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This edition in one sentence: Crews began stripping asbestos and tearing out the lower level of Mary Alley, the first of four phases in a $5.75 million renovation that will eventually bring most public meetings into the building; a few hundred yards up at Abbot Hall, the Historical Commission decided a Joseph Story portrait gone magenta has hung long enough and that four women, four generations of one family married into the fishing and privateering trades, will take his place in a room where every face is a man; Tom McMahon moved his own censure, voted for it 5-0, then explained that it takes nothing from him because the ballot box is the only check that counts; Pam Foye, 15 years on the Housing Authority and 20 running Anchor to Windward, died at 83; Dan Koh worked a Gerry 5 hall with an Ed Markey sign still up in a town that stayed with Seth Moulton; James Maroney, who has spent a decade filming other people’s ceremonies for MHTV, finally stood on the other side of the lens and married Michelle Brown at Crocker Park behind Glover’s Regiment; Colleen Connor lost half her roses to black spot and called in an 81-year-old rosarian from Stow; Paul B. Connelly began reviewing films for us by spending two acts of “Practical Magic 2” wincing and the third won over; and we closed our own first year with an impact report (find below): 770 stories, 14 free civic tools, a team of 13 and a full accounting of every dollar you gave us, a year after starting with one reporter in a Humphrey Street basement. — Cheers, Will.
Alongside our 120 members, this edition of The Independent’s newsletter is made possible by the support of Marblehead Little Theatre:
Buy tickets here
Campbell Construction of Danvers has begun asbestos abatement and demolition on the lower level of the Mary A. Alley Municipal Building, the first of four phases in a $5.75 million renovation that also replaces heating, cooling, windows and the elevator. Building Commissioner Stephen Cummings puts each phase at three to four months. He wants to move public meetings into the building when it is done — everything, he said, except the Select Board.
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Every portrait subject in the room where the Select Board meets is a man. Sharon K. Heim, 77 and the last of her line, is giving the town four 19th-century paintings of her ancestors — mother, daughter, granddaughter and great-granddaughter, each married into Marblehead's fishing and privateering trades. A faded Joseph Story comes down in October to make the wall. "He was never meant to be purple," commission chair Pam Peterson said.
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Kristin duBay Horton wanted evidence his behavior would change. Two days after the 5-0 vote he moved against himself, Tom McMahon told the Independent he has none to offer and does not need any. "I'm an elected representative, not appointed," he said, pointing to the ballot box as the only check that counts. He named two habits he would work on: letting people finish, and not taking the bait online.
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Foye died Sept. 12 at 83, after 15 years on the Housing Authority board, 20 years running Anchor to Windward and a stretch as interim head of the Council on Aging, where volunteers folded the newsletter her way or not at all. She wrote her own obituary and cleared the eulogy's themes in advance. "She had thoughts about this service. She had thoughts about most things actually," her daughter, Meghann, told the room.
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The congressional nominee turned the microphone toward the people at Gerry 5 who had backed someone else, allowing that the primary "got a little testy every now and then." Marblehead gave Koh 2,064 votes to Tram Nguyen's 1,343 — and stayed with Seth Moulton over Ed Markey, whose sign hung in the hall anyway. Sheriff Kevin Coppinger walked the room through what the PROTECT Act does to ICE detainers. Next date: Nov. 3.
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FEATURE:
James Maroney has spent more than a decade at MHTV filming other people's ceremonies. On Saturday the lens turned around: he married painter Michelle Brown at Crocker Park, on the bench-and-swing lawn he used to sit at alone, with the regiment firing a salute and 50 guests walking the few hundred yards to the reception. It started with a concert he insisted was not a date, then violets after her foot surgery. "We've earned each other," Brown said.
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Link to archive
Most of the news team met face to face for the first time at a harbor picnic in late August, just before our first birthday.
We marked the occasion by looking back at what this newsroom has built in its first year — the stories we covered, the people who helped make the work possible and the numbers behind an independent local news organization trying to serve Marblehead well.
Our first annual impact report tells that story, including where we focused our reporting, how our audience has grown and what comes next.
Read the interactive impact report
Prefer to flip through it like a magazine?
Read or download the PDF edition
Thank you for reading, sharing our work and helping the Independent reach its first birthday.
The singer-songwriter and pianist opens the venue's 57th season at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, at 28 Mugford St., with doors at 7:15 p.m. Her last Me&Thee date, in 2024, sold out. Before the show she leads a Climate Action Workshop at 4 p.m. with Sustainable Marblehead; registration is required and seating is limited. Tickets are sold through Me&Thee and at Arnould Gallery, 111 Washington St.
