Politics - Marblehead Current

Marblehead Select Board sets 2024 Town Meeting table

22Nov

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Local News, Municipal Matters, Politics, Top Stories

Marblehead Select Board sets 2024 Town Meeting table

On Nov. 15, the Select Board unanimously approved four motions to open the warrant for the 2024 Town Meeting. Residents pack Marblehead Veterans Middle School for the 2023 Annual Town Meeting. The 2024 Town Meeting will take place on Monday, May 6 at 7 p.m. in the same location. The motions set key dates for Town Meeting, which serves as the legislative body for the town and allows residents to vote on budgets, bylaws, home-rule petitions and resolutions. The Town Meeting will take place on Monday, May 6 at 7 p.m. in the Veterans Middle School Auditorium at Duncan Sleigh Square, 217 Pleasant St. The warrant is now open for voters to sponsor warrant articles — known as citizen petitions — until Friday, Jan. 19 at noon. Meanwhile, the cutoff for town government boards and commi...

Tonight: Virtual public meeting set to discuss new housing mandates

26Oct

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Local News, Municipal Matters, Politics, Public safety, real estate, Top Stories

Tonight: Virtual public meeting set to discuss new housing mandates

The Marblehead Planning Board is inviting residents to a virtual public meeting on Thursday, Oct. 26 to learn about new state rules requiring denser housing in parts of town. Marblehead has until late 2024 to adopt zoning changes that allow denser housing near transit or risk penalties. CURRENT PHOTO / WILLIAM J. DOWD The requirements are part of a push by the state to encourage more housing around public transit. Under the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Community Law, municipalities served by commuter rail, subway and major bus routes must adopt zoning changes allowing multifamily housing by-right. Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer said the state is making compliance a “very high priority” by providing resources to help towns navigate the process while also increasin...

Marblehead lawmakers talk local benefits tucked into $1B tax package

18Oct

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Beacon Hill, Local News, Municipal Matters, Politics, Top Stories, Uncategorized

Marblehead lawmakers talk local benefits tucked into $1B tax package

Massachusetts lawmakers recently enacted a $1 billion tax relief package that includes benefits for Marblehead residents, earning praise from state Rep. Jenny Armini and Sen. Brendan Crighton. The relief targets families, renters, seniors and businesses with changes to credits, deductions and tax rates. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll snaps a selfie Wednesday, Oct. 4, with Gov. Maura Healey, after Healey signed a $1 billion tax relief law in the frame. Healey signed the bill into law at a packed ceremony at the State House. COURTESY PHOTO / STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE “Through changes to programs like the Child and Family Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit, we have created real savings for Massachusetts’ residents, which will benefit not just eligible families but our small businesse...

Select Board names 3 to traffic committee, struggles with depth of candidate pool

18Oct

By Kris OlsonNo Comments

Municipal Matters, Politics, Public safety, Top Stories

Select Board names 3 to traffic committee, struggles with depth of candidate pool

In what they agreed was an agonizingly difficult choice given the quality of the candidate pool, Select Board members chose David Kucharsky, Gary Hebert and Rick Smyers to fill the three public seats on the town’s new Traffic Safety Advisory Committee at their Oct. 11 meeting. Town Meeting created the committee by approving Article 49 on the warrant this past May. The article was sponsored by resident Dan Albert, who did doctoral work in transportation at the University of Michigan and has spent decades researching, studying and writing about transportation safety issues. Albert was among the 11 candidates for the committee interviewed by the Select Board, and he was not the only candidate with deep experience and a demonstrated passion for helping drivers, cyclists and pedestri...

Rich Rubino next Council on Aging Speaker Series lecturer

16Oct

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Culture, Local News, Politics

Rich Rubino next Council on Aging Speaker Series lecturer

The Marblehead Council on Aging Speakers Series has announced its next event, "A Funny Thing Happened on the Campaign Trail," featuring speaker Rich Rubino, author and political analys The event will take place Wednesday, Nov. 15 at 1 p.m. at the Marblehead Council on Aging. Rubino will recount humorous stories from past presidential campaigns. Rubino is the author of five political books, including his most recent, "The Great American Political Trivia Challenge: Political Trivia on Steroids." He frequently appears on national television analyzing U.S. politics and has contributed over 100 political analysis pieces to The Huffington Post. The Marblehead Speakers Series produces free educational events quarterly at the Council on Aging. Recent programs have covered topics like...

