Opinion

To the editor: To the Senate Committee on Ways and Means: On behalf of the Marblehead Task Force Against Discrimination, we are writing to express our support for, and to urge passage of, Senate bill S1080. The bill is currently pending before your committee for fiscal and policy review. This bill is designed to eliminate language still existing in some deeds that manifests past discriminatory intent to prohibit the sale of property or use of land to certain groups based on race, ethnicity or religion.…

To the editor: Sometimes a community comes together in ways that truly touch your heart. The generosity and support of Marblehead's local businesses and residents during our second annual Turning Marblehead Pink event, benefiting the Ellie Fund, is a wonderful example of just that. The Ellie Fund provides essential support services, free of charge, to breast cancer patients and their families throughout Massachusetts. Last year, nearly 100 local businesses helped us introduce this important organization to our community. Following that first year, the Ellie Fund…

To the editor: I recently read the article about how our district performed on MCAS this year. I have been looking at these statistics for several years now, and sometimes we do better and sometimes we do worse. But what I find really frustrating is everyone’s reference to the scores in comparison to the average district in Massachusetts. In the past this has included comments from reporters, school committee members and the superintendents. I would like to understand why we are not comparing these scores…

To the editor: Our upcoming election includes ballot Question 3 to eliminate separate party primaries and, instead, have all candidates combined on one ballot; the top two vote-getters in the primary then advance to the general election. I'm open to revising our election process if it leads to fairer outcomes. If this question were about ranked choice voting, I'd be wholly in support. But I fear that jungle primaries, as non-party primaries are called, could lead to negative unintended consequences. Consider our recent primary election…

To the editor: Owen Coyne’s family has much to be proud of in facing his tragic loss. Owen’s decision to donate his organs to others in need demonstrates the ultimate in generosity. My surgical career spanned four decades of training and practice. Among the moments I will never forget is the release of the arterial clamp during a kidney transplant. Instantaneously the gray organ pulsed red with life and function. Owen lives on in those recipients of his gifted organs. All of us can best…