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COLLEEN'S GARDEN:
Black spot and an unfamiliar pest called rose midge got at least 50 of Colleen Connor's 100 rose bushes this summer, so she called the New England Rose Society, which sent 81-year-old David out from Stow to school her bush by bush. A gardener who would rather not spray, she treated them after dusk on the coolest night. Also: asters gone wild, the Sept. 18-19 flower show and what to do in the yard now.
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FILM REVIEW:
Paul B. Connelly, who begins writing about movies for the Independent this week, spends two acts wincing and the third one won over. The sequel kills off the first film's love interest in the opening scene, which he argues undercuts everything the 1998 original earned. Then Joey King lands a monologue he calls award-worthy, the soundtrack does the heavy lifting and a midnight-margarita callback had him grinning.
Story here
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.
Standing resources and weekly recurring events
Read the full bulletin on the web
Marblehead has six public meetings posted for the rest of September.
Retirement Board, 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 21, Mary Alley Municipal Building, hybrid
Traffic Safety Advisory Committee, 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 21, Abbot Hall, hybrid
Zoning Board of Appeals, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22, by Zoom
Compensation Committee, 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, Abbot Hall, in person
Design Review Board, 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 25, by Zoom
Brown School Advisory Council, 1:20 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30, 40 Baldwin Road
The School Committee next meets at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1. State law requires only 48 hours’ notice, so check the town website before heading out the door. Read more
The Select Board is taking letters of interest for a committee that will plan a townwide celebration of Marblehead’s founding in 1629. Letters go to the Select Board at Abbot Hall, 188 Washington St., or to wileyk@marbleheadma.gov by Wednesday, Sept. 30. Read more
The town’s vacancy list includes two seats on the Conservation Commission and one each on the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, Marblehead Housing Committee, Design Review Board, Harbors and Waters Board, Marblehead Community Access and Media, MBTA Advisory Board, Old and Historic Districts Commission, Task Force Against Discrimination and Traffic Safety Advisory Committee. Terms run one to three years. Letters of interest and resumes go to the Select Board at Abbot Hall or to wileyk@marbleheadma.gov. Read more
National Grid’s current notice covers the week of Sept. 21 at 1-69 Gregory St., 1-175 Washington St., 2-14 Laurel St. and 1-5 Doane St. No new two-week update had been posted as of Friday. Read more
The Board of Health will hold Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, at the transfer station, with the entrance on the Green Street access road. The event is open to Marblehead and Swampscott residents with proof of residency. Pricing runs $43 for up to 3 gallons or 6 pounds, $60 for 3 to 10 gallons or 20 pounds and $95 for 10 to 25 gallons or 50 pounds, credit card or check only. Read more
Residents who requested smaller trash or recycling carts should expect delivery the day after their regular collection day and should leave the old cart empty at the curb for exchange. Anyone still waiting two days after pickup can reach the Health Office at 781-631-0212 or Health2@marbleheadma.gov. Read more
Marblehead public schools are closed Monday, Sept. 21, for Yom Kippur. Marblehead High School holds its open house Wednesday, Sept. 23, and the Brown and Glover schools follow Thursday, Sept. 24; times come from building-level notices. The next districtwide closing is Monday, Oct. 12, and the high school has an early release Wednesday, Oct. 21. Read more
The Marblehead 250 Committee’s townwide drop-in event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, rain or shine, with program booklets at 157 Washington St. Stops include Fort Sewall with members of Glover’s Regiment, St. Michael’s Church, the “King” Hooper Mansion, Abbot Hall, the Lee Mansion and Brick Kitchen and the museum’s first-floor gallery. Diarist Ashley Bowen appears in character at St. Michael’s at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Read more
Sustainable Marblehead and SPUR will clear litter from beaches at 11 a.m. and parks at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19. Volunteers register through SPUR, which posts shift locations with the signup. Read more
The Friends of Abbot Public Library will hold their fall book sale from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, in the library’s event center. Proceeds pay for museum passes, the Library of Things and other programs. Read more
The theater’s 70th anniversary gala starts at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, with doors at 6:30 p.m. for a silent auction and raffle. The fundraiser includes live performances and light food. Tickets are $70 for reserved table seating and $40 for general admission. Read more
