Municipal Matters - Marblehead Current

At hearing, resident outlines remedial steps for ‘dangerous’ dog, but some still wary

15Feb

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Local News, Municipal Matters, Public safety, Top Stories

At hearing, resident outlines remedial steps for ‘dangerous’ dog, but some still wary

Marblehead Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer will recommend that the Select Board deem a Pickwick Road dog dangerous, he said in a public hearing on Wednesday afternoon, Feb. 15. Marblehead Animal Control Officer Betsy Cruger petitioned the Select Board to schedule the dangerous dog hearing following two attacks involving Nala, a 2-year-old pit-bull mix owned by Gina Rushton of 45 Pickwick Road, on Dec. 3 and Jan. 10. Lawyer Jeremy Cohen pleads the case of resident Gina Rushton to Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer during a dangerous dog hearing on Feb. 15. CURRENT PHOTO / WILLIAM J. DOWD Cruger told Kezer that the first incident involved Chloe, owned by Rushton’s neighbor, Robert Barone. Barone, who intervened because his dog’s life was in peril, sustained a bite wound to his ind...

‘Swatting’ incidents at local high schools prompt warning from chief, superintendent

15Feb

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Local News, Marblehead Public Schools, Municipal Matters, Public safety, Top Stories

‘Swatting’ incidents at local high schools prompt warning from chief, superintendent

Marblehead officials put the town on notice Wednesday afternoon, following a recent pattern of hoax phone calls, known as swatting incidents, into area police stations alleging an imminent threat exists at local high schools. “This week several schools have been targeted including Haverhill, Amesbury, Ipswich high schools and Salem High School today,” Marblehead Superintendent John Buckey and Police Chief Dennis King wrote in a Wednesday email to local parents. “The caller in each incident appears to be the same person, and reciting the same narrative.” The pair added, “After all of the incident investigations, it has been preliminarily determined that the call is a hoax and there is no danger to the school community.” King and Buckey said local law enforcement and Marblehead Pu...

Marblehead Select Board debuts slate of warrant articles

15Feb

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Local News, Municipal Matters, Top Stories

Marblehead Select Board debuts slate of warrant articles

Marblehead Select Board recently debuted the warrant articles that it will sponsor for Town Meeting’s consideration in May. The eight-article lineup is eclectic, from expanding the setback for public shade trees to setting up a proper human resources outfit. Marblehead Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer gave a brief overview of the Select Board’s 2023 warrant articles on Feb. 8. CURRENT PHOTO / NICOLE GOODHUE BOYD Marblehead Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer introduced the slate of articles, starting with a proposal to amend professional, non-union town employees’ benefits. Unlike union benefits that are generally revised every three years as part of the collective bargaining process, benefits for non-unionized employees are not, Kezer said. “Some of the concern … is their bene...

Marblehead public meetings, week of Monday, Feb. 13, 2023

13Feb

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Local News, Municipal Matters

Marblehead public meetings, week of Monday, Feb. 13, 2023

Monday, Feb. 13 9 a.m., Marblehead School Committee Meeting marblehead_school_committee_agenda_2-13-23Download 1 p.m., Marblehead School Committee - Facilities Subcommittee Meeting marblehead_school_committee_-_facilities_subcommittee_agenda_2-13-2023Download 1:30 p.m., Archives Advisory Committee Meeting archives_advisory_committee_agenda_2-13-23Download 7 p.m., Finance Committee Meeting compensation_committee_agenda_2-15-23Download 7 p.m., Mental Health Task Force Meeting mental_health_task_force_agenda_2-13-2023Download Tuesday, Feb. 14 3 p.m., Housing Production Plan Implementation Committee Meeting housing_production_plan_implementation_committee_agenda_2-14-2023Download 3:15 p.m., Lucretia & Joseph Brown School Advisory Council Meeting ...

Franklin Street firehouse needs $2.3M worth of work

9Feb

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Culture, Local History, Local News, Municipal Matters, Public safety, Top Stories

Franklin Street firehouse needs $2.3M worth of work

The Marblehead Select Board’s 2023 warrant articles will include a request to override Proposition 2 1/2 to finance the restoration of the Franklin Street firehouse. The Select Board took its vote on Feb. 8 after architects Ryan Foster and Erik Christensen summarized an assessment of the condition of the historic building that the town commissioned last year. Fire Chief Jason Gilliland briefs the Marblehead Select Board on the Franklin Street Firehouse renovation. CURRENT PHOTO / WILLIAM J. DOWD "The firehouse is a wood structure built in 1886, and it has been continuously used as a fire station since its construction," Foster told the Select Board. "It is one of the oldest continuously operated fire stations in the commonwealth." Today, the firehouse at 3 Frankli...

