Travel - Marblehead Current

Select Board approves ‘as needed’ parking bans for snow

24Oct

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Local News, Municipal Matters, Public safety, Travel, Uncategorized

Select Board approves ‘as needed’ parking bans for snow

The Select Board has voted to implement an "as needed" parking ban during snow emergencies. State Street is flanked by snow piles after a winter storm. The Marblehead Select Board voted in October 2023 to implement a new snow emergency parking ban policy, prohibiting on-street parking overnight during declared snow emergencies to aid snow removal efforts. Vehicles parked in violation would be ticketed and towed. COURTESY PHOTO / MASSMATT VIA FLICKR During a declared snow emergency, on-street parking will be prohibited starting at midnight the day of the expected storm through 7 a.m. If a snow emergency lasts more than one day, the parking ban will be in effect each night of the emergency. Vehicles parked on streets in violation of the ban are subject to ticketing and towing. The ...

19Sep

By William J. Dowd1 Comment

Beacon Hill, Local News, Municipal Matters, Politics, Top Stories, Travel

State law requires town to identify a total of 27 acres of denser zoning

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to remove references to outdated information about how close to bus stops multi-family housing must be located under the new state law. Final guidelines released by the Executive Office of Housing & Economic Development on Aug. 10, 2022, allow communities like Marblehead with fewer than 100 developable acres within a half-mile of a bus station to choose any appropriate location for the revised zoning. The Marblehead Planning Board is exploring ways to comply with a state law that requires MBTA communities to zone for multifamily housing. Marblehead must zone for multifamily housing within 1/2 mile of at least one MBTA bus stop, like this one on Humphrey Street. CURRENT PHOTO / WILLIAM J. DOWD The mandate will help the state “meet o...

13Sep

By Leigh BlanderNo Comments

Art, Culture, Local News, Top Stories, Travel

Life through a lens: Pultizer-winning photographer shares stories from latest adventure

Pulitzer-prize-winning photographer Ulrike Welsch’s ears are “still ringing with the music” after her latest photography trip — this one to the Baltic states Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, where she attended the famous Song and Dance Festival in Riga. “It was just so powerful,” Welsch told the Current during a recent interview in her Marblehead kitchen. “The music goes down to your soul.” Welsch, who turns 83 next month, has traveled the world capturing experiences few seldom get to see first hand. She has visited more than 47 countries, snapping photos everywhere she goes. Marblehead photographer Ulrike Welsch captured this image on her trip to Latvia’s famous Song and Dance Festival this summer. Ulrike Welsch © 2023 all rights reserved “I like to capture a moment, a decisive...

30Aug

By William J. Dowd1 Comment

Beacon Hill, Environment, Local News, Municipal Matters, Top Stories, Travel, Uncategorized

PLUGGING IN: How is Marblehead preparing its power grid for the electric-vehicle boom?

As electric vehicles (EVs) gain traction in Marblehead, the town's officials are taking proactive measures to ensure the local power grid can accommodate the growing demand. Across Massachusetts, communities face a state mandate to cut carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. Widespread EV adoption is a key strategy, aiming for at least 900,000 electric cars on state roadways by 2030. ‘10 years is really tomorrow’ "EVs are coming. How quickly are they going to come? That is the question," said Jean Jacques Yarmoff, a Marblehead Municipal Light Department commissioner focused on the town's energy future. "But for the light department and utilities across the country, 10 years is really tomorrow.” Marblehead is no exception and faces the challenge of reinforcing an aging municipal power...

24Jul

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Life Style, Local News, Sailing, Top Stories, Travel, Uncategorized

Young sailors descend upon Marblehead for Junior Race Week

Marblehead Junior Race Week began Monday afternoon with nearly 240 young sailors from across New England converging on Marblehead Harbor for three days of competitive sailing. A total of 248 kids are participating across various boat categories, with each fleet competing in 12 races over three days. CURRENT PHOTO / WILLIAM J. DOWD The annual regatta, hosted by Pleon Yacht Club, unifies sailors ages eight to 18 to compete in the historic maritime race week. As the young sailors waited to enter the water around 10 a.m., they said Marblehead's notoriously light and shifty winds on the water may be a homecourt advantage and pose a challenge for young racers used to steady breezes. "It's a thing here," said Skipper Lucy Key, 14, referring to Marblehead as a "no wind town." Key i...