The TQM Win-4-All Pickleball Tournament runs Saturday, Sept. 19, at Veterans School, 217 Pleasant St., benefiting Girls Inc. of Boston and Lynn. Entry is closed, spectators are welcome and the rain date is Sunday, Sept. 20. Read more
Jazz in the Garden runs from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20, at 10 Central St., with vocalist Cassandre McKinley, pianist Joe Mulholland and bassist Bruce Gertz. Admission is $20 to $35. Reservations are encouraged at 781-888-4312. Read more
Spark Your Senses runs from 3 to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22, at Abbot Public Library, with fidget toys and sensory bags for ages 6-13 in the Thompson Makerspace and textured keychains and beaded fidgets for ages 14 and up in the Killam Teen Center. No registration is required. Drop-in tech help with Theresa Milewski runs from 3 to 5 p.m. the same afternoon and again Sept. 29 in the Marblehead Room. Read more
Quaker activist and author Eileen Flanagan speaks from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23, in the library’s event center, drawing on “Common Ground” and her organizing against companies driving the climate crisis. The Friends of Abbot Public Library, the League of Women Voters of Marblehead and 350 Mass North Shore co-sponsor, and Copper Dog Books sells copies. Registration is required; 48 of 80 seats were open as of Friday. Read more
Carol Cross leads a three-hour Make It and Take It stained glass class from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23, at 8 Hooper St. Students cut, foil and solder up to three pieces; no experience is needed and supplies are provided. Registration is required. Read more
Professional organizer and senior move specialist Rachel Carlino-Dangora leads Downsizing 101 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, at 4 Community Road. The session is free, coffee and bagels are served and an RSVP is required. Read more
Abbot Public Library’s afterschool chess club for ages 7-11 meets from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, in the Thompson Makerspace; registration is required and eight of 10 spots were open Friday. Drop-in seasonal crafts for kids of any age run the same hour in the Killam Children’s Room with no registration. Read more
Raymond Sullivan speaks on 18th-century military medicine at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, in the J.O.J. Frost Gallery at the Marblehead Museum, 170 Washington St., covering the diseases and wounds of ordinary foot soldiers and the career of Nathaniel Bond, surgeon of Glover’s Regiment. Tickets are $10 for members and $15 for the public. Read more
St. Andrew’s Church opens its fall rummage sale with a $10 preview party from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, at 135 Lafayette St. The main sale runs from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, with free admission and a $5 stuff-a-bag hour from noon to 1 p.m. Read more
The Yoga Loft holds a restorative sound bath with singing bowls, gongs and ocean drums from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, and an outdoor Harvest Moon yoga class from 5:45 to 6:45 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, in the Jeremiah Lee Mansion gardens. Registration is required for both. Read more
The Council on Aging will show “Remarkably Bright Creatures,” starring Sally Field and Alfred Molina, at 12:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25, at 10 Humphrey St. Registration is by phone at 781-631-6225. The COA also hosts Coffee with a Cop at 9 a.m. Fridays in the lobby and a blood pressure clinic at 11 a.m. Thursdays. Read more
Actress Meghan Boehmer portrays Sarah Griste Mugford, widow of James Mugford, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, inside the Jeremiah Lee Mansion, 170 Washington St., in a free Trails & Sails program on the lives of Revolution-era women. First-floor tours are included. Read more
The Marblehead Festival of Arts holds a speed puzzling competition from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 26, at Abbot Hall, with a 300-piece casual division and a 500-piece advanced division. Each ticket covers a team of two, who keep their puzzle. Spots are limited and prizes will be awarded. Read more
Four shows run Sept. 26 through Oct. 31 at 8 Hooper St.: the 2026 Photography Exhibition, “Infra Structure” by James Bostick, “Ancient Toddler: 3 Years An Artist” by Julian Orenstein and “The Year of the Horse 2026” by Susan Irene Correia. A free opening reception runs from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27. Galleries are open noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Read more
Clifton Lutheran Church holds a Fall Fest from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27, with all proceeds going to Mission of Hope International in Haiti. Pumpkins are also for sale to benefit the church and the Navajo Nation growers who supply them. Read more
The JCCNS hosts its monthly discussion of the biggest news stories from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 27, at 4 Community Road. Bagels are served, the session is free and no registration is required. Read more
Jewish Family & Children’s Service fields a team in the 15th annual Ride and Stride for Food on Sunday, Sept. 27, in Dedham, with a 3-mile walk and 25-, 50- and 62.5-mile cycling routes, plus a virtual option. Registration is $85, or $50 virtual, with a $350 fundraising minimum benefiting the Family Table food pantry. Read more
