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Q1 appears to pass, Q2 fails as vote count goes deep into night
22 Jun

Q1 appears to pass, Q2 fails as vote count goes deep into night

Leigh Blander0 CommentsLocal News, Marblehead Public Schools, Politics, Top Stories
After several hectic hours when ballots ran out in all six Marblehead precincts, some initial election results showed voters approving Question 1, a $24.3 override for town capital spending, and rejecting Question2, a $3 million override for the schools. (Read more about the override votes on Wednesday, June 22.) The town-wide ballot shortage forced election officials to print paper copies of ballots, which could not be run through voting machines. That prompted a hand count that continued late into the night. Election workers were at…
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Marblehead voters OK $24.3M in capital projects
21 Jun

Marblehead voters OK $24.3M in capital projects

Will Dowd1 CommentLocal News, Marblehead Public Schools, Politics, Top Stories
In the Tuesday election, Marblehead approved a Proposition 2 1/2 debt-exclusion override to finance a $24.3 million smorgasbord of capital improvement projects over the next five years. According to preliminary machine and hand counted results, the first of two Proposition 2 1/2 override questions on the day's ballot was approved by a vote of 3,352 "yes" votes - or 57 percent - to 2,177 "no" votes. A total of 5,845 ballots were cast in a turnout that depleted the town's stockpile of ballots. "It's great,"…
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Marblehead voters turn down $3M permanent override for schools
21 Jun

Marblehead voters turn down $3M permanent override for schools

Will Dowd1 CommentLocal News, Marblehead Public Schools, Politics, Top Stories
In their annual election on Tuesday, Marblehead voters tuned down a proposed $3 million permanent override that sought to supplement the town's $43 million education budget. According to preliminary machine and hand counted results, the Proposition 2 1/2 override was defeated by a vote of 3,921 "no" votes - or by 67 percent - to 1,798 "yes" votes. A total of 5,845 ballots were cast in a turnout that depleted the town's stockpile of ballots. The measure would have raised Marblehead's levy limit and would…
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Polling places run out of ballots across town
21 Jun

Polling places run out of ballots across town

Kris Olson2 CommentsLocal News, Top Stories
The supply of ballots for Tuesday's election had been depleted town wide by 5 p.m., an employee of the town clerk's office has confirmed. Residents voting after that time were voting using makeshift photocopied ballots that could not be fed through the town's voting machines and will need to be hand counted, in all likelihood delaying the official results, the employee added. Marblehead Town Clerk Robin Michaud in Abbot Hall after polls closed on Tuesday. The Marblehead News first learned of possible problems in administering…
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NAMING CONTEST UPDATE: Suggestions streaming in
20 Jun

NAMING CONTEST UPDATE: Suggestions streaming in

Kris Olson0 CommentsAbout Us, Local News, Top Stories
Residents have been flooding the Marblehead News' inbox with ideas for a new permanent name for the town's new, nonprofit news source. In no particular order, some of the suggestions we have received include: MarbleHeadlinesMarblehead ScuttlebuttMarblehead TickerMarblehead ForeverMarblehead News Messenger (or just "Messenger," though we need to check with the legal department on that)Marblehead NavigatorMarblehead GazetteDateline: MarbleheadMarblepress PressMarblehead TimesThe Marblehead CoastalThe Marblehead CoastThe Marblehead ShoreShoreline MarbleheadMarblehead VoiceMarblehead WaveUp for AirMarblehead MonitorMarblehead at a Glance, a.k.a. Marblehead GlanceMarblehead Mainsail At least a couple of people think…
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Big crowds, cannon fire at Fort Sewall celebration
20 Jun

Big crowds, cannon fire at Fort Sewall celebration

Leigh Blander0 CommentsLocal News, Top Stories
More than 3,000 people streamed into Fort Sewall on Saturday to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the federal government turning the fort over to the town - and the completion of a $1.8 renovation project. “People are so happy to be back at the fort,” said Larry Sands, chair of the Fort Sewall Oversight Committee, which led the renovation. “Kids are having fun, families are having fun. It’s perfect.” The fort’s lower lawn was decked out with a large white tent and cocktail tables where…
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Question 1 proposes capital spending in four parts
17 Jun

Question 1 proposes capital spending in four parts

Will Dowd0 CommentsTop Stories, Town Election Guide
Marblehead has a history of exercising fiscal prudence within the Proposition 2 1/2 framework to finance capital projects. The process usually unfolds with town officials or a group of citizens identifying a capital need, developing a budget and timeline, and embarking on a campaign to garner community support. Debate plays out in the lead-up to Town Meeting. If the project secures a two-thirds vote on the Town Meeting floor, it heads for a town-wide referendum.  If the project captures a simple majority in that second…
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Marblehead school officials: Question 2 would fund long unmet needs
17 Jun

Marblehead school officials: Question 2 would fund long unmet needs

Will Dowd0 CommentsTop Stories, Town Election Guide
In Question 2 on the Tuesday, June 21 town election ballot, school officials are asking to override by $3 million Proposition 2 1/2, which annually limits increases to property-tax assessments to 2.5 percent.  Education officials say the money is needed to fill a significant funding gap in the district’s $43 million budget that has grown over multiple years.  QUESTION 2: Shall the Town of Marblehead be allowed to assess an additional $3,051,093 in real estate and personal property taxes for the purpose of the School…
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Introducing the Marblehead News Group
16 Jun

Introducing the Marblehead News Group

Kris Olson0 CommentsAbout Us, Top Stories
What you see here today is just a fraction of what we hope to become — with your help. We are veteran journalists and local residents who for the past several months have been laying the groundwork to launch the Marblehead News Group, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit news outlet covering the town. Those involved in guiding the effort include (but are not limited to): Ed Bell, former Boston bureau chief of the Associated Press, MHTV host and Marblehead Harbor Rotarian;Jessica Barnett, teaches communications at Salem State…
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NOT THE SAME OLD THING: The importance of ‘local’ 
16 Jun

NOT THE SAME OLD THING: The importance of ‘local’ 

Kris Olson1 CommentTop Stories, Viewpoints
"The best way to be global is to be local."Alex Atala I know, I know, this quote sounds like some Alice in Wonderland, "Sometimes down is up, sometimes up is down" kind of concept, but really, it's absolutely true. We are all citizens of the world; we all live on this beautiful blue marble and have our humanity in common. But let's face it: When you drill down to a region, a country, a state, city, town, or street, the picture changes a bit, doesn't…
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