Opinion - Marblehead Current

05 Aug

MARBLEHEAD MEMORIES: Growing up at 120 Pleasant St. Part 2

Don OrneLocal History, Opinion

Editor's Note: Donald Orne, 84, is a lifelong Marblehead resident whose family has been part of the town for generations. His father, Bud Orne, owned the barber shop at 120 Pleasant St., where the family also lived. This series shares Orne's memories of growing up in Marblehead during the 1940s, '50s and '60s. The essays have been edited only for length, grammar and clarity. This is the second installment of Orne's writings. You can read the first installment HERE. After entering 120 Pleasant St, my father…

05 Aug

MERRIGAN IN MARBLEHEAD: Bees on a wing

Leigh BlanderAnimals, Columns, Court Merrigan, Opinion

Avoiding some unpleasant piece of business, one of those phone calls you’d rather not make, I started paying attention to the birds flitting around outside my office window. Just out there doing their thing, effortlessly darting through branches with their little bird brains. In rather stark contrast, overhead the big jets lumber into Boston Logan Airport on a straight flight path, no deviations. A path chosen, presumably, for its fuel-efficient obedience to Newtonian physics. Whereas those birds are like quantum quarks, or what I imagine…

04 Aug

LETTER: Don’t miss ‘The Gilded Lily’

Submitted ContentLETTERS, Opinion

To the editor: Last Sunday, I attended the showing of a film called “The Gilded Lily.” As a former teacher, I wanted to support a film created, written and filmed by high school students from our own Marblehead High School. This “story within a story” was quite sophisticated and technical to both write and film. Moreover, it was filmed here in Marblehead. The acting was terrific! It played to a full house — a supportive audience of family, friends, fellow high school students and others.…

04 Aug

LETTER: Protect the right to vote

Submitted ContentLETTERS, Opinion

To the editor: In the early 1900s, “The National Association OPPOSED to Woman Suffrage” (founded by women) distributed a pamphlet outlining the reasons to vote no on woman suffrage, including: Because 90% of the women either do not want it, or do not care Because it means competition of women with men instead of cooperation Because 86% of the women eligible to vote are married and can only double or annul their husband’s vote Because it can be of no benefit commensurate with the additional…

04 Aug

LETTER: Town has abundance of green space

Submitted ContentLETTERS, Opinion

To the editor: Those who are dedicated to green space and open public lands have a worthy goal. I’m certainly not in the camp of those who want to “pave paradise and put up a parking lot.” But we of the Marblehead Housing Coalition feel that the need for more moderately priced housing in town for seniors, town workers, young people, teachers and veterans, and the corresponding need for modest development to add to the town’s tax base has become over the past few years…

04 Aug

EDITORIAL: E-bike safety is everyone’s responsibility

Marblehead Current Editorial BoardCurrent Editorials, Opinion

Summertime in Marblehead is hard to beat. Every type of summer activity can be found here: swimming, fishing, sailing, paddle-boarding and kayaking, historical and cultural attractions, camps, and all the athletic and artistic programs the town and other groups offer. There is something for everyone to enjoy. But in recent summers, there has been a less idyllic situation with the increase in the number of e-bikes, e-scooters, mopeds and electronic motorcycles (micromobility devices) on our roads and bike paths. While the majority of these devices…

29 Jul

COLUMN: Your brain wasn’t built for this

Margaret BaconColumns, Opinion

I can name all three of Prince William and Kate's children, in birth order. I also know more about Tom Brady than I ever intended to. I discovered this about myself last Tuesday while standing at the kitchen counter, waiting for the coffee, thinking of nothing in particular. I have visited England more than once, and the royal family has never once invited me to tea. Tom Brady has never called either. I could not, if you asked me right now, tell you the names…

29 Jul

MONEY MATTERS: You’ve built wealth, but have you built a plan?

Emily PromiseColumns, Opinion

Last month, we explored why planning ahead is one of the most important steps toward long-term financial success. While planning ahead is always ideal, financial success isn’t determined by when you start; it’s determined by whether you have a coordinated plan for where you're going. I’ve found that many families don't have a savings problem; they have a planning problem. They've done an excellent job accumulating wealth over the years — built successful careers, purchased homes, invested consistently and even owned businesses. Despite their financial…

29 Jul

Heat pumps: The flexible choice for an energy-efficient home

Submitted ContentColumns, Environment, Opinion

If you’ve been spending more time in air-conditioned rooms over the past few summers, you’re definitely not the only one. As our communities experience extreme weather effects due to climate change, more people are looking to lower greenhouse gas emissions while ensuring their homes are resilient to extreme heat. Turns out, you can take steps to tackle both of these at once! Residential energy use accounts for roughly 20% of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Currently, many homes use natural gas, heating oil…

28 Jul

EDITORIAL: Celebrating a maritime mecca

Marblehead Current Editorial BoardCurrent Editorials, Opinion, Sailing

From Hollywood to Boston Harbor and last weekend’s Race Week 2026 Regatta, this month has been a nonstop love fest for local sailors of all stripes — and for anyone who loves a good salt-sprayed adventure yarn or colorful parade of sails, onshore and off. A cinematic reimagining of Homer’s “The Odyssey” — arguably the greatest seafaring saga of all time — appeared in theaters in mid-July and quickly reached blockbuster status. Then Sail Boston 2026 brought more than 50 of the world’s most awe-inspiring…