2026 TOWN ELECTION IN THIS ISSUE
LETTERS
What your neighbors have to say about 3A, June 9 election
VOTER GUIDE: SELECT BOARD Candidate profiles, Page 6
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MAY 20, 2026
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VOLUME 4, ISSUE NO. 26
FIRST WAVE 1
Boys lax clinches NEC championship. Page 9.
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MARBLEHEADCURRENT.ORG
‘Boundless creativity’ on display at student art show. Page 3.
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ON SOCIAL @MHDCURRENT
share Marblehead still has senior assassin 3 Residents 5 MHS’ thoughts on the June 4 too little affordable game prompts
election. Letters to the editor start on page 4.
housing. With 3A likely settled, what do efforts look like now? Page 12.
police call. Check out the log on page 14.
Five facts from this week’s Marblehead Current.
HOUSING
AG is eyeing ‘recourse’ for town’s 3A plan Will housing be developed at Tedesco Golf Club? BY LEIGH BLANDER Attorney General Andrea Campbell said May 12 that she planned to “review” the multifamily zoning bylaw passed by Marblehead Town Meeting to comply with the MBTA Communities Act to determine “if there’s any recourse we can take.”
Campbell’s remarks came during a question-and-answer session during an appearance on Boston Public Radio with hosts James Braude and Margery Eagan. A caller from Somerville asked about a viral clip of resident David Modica criticizing the plan at Town Meeting and asking whether Marbleheaders
were “kinda being pricks” by approving a housing plan that could result in little or no new housing development. The caller expressed the opinion that it is unfair that Somerville, which had already been more densely populated than Marblehead, is bearing a disproportionate share of addressing the state’s housing crisis because it took its obligations under the MBTA Communities Law seriously. Campbell expressed sympathy
»If 3A is resolved, what’s next for housing in Marblehead? Page 12.
for that point of view. Marblehead’s new bylaw designates Tedesco Country Club and Broughton Road for multifamily housing. The state’s Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities sent the town a letter in February stating that Marblehead would be in a
CALLING ALL CARS
“good position for compliance” if Town Meeting approved the plan. But the town must still submit a complete application package for EOHLC’s review to achieve “interim compliance.” Marblehead has been out of compliance with the MBTA Communities Law since last July, when voters rejected an earlier proposal that included parts of Tioga Way and Pleasant Street. HOUSING, P. 8
DECISIONS 2026
Registars to discuss early, in-person voting Thursday
Cruise-in brings out classics — and crowds
BY LEIGH BLANDER
“It’s been amazing to see people travel from all over to be part of the event,” Beattie said. Vehicles of various models drove in that night, from a Slingshot, a Chevelle, a Rolls-Royce and a Ferrari Purosangue. Rick Gilberg, from Swampscott, and his goldendoodle, Beasely, were part of the show. Beasley got a lot of attention from several dog lovers who
A discussion about making early, in-person voting available for the June 9 election is set to happen Thursday at 9 a.m. during a meeting of the Board of Registrars at Abbot Hall. The election will decide a three-year, threetiered override (up to $15 million) increasing property taxes permanently. A second $2.3 million trash override is also on the ballot, as well as local races for Select Board, School Committee and other positions. The status of in-person early voting has been unclear since a staffer at the Town Clerk’s Office told the Current that there would be no early voting, and then Clerk Robin Michaud posted »Guide to to social media that a candidates final decision had not been made. Michaud in the June 9 did not respond election. directly to requests Page 6 from the Current for comment. Margie Herrick, who serves on the town’s Board of Registrars, supports in-person early voting. “This is such an important vote for the future of our town that we should strive to make voting available to as many Marbleheaders as possible,” Herrick said. The Current asked Michaud how many people voted early and in-person in last June’s town election and the July referendum on the MBTA Communities Law. Her office did not supply those numbers. After the 2024 presidential election, Michaud told the Current that 7,672 votes
CRUISE-IN, P. 2
VOTING, P. 7
CURRENT PHOTO / MARIELLE SABBAG
The season’s first Marblehead Cruise-in attracted big crowds — of people and pups — to Devereux Beach May 12.
BY MARIELLE SABBAG The Marblehead Cruise-in revved its engines for the start of its fourth year at Devereux Beach on Tuesday, May 12. Hundreds of people came to check out classic cars and share stories. The Marblehead Cruise-in started in 2022. Organizers Tucker Beatty and Nick Parente originally started it as a small birthday hangout, but Beatty said it grew into a larger event.
BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW
“My favorite part is the energy, especially on those perfect summer evenings in Marblehead,” Beatty said. “More than anything, people love the community that’s formed around this event.” Beatty also added that Marblehead’s scenic coastal setting makes a huge impact on why the Cruise-in has been a success. That and the variety of cars, Beattie added. He said that well over 150 cars, local and all over the region came to the Cruise-in on May 12.