Top Stories - Marblehead Current

29 Aug

After vandalizing bike park shed, teens return to make things right

Leigh BlanderSports, Top Stories

The shed at the Green Street Bike Park is gone, but the story of what happened to it may have ended about as well as anyone could have hoped. Weeks after a group of local teenage boys vandalized the shed at the 5.7-acre park in Green Street Woods, they came forward, admitted what they had done and returned to help demolish what remained of the damaged structure. For the adults who helped create and maintain the park, it was a fitting resolution at a place…

28 Aug

Say ‘treat!’ Golden retrievers gather for annual family portrait

Grey CollinsAnimals, Top Stories

Chandler Hovey Park once again became a sea of golden fur and wagging tails as more than two dozen dogs and their families gathered for the annual golden retriever family portrait on Thursday, Aug. 27. The canines and their humans met under the lighthouse before lining up and settling into the grass by the water for the photo. The tradition, which began 15 years ago with just seven English golden retrievers, has grown into a beloved summer gathering for dog owners around town. More than…

28 Aug

Meet Marblehead tennis pro Vence N’Tcha

Julie FlynnSports, Top Stories

With his wide-brimmed hat and ever-present smile, Vence N’Tcha is a familiar sight around the tennis courts at Eastern Yacht Club. In some ways, that’s nothing new. N’Tcha says he was “pretty much born on the tennis courts.” Originally from Benin in West Africa, N’Tcha is now in his fifth season as a tennis pro at Eastern Yacht Club. Dan McCormick, a friend and the former tennis director at Eastern Yacht Club who hired N’Tcha, said “Vence has an infectious positivity that I’ve never seen…

27 Aug

Friday morning is the last chance to vote early in state primary

Leigh BlanderPolitics, Top Stories

Friday is the last day of early, in-person voting for the Sept. 1 primary election. Voting hours Friday are 8:30 a.m.-noon at Abbot Hall, 188 Washington St. Senate showdown Marblehead native and U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton is challenging incumbent Sen. Ed Markey for the Democratic nomination for Markey’s Senate seat. The two Democrats support many of the same policies, including ending the war in Iran, abolishing ICE and healthcare for all. Moulton, 47, says it's time for generational change in Washington and that Markey, who…

27 Aug

MHS roof project nears finish as students return Monday

Leigh BlanderMarblehead Public Schools, Top Stories

With Marblehead High School students set to return Monday, Aug. 31, the school’s long-awaited roof and HVAC project is nearing completion, and school officials say the remaining work will not interfere with the start of classes. The project has included installation of a new roof membrane, replacement of wet insulation and new HVAC units, along with interior restoration work in areas affected by the construction. Finishing touches are being placed on the Marblehead High roof project. CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER The town authorized approximately…

27 Aug

Town moves closer to Green Communities designation, expands police hiring options

Leigh BlanderEnvironment, Public safety, Top Stories

Marblehead is moving closer to becoming a state-designated Green Community, a step that could unlock hundreds of thousands of dollars for energy-efficiency projects, while the Select Board also approved a new option aimed at expanding the Police Department’s shrinking pool of job candidates. Those were among several issues the board took up at its Aug. 26 meeting, along with preparations for Marblehead’s 400th anniversary, a new speed feedback sign on the Neck and upcoming Fire Department promotions. Green Communities push revived Community Development and Planning…

27 Aug

Marblehead native comes home to direct first film

Grey CollinsArt, Sailing, Top Stories

For three cold, windy May days this year, a sailboat moored in Marblehead Harbor became a bustling film set. Led by Marblehead native Molly Greville, the cast and crew of the short film “Waspringa” braved the inhospitable conditions to get the job done and send the film to the post-production phase. Greville wrote, directed and stars in the film. The 18-minute movie, which Greville describes as a dark comedy and a coming-of-age story, explores the dynamics between family members on their annual sailing trip in…

26 Aug

After cuts and turmoil, superintendent looks toward stable future as classes start Monday

Leigh BlanderEducation, Marblehead Public Schools, Top Stories

After a few turbulent years marked by a teachers strike, deep budget cuts and a contentious override campaign, Superintendent John Robidoux is heading into the new school year with a more predictable road ahead. Marblehead schools begin the new year Monday, Aug. 31, after a budget process that resulted in $4.7 million in cuts and the elimination of 22 full-time-equivalent positions. The $15 million operating override approved by voters in May does not restore those cuts this school year. Instead, it establishes a multiyear funding…

26 Aug

‘Flower’ at Transfer Station is harvesting sunshine

Leigh BlanderArt, Environment, Top Stories

If you happen to spot a giant flower blooming at the Transfer Station, don’t worry — it’s supposed to be there. The striking, sculpture-like structure is a SmartFlower, a solar energy system designed to turn sunlight into electricity while making renewable energy impossible to miss. “It’s a pretty cool thing. It’s very eye-catching,” said Matt Lipsitz of Marblehead, who works for SmartFlower. The flower, which stands about one story tall and stretches roughly 17 feet across when fully open, is temporarily on display near the…

25 Aug

Looking for answers to road and sidewalk projects

Leigh BlanderMunicipal Matters, Public safety, Top Stories

Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer says there is a “method to the madness” behind Marblehead’s much-criticized road and sidewalk work, while acknowledging that communicating that plan to residents has been a challenge. The condition and construction of the town’s roads and sidewalks have become a heated topic on social media and in letters to the editor, with residents questioning how projects are prioritized, how money is being spent and what work is planned next. People are also complaining about bumpy patchwork, saying it creates dangerous conditions…