7Feb

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Community resources, Local News, Municipal Matters

News in Brief

The Marblehead Current News in Brief is a compilation of need-to-know news items from various sources. Marblehead residents, governmental entities and nonprofits can email 200-word submissions for inclusion in the weekly list to info@marbleheadnews.org. Public meetings The following public meetings were posted to marblehead.org as of press time. All public meetings are subject to change, so check the town’s website before heading out the door. Tuesday, Feb. 7 — 6:30 p.m., Recreation and Park Commission — 7 p.m., Water and Sewer Commission — 7 p.m., Old & Historic Districts Commission — 7: 30 p.m, Board of Health Wednesday, Feb. 8 — 9:15 a.m., Moderator’s Committee to report on the costs of implementing Article 44 — 7:15 p.m., Marblehead Cultural Council ...

6Feb

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Local News, Municipal Matters

Marblehead public meetings: Week of Monday, Feb. 6, 2023

The following public meetings were posted to marblehead.org as of press time. All public meetings are subject to change, so check the town’s website before heading out the door. Monday, Feb. 6 — 1 p.m., Marblehead School Committee-Budget Subcommittee marblehead_school_committee-budget_subcommittee_agenda_2-6-23Download — 4 p.m., Board of Retirement marblehead_retirement_board_agenda_2-6-2023_0Download — 4 p.m., Finance Committee - Retirement Budget Liaison Subcommittee finance_committee_-_retirement_budget_liaison_subcommittee_agenda_2-6-2023Download — 6 p.m., Abbot Public Library Board of Trustees abbot_public_library_board_of_trustees_agenda_2-6-23Download — 7 p.m., Recreation & Park Sports Committee recreation_park_sports_committee_agenda_2-6-23Down...

As town hits ‘free cash wall,’ need for general override seen

4Feb

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Local News, Municipal Matters, Top Stories

As town hits ‘free cash wall,’ need for general override seen

During his State of Town Address Feb. 1, Marblehead Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer did not attach a dollar amount for a proposal of a general override of Proposition 2 1/2, which is expected to come before Town Meeting in May. "The big question is an override, and it is purposefully put as a question," Kezer told a standing-room-only crowd in the Select Board's Meeting Room in Abbot Hall. Kezer said he would be overseeing the development of a budget that would be balanced, in the absence of town support for an override. "I cannot assume the will of the voters," he said. "I have to have a real budget that we build with the revenues we have.” Kezer outlined three possible scenarios: No override is passed, limiting revenue to that which can be raised under Prop...

After more than 40 years away, Marblehead fire truck comes home

1Feb

By Chris StevensNo Comments

Local History, Municipal Matters, Public safety, Top Stories

After more than 40 years away, Marblehead fire truck comes home

Nearly everyone has a vehicle they dream about owning. Maybe it's a sports car, luxury vehicle, decked-out Harley or even a fire truck. "Every firefighter, I think, dreams of owning their own fire truck," said Marblehead Fire Chief Jason Gilliland. Jason Gilliland, Marblehead Fire Chief, poses with his newly acquired 1939 Mack model 80 Fire Truck. The former Marblehead Fire Truck came from Sunapee, New Hampshire Fire Department. Gilliland says he can’t wait to drive it in the town parades. Photo by Nicole Goodhue Boyd And for Gilliland, that dream has come true. Gilliland recently became the proud owner of a classic 1939 model 80 Mack combination pumper/ladder truck. If that weren't exciting enough, it is an original Marblehead fire truck. Gilliland said he'd looked off a...

Marblehead educators wrapping heads around ChatGPT

1Feb

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Marblehead Public Schools, Municipal Matters, Top Stories

Marblehead educators wrapping heads around ChatGPT

Concerns that local students might tap into the cutting-edge artificial intelligence offered by ChatGPT to do their schoolwork for them have been realized, Superintendent John Buckey told the Marblehead Current. The powerful, multilingual chatbot can instantaneously perform literary analysis, compose original poems, write short fiction and compute complex math problems. "This is so new, districts are trying to get up to speed quickly as they discover more about it," Buckey said. "We just did a professional development on the topic." OpenAI, a private artificial intelligence research organization whose founders include Elon Musk, developed ChatGPT. The organization released the chatbot on Nov. 30 and it became wildly popular overnight. Today, its usage is in the millions. "It u...