To the editor: It is difficult to put into words what the Abbot Public Library means to Marblehead, but “devastating” is the only way to describe the possible loss of services. Recently, Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer said that budget priorities must focus on departments that “protect life and property.” I
To the editor: More than a job. For the past 11 years, I have been the caretaker of one of Marblehead’s treasures. I will never forget the first time I climbed the winding staircase to the clock tower and looked out over our beautiful town. I remember thinking that
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. The gray triggerfish (Balistes capriscus) are a unique fish that travel via the warm Gulf Stream up to our waters. They are
The Marblehead Independent is inviting Marblehead residents age 18 and older to take a short community survey on several of the biggest issues ahead of the 2025 Town Meeting on Monday, May 4, 2026. The survey asks about the town’s budget and override question, service priorities, and a small
To the editor: The Friends of the Abbot Public Library urge the Marblehead community and its leaders to prioritize funding of our library in the upcoming budget. Our library continues to be one of Marblehead’s most cost-effective assets. With a budget of about $1.5 million, it provides
To the editor: It was standing-room-only at the Abbot Library on Saturday, March 7, as our Marblehead Democrats caucused. The enthusiastic gathering heard from Democratic candidates and elected 18 delegates, including four alternates, to represent us at the Massachusetts Democratic State Convention. The Marblehead Democratic Town Committee is
Select Board member Moses Grader argues a reworked ledger shows schools directing roughly 63% of operating spending, leaving municipal leaders with less room to absorb sudden expense spikes.
Winter tracking is a great activity to do with kids, who are natural finders. They love looking for things, and they notice stuff we adults miss. And, there are lots of tracks to be seen, even in the congested areas of Marblehead.
Scam artists succeed by triggering urgency, authority or familiarity, exploiting normal human instincts rather than technical weaknesses. Recognizing those emotional cues helps people slow down before reacting.
Dormant shrubs benefit from careful trimming before new growth begins. Cutting panicle hydrangeas and aggressive vines back now can produce sturdier stems and heavier flowering later.
By Charles H. Gessner Marblehead revenue must catch up to the burst of inflation that has plagued the United States for the past five years, due mostly to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021 inflation hit 7 percent; in 2022 6.5 percent; 3.4 percent in 2023; 2.9
By Jack Buba Fix It First — That is how we should view this current budget crisis in Marblehead. I am happy to support an override if only the town were willing to look at alternatives other than cutting two of the services the town wants most: the library and Council
By Judith Black "Nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes." Of course, our distant ancestors moved here to avoid the king’s taxes, only to levy their own. The earliest, to cover the cost of the Revolution, caused a rebellion: Shays’ Rebellion. This is
By Melissa Clucas Many Marblehead residents care deeply about our public schools — whether they have children currently in the system, grown children who once attended or simply value the strength of our town. We are living through a period of significant financial pressure across the town, and those pressures are
From brain freeze to stunning visibility, an open-cell wetsuit and a willingnesss to endure the chill unlock a hidden world.
Community groups will gather March 5 at the Boston Yacht Club for an evening hosted by Susan Wornick and Andrea Bell Bergeron, featuring awards tied to public service and reporting.