Opinion - Marblehead Current

06 May

DOC IN A BOX: Free websites so useful you’ll wonder how they’re free (Save this page)

Stephen BachColumns, Opinion, Stephen Bach

Every once in a while, I come across a website that just makes me stop and wonder — how can this actually be free? I’m not talking about the kind of “free” that comes with strings attached: no five-step registration, no sneaky ads, no “give us your social security number.” I mean sites that are genuinely useful, no nonsense and don’t make you jump through hoops. I’ve been working on computers and dealing with tech headaches right here in Marblehead for over 20 years now.…

05 May

EDITORIAL: What’s in a name?

Marblehead Current Editorial BoardCurrent Editorials, Opinion

The winter holidays may be known as the “most wonderful time of the year” (thank you, Andy Williams), but for local news outlets, Town Meeting and election season is perhaps the most important stretch on the calendar. It is a time when voters are demanding reliable information to help them make informed decisions. But thanks to social media and individual agendas (some more benign than others), it can be hard to separate the news from the noise. Town meeting has been called the “purest form…

05 May

LETTER: Taxpayer dollars are not ‘nickels and dimes’

Submitted ContentLETTERS, Opinion

To the editor: The recent Marblehead School Committee Meeting to vote on the FY27 budget raised concerns about how one member’s view what many would consider a significant sum of taxpayer money. The main issue centers on a $750,000 “buffer” — an undedicated reserve meant to protect against unexpected healthcare costs. It’s important to note there is already an additional buffer because the health insurance budget was not reduced to reflect savings from the planned reduction of as many as 56 positions due to layoffs…

04 May

LETTER: In memory of Peggy Farrell

Submitted ContentLETTERS, Opinion

The Marblehead Food Pantry wishes to express its extreme sadness in the passing of Peggy Farrell, one of our dedicated volunteers, and member of our board. Peggy was a wonderful human being equipped with a great sense of humor. She opened and greeted everyone at the food pantry on Tuesday mornings. Volunteers and patrons all loved to chat with Peggy and enjoy her stories. Her love for her companion dog was contagious. Peggy will greatly be missed by all of us. Fondly Marcy SchwamMarblehead Food…

01 May

LETTER: These are not numbers on a page. These are your neighbors

Submitted ContentLETTERS, Opinion, Town Meeting

To the editor: I write to you today on behalf of the Marblehead Municipal Employees Union with urgency and concern as we approach the Proposition 2 1⁄2 override vote at the upcoming Town Meeting. The situation facing our town is no longer theoretical, it is immediate and severe. As presented by the town, if the override does not pass, Marblehead will be forced into a budget that eliminates 56 municipal jobs and effectively shuts down multiple town departments. This includes the closure of the library,…

29 Apr

LETTER: What a ‘no’ vote really means

Submitted ContentLETTERS, Opinion

To the editor: As the Marblehead community considers the upcoming Proposition 2 1⁄2 override, it’s important to be clear about what a “no” vote really means; not just for this year, but next year and beyond. Municipal budgets don’t operate in a vacuum. Costs for education, public safety, infrastructure and basic services continue to rise, often faster than the 2.5% annual levy limit allows. When revenues can’t keep pace, towns are forced to make difficult decisions. Those decisions typically mean cutting staff, reducing programs and…

29 Apr

LETTER: Sure, things change; but we need to fund our town

Submitted ContentLETTERS, Municipal Matters, Opinion

To the editor: Enough with not funding our town. And please don’t start complaining about how “things have changed.” Sure, if you’ve been around long enough things DO change! Need gas? Can’t count on Phil’s Mobil anymore. (Not that Phil would EVER charge us over $4 for gas.) Need a newspaper? Oh…Howard’s is gone. Asprin? No going to Eaton’s. What hasn’t changed is our beautiful harbor and the proud history of this town that we hold so dear. And the community of people we live…

29 Apr

LETTER: Our town is being rattled to its core; support the override

Submitted ContentLETTERS, Opinion, Town Meeting

To the editor: Both my husband and I grew up here and chose to raise our family here. Anyone who is drawn here can see why: A beach is within a half-a-mile of anywhere you go; the sense of community runs deep; a small town feel with relative accessibility to a large city — what's not to love? And because of these things, Marblehead will always be special. However, it’s the not-so-visible or obvious things that are rattling our town to its core, ones that…

29 Apr

EDITORIAL: Let the voters decide

Marblehead Current Editorial BoardOpinion, Town Meeting

On Monday, Marblehead’s annual Town Meeting will convene, and it is anticipated that a large number of residents will attend to listen, question, debate, learn more about and then vote on the articles in this year’s warrant. To ensure adequate seating, it will again take place in the field house at the high school. Article 23, Expenses of Several Departments, and Article 29, Supplemental Appropriation and Expenses of Several Departments, are sure to command much of the attention on Monday (or Tuesday). Town leaders have…

28 Apr

COLUMN: Likes don’t shape a town, votes do

Margaret BaconColumns, Opinion, Town Meeting

In a world where it is easy to give a quick thumbs-up or thumbs-down online, Town Meeting asks something more of us. A click registers a reaction. A vote helps shape the schools, streets, services and taxes that affect daily life. Democracy is not something that happens only in Washington. Here in Marblehead, it happens in our high school field house, where neighbors gather to decide what kind of town they want to live in. That is no small thing. Marblehead has more than 16,500…