Opinion - Marblehead Current

16 Jul

FOOD 101: How to season the season with anchovies & capers

Linda BassettColumns, Food, Opinion

I like to keep my refrigerator door shelves orderly. Nothing irks me like sticky bottles and jars of condiments and pickles haphazardly arranged. I keep a single shelf for “fixings” for burgers, hot dogs or sandwiches — mustard, relish, ketchup, mayo, pickles, olives. I group jams, jellies, etc. with similar ingredients. On another shelf, I keep soft drinks and bubbly water. No bottled salad dressings: I create mine on the spot. And space for my Diet Coke. Food 101 columnist Linda Bassett COURTESY PHOTOS Some…

15 Jul

COLUMN: A kid-friendly guide to AI (or for those of us born before 1975!)

Stephen BachColumns, Opinion, Stephen Bach

Artificial intelligence, often called AI, is showing up everywhere. It helps answer questions, suggest videos, sort email, translate languages and even create pictures or stories. AI can sound complicated, but the basic ideas are not hard to understand. Here are 10 important AI terms explained in plain language. 1. Artificial intelligence, or AI Artificial intelligence is when a computer does things that usually require human thinking. It can answer questions, sort information, recognize patterns and help make decisions. AI is used in voice assistants, search…

15 Jul

EDITORIAL: A stress test for what comes next

Marblehead Current Editorial BoardCurrent Editorials, Opinion

Marblehead's finances did not get sicker the moment Thatcher Kezer and Aleesha Benjamin announced they're leaving. If anything, the record they're handing off is stronger than many residents may realize. The town's audited financial statements for the year ended June 30 show a 16th consecutive AAA bond rating from Standard & Poor's — the highest rating a municipality can hold — and the town's outside auditors gave its books a clean bill of health — no red flags, no disputed numbers. The general fund's total…

13 Jul

LETTER: Climate education for all

Submitted ContentLETTERS, Opinion

To the editor: Last February, I joined more than 250 high school students from across Massachusetts at the State House for a Youth Climate Advocacy Day. I spent the day talking to my legislators about climate education. Massachusetts is a national leader in environmental policy. We set the bar. I am so grateful to have grown up in this state, but there is still more that we can do. There are far too many students who get to high school without ever sitting through a…

13 Jul

LETTER: Literary Festival chair sends thanks

Submitted ContentLETTERS, Opinion

To the editor: As chair of the 2026 Marblehead Festival of Arts Literary Festival I would like to take this opportunity to thank all who attended our events, as well as the presenters and workshop leaders who willingly shared a variety of content to multiple audiences, and the volunteers who so willingly assisted us. Further, I would like to extend particular thanks to Marblehead's Unitarian Universalist Church. Days before the festival, when we learned that our announced location would no longer be available to us,…

08 Jul

LETTER: MFoA Performing Arts Committee says ‘thank you’

Submitted ContentLETTERS, Opinion

To the editor: The Marblehead Festival of Arts Performing Arts Committee would like to thank the many people and community members that helped us present Performing Arts Concerts @ Crocker Park during our historic 60th Festival of Arts Concerts @ Crocker Park. As always, our lineup required an incredible amount of assistance, and we’d like to acknowledge the tremendous support received this year. Thanks to all of the performers who were great to work with and really gave us their all for these tremendous shows!…

07 Jul

COLUMN: How most lives are assembled

Margaret BaconColumns, Opinion

My husband and I once spent the better part of three weeks selecting a sofa. Current columnist Margaret Bacon COURTESY PHOTO We had three children. Looking back, I am fairly certain that the decision to have any one of them received less study than the sofa. We had a system. We visited showrooms. We debated cushion firmness, leg finish and something called “seat depth,” which apparently determines whether you sit on a piece of furniture or are absorbed by it. We brought home fabric swatches.…

07 Jul

LETTER: Losing healthcare workers from Haiti is a ‘public health emergency’

Submitted ContentLETTERS, Opinion

To the editor: Many of the nurses and direct care workers caring for my nursing home patients are from Haiti. The care that they provide is competent and reliable and done with spirit and dedication. The loss of their services constitutes a public health emergency. Our nursing homes are already short-staffed and there are insufficient skilled nursing facilities to meet the demand for short-term and long-term care. Our patients are languishing in hospital waiting for a skilled nursing facility bed to become available. Eric Reines, MDGreen…

06 Jul

LETTER: Beep…beep…beep

Submitted ContentLETTERS, Opinion

To the editor: As I write this letter, I have spent the last four hours listening to the relentless beep...beep...beep of a backup alarm echoing through my neighborhood. My neighbors are replacing their driveway, and one consequence of that construction is that everyone within earshot has been subjected to hours of continuous backup beeper noise for multiple days. Unfortunately, this is hardly an isolated incident. Whether it's road crews, landscapers, utility trucks or construction equipment, backup alarms have become an almost constant soundtrack of summer.…

01 Jul

MONEY MATTERS: What summer can teach us about money

Emily PromiseColumns, Opinion

No big travel plans needed when you can spend summer in Marblehead. After a long New England winter, summer often reminds us to slow down and appreciate what matters most. Many of the same principles that help create a memorable summer can also help build a stronger financial future. Current financial columnist Emily Promise / COURTESY PHOTO Plan ahead Whether it's securing a vacation rental, planning a family trip, signing children up for summer programs or organizing time with friends and family, a little preparation…