Municipal Matters - Marblehead Current

Marblehead Municipal meetings, week of Aug. 29 – Sept. 2

28Aug

By Marblehead News staffNo Comments

Marblehead Municipal meetings, week of Aug. 29 – Sept. 2

Monday, Aug. 29 6 p.m., Marblehead School Committee, join virtually HERE. On the agenda: Review and vote on the 2022 - 202 school handbooks. Vote on the appointment of a school nurse. Review of and adoption of procedures on nondiscrimination, non-discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual harassment, non-discrimination and harassment. Title IX grievance and civil rights grievance procedures. Enrolment and staffing updates. Vote on a schedule of bills. Stipend equipment and discussion for hybrid meetings. Booster's advertising discussion. marblehead_school_committee_amended_agenda_8-29-2022Download 7 p.m., Marblehead Mental Health Taskforce, join virtually HERE. On the agenda: Marblehead cares initiatives, Marblehead Counseling Center update ,from Ron Genier and public partici...

For the state primary, in-person voting in Marblehead kicks off Saturday

26Aug

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Local News, Municipal Matters, Politics, Top Stories

For the state primary, in-person voting in Marblehead kicks off Saturday

The 2022 Massachusetts primary on Tuesday, Sept. 6 is a little over two weeks away, but in-person voting gets underway in Marblehead on Saturday, Aug. 27. Marblehead Town Clerk Robin Michaud will offer six days of early voting in Abbot Hall, 188 Washington St., at the following dates and times: This is the first election since the June municipal election, during which the town depleted ballots before polls closed. Michaud said she doesn't expect a shortage of Sept. 6 ballots, given the state dictates ballot orders in primaries and mid-term elections. The town clerk did send out an Aug. 25 email with a Sign Up Genius link, requesting help for early voting and advance processing: https://bit.ly/3dZT7OK. "We are still looking for people to help with early voting and advance...

Marblehead municipal meetings, week of Aug. 22 – 26

22Aug

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Community resources, Local News, Marblehead Public Schools, Municipal Matters, Politics

Marblehead municipal meetings, week of Aug. 22 – 26

Tuesday, Aug. 23 2 p.m., Policy Subcommittee Meeting of Marblehead School Committee, front conference room of the Marblehead administration Building, 9 Widger Road. On the agenda: Review of nondiscrimination, nondiscrimination and harassment, reconsideration of instructional resources, student dress code, bullying prevention and physical restraint of students. marblehead_school_committee_-_policy_subcommittee_agenda_8-23-2022Download 2 p.m., The Abbot Public Library Renovation Committee Meeting via Zoom. Attend virtually HERE. On the agenda: Schedule, new business and updates from the owners project manager, director and designer abbot_public_library_building_renovation_committee_agenda_8-23-22Download Wednesday, Jan. 24 1 p.m., Joint meeting of the Transfer Station Fa...

Marblehead lands $140K grant to finance rail trail segment

22Aug

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Community resources, Local News, Municipal Matters, Nonprofit corner, Politics, Top Stories

Marblehead lands $140K grant to finance rail trail segment

Late last week, Congressman Seth Moulton and the Essex National Heritage Area announced Marblehead will receive a piece of a recently awarded $1.2 million in federal funding to finance work related to the the town's rail trail. The 70-mile shared-use trail runs from New Hampshire to Boston, connecting 20 communities to "employment centers, neighborhoods, schools, parks, recreational facilities and natural areas" in Essex County. marblehead_trail_plan_finalDownload "Marblehead is pleased to have received $140,000 for the design and intersection improvements and and the planned surface upgrade for the last segment of the Marblehead trail into Swampscott," Marblehead Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer said. "The funds will be used for design and survey work on the critical segm...

Marblehead officials suspect transfer station blaze was set intentionally

17Aug

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Environment, Local News, Municipal Matters, Public safety, Top Stories

Marblehead officials suspect transfer station blaze was set intentionally

Marblehead public safety officials suspect someone intentionally ignited the fire that spread to several large piles of yard waste at the transfer station off Woodfin Terrace Aug. 1. Officials estimate the hours-long response and overnight cleanup cost $65,000. "It is suspected that the fire was set," Fire Chief Jason Gilliland told the Marblehead News, adding that Sgt. Sean Brady and Capt. Eric Ridge are conducting the criminal] investigation. Marblehead firefighters battle blaze at the transfer station on Monday, Aug. 1. [STAFF PHOTO / WILL DOWD] Gilliland said the fire had already spread to multiple piles of yard waste by the time firefighters arrived on scene, which he immediately found suspicious. “I just find it hard to believe it went from this pile, to that pile, to t...

