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School Committee interviews finalists for interim super, decision may come Thursday
Education, Local News, Marblehead Public Schools, Top Stories

School Committee interviews finalists for interim super, decision may come Thursday

The School Committee may decide this Thursday on the district's next interim superintendent, after interviewing two finalists Monday evening. Although it was a public meeting, parents, teachers and community members in attendance were not permitted to ask questions. School Committee Chair Sarah Fox said the same rules were in effect in 2019 during the last interim superintendent interviews. Theresa McGuinness answers questions from the School Committee CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER Candidate Theresa McGuinness, former principal at the Village School, said if hired she would like to eventually become the permanent superintendent. The other candidate, Jannell Pearson-Campbell, has worked 23 years in education, most recently as interim superintendent in Northampton. She did not ...
Local News, Marblehead Public Schools, Top Stories

School Committee members, acting super say they can’t find deleted texts

Three School Committee members and acting Superintendent Michelle Cresta — who deleted text messages from the weeks when they were discussing the fate of former superintendent John Buckey — say they can not retrieve the texts, after being ordered by the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office to try. “Ms. Cresta, Ms. Fox and Ms. Taylor confirmed that they followed up with their cell phone carrier and the text messages could not be retrieved,” wrote Lisa Dimier, the district’s public records officer, referring to School Committee Chair Sarah Fox and member Alison Taylor. Top left,clockwise: Acting superintendent Michelle Cresta, School Committee Chair Sarah Fox, member Alison Taylor, member Jenn Schaeffner Dimier included information from School Committee member Jenn Schaeffner. “...
Local News, Public safety, Top Stories

Accident sends juvenile on bike to hospital

A juvenile riding a bicycle was rushed to the hospital this morning after an accident involving a car at the corner of West Shore Drive and Shorewood Road. The juvenile was not wearing a helmet. The car was turning from West Shore onto Shorewood at 7:45 a.m. when it collided with the cyclist. Police Chief Dennis King tells the Current that the juvenile’s injuries were minor. The driver is not being cited. King said he remembers another car/bicycle accident on West Shore within the last year. It is a very busy area during school drop-off hours. “Since I’ve been here we’ve done a lot of selective enforcement for speeding,” King said. “There is a speed feedback sign by the Tower School and by the cemetery [on West Shore Drive].” King pointed out speeding was not a factor in this mor...
Columns, Community resources, Culture, Environment, Local News, Top Stories

GUEST COLUMN: Boy Scout reflects on an epic hike

Ten scouts and six adult chaperones from Marblehead’s Scout Troop 11 are back from a two-week hiking trip to Antelope Canyon and the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks over the summer. The Scouts, ages 14 to 18, faced 110 degree temperatures and water shortages. They also braved challenging conditions on the trails, but they persevered and had the trip of a lifetime. Marblehead Scout Troop 11 hiking through Antelope Canyon in Arizona. COURTESY PHOTO Thirst aid The central adventure for the trip was backpacking at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. The Scouts split into two groups. The older Scouts descended to the bottom of the Canyon and the younger scouts hiked along the edge of the north rim, gaining some great views into the canyon. The older crew backpacke...
Education, Local News, Marblehead Public Schools, Top Stories

Today: School Committee holds public interviews with interim super candidates, vote possible

The School Committee meets today, Oct. 2, at 5 p.m., for public interviews with two finalists for the district’s interim superintendent position. Details of the meeting and how people can join in person or on Zoom are HERE. One of the candidates is a familiar face: Theresa McGuinness, who was the Village School principal from 2012 to 2016. The other candidate is Jannell D. Pearson-Campbell, who recently completed an interim superintendent job in western Massachusetts. The two finalists for Marblehead’s interim superintendent job — Jannell D. Pearson-Campbell, left, and Theresa McGuinness — were set for public interviews on Monday, Oct. 2.  COURTESY PHOTOS McGuinness was a finalist when Marblehead hired a permanent superintendent in 2020. That job ultimately went to John Buckey...
Local News, Marblehead Public Schools, Sports, Top Stories