5Jul

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Culture, Life Style, Local News, Top Stories, Travel

Rockets red where? Dense fog dims fireworks display

In what was expected to be a night filled with vibrant fireworks, hundreds of spectators around Marblehead Harbor were instead greeted by an unrelenting, dense fog. The heavy fog that rolled in from the sea concealed the sky, reducing the anticipated fireworks to only bursts of color visible through the mist. This damp, foggy evening stood in stark contrast to the vibrant spectacle typically associated with the Marblehead fireworks and harbor illumination, casting a pall over the annual tradition — typically the bookend to a four-day celebration. Barely visible fireworks from Fort Beach on the Fourth of July. COURTESY PHOTO / MEGHAN AMBERIK Despite rain and thunderstorm predictions, the fog turned out to be the unexpected spoiler for the fireworks launched from a barge at t...

30Jun

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Local News, Municipal Matters, Public safety, Top Stories, Travel, Uncategorized

DITCH THE DRIVE: Marblehead commuters brace for Sumner shutdown

Marblehead commuters are advised to prepare for major disruptions as the Sumner Tunnel, a vital transit link for North Shore residents working in Boston, is scheduled to close for two months, beginning Wednesday, July 5. A map showing travel options during the Sumner Tunnel Restoration Project taking place from July 5 to Aug. 31. Opened in 1934, the 1.5-mile passage plays a key role in reducing traffic congestion between East Boston and downtown Boston. This 90-year-old tunnel, only second to the Holland Tunnel in New York in terms of age, will be out of service from July 5 to Aug. 31. The reason: a comprehensive maintenance project that includes replacing the ceiling, installing a new ventilation system and repairing the overhead arch among other things. An equivalent closure...

14Apr

By Leigh BlanderNo Comments

Local News, Top Stories, Travel

Fulbright adventure: Marblehead professor has special connection to India, history

Marblehead resident and Salem State University professor Michele Louro has just returned from her latest trip to India with the Fulbright Scholar program, where she spent two months conducting research for a new book and teaching. Marblehead professor Michele Louro has just returned from her latest trip to India. COURTESY PHOTO “It’s a cross-cultural, online teaching experience with students from Jawaharlal Nehru University and Salem State,” Louro told the Marblehead Current. “The four-week class explores colonialism, anti-colonialism and women — thinking about women and their importance in this history.” Britain colonized India in 1858 and ruled there until 1947. “One of my goals is to not only teach history, but to teach students to be global citizens of the world,” she sai...

31Jan

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Environment, Local News, Municipal Matters, Public safety, Top Stories, Travel

Marblehead to open emergency shelter during weekend cold snap

As arctic cold sweeps through the Northeast, Marblehead Fire Chief Jason Gilliland said the town will open an emergency shelter in the Brown Elementary School on Friday afternoon. "The shelter will open at 5 p.m. Friday and stay open until Sunday morning,” Gilliland told the Marblehead Current on Thursday afternoon. "We will have cots, blankets and obviously heat. There are bathrooms.” extreme_cold_guideDownload The fire chief said the shelter will be open to anybody, but especially to people who do not have proper heat. The National Weather Service has forecast dangerously low wind chills, possibly reaching minus-25 degrees. “All of us are going to be spending a lot of time indoors this weekend,” said Marblehead Public Health Director Andrew Petty. ...

22Jul

By Leigh Blander1 Comment

Business, Culture, Local News, Top Stories, Travel

A milestone year for two famous Marblehead restaurants

A summer afternoon on the deck at The Landing (Courtesy photo) It’s mid-afternoon on a sultry summer Tuesday and The Landing is packed with locals and tourists enjoying cocktails, seafood and the view of Marblehead Harbor. “This place is a landmark,” said Pat Zuchero of Swampscott, as she enjoyed a fish sandwich with a friend. “It’s great to be on a working pier and watch the fishermen. The food here is delicious and the staff is wonderful.” The Landing is celebrating its 50th anniversary this summer. Just a few hundred yards down Front Street, The Barnacle Restaurant is marking its 75th year. That makes it the oldest family-ownwed restaurant in town. “We’re also the only restaurant with its own lobster boat,” said The Barnacle’s owner Jay Sahagian. His aunt, Lynn ...