CP_MBHC_20230628_1_A01
OPINION
ELECTION
SPORTS
Who can you trust?
Voter turnout highest in years
O’Connell makes debut on national stage
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IN THIS ISSUE
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MARBLEHEAD, MA PERMIT NO. 25
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NEWS FOR PEOPLE, NOT FOR PROFIT.
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June 28, 2023
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VOLUME 1, ISSUE NO. 31
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MARBLEHEADCURRENT.ORG
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ON SOCIAL @MHDCURRENT
NOT GIVING UP
For some, fight for funding goes on Millions in unused money seen as quick fix after override fails BY LEIGH BLANDER With the failure of the $2.5 million override last week, some parents and residents are determined to find other ways to fund the schools and town next year and prevent the loss of more than 30 positions and several programs that have been cut.
Pink slips were sent out to affected teachers and staff on June 23. Freshman sports have been canceled for next year. “I personally feel that we have to continue to advocate for what our kids need,” said Sarah Magazine-Yount, who has two young children in Marblehead schools. “There’s a lot of energy
»New Select Board to prioritize transparency, planning. Page 12 in the parent community to get engaged. There’s been a little bit of a wake-up call.” Resident Jim Zisson believes
the town should take another look at its finances, specifically the $3.1 million in unused funds in the FY23 health insurance budget, along with an unexpected additional $500,000 in free cash certified this spring by the state Department of Revenue. “I think it’s incumbent to
FESTIVAL KICKOFF
Hundreds turn out for annual champagne reception at Fort Sewall BY LEIGH BLANDER It’s a quintessential summer event in Marblehead — the Festival of Arts champagne reception at Fort Sewall, kicking off a celebration of art, live music, literature and community. More than 450 people came out Sunday evening. “It represents the start of summer,” said Heather Henlotter of Marblehead, who was there with her family. She was sporting a large hat with pink flowers, to compete in the event’s traditional hat contest. “It’s so fun to run into people you know and sample food from the local restaurants,” she added. Matt Arnold and Holly Cameron came decked out in their hats, too. Arnold was wearing a summer bowler from the 1920s, and Cameron donned a matching red-white-and-blue hat with a small decorative lobster attached. The couple won the hat contest back in 2019. “The champagne reception is one of my favorite things about living in Marblehead,” Cameron said. The couple, who are professional singers, will be performing at a Crocker Park concert on July 3. The winner of the hat contest was announced midway through the FESTIVAL, P. A11
go back and look at those numbers,” he said. “Can we solve all the problems with it? No. Are there some specific things on the school and town side to look at? For one, freshman sports. Also, do we want to hire one firefighter this FUNDING, P. A13
FESTIVAL OF ARTS
Diverse and talented lineup will take stage Headliners plan to mix it up BY KRIS OLSON A hometown hero. Two takes on country music. A funky Fourth. An operatic anthem. If you were to take in the talents of all 16 acts — more than 100 musicians in all — slated to take the Crocker Park stage over the course of four nights and three days during the Marblehead Festival of Arts, you would get a crash course in a wide range of styles, inevitably encountering some favorites while also discovering something new. That diversity is by design, says Brian Wheeler, back for yet another year as chair of the Performing Arts Festival, who is wrapping up his “reign” as the Marblehead Chamber of Commerce’s Person of the Year. Even if the acts themselves are familiar, they have been encouraged to do something different at Crocker Park than they might do on stages elsewhere. For example, folk-pop performer Hayley Reardon, who is happy to be home for a summer of recording after
CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER
Eleanor Fisher won a first prize in the hat contest.
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FROM THE FOUNDERS
A year of fostering civic engagement BY WILLIAM J. DOWD Every time the Select Board mentions letters from residents who are stepping forward to fill board vacancies they discovered through the Marblehead Current, I know, in some small way, we have been helpful. Similarly, when I sit on the stage in Veterans Middle
School’s auditorium during Town Meeting and voters cite a Current article that helped them understand a warrant article, I feel a fulfillment of our purpose. When a resident sends a letter to the editor in response to another letter writer, I get a sense of humble satisfaction. These are gentle nods at the civic role that we play and the
Staffed by journalists and editors with years of Marbleheadspecific reporting and institutional memory, the Current offers readers context and nuance, two attributes that are so often missing from news stories these days. public service that we offer at the Current. In carrying out this crucial role over the past year, we have had the privilege
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of informing Marbleheaders about important issues and decision-making processes. Our nonprofit newspaper, both
online and print, has aimed to encourage residents to become more civically engaged in their community. This brings us to an important point: An informed citizenry is vital to a functioning democracy. Independent and local journalism plays a key role in a CIVIC, P. A4
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