A mixed-age playgroup with games, crafts and storytelling runs from 10 to 10:30 a.m. Monday, Sept. 28, in Abbot Public Library’s event center, sponsored by the CFCE of the North Shore. Registration is required and all 30 spots were open Friday. Read more
Debra Basil leads the JCCNS North Shore Singers from 1 to 2 p.m. Tuesdays starting Sept. 29 at 4 Community Road. No experience is needed. The 10-week session costs $115 for members and $125 for the community; Sara Ewing can be reached at 857-285-7913. Read more
Abbot Public Library’s adult mystery book club discusses “The Widow” by John Grisham from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29, in the Marblehead Room. Copies are at the main desk. Registration is required, and four of 15 spots remained Friday. Read more
There is no Lunch by Doug at the Council on Aging on Tuesday, Sept. 22. The Sept. 29 menu is stuffed peppers and Caesar salad at noon for $5, with RSVP and payment due by Friday, Sept. 25, at 781-631-6225. Grab-and-go meals continue Wednesdays through Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for a suggested $2 donation. Read more
Hestia Creations’ paint-your-own-pottery studio hosts its lobster platter class from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29. Reservations are required. A Leaf Lantern painting night follows from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7. Read more
Gina Kelly of the Senior Medicare Patrol leads a free workshop on protecting a Medicare number and responding to scams at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30, at the Council on Aging, 10 Humphrey St. Registration is required at 781-631-6225. Read more
Medicine from a Colonial Garden explores the flowers, fruits and herbs colonial families used as cures at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30, in the Jeremiah Lee Mansion gardens, with an apothecary’s workbench showing early New England medicine-making tools. Registration is through the museum. Read more
The Marblehead Counseling Center holds Swamp-Stock: Rock the Night! at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, at 153 Humphrey St. in Swampscott, its first rock ’n’ roll fundraiser, with live music, dancing and light hors d’oeuvres. Tickets are sold through Eventbrite. Read more
North Shore Community Action Programs takes home energy assistance applications and recertifications from Oct. 1 through April 30, covering heating costs between Nov. 1 and April 30. Income limits start at $51,777 for a one-person household and $99,573 for four. First-time applicants need an intake interview; Marblehead residents can call 978-531-0767, ext. 136, or email energyassistance@nscap.org. Read more
Marblehead Little Theatre stages Euripides’ “Medea,” in Diane Svarlien’s translation, from Oct. 2 through Oct. 18. Jon Kinney directs and Erin Pelikhov and Lisa Fama produce. Tickets are sold online. Read more
Me&Thee Music presents singer-songwriter Rj Cowdery with Hope Dunbar at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2, at 28 Mugford St. Tickets are $30, or $10 for college students with identification at the door. Read more
Licensed clinical social worker Stephanie Sladen of The Power of Speech leads Hangout Hub: Fall Fun! from 3 to 3:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2, in the Thompson Makerspace, with games and fall crafts. Space is limited to 12 and registration is required; eight spots were open Friday. Read more
Discover Marblehead and the Marblehead Museum hold the 7th annual Fall Fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Lee Mansion garden, with 21 artist vendors, Acorn Gallery portrait drawing and pumpkin kits benefiting the Marblehead Food Pantry; admission is free, rain or shine. The same day, Marblehead Bank shreds documents free from 9 a.m. to noon at 21 Atlantic Ave. with a food drive, the Chamber of Commerce runs townwide sidewalk sales from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tower School opens its free Fall Fest for ages 3-14 from 10 a.m. to noon at 75 West Shore Drive, and the Harbor Light Inn hosts Jim Coyle in its garden from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Read more
“Café Brioche,” a two-hander about former actors meeting after years apart, plays at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4, at 8 Hooper St. Earlier Saturday, Julian Orenstein teaches phone photo editing in Take! Better! Pictures! from 2 to 3 p.m.; registration is appreciated and a donation is suggested. Read more
Author Windy Pham leads a bilingual Moon Festival story time and craft workshop for ages 3-8 and their families from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, in Abbot Public Library’s event center, supported by a Marblehead Cultural Council grant. Registration is open and all 20 spots were available Friday. Read more
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Marblehead hosts a free forum from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4, at 28 Mugford St., with the Rev. James Bixby of Clifton Lutheran Church, Rabbi Michael Schwartz of Temple Sinai, the Rev. Andre Bennett of Zion Baptist Church and Luis Menéndez-Antuña of the Boston University School of Theology, followed by audience questions. Read more
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