Top Stories

Current denied request to attend health board member’s info session
07 Jun

Current denied request to attend health board member’s info session

Kris OlsonMunicipal Matters, Top Stories
Tom McMahon, a candidate for re-election to the Board of Health, has denied the Current's request to attend his information session on the override vote and the town's new trash collection program scheduled for Sunday afternoon. Tom McMahon Asked whether the press would be welcome to attend, McMahon first asked the Current to prove its lack of bias by demonstrating that it understood the formulas underlying the two override calculators created by the citizens' groups For Marblehead and Better Way Marblehead. After a response was…
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Marblehead Class of 2026 graduates, embarks on new chapter
05 Jun

Marblehead Class of 2026 graduates, embarks on new chapter

Luca TedescoEducation, Marblehead Public Schools, Top Stories
“Class of 2026, today is about us,” were the words from Marblehead High School salutatorian Ian Chemel during an address to the graduating class of 2026 at Piper Field on Friday night. “We’re done! We did it! We got up for that dreaded 7:55 a.m. bell however many hundreds of times," Chemel added. "We pushed through probably thousands of pages of notes and who knows how many essays and lab reports and presentations. On this day of celebration, I hope we can all take a…
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Swimming in numbers: A user’s guide to the four override calculators
05 Jun

Swimming in numbers: A user’s guide to the four override calculators

Leigh Blander Kris OlsonMunicipal Matters, Top Stories, Town Election Guide
Residents may have noticed that if you use the various override calculators to calculate the tax impact of the upcoming override vote, you get different answers. To help explain why that is, we ran the home value of a $1 million property through each calculator and spoke with the creators of the calculators to clarify deviations in the results. To try to keep the comparisons “apples to apples,” we are focusing on what the calculators are saying are the increases attributable to the overrides and…
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Early in-person voting ends with long lines; Election Day is Tuesday
04 Jun

Early in-person voting ends with long lines; Election Day is Tuesday

Leigh BlanderPolitics, Top Stories, Town Election Guide
As Marblehead decides a historic, tiered override that would hike taxes permanently, voters took advantage of three days of in-person, early voting at Abbot Hall. The line stretched through the building on just before the polls (inside the Town Clerk's Office) closed. Up next: Election Day on June 9, when residents may cast their votes 7 a.m.-8 p.m. at either Abbot Hall or the high school field house, depending on what precinct they live in. You can find your precinct at WhereDoIVoteMA.com. Voters stand in…
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Temporary repairs to begin this week at Stramski’s Pier after February damage
03 Jun

Temporary repairs to begin this week at Stramski’s Pier after February damage

Leigh BlanderPublic safety, Sailing, Top Stories
Temporary repairs are about to underway at Stramski’s Pier as town officials race to reopen the popular waterfront facility before the height of the summer boating season. The town-owned pier suffered significant structural damage when a sailboat broke free from its mooring during a February blizzard and slammed into the structure. Harbor officials estimate permanent repairs could cost as much as $300,000. The town has already removed damaged materials and is awaiting final approval from the Conservation Commission for emergency repairs. This sailboat crashed into…
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Marblehead High seniors prepare for graduation
03 Jun

Marblehead High seniors prepare for graduation

Leigh BlanderMarblehead Public Schools, Top Stories
Final preparations are underway for the Marblehead High School Class of 2026 graduation ceremony, set for Friday, June 5, at 6 p.m.  The school will graduate 183 seniors this year. Commencement exercises are scheduled to take place on Piper Field, with the ceremony moving inside the field house in the event of rain. The MHS concert band and orchestra will perform several pieces, including “Vienna” by Billy Joel and “Rivers and Roads” arranged by 2023 graduate Griffin Collins. Members of the Class of 2024 throw…
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CURRENT EVENTS: Marblehead’s best bets coming up
01 Jun

CURRENT EVENTS: Marblehead’s best bets coming up

Leigh BlanderCommunity Resources, Culture, Education, Entertainment, Local History, Recreation, Top Stories
Current Events spotlights notable happenings around town in the coming week. To submit a listing, email Current Editor Leigh Blander at lblander@marbleheadnews.org Jazz evening Thursday, June 4, 7-10:30 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.)The jazz artist Alex Minasian Quartet will perform at The Marblehead Arts Association, 8 Hooper St. Enjoy a cash bar. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased at tickettailor.com/events/marbleheadarts/2182376 or in advance at the Marblehead Art Association or at Arnould Gallery.  The Heritage Friend Event Thursday, June 4, 5:30-7 p.m. Join Essex Heritage for an evening exploring hidden histories…
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Hundreds cheer MHS seniors at red-carpet prom sendoff
01 Jun

Hundreds cheer MHS seniors at red-carpet prom sendoff

Leigh BlanderMarblehead Public Schools, Top Stories
Marblehead High School seniors received a celebrity-style sendoff Monday evening as they walked a literal red carpet on their way to prom at the Beauport Hotel in Gloucester. Hundreds of parents, friends, teachers and fellow students lined the path from the school field house to the buses waiting in the circular driveway, cheering, applauding and snapping photos as the soon-to-be graduates made their entrance in formal gowns, tuxedos and suits. The annual tradition transformed the high school campus into a festive celebration, giving the Class…
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Signs point to… not the whole story
01 Jun

Signs point to… not the whole story

Kris OlsonMunicipal Matters, Top Stories, Town Election Guide
By now, you likely have seen them on lawns throughout town: the anti-override group Better Way Marblehead’s signs, which read “$7,500+ Per Home Every 3 Years, Forever!” Some residents may have wondered, “Is that true?” Here’s our assessment. WHAT THE SIGN GETS RIGHT: The overrides the town will be voting on June 9 are, in fact, “forever.” They are general overrides that remain part of the tax rate rather than exclusions that drop off the tax levy when the bonds issued to finance a particular…
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