Marblehead department heads push back on plan to dissolve Public Works Committee
Two warrant items would either scrap a 1970-era advisory panel or remake it with fewer meetings and a tighter mission over roads and municipal buildings.
Will Dowd
I started my full-time reporting career in Marblehead in 2012 and have failed spectacularly at leaving. Now I cover the town through The Independent, following its people and stories with the curiosity that makes this place impossible to quit.
Marblehead Museum collecting donations for Treasure Sale
Marblehead Museum is collecting donations of vintage, antique and collectible items for its sixth annual Treasure Sale, set for Sept. 27 in the Lee Mansion Gardens. Accepted donations include books, small furniture, lighting, jewelry, artwork, maps, ceramics, vintage household goods, clothing, quilts, accessories and Marblehead-related items. Those unsure whether an
Mugford Street Players to stage ‘Confessions of Love’
Mugford Street Players will stage Confessions of Love, a trio of short dramas featuring James Butterfield, Sue Brother and Stephen Cooper, beginning Sunday, April 19, at the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Marblehead. Directed by John Fogle, the production will run for seven performances at 3 p.m. on Sundays and 7:
Select Board eyes three-year no-override pledge as part of override package
A memorandum of understanding being finalized with the School Committee and Finance Committee would formally commit the town to holding the line through fiscal 2029 if any tier passes in June.
Kezer, Benjamin present $9M-to-$15M tiered override plan and separate $2.3M trash tax option
Officials outlined a multiyear funding approach tied to service restoration, with voters able to weigh escalating spending levels and their projected tax impacts.
Mixed doubles tennis league forming for summer season
A new mixed doubles tennis league for residents of Swampscott, Nahant and Marblehead will begin play in early June. Tennis coordinator Barry Cushner, former owner of the North of Boston Tennis League, is organizing the league with three playing levels: advanced, high intermediate and intermediate. The schedule includes a regular
Bagels and goodwill: Local business brings community gesture to Abbot Public Library
Get our free local reporting delivered straight to your inbox. No noise, no spam — just clear, independent coverage of Marblehead. Sign up for our once-a-week newsletter. A local bagel business with roots in education and philanthropy brought its story — and its product — to Abbot Public Library this week, pairing a
Youth sports groups back Marblehead plan for covered, refrigerated rink
Parents and program leaders said long drives to Salem State, Lynn and Revere now strain schedules, with some sessions starting at 6:30 a.m. or ending at 10 p.m.
NEWS ANALYSIS: Marblehead’s override questions will test two theories of how voters say yes
The Select Board has carved out the one piece of the budget gap that looks like what voters historically approve — and left the rest in a structure they have never tested.
In Independent survey, overrides, MBTA article hold early lead
Backing for the fiscal plan reached 61 percent, compared with 31 percent against and 9 percent undecided after an 11-day voluntary online questionnaire.
Marblehead advances $122.8M budget built on cuts, defers override decisions
Officials closed a $7.2 million gap by reducing staffing, shifting curbside trash costs and relying less on free cash.
Marblehead man develops free app for moon phases, tides and beach-walk times
A local resident created a browser-based tool that combines lunar data and ocean predictions with guidance for shoreline outings across New England.
Marblehead Light Board OKs new EV charging rates, adds overnight fee exemption
Drivers will pay twice as much between 4 and 9 p.m., while idle penalties now start after five hours instead of six.
After 43 years on the Board of Assessors, Kelley says he won’t seek reelection
Nomination papers remain due later this month, leaving time for additional entrants before voters choose occupants for two dozen positions.
Marblehead musician awarded $5,000 state arts grant
Marblehead singer and composer Eliza Howells has received a $5,000 Grant for Creative Individuals from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Howells, a 2018 Marblehead High School graduate, earned a bachelor’s degree in voice performance and composition from UMass Amherst in 2022 and a master’s degree in composition from
Marblehead Little Theatre’s Harvey blends whimsy, humor and heart
A community troupe stages a classic about an affable man and his unseen companion, emphasizing mental health and acceptance through an intergenerational cast and collaborative rehearsals.