four-month period. There were also allegations stemming from an inci...

“You live in Marblehead? You’re so lucky.” How often have we heard those sentiments from folks who live someplace else? More times than we care to count, probably. Those numbers rise noticeably in summertime, the sweet spot between Memorial Day and Labor Day when our picturesque seaside town shakes off winter’s chill, hoists its sails, slathers on the sunscreen and embraces the lobster-and-corn season with open arms (plus a side of melted butter). Each of us no doubt has a favorite ritual or two when schools let out and “vacation” turns from noun to verb. A setting or leisure pursuit we relish as these languid, lengthy days slip by — always too quickly, never lengthy enough — and the calendar tips toward autumn. For much of this summer, locals have been caught up in two fraugh...

Let’s start at the beginning. Does the Marblehead School Committee have a right to end the tenure of our town’s school superintendent, John Buckey, two years early? Yes, when a previous board voted in July 2021 to extend what initially had been a three-year contract until 2025, it negotiated the right to terminate the contract by giving Buckey 100 days’ notice and a payment of $94,350. But — as a matter of good governance rather than legality — should the board exercise that right without engaging the community in a conversation as to whether that is the right decision, all things — including the cost to the town — considered? That’s where the board loses us. Yes, the state’s open meeting law, G.L.c. 30A, §21, allows a board like the School Committee to go behind closed doors for...