IN THIS ISSUE
AHOY!
RETAIL
SPORTS
Sharks spotted off Devereux Beach
Visit the town’s new beach shop
MHS tennis serving great results
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MARBLEHEAD, MA PERMIT NO. 25
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MAY 21, 2025
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VOLUME 3, ISSUE NO. 26
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MARBLEHEADCURRENT.ORG
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ON SOCIAL @MHDCURRENT
SETTING THE DATE
Select Board was expected to vote Monday on MBTA zoning special election BY WILL DOWD The Select Board was set to vote Monday at 5 p.m. on when to hold a special election for the MBTA multifamily zoning referendum. According to state law, the special election must take place at least 35 days after the Select Board’s vote. “They don’t have the referendum language back yet, but I expect it by 5 p.m.,” said Town Administrator Thatcher
»For the very latest on the special election, visit MarbleheadCurrent.org. Kezer. “(Town counsel) Lisa Mead is waiting for a response from the Attorney General’s Office.” The decision follows local attorney John DiPiano’s submission of 1,204 signatures to the Select Board office May 12, far exceeding the 300 signatures required to call for a special
election on Article 23, the MBTA Communities Act zoning article that Town Meeting approved on May 6. The signature drive, launched immediately following the Town Meeting vote, was completed in just a few days. “We probably put in 20 hours total,” DiPiano said. DiPiano and Yael Magen, a resident running for Select Board, are invoking Chapter 405 of the Acts of 1954, a
Chair Erin Noonan, to overturn »Election 2025 profiles: Candidates for School Commit- the zoning article: tee, Board of Health. Pages 12-13. » A majority of referendum voters must vote “no” on Marblehead-specific law allowing approving Town Meeting’s binding citizen referendums Article 23 decision. on certain Town Meeting » The number of “no” votes votes. This follows two years of must equal or exceed 20% of heated debate over the town’s Marblehead’s registered voters compliance with the state’s (approximately 3,315 votes from MBTA Communities Act, which the town’s 16,576 registered culminated in a 951-759 vote voters). favoring Article 23 on May 6. According to Select Board ELECTION, P. 7
COMMUNITY OF CARING
Schools and residents are coming together to support two children battling health crises. Here are their stories and how you can help
School supports sixth-grader Preschool hosts superhero parade for toddler battling brain cancer following medical crisis
Family hopes to raise awareness and funds to help others
BY LEIGH BLANDER The Village School is rallying around a sixthgrade student who has been recovering at Boston Children’s Hospital and a rehabilitation facility after an acute medical crisis in April. I’Zayah is in sixth grade. To protect his privacy, the Current is not using his last name or identifying his illness. “This is a situation that is serious, and people want to help,” said Village School Principal Scott Williams, who visited I’Zayah in the hospital. “It was humbling and left an indelible mark,” Williams said about his hospital visit. “I knew we had to do more.” Williams worked with METCO Director Caja Johnson and the district administration to establish a three-prong support effort. Principals at all five Marblehead schools have been involved. First is what Williams calls a “feel good campaign,” encouraging
BY LEIGH BLANDER
Village School sixth-grader I’Zayah is at a rehabilitation facility after an acute medical crisis last month. It’s not known when he might be able to return to school.
people to create cards, notes and videos of support, and drop them at the Village School. They’ll be delivered to I’Zayah every week. Second, the school is collecting gift cards, clothing, books and toys for I’Zayah. Third, the Marblehead
METCO Parent Teacher Organization has established a GoFundMe to help I’Zayah and his family with expenses during this time. For more information about the GoFundMe, visit https:// loom.ly/lC_F_PY. I’ZAYAH, P. 8
Young students at the Fairwind Learning Center, and around town, dressed in their superhero finest on May 8 to support 3-year-old JJ Weiss of Marblehead, who is battling a brain tumor. Weiss and his twin brother, Luke, are students at Fairwind. In December, JJ was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer. He is receiving treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. The folks at Fairwind hosted a superhero parade for JJ and encouraged kids at other local schools to dress up like their favorite superheroes the same day. “He had a giant smile on his face,” said mom Samantha Weiss about JJ at the parade. “He loved it. We got to come home from the hospital for the day. He was very excited to be in his Superman
COURTESY PHOTOS
JJ Weiss, 3, dresses up like Superman for a parade at his preschool May 8. Weiss is battling brain cancer.
costume, see all his friends and play with them. He’s known for his love of superheroes. He has worn a Spiderman shirt every day in the hospital.” Weiss describes JJ
as “very spirited, highenergy” and says he loves biking and riding his scooter. He is about to start another round of chemotherapy. The Weiss family, which SUPERHER0, P. 8
EDUCATION
School Committee proclamation targets MTA resources on Gaza/Israel Teachers accuse board of playing politics BY LEIGH BLANDER The co-presidents of the Marblehead teachers union sharply criticized the School Committee May 15 for debating a proclamation (that it later approved 3-2) to “strongly caution” against using educational resources related to Gaza and antisemitism from
BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW
the Massachusetts Teachers Association. The local union leaders accused the School Committee of playing politics just weeks before the town’s election on June 10, when two committee seats will be up for grabs. “Let me be clear, the Marblehead Education Association has already publicly stated its disagreement with the MTA’s position on Gaza. That statement was deliberate, thoughtful and reflective of the values of our educators, staff and students,” said MEA Co-President Sally Shevory. “More importantly
— and let me emphasize this — Marblehead never even considered adopting this curriculum. Nor would we,” Shevory added. “Curriculum decisions in our district are made carefully, collaboratively and always with the best interests of our students in mind. They involve input from administration, from teachers and ultimately require approval by this very School Committee. To imply otherwise is to mislead the public and undermine the professionalism of our educators.” MEA Co-president Jonathan Heller laid out the timeline of
the MTA resources controversy, suggesting that the School Committee is speaking out now, for political reasons. “Once again, we see an attempt to drive a wedge between teachers and the community using a false narrative. I urge this committee to stop using educators as political pawns and to start engaging with us — as partners dedicated to the success of every child in Marblehead,” Heller said. Heller noted that the School Committee had been silent through several key dates in the controversy over the
MTA board’s approval of the development of resources related to the history and current events in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories on Dec. 9, 2023, including after MTA President Max Page answered to criticism of the resources in testimony before the Massachusetts Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism on Feb. 10 and when the resources deemed antisemitic were removed from the MTA’s website by mid-March. “So, why now? Why mid-May?” COMMITTEE, P. 7