Marblehead firefighters, police to observe 21st anniversary of Sept. 11

17Aug

By Marblehead News staffNo Comments

Culture, Local News, Municipal Matters, Public safety

Marblehead firefighters, police to observe 21st anniversary of Sept. 11

The Marblehead fire and police departments will join others across the country in conducting a remembrance ceremony on Sept. 11 at 10 a.m. sharp on Memorial Park to commemorate the 21st anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the subsequent losses suffered at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania. "This ceremony will be part of a nationwide salute to fallen firefighters, police officers and civilians, and to the extraordinary response to tragic events that have changed all of our lives," Marblehead Fire Chief Jason Gilliland said. The Marblehead fire and police departments invites local leaders and members of the community to participate in the remembrance service as a way of providing them with the opportunity to pay tribute the lives lost on Sept. 11....

Work of Marblehead group studying hybrid public meetings gets underway

16Aug

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Local News, Municipal Matters, Politics, Top Stories

Work of Marblehead group studying hybrid public meetings gets underway

A half-dozen members of a new town committee that will study the cost implications and logistics around technological infrastructure necessary to give hybrid access to all Marblehead public meetings convened their inaugural meeting in Abbot Hall on Tuesday morning. The study group, known as the Article 44 Committee, was established when the Town Meeting adopted the-then town moderator Gary Spiess' motion for its formation on the Town Meeting floor in May. His recommendation that a study committee be established arrived after resident Lynn Nadeau, who now sits on the study group, withdrew her citizens petition (Article 44), calling for "all town boards and committees to full implement best practices...governing remote participation by ensuring the use of hybrid meeting platforms at a...

15Aug

By Kris OlsonNo Comments

Local News, Municipal Matters, Top Stories

Sept. 14 set for joint meeting to fill Marblehead Light Commission vacancy

At its Aug. 15 meeting, the Marblehead Select Board set its joint meeting with the Marblehead Light Commission to fill the seat being vacated by Karl A. Johnson for Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. The board also set Sept. 2 as the deadline for those interested in applying for the vacancy. Anyone interested should send a letter expressing their interest and detailing their qualifications to both the Select Board at Abbot Hall, 188 Washington St., and to Michael A. Hull, chair of the Light Commission, at 80 Commercial St. Letters of interest may also be sent by email to wileyk@marblehead.org and mhull@mhdld.com. Johnson, who had been reelected to a three-year term on the Light Commission in 2021, sent his resignation letter to Town Clerk Robin Michaud on July 13, citing ongoing ...

Marblehead municipal meetings, week of Aug. 15 – 19

15Aug

By Marblehead News staffNo Comments

Local News, Municipal Matters

Marblehead municipal meetings, week of Aug. 15 – 19

Monday, Aug. 15 7 p.m. , Select Board, Select Board's Meeting Room, Abbot Hall, 188 Washington St. or via attend virtually HERE. On the agenda: Continued public hearing on the removal of a public shade tree on Pleasant Street. Interview and appointment of alternate member to the Zoning Board of Appeals as well as an appointment to the Cultural Council. Ambulance contract. The Vote Act concerning police officers at polling locations. Lease with North Shore Medical Center. Review Open Meeting Law complaint filed by Allen Waller. Marblehead Light Commission regarding vacancy. board_of_selectmen_agenda_8-15-2022Download Tuesday, Aug. 16 9:30 a.m., Town moderator's study committee on Article 44 form 2022 Annual Town Meeting, either in-person in Select Board's Meeting Room of Ab...

Abbot Public Library website gets biggest redesign in years

15Aug

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Community resources, Local News, Municipal Matters, Top Stories

Abbot Public Library website gets biggest redesign in years

For the first time in about two decades, the Abbot Public Library debuted a new website in late July. "The previous website was created about 20 years ago," the library's executive director, Kimberly Grad, told Marblehead News. "The former website was created in the early 2000s and included a lot of outdated material." Its state until recently featured redundancies, multiple layers and duplicated links. Over the last several years, Grad said patrons found navigating library services via the Internet an arduous task. Over the past three months, the town department contracted with Hyphenate -"a creative design agency known for top-notch design, responsive and mobile-ready websites and strategic marketing services" - to build out and redesign the public library's website. “...