In wildly competitive game, Magicians lose to undefeated Peabody

Marblehead High football coach Jim Rudloff said after the game against North Andover, his team’s fourth straight non-league loss to begin the 2023 season, that the Northeastern Conference divisional season is right around the corner with all the preseason goals still intact. Rudloff was not talking about last Friday night’s game at Peabody. He was actually referring to the games against Masco and Beverly over the next two weeks. “Moving forward, we are fortunate enough that our (divisional schedule) doesn’t start for another week against Masco,” said Rudloff after the North Andover game. “And with that said our goals remain the same, and that’s to have a winning record, win the (division), make the playoffs and win a state championship. As of right now, all of those goals are still ...
Marblehead Public Schools, Sports, Top Stories

Running right out her shoe, O’Connell wins state race

The Marblehead High girls cross-country team participated in the annual Massachusetts State Track Coaches Association’s Frank Kelley Invitational at the Wrentham Developmental Center on Sept. 30. The meet featured two separate races, one was designed for just the freshman and sophomore runners, while the other one was designated for junior and senior harriers with a few exemptions in both the small and large school divisions. MHS sophomore Marietta O'Connell COURTESY PHOTO/CAT PIPER The Magicians had one of those exemptions, and to nobody’s surprise sophomore Marrietta O’Connell (10:51.2) rose to the occasion to win the 3k small school race with plenty to spare, even with just wearing one shoe. O’Connell has been an elite varsity runner the last two years, and nothing and nobody s...
Community resources, Local News, Marblehead Public Schools, Municipal Matters, Top Stories

Affordable housing, a new school or something else? What’s next for the Coffin School?

Town and school leaders are debating the fate of the Coffin School property on Turner Road. Built in 1948, Coffin closed in October 2021, and neighborhood students moved to the new Brown School on Baldwin Road. Initial discussions were that Coffin would be sold to a developer to create affordable housing.  The Coffin School was built in 1948 with an annex added in 1962. CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER It is the School Committee’s authority to determine if the Coffin property no longer has any educational use and should be handed over to the town. Until that happens, the town cannot move forward with plans to sell it. In recent meetings, School Committee Chair Sarah Fox spoke about demolishing the school and possibly holding onto the property. “Whether we sell it for afforda...
Education, Local News, Marblehead Public Schools, Top Stories

Two finalists for interim superintendent announced

A familiar face is one two finalists for the interim superintendent position, the screening committee announced Thursday. Theresa McGuinness, former Village School principal, is one of two finalists for the interim superintendent position. COURTESY PHOTO “The Interim Superintendent Screening Committee, after reviewing several applications and performing interviews, has selected Dr. Theresa McGuinness and Dr. Jannell D. Pearson-Campbell as finalists to present to the Marblehead School Committee,” School Committee Chair Sarah Fox wrote in a press release Thursday morning. McGuinness served as the Village School principal from 2012 to 2016 and was a finalist the last time Marblehead hired a permanent superintendent. The job ultimately went to John Buckey. The School Committee came ...
Art, Culture, Local History, Local News, Top Stories

Anchoring the past: Eric Jay Dolin’s ‘Rebels at Sea’ captures national attention

Nautical history author Eric Jay Dolin embodied Marblehead’s maritime spirit in his last book “Rebels at Sea: Privateering in the American Revolution.” Dolin’s 15th book has been racking up awards since its publication last year, including the 2023 Fraunces Tavern Museum Book Award and the Samuel Eliot Morison Award for Naval Literature. This coming May, Dolin will release his 16th book “Left for Dead: Shipwreck, Treachery, and Survival at the Edge of the World.” “Rebels at Sea” recounts the largely untold story of colonial privateers and their role in the Revolutionary War. According to Dolin, privateers commissioned by the American government to attack British vessels played a crucial role in colonial victory. Dolin commented that before beginning his research for the book, h...
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