Top Stories - Marblehead Current

19 Sep

Whale, hello there: Marblehead boater gets some very large visitors

Leigh BlanderAnimals, Top Stories

Price Williams has spent most of his life on the waters around Marblehead. But nothing in nearly three decades of boating prepared him for what happened Thursday about six miles off Marblehead. Williams was out on the water with his mother and his golden retriever, Dash, when three humpback whales appeared. And then they stuck around. For about 90 minutes, Williams said, the whales repeatedly approached his stopped boat, swimming alongside it, passing underneath it and sometimes popping up close enough to seemingly get a…

18 Sep

Oh, what a night! Football Magicians shut out Mustangs

Luca TedescoSports, Top Stories

The Marblehead High football Magicians beat the Medway Mustangs under the lights at Piper Field Friday, 26-0. The Current spoke with MHS coach Jim Rudloff right after the game. https://videopress.com/v/o8wIWnIp?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true “I’m super happy for the guys,” said Marblehead head coach Jim Rudloff following the win. “The kids really performed outstanding tonight. The communication was terrific, the way the kids looked out for each other. I think offensively we made some mistakes, but both quarterbacks did a nice job tonight. It’s just a good win for…

18 Sep

State’s highest court rejects latest MBTA Communities Act challenge

Kris OlsonTop Stories

The state’s highest court on Sept. 18 has denied the latest legal challenge to the MBTA Communities Act, brought by Marshfield and its select board. Marshfield Town Meeting voters twice rejected zoning amendments that would comply with the law, G.L.c. 40A, §3A. The Marshfield Select Board then voted not to submit an interim action plan or take further steps towards compliance with the law. Instead, Marshfield joined several municipalities that took the state to court in litigation consolidated before Superior Court Judge Mark C. Gildea.…

17 Sep

Friends of Marblehead Hockey launches $25M campaign for indoor rink at Y

Leigh BlanderSports, Top Stories

A decades-old Marblehead dream is getting another shot. The Current has learned that Friends of Marblehead Hockey is mounting a $25 million fundraising campaign to build an indoor skating arena and new parking facility at the Lynch-van Otterloo YMCA, an ambitious project that would give local hockey players, figure skaters and recreational skaters access to home ice. Friends of Marblehead Hockey would raise the money, build the facility and then donate it to the YMCA of the North Shore, which would own and operate it.…

17 Sep

Conservancy airs concerns as Rail Trail work advances

Leigh BlanderEnvironment, Top Stories

Marblehead is moving ahead with plans to improve several stretches of its popular 4.5-mile Rail Trail, with one section approaching 90% design, another awaiting coordination with a Marblehead Municipal Light Department resiliency project and a third tied up in a state contract that town officials have been waiting more than a year to execute. But as the plans advance, the Marblehead Conservancy is raising concerns that the town may be going too far — transforming what it sees as a rustic, natural trail into something…

16 Sep

Reynolds plans put on ice as town untangles Lime Street issues

Leigh BlanderRecreation, Sports, Top Stories

The Recreation and Parks Commission is putting the Reynolds Playground redevelopment on pause while town officials investigate complicated ownership, drainage and easement issues involving nearby Lime Street. Commissioners agreed Sept. 15 that it would be premature to advance the project further into design until they better understand infrastructure surrounding the site, particularly a drainage pipe and Lime Street, which is a private way. “It doesn't mean it's not going to happen. It means it's a pause, right? Pause and wait and see,” Recreation and Parks…

16 Sep

Sit for Peace brings quiet reflection to Devereux Beach

Julie FlynnTop Stories

More than 25 people gathered at Devereux Beach Thursday evening, Sept 10, for the Sit for Peace. Residents arrived with chairs, blankets and cushions to meditate together, listen to the surf and reflect on peace as the sun set over Marblehead. “It’s always the right time to sit and meditate, be calm and grateful to listen to the surf amongst my community,” said Marblehead resident Sheena Nancy Sarles. The Sit for Peace was a follow-up to the well-attended Mother’s Day Walk for Peace. People gather…

15 Sep

Planning Board grapples with ADU rules in two contentious applications

Akanksha GoyalMunicipal Matters, real estate, Top Stories

Two accessory dwelling unit applications before the Planning Board Sept. 8 highlighted a question the board is still working through: how much discretion does it have over projects the state now requires communities to allow by right? Board members spent nearly three hours weighing concerns about building size, neighborhood character, emergency access and existing zoning restrictions against the state’s protections for qualifying ADUs. The Planning Board discussed two ADU applications at its Sept. 8 meeting. The board had invited Town Counsel Adam Costa to the…

15 Sep

CURRENT EVENTS: Marblehead’s best bets coming up

Leigh BlanderArt, Culture, Entertainment, Environment, Top Stories

Current Events spotlights exciting happenings in the coming week. If you’d like to contribute a listing, please email the Current at info@marbleheadnews.org. Find Your Climate Action with Vienna TengFriday, Sept. 18, 4-5 p.mReady to take action on climate change but aren’t sure where to start? Join Sustainable Marblehead for a workshop to discover climate actions that fit your life, interests and priorities. Singer-songwriter Vienna Teng hosts interactive climate action workshops while on tour to help fans connect their personal lives and priorities with meaningful…

15 Sep

Swampscott board hears plans for 140-unit Glover residences, historic house preservation

Monica SagerLocal History, Top Stories

This article is shared from the Swampscott Tides. Attorney Gerry D’Ambrosio, counsel for the Glover Residences project, presented revised plans for the 140-unit development to the Swampscott Planning Board Monday, confirming that the historic Glover House will be preserved. “The goal with the Glover House is to integrate it within the development,” D’Ambrosio said. “They are not going to spend tens of millions of dollars and have a dilapidated Glover House... It’s a drastic, drastic improvement.” D’Ambrosio presented a slideshow and fielded questions from the…