TODAY'S EDITION IN ONE SENTENCE: Marblehead had one of those weeks when the big civic questions arrived all at once: at Candidates Night, Select Board candidates Erin Noonan, Rossana Ferrante and Jenn Schaeffner all agreed the levy limit has to rise but split over how much voters should be asked to approve, with $9 million, $12 million and $15 million override options on the June 9 ballot alongside a separate $2.3 million trash question; in the down-ballot races, Town Moderator Jack Attridge and challenger Peter Jaffe made their cases for who should run Town Meeting, while six Recreation and Park Commission candidates circled questions about turf, fields, parks and how Marblehead should use the public ground everyone claims to care about; The Independent’s voter guide puts six races, four ballot questions, tax impacts and early-voting details in one place for anyone still trying to sort through the choices; Alexa Singer, leaving the Select Board after five years, offered a parting warning about the temptation to take the easy vote instead of the right one; Memorial Day ended under rain at Waterside Cemetery, where the speeches, wreaths and three-volley salute brought the long weekend back to the people it is supposed to honor; officers from five departments got on the mats at First Colony Jiu-Jitsu to practice the kind of holds, takedowns and exits meant to keep a bad moment from becoming a worse one; Brown School’s 10th Fun Run sent about 450 tie-dyed students around the course and raised $31,813, well past its goal; and wooden cods and whales slipped out of Abbot Hall and into storefront windows, turning Marblehead history into something you might notice on an ordinary walk downtown. — Cheers, Will 

P.S. The Independent and Marblehead Weekly News are teaming up for election night coverage, with more details coming soon on how to follow along as we report exit poll numbers and track results as they come in. 

Alongside our 120 members, this edition of The Independent's newsletter is made possible by the support of  Sustainable Marblehead. 

Sustainable Marblehead is excited to announce events to celebrate World Ocean Day. On Friday, June 5, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., join us for a free speaking engagement at the Corinthian Yacht Club with Dr. Shelley Brown, executive director, Sailors for the Sea Powered by Oceana. On Saturday, June 6, from 10 to 10:30 a.m., we'll see you at State Street Landing as we dedicate a new public water filling station in honor of two local champions of ocean stewardship, Steve Wolf and Rob Howie. While there, you can also learn about the pilot oyster restoration project this summer. Finally, on Monday, June 8, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., we're hosting a fundraiser at the Warwick Theater including a reception and screening of six short films from the acclaimed One Ocean Film Tour. Tickets are limited and can be purchased here.

 Select Board candidates agree the levy must rise — but split on the override  

At the League of Women Voters Candidates Night, the three Select Board candidates — incumbent Erin Noonan and challengers Rossana Ferrante and Jenn Schaeffner — agreed Marblehead must raise its tax levy but differed on how far. The night also turned on trust and town divisions ahead of the June 9 vote on a tiered operating override and a separate trash question.

Down-ballot races turn on turf, parks and who runs Town Meeting 

Marblehead's quieter contests had their turn at Candidates Night, with questions on who manages Town Meeting, how parks are kept and whether artificial turf belongs on public fields. Town moderator Jack Attridge, seeking a fifth term, faced challenger Peter Jaffe, while six Recreation and Park Commission candidates split over turf.

The Independent's 2026 voter guide breaks down six races and four ballot questions

The Independent has published its 2026 voter guide for the June 9 town election, gathering every race, all four ballot questions and voting details in one place. It lays out the three competing Proposition 2½ overrides — $9 million, $12 million or $15 million — and a separate $2.3 million trash question, with the tax impact on a median home. Early voting runs June 2–4 at Abbot Hall.

Singer leaves the Select Board with a charge: never take the easy vote

Alexa Singer presided over her final Select Board meeting after five years, drawing tributes from colleagues. First elected in the 2021 pandemic campaign, she pointed to new town departments, a roads and sidewalk plan and Marblehead's first Charter Committee — and urged her successors to choose the right vote over the popular one.

A three-volley salute at Waterside Cemetery closes four days of remembrance

Glover's Marblehead Regiment fired a three-volley salute over the harbor at Clark's Landing on Monday, closing a four-day observance that began May 22. At the Memorial Park service, keynote speaker Maria Alejandra Parra-Orlandoni, a former Navy officer, turned the crowd toward veteran suicide: "Still here and OK are not the same thing."

Officers from five departments train in jiu-jitsu to control the moment before force

At a May 20 session at First Colony Jiu-Jitsu, Calm in Chaos Defense Solutions instructors drilled officers from Gloucester, Swampscott, Essex, Wenham and Barre in takedowns, holds and how to disengage. The goal, they said, is "compliance through control" — a layer on top of the 26-week academy, not a replacement for it.

