Viewpoints - Marblehead Current

24 Aug

LETTER: ‘We need to elect Jenny Armini’

Will Dowd0 CommentsLocal News, Opinion, Viewpoints

Over the past few years, I’ve come to realize the importance of state and local governments. In this time of brazen and dangerous attacks against our voting rights, our reproductive rights, our right to marry whom we want, our right to health care, and the refusal to address climate change, we need strong state legislators to protect what Congress and the Supreme Court will not. We need someone who represents our values as Americans, as Democrats, as progressives. For these reasons, we need to elect…

23 Aug

LETTER: Doug Thompson for 8th Essex District seat

Will Dowd0 CommentsOpinion, Politics, Viewpoints

Thank you to all 6 courageous public-service oriented candidates for State Rep. in the 8th Essex District. Here is why I will be voting for Doug Thompson on Sept. 6: His career in public service began right out of college with case management for homeless people. In time he moved on to a degree at the Kennedy School at Harvard and into health care agency work, including authoring a public health plan in the Clinton administration and finally becoming CFO of Mass Health, overseeing an $8 billion budget. All this…

18 Aug

ANCHORS & SAILS: The back to school schlep

Will Dowd0 CommentsLocal News, Opinion, Viewpoints

"I'm not telling you it's going to be easy- I'm telling you it's going to be worth it." – Art Williams. While there are still plenty of soft summer nights and fun beach days left, there is no denying that what some call "The most wonderful time of the year" is approaching. No, not Christmas; that's way off. Oh, and by the way, you freaks that are all done shopping for it and looking for pumpkin spice lattes can take a seat and wait your…

12 Aug

ANCHORS & SAILS: Life at the lake

Will Dowd0 CommentsOpinion, Viewpoints

“The beauty of camping is in its simplicity. You’re brought back to a basic way of living.” - Brendan Leonard Is camping about simplicity? Oh please. Have you ever seen the directions for putting up a four-person tent? You'll need a measuring tape, a hammer, and an engineering degree. Do you know the thermal dynamics and physics required to build a fire without matches? Oh, and don't forget to study up on your botany, so you don't eat the wrong mushrooms or wind up with…

04 Aug

ANCHORS & SAILS: Election season is upon us

Will Dowd0 CommentsOpinion, Top Stories, Viewpoints

“In crucial things, unity. In important things, diversity, in ALL things, generosity."George H. W. Bush I’m not normally a political junkie, but the past few weeks have found me looking around at local politics, community happenings, and national events and going off on a few rants. OK, perhaps the rants are not unusual for me, but still. While I haven't had a summer off since high school, the dog days of July are usually pretty low-key for me. If I'm lucky, there are lots of…

21 Jul

ANCHORS & SAILS: Find your beach

Will Dowd0 CommentsLocal News, Opinion, Viewpoints

“For whatever we lose (like a you or a me), it’s always our self we find in the sea.” – E. E. Cummings It’s not hard to love the ocean in this community. It’s all around us, almost like an embrace. And yes, when there’s a wicked Nor’easter, it can be like a hug from that one family member that pinches your cheeks and squeezes the breath out of you, but still, it’s a gift beyond measure. I refer to the beach at the end…

11 Jul

ANCHORS & SAILS: Staying put and moving on

Will Dowd1 CommentLocal News, Opinion, Top Stories, Viewpoints

“It is the set of the sails not the direction of the wind that determines which way we will go.”Jim Rohn Anchors and Sails. Two very important parts of a boat, but they are somewhat opposite, when you think about it. When the wind fills a sail, an adventure begins. You’re off, you’re moving across the water, toward a destination or a dream, hopefully with fair winds and following seas. When you drop anchor, usually it means you’ve reached your journey’s end. You’ve come over…

23 Jun

LETTER: ‘I am honored to be your voice,’ writes School Committee member

Will Dowd0 CommentsOpinion, Viewpoints

To the Marblehead community, Tonight will be my first meeting as an officially sworn-in, Marblehead School Committee member. Thank you to all of you who voted for me. I was overwhelmed by the outpouring of support by so many of you during my run for school committee. Most importantly, my son, for his unwavering support and patience as we walked through this journey together - this is all for you, my sweet boy. I would also like to thank Reece Dahlberg and Sarah Fox for…

20 Jun

LETTER: Know the facts before voting on Question 2

Will Dowd1 CommentOpinion, Viewpoints

As Election Day nears, yard signs and door hangers have appeared around town making unsubstantiated claims that investing in our public schools is not in the best interest of Marblehead citizens. Every Marblehead voter who goes to the polls on June 21 has a decision to make on Question 2, but let’s make sure those decisions are guided by facts: The Marblehead Public Schools have a strategic plan. It’s on the website for anyone to review. It was created by a committee of 26 and…

18 Jun

LETTER: No on roads

Kris Olson0 CommentsOpinion, Viewpoints

As you report, Marblehead's transportation network costs $3.1 million annually to repair, improve, and maintain. But town leaders and town voters have come up with only $600,000 a year. Now, they want a taxpayer bailout to the tune of $12.5 million. But the town lacks a strategic plan to address the public health crisis they have created by misappropriating existing funds -- including state Chapter 90 funds. For example, 12 years after a child was killed in the Pleasant Street school crossing at Mohawk Road…