Local News

The Marblehead Housing Authority Board of Commissioners met June 25 and postponed a vote on whether to designate WinnDevelopment as a partner in a $67 million project at the Broughton Road public housing community. The MHA sent several questions to WinnDevelopment about its proposal earlier this month and is still waiting to hear back. “So far, they’ve been incredibly responsive,” said MHA Executive Director Kathy Hoog about WinnDevelopment. “They’ve provided us with a great deal of detail. I don’t have any reason at this point to be concerned.” A conceptual drawing of the Broughton Road redevelopment, proposed by WinnDevelopment According to MHA Board Chair Jenn Schaeffner, Hoog and a consultant will make a recommendation on whether to partner with WinnDevelopment at the Board’s...

The second annual road race being held as part of the Marblehead Festival of Arts figures to be twice as much fun as the first — at least for runners who like a challenge. New this year, there will be a 10K race that will take runners from the starting line near the post office on Smith Street down over the causeway for a loop around the Neck. Both the 5K race and 10K race will have a new finish line at Marblehead High School. Prizes will be awarded to the top three finishers in each age division (0-13, 14-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79 and 80+), and the top three teams will also receive awards. Everyone who crosses the finish line will receive a custom commemorative finisher’s medal. In last year’s inaugural race, the top male finisher was Scott Snyder of Ma...

The Finance Committee started the budgeting process last week, about six months earlier than usual. It met on June 17 to talk about Fiscal Year 2026 financial planning.  The Finance Committee has commenced early budgeting discussions for FY 2026 to get a better picture of municipal finances. COURTESY PHOTO / MASSACHUSETTS MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION  "We all know that there's a lot of work ahead of us in this fiscal year," said FinCom Chair Alec Goolsby. "We'd like to hold these meetings once a month, this summer, to check in on how things are going and provide advice effectively." Goolsby said the early start is largely driven by the need for a more comprehensive, long-term strategy for municipal finances. One of the key focus areas for the committee will be personnel costs, ...

The Marblehead Counseling Center hosted its inaugural Community Wellness Day at Hobbs Playground on Saturday, June 22. Milo Doucette rides a pony at Hobbs Playground during the MCC Community Wellness Day. CURRENT PHOTOS / LIA GORBACH The event was the first of a series of four events to commemorate MCC’s 55th year providing mental health services to the community. “We’re using this to give back to the community for all of its support over the years,” Counseling Center Vice President Ron Grenier said. The event kicked off with a performance by the local singing group, Shooting Stars. Six elementary school girls took the mic, led by instructor and life coach Molly Williams. Williams teaches kids how to deal with anxiety and build confidence through music and live performances...

Excerpts from the Marblehead police log June 6-17. Consistent with state law, police have adopted a policy of not providing media outlets reports related to incidents involving domestic violence, juveniles and matters that remain under investigation. June 7 5:45 p.m. — Officers Andrew DiMare and Michael Everett responded to a report of a verbal altercation between two employees at a commercial office building on Beringer Way. The incident involved a heated political discussion that escalated into one employee allegedly threatening another. No physical violence occurred. The employer, who reported the incident, stated that he had spoken with the individuals involved and requested documentation for personnel purposes. DiMare advised that the situation appeared to be a personnel matter...

The Current welcomes submissions (150-200 words) to the news in brief. Send yours to wdowd@marbleheadnews.org. Retirement celebration for Veterans Agent Dave Rodgers The town of Marblehead is inviting the community to celebrate Dave Rodgers' retirement after a quarter-century of dedicated service as the town's veterans' agent. The event will take place on Sunday, June 30, from 1:30-3:30 p.m. at VFW Post 7572,  321 West Shore Drive. Tickets are $20 per person, covering snacks and a gift, with a cash bar available. Contributions can be sent to Kyle Wiley at Abbot Hall, 188 Washington St., Marblehead, Massachusetts 01945. Payments can be made by cash, check (payable to "Dave Rogers Retirement"), or Venmo (@Kyle-Wiley-17). Attendees are asked to include the names of all guest...

Marblehead dad Mark Philip has launched a new childcare platform that connects teenagers in town with younger kids to provide childcare and mentorship in sports, STEM, arts and music. It’s called MENTMII and Philip is offering a pilot program to Marblehead parents.  “We want to create a better childcare solution for parents, and we want to foster positive, in-person connections between youth,” Philip told the Current. : The new childcare platform MENTMII aims to connect younger kids with local teens who have the same interests. COURTESY PHOTOS After working in advertising for years, Philip was motivated to create MENTMII during the pandemic, when he watched his then-6-year-old son become more and more isolated.  Later, his son attended a birthday party that included playe...