Top Stories - Marblehead Current

16 Oct

UPDATE: Moulton’s Salem office receives envelope with mystery powder

Leigh BlanderPolitics, Top Stories

U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton’s Salem office is among the targets of a nationwide wave of suspicious mailings containing unknown powdery substances sent to election offices and congressional offices across the country. Moulton is a Marblehead native. The FBI and Salem Police responded to Moulton’s Front Street office in Salem today, according to his Chief of Staff Neesha Suarez, who shared a photo of the suspicious envelope with the Current. At 1:30 p.m., Suarez updated the Current. “SPD officers and FBI agents came to the Salem…

16 Oct

In-person early voting begins Saturday

Leigh BlanderPolitics, Top Stories

Here’s a list of important dates related to the Nov. 3 election here in Massachusetts. For more information, visit sec.state.ma.us. Saturday, Oct. 17: In-person, early voting begins. Check Marblehead's schedule HERE. Saturday, Oct. 24: Voter registration deadline. Online registrations must be submitted by 11:59 p.m.; mailed registrations must be postmarked by this date. Tuesday, Oct. 27, 5 p.m.: Deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot. The application must be received by the Town Clerk’s Office by 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30: Last day of in-person, early…

15 Oct

New Coffin School survey favors housing, green space

Leigh BlanderMunicipal Matters, Top Stories

Developers' proposals for the Coffin School property are due Monday, Oct. 19. Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer said an evaluation committee will review qualifying submissions and recommend one or more projects for Select Board consideration. Meanwhile, Marblehead residents who responded to a town survey favor smaller homes, affordable housing and green space at the former Coffin School property, according to results presented to the Select Board on Oct. 14. The town's first FlashVote survey drew 300 responses, with participants favoring starter homes, age-restricted housing and townhouses.…

15 Oct

Winter parking ban again replaced by restrictions

Leigh BlanderMunicipal Matters, Top Stories

Marblehead is again eliminating its traditional midnight-to-7 a.m. winter parking ban this season, replacing it with restrictions imposed only during declared snow emergencies. The Select Board approved the change, which allows the DPW director, police chief and fire chief, working with the town administrator, to determine when restrictions begin and end based on weather forecasts and road conditions. Vehicles violating declared snow emergency restrictions may be ticketed or towed. Blue warning lights will soon be installed at strategic locations around town to alert drivers when…

14 Oct

Select Board presents resolution honoring Coyne to family, friends

Leigh BlanderTop Stories

The Select Board presented friends and family of Owen Coyne a special resolution honoring the life of the 17-year-old student athlete who died Oct. 1 of a brain hemorrhage. Select Board Chair Dan Fox presents a resolution honoring Owen Coyne to his family and friends Wednesday night. Coyne's father, siblings and many friends were at Abbot Hall tonight to receive the resolution. Read it below: WHEREAS, the Town of Marblehead mourns the tragic and untimely passing of Owen Paradise Coyne, a beloved Marblehead High School…

14 Oct

Town administrator search moving forward

Leigh BlanderMunicipal Matters, Top Stories

Approximately 15 candidates applied for Marblehead’s town administrator position, according to Select Board member and Screening Committee Chair Erin Noonan. In addition to Noonan, the Screening Committee includes Police Chief Dennis King, Finance Committee Chair Molly Teets, Select Board member Jim Zisson and former Select Board member Jim Nye. Noonan told the Current that following interviews on Oct. 16, 19, 20, “we will make the decision on which (candidates) to move forward as finalists before the full Select Board.” The names of applicants are being…

14 Oct

Nine questions, one ballot: What voters will decide Nov. 3

Leigh BlanderBeacon Hill, Politics, Top Stories

Editor's note: This article was updated Oct. 14 to correct an error regarding the effects of "yes" and "no" votes on Question 9 and to clarify that Emily DeJoy and the Marblehead Republican Town Committee oppose Question 9. The Current has been reporting on the Nov. 3 election, when voters will decide several key races as well as nine ballot questions. On Oct. 7, we reported on the local impacts of Questions 1-5. Here’s a look at Questions 6-9. Question 6: A fund for conservation…

13 Oct

Marblehead considers ban on data centers

Leigh BlanderMunicipal Matters, Top Stories

Marblehead could move to ban data centers under a new zoning bylaw, following a discussion at the Planning Board's Oct. 13 meeting. Planning Board Chair Marc Liebman raised the possibility of prohibiting data centers in town, citing concerns about their impact on communities and pointing to similar efforts underway in Salem. "There's all kinds of reasons why data centers create a strain on the communities they're in," Liebman said. Data centers are facilities that house computer servers and other equipment used to store, process and…

13 Oct

Police warn of email scam targeting Marblehead planning, zoning applicants

Leigh BlanderPublic safety, Top Stories

Marblehead Police issued a fraud alert after residents were targeted by a nationwide phishing and impersonation scam involving people with active applications before local planning and zoning boards. Marblehead Planning Board Chair Marc Liebman shared with the Current one fraudulent email sent to a local resident. The sender purported to be Liebman and instructed the applicant to settle an attached invoice, return proof of payment and submit a signed copy of the invoice. Notably, the message stated that checks were no longer being accepted because…

13 Oct

CURRENT EVENTS: Marblehead’s best bets coming up

Leigh BlanderArt, Community Resources, Culture, Entertainment, 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. Harmonies at Me&TheeFriday, Oct. 16, 8 p.m. Get ready for some serious harmonizing. Windborne brings its distinctive blend of traditional folk music and vocal harmony to Me&Thee Music. The acclaimed ensemble digs deep into musical traditions while giving old songs a fresh, contemporary sound. For information and tickets, visit meandthee.org. Fall fun by the beachSaturday, Oct. 17, 10 a.m.-noon Pumpkins, paint and a…