Two local vigils planned amid bloody conflict in Israel, Gaza

10Oct

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Culture, Local News, Politics, Religion, Top Stories

Two local vigils planned amid bloody conflict in Israel, Gaza

**This story has been updated with information about a second vigil being planned. Two local vigils are planned as violence continues in Israel and Gaza after a bloody incursion by Hamas. A community vigil is planned for Wednesday, 7:30 p.m., at Congregation Shirat Hayam in Swampscott. The JCC in Marblehead is cohosting the gathering. Another event is planned for Sunday at 4:30 p.m. in Marblehead, cosponsored by the Marblehead Racial Justice Team the Task Force Against Disccrimination and others. The location is still being determined. Hamas invaded Israel, killing hundreds of people and taking hostages, over the weekend. In response, the Israeli military has imposed a complete lockdown and siege of Gaza, cutting off electricity, food, medical supplies and fuel to the ...

Rep. Armini, Zisson advocate for three-year Select Board terms

27Sep

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Beacon Hill, Local News, Municipal Matters, Politics, Top Stories

Rep. Armini, Zisson advocate for three-year Select Board terms

State Rep. Jenny Armini told colleagues on Beacon Hill that the time has come for Marblehead to transition to three-year terms for its Select Board. At a Sept. 26 hearing, she emphasized that the constant campaigning required by one-year terms is detrimental. State Rep. Jenny Armini spoke in support of three-year Marblehead Select Board terms on Tuesday, Sept. 26. COURTESY PHOTO Town Meeting last May approved the change, but it needs to be approved by the Legislature to take effect. Testifying before the Legislature's Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government, Armini pointed out that Marblehead is the only Massachusetts town that still elects its Select Board members to one-year terms. This annual election cycle, she said, hampers long-term planning. "Expertise...

State law requires town to identify a total of 27 acres of denser zoning

19Sep

By William J. Dowd1 Comment

Beacon Hill, Local News, Municipal Matters, Politics, Top Stories, Travel

State law requires town to identify a total of 27 acres of denser zoning

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to remove references to outdated information about how close to bus stops multi-family housing must be located under the new state law. Final guidelines released by the Executive Office of Housing & Economic Development on Aug. 10, 2022, allow communities like Marblehead with fewer than 100 developable acres within a half-mile of a bus station to choose any appropriate location for the revised zoning. The Marblehead Planning Board is exploring ways to comply with a state law that requires MBTA communities to zone for multifamily housing. Marblehead must zone for multifamily housing within 1/2 mile of at least one MBTA bus stop, like this one on Humphrey Street. CURRENT PHOTO / WILLIAM J. DOWD The mandate will help the state “meet o...

To the editor: Faith in government restored

19Sep

By Letter to the editor1 Comment

LETTERS, Politics

To the editor: Faith in government restored

Over the last few years, our sense of idealism has fragmented. Between hearings, trials, leaks, and exposes, it was hard to maintain a grasp on our hope for a better tomorrow. We watched as our nation’s capital was stormed and defaced. We watched shouting matches in the pool of the House of Representatives. The darkest elements of politics were exposed and amplified, while the voices of our true leaders were silenced. Politics were demonized and the leaders of our municipalities, states and nation were pegged as corrupt and greedy. But my entire perception of the people behind politics changed this summer when State Representative Jenny Armini honored me with the opportunity of interning in her office. Molly Blander with State Rep. Jenny Armini at the State House COURTESY PHOTO ...

‘Less bridge, more rail trail’: Marblehead rethinks use of $1.4M COVID-19 funds

18Sep

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Life Style, Local News, Municipal Matters, Politics, Recreation, Top Stories

‘Less bridge, more rail trail’: Marblehead rethinks use of $1.4M COVID-19 funds

After hearing from several disappointed residents, town officials adjusted their plans to use $1.4 million in federal COVID-19 relief money to reconstruct two aging bridges along the Marblehead Rail Trail. A section of the Marblehead Rail Trail at Lead Mills to undergo improvements as part of a phased expansion plan funded by redirected federal COVID-19 relief money. CURRENT PHOTO / WILLIAM J. DOWD After hearing from residents that they viewed maintenance of the well-traversed trail itself a higher priority, the town adopted a “new approach,” Town Planner Becky Cutting and Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer reported to the Select Board Sept. 13. "What we're trying to do is make less bridge, more trail," Kezer said. The funds will now be used to construct smaller bridges to impr...