Brown School's 10th Fun Run raises $31,813, far past its goal

The Brown School's 10th annual Fun Run drew 450 students in pre-K through third grade on May 21 and raised $31,813 from 662 gifts — about $10,800 past its $21,010 goal. Donations came from 22 states and countries, and the decade-old event has now topped $250,000.

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Wooden cods and whales swim from Abbot Hall into Marblehead storefronts

Born from the Marblehead Festival of Arts' 50th anniversary in 2015 and now an annual tradition, the Cods & Whales exhibit pairs local woodworkers — who hand-cut each silhouette — with North Shore artists who finish them in everything from oils to mosaics. The pieces, from an 18-inch cod to a 55-inch whale, debut at Abbot Hall, then "swim" into storefronts around town before being auctioned to fund the festival's scholarships and community grants. Steven Rood's photographs capture the show.

COLLEEN'S GARDEN: Cut leggy perennials back by a third now for sturdier fall blooms

Late May is the moment for the "Chelsea chop" — cutting vigorous, late-summer and fall perennials back by about one-third when they reach 8 to 18 inches, roughly May 25 to June 10 in Marblehead, for stronger stems and fuller flowers. Good candidates include garden phlox, asters, Shasta daisies, sedum and black-eyed Susans; skip anything already budding, since the cut delays bloom.

Fourth of July fireworks needs an $80K push

The Marblehead Fireworks Committee says it needs about $80,000 to keep this year’s Independence Day fireworks and Harbor Illumination on track. Committee chair Alexander Falk said the gap followed the loss of the annual fundraising letter in the town census mailing.

POLICE LOG: Snagged wires, crypto scams and porch pirates

AROUND TOWN

 This week's community bulletin highlights key town deadlines, meetings, programs, events and civic reminders. Click any blue item to go directly to source material, registration pages or full details.

Household hazardous waste collection day set for June 13

The Marblehead and Swampscott health departments will sponsor a household hazardous waste collection day on June 13 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Marblehead Transfer Station, accessible via the Green Street entrance. Residents can drop off items including oil-based paints, stains, solvents, pesticides, motor oil, antifreeze, propane tanks, pool chemicals and fluorescent bulbs. The program does not accept ammunition, explosives, asbestos, prescription medicines or commercial waste. Materials should be left in original containers with caps tightened, sorted by category and packed upright in sturdy boxes. Proof of residency is required. Costs range from $40 for up to 3 gallons to $90 for up to 25 gallons, with payment by credit card or check only. For more information, contact the Board of Health at 781-631-0212. Full flier.

 Comprehensive Master Plan open house set for June 13 

Residents can help shape the Marblehead Comprehensive Master Plan 2037 at a drop-in open house Saturday, June 13, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Abbot Public Library, 235 Pleasant St. Stop by for about 15 minutes to learn about the planning process, meet the project team and share a vision for the town's next decade. Details. 

MHS performing arts students honored at annual awards banquet  
Marblehead High School celebrated its performing arts seniors and award winners during the annual Performing Arts Banquet and Awards on May 21. Students were recognized across orchestra, chorus, band and theater, with honors including the National School Orchestra Award, Director’s Award for Orchestra, Fred Waring Director’s Award for Chorus, John Philip Sousa Award, Patrick S. Gilmore Award and Louis Armstrong Jazz Award. Details.

Patriot Houses Tour to open four historic 
Marblehead Museum will hold its 2026 Patriot Houses Tour from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 13, giving visitors a self-guided look inside four historic private homes connected to families who supported the fight for American independence. This year’s tour includes the Nathaniel Hooper House, Jonathan Glover’s Eagle House, the Jeremiah Lee Carriage House and the Benjamin Stacey House, along with access to the museum’s 1768 Jeremiah Lee Mansion. Details.

Marblehead Food Pantry launches Amazon wish list
The Marblehead Food Pantry is offering residents a new way to donate food by ordering through an Amazon wish list and shipping items directly to the Masonic Lodge at 62 Pleasant St. Organizers say the option is meant to make giving easier for residents who want to help but may not be able to make a grocery trip and separate drop-off, especially as food costs and local budget pressures add strain. Details.

Salem Arts Festival returns June 5-7 for the city's 400th 

The free Salem Arts Festival returns to downtown Salem June 5-7 for its 18th year, billed as a "Salem 400+ Edition" tied to the city's 400th anniversary. Co-produced by Salem Main Streets and Creative Collective MA, it turns downtown streets, parks and storefronts into an open-air gallery and stage, with a Mural Slam of 12 murals painted live, a juried gallery, live music, an artisan market and the returning Tiny Art Spree. The weekend opens with a free kickoff from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. June 5 at Old Town Hall in Derby Square. Details.