William Dowd

Salem

Managing Editor at The Marblehead Current

Yorkie buddy🐕. Potterhead⚡🦉. Public radio nut 🎙. Scribe & editor for @MHDCurrent 📰. Story💡? [email protected] (he/him)

Articles

TOWN MEETING REWIND? Referendum bid aims to undo 3A zoning vote

6 days ago | marbleheadcurrent.org | William Dowd

Just hours after Town Meeting voters approved a controversial multifamily zoning overlay, a local attorney launched a signature drive that seeks to give voters a chance to have their say at the ballot box. John DiPiano, a Marblehead resident and Salem-based family law attorney, is invoking Chapter 405 of the Acts of 1954, a Marblehead-specific law that permits binding citizen referendums on certain Town Meeting votes.
ADUs, $120M budget pass as Town Meeting heads to another night

1 week ago | marbleheadcurrent.org | William Dowd

Voters approved the town’s $120 million budget for fiscal year 2026, updated regulations for accessory dwelling units, floodplain bylaws and tax relief measures for seniors and disabled veterans during the second night of Town Meeting on Wednesday. The session in the Marblehead High School field house saw articles pass with strong majorities despite dwindling attendance that ultimately forced an early adjournment when the assembly fell below the required 300-voter quorum.
LETTER: Light commissioner responds to letter writer

1 week ago | marbleheadcurrent.org | William Dowd

To the editor:A recent letter to the editor misstated the structure and workings of the Marblehead Municipal Light Department and its board, the Marblehead Municipal Light Commission. The Light Department is not an enterprise fund. Enterprise funds are set up as part of the town government structure under MGL Chapter 44.
NEWS IN BRIEF: Week of Monday, May 5, 2025

1 week ago | marbleheadcurrent.org | William Dowd

The Current welcomes submissions (150–200 words) to the news in brief. Send yours to [email protected]. North Shore Chamber to honor 12 Marblehead High scholarsThe North Shore Chamber of Commerce will present its 2025 Honor Scholars Recognition Dinner on Thursday, May 15, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the DoubleTree Hilton in Danvers, with 12 Marblehead High School students among those being honored.
2025 ELECTION: Magen brings municipal law background to Select Board race

1 week ago | marbleheadcurrent.org | William Dowd

Local municipal attorney Yael Magen is running for Select Board in the upcoming June 10 election, highlighting her extensive experience in municipal law and committing herself to preserving Marblehead’s multigenerational character while addressing the town’s pressing challenges.
PERFORMER SPOTLIGHT: Meet Sadie Newburg

1 week ago | marbleheadcurrent.org | William Dowd

NAME: Sadie NewburgAGE: 17SCHOOL YEAR: JuniorINVOLVEMENT IN MHS ARTS: I have been involved with the performing arts at MHS all four years, mostly with music and theatre — the a cappella group Luminescence and the musicals. FAVORITE MEMORY: My favorite memory from MHS performing arts is when Luminescence won third place this year at ICHSA! It was so awesome to see how excited all the girls were and how far the group has come since last year.
TOWN MEETING: Marblehead says ‘yea’ to 3A

1 week ago | marbleheadcurrent.org | William Dowd

Voters at Town Meeting approved Article 23 by a vote of 951 voting “yes” to 759 voting “no” Tuesday night, adopting a multifamily zoning overlay district that brings the town into compliance with the state’s MBTA Communities Act after two years of contentious debate. The measure will create a 3A Multifamily Overlay District permitting housing at 15 units per acre in three areas: Pleasant Street, Tioga Way and Broughton Road. These 58-acre zones accommodate 897 units, meeting state requirements.
BREAKING NEWS: Over-capacity crowd postpones, relocates Town Meeting

1 week ago | marbleheadcurrent.org | William Dowd

A record-breaking crowd and unexpected technology failure threw Marblehead’s annual Town Meeting into disarray Monday night, forcing Town Moderator Jack Attridge to postpone the meeting to Tuesday night and move it to the Marblehead High School field house. Over 2,000 voters tried to attend in the Veterans School Performing Arts Center and gymnasium, exceeding safety limits, according to Fire Chief Jason Gilliland.
Marblehead Select Board OKs three union contracts hours before Town Meeting

1 week ago | marbleheadcurrent.org | William Dowd

The Select Board approved contracts with all three municipal unions Monday morning, ending more than a year of contentious negotiations just hours before Town Meeting begins tonight.
Marblehead students overwhelmingly vote down citizen article trying to ax sustainability job

1 week ago | marbleheadcurrent.org | William Dowd

In a decisive show of hands, eighth-grade students at Veterans Middle School overwhelmingly rejected a citizen petition to eliminate the town’s sustainability coordinator position during a mock town meeting Thursday, preserving the role many argued was vital to the coastal community’s future. The mock town meeting focused on Article 47, which proposed cutting the $73,000 position that some have characterized as redundant and unnecessary during tight budget times.