Health - Marblehead Current

08 Jun

Old trash barrels pile up as town prepares for automated collection

Leigh BlanderHealth, Municipal Matters, Top Stories

As Marblehead prepares to transition to a new trash and recycling contract July 1 featuring automated collection, residents are searching for ways to dispose of — or repurpose — their old trash and recycling barrels, which will no longer be compatible with the new system. Over the past several weeks, the town has delivered 16,000 new trash and recycling carts to homes and businesses. Discarded trash and recycling barrels are already piling up at the Transfer Station. COURTESY PHOTO Residents with Transfer Station access stickers…

01 Jun

Preschoolers plant garden to feed families in need

Grey CollinsCommunity Resources, Community Service, Education, Environment, Health, Nonprofit corner, Religion, Top Stories

On Wednesday morning, May 20, the raised gardens on Community Road were buzzing with activity, as preschool students spent the morning digging in the earth, planting vegetables and learning about gardening from their teachers. Soon, the fruits (and vegetables) of their labor will be delivered to the Marblehead Food Pantry by the Manna Project to provide those struggling with food insecurity with fresh produce. JCC preschoolers plant vegetables and fruits, which will be harvested for the Marblehead Food Pantry. It's part of the Manna Project.…

29 May

Marblehead Senior Project showcase reveals talents, interests of Class of 2026

Leigh BlanderArt, Business, Culture, Education, Entertainment, Fashion, Health, Marblehead Public Schools, Top Stories

Marblehead High School seniors shared everything from dog-training techniques to motorcycle repair, kayak building and social media marketing during the school’s annual Senior Project Gallery Walk on Friday, May 29, where nearly 170 students presented months of independent work to parents, teachers, School Committee members and Superintendent John Robidoux. Held inside the high school field house, the event highlighted the wide range of interests pursued by the Class of 2026 through internships, creative projects, research and hands-on learning experiences. For senior Callie Curtis, the project…

27 May

Marblehead to roll out 16,000 new trash, recycling carts next week ahead of automated pickup

Leigh BlanderHealth, Top Stories

Sixteen thousand new trash and recycling carts will begin arriving at homes and businesses across Marblehead next week as the town transitions to an automated collection system. “Trash and recycling will only be collected from town-issued barrels/carts beginning July 1,” Health Director Andrew Petty wrote in an email to the Current. “Items outside of barrels will not be collected. A copy of the curbside collection regulations are posted online and a copy will be delivered to you with your new barrels along with other directions…

19 May

LETTER: Why I support Dr. Julie Selbst for Board of Health

Submitted ContentHealth, LETTERS, Opinion

To the editor: I am writing to express my strong support for Julie Selbst for Marblehead Board of Health in the upcoming election on June 9. Julie and I have gotten to know each other through our work on the Temple Emanu-El Board of Trustees and I couldn’t be more excited about the prospects of having her as a member on the BOH. Through our work together, I have seen her solicit feedback from congregants and other board members and then thoughtfully work to actively…

18 May

LETTER: Vote for my colleague Dr. Julie Selbst

Submitted ContentHealth, LETTERS, Opinion

To the editor: I am writing to express my strong support for Julie Selbst for Marblehead Board of Health on June 9. Julie Selbst has practiced medicine as an anesthesiologist in our town for over 10 years and in Massachusetts for over 25 years. She also has a law degree and practiced law before becoming a physician. She is the best choice for our community because she has the right combination of knowledge and experience for the Board of Health. I practiced medicine side-by-side with…

12 May

New trends in therapy: From virtual to ChatGPT and prescriptions by mail

Pamela Wheaton ShorrHealth, Local News

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, but if you think you know what therapy looks like today, you might be in for a surprise. Forget Sigmund Freud, a box of tissues and a couch. Mental health care has gotten a refresh. Mental Health ‘2.0’ Until the 1960s, most therapists were men, but in the 1980s, according to the American Psychological Association, women outnumbered men earning PhDs in psychology. Today, about eight out of 10therapists and mental health counselors in the U.S. are female. The couch…

28 Apr

FinCom recommends passing override questions at Town Meeting, sending them to June ballot

Leigh BlanderEducation, Health, Marblehead Public Schools, Municipal Matters, Public safety, Top Stories

The Finance Committee voted Monday night to recommend passage of Article 29 at Town Meeting, which authorizes the Select Board to place a three-year, three-tier ($9 million, $12 million and $15 million) override on the June 9 ballot. The FinCom recommended appropriating up to $4.3 million of the override for fiscal 2027, which is the amount laid out in Tier 3. The FinCom declined to endorse a specific tier, although Chair Alec Goolsby shared his support for Tier One at minimum. “I'm not afraid to…

27 Apr

Board of Health advances curbside trash plan, sets fees

Akanksha GoyalHealth, Top Stories

The Board of Health on Monday approved new curbside trash and recycling regulations and a fee structure that could take effect July 1 if a proposed tax override fails. The Board of Health Monday night approved and set new trash fees that will take effect July 1, unless a $2.3 million override is passed in June. The board’s actions come as the town weighs two funding paths for curbside collection: a Proposition 2 1⁄2 override to be decided at Town Meeting and at the ballot…

22 Apr

A life-saving mission on Marblehead’s pickleball courts

Julie FlynnHealth, Sports, Top Stories

Several years ago, a man collapsed without warning at a local Marblehead club, his life hanging in the balance until a group of retired nurses rushed in with an automated external defibrillator (AED) and brought him back. Now, members of the Marblehead Pickleball Board want to make sure players have access to life-saving equipment when it matters most. It has donated an AED placed at the Seaside Park courts. Since its start in 2018 and its transition to a nonprofit in 2024, Marblehead Pickleball has…