TODAY'S EDITION IN ONE SENTENCE: Marblehead moved through one of those weeks when remembrance, restoration and the next thing coming all seemed to crowd into the same frame: at Village School, 4th and 5th graders pressed 1,807 handmade paper poppies into the lawn and learned that Memorial Day is not just a long weekend but a promise to remember the town’s war dead; at the Marblehead Museum, a five-year, $1.4 million restoration is about to open the Brick Kitchen and Slave Quarters to the public as “Resistance and Resilience: Slavery and Freedom in Marblehead,” asking visitors to sit with lives recovered from fragments, ledgers and records never meant to honor them; Lauren McCormack, whose steady work helped make that fuller public history possible, is preparing to leave the museum for Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area; marine scientist Steve Wolf and Sustainable Marblehead are trying to bring oysters back to Marblehead harbors after more than a century away, beginning with roughly 60,000 baby oysters at Tucker’s Wharf; David Modica’s blunt Town Meeting question is headed to Beacon Hill by invitation, where Abundant Housing Massachusetts expects about 120 advocates to gather May 27; at Abbot Hall, five Marblehead High School seniors have turned more than 300 works by 7th through 12th graders into an art show about growth and maturity; historian Christopher Magra traces Marblehead’s revolutionary story back to cod, commerce, John Glover’s schooner Hannah and the saltwater economy that helped push colonists toward revolt; voters now have early-voting hours for the June 9 town election, the League of Women Voters is bringing 18 candidates before residents for Candidates’ Night on May 26; the Marblehead Fireworks Committee is warning that about $80,000 still needs to be raised for this year’s fireworks and Harbor Illumination; and, because a town also announces its future in the young people it sends out into the world, the Rotary Club of Marblehead awarded $25,000 in scholarships to five students whose stories run through leadership, journalism, chess, military-family service and a turn toward public policy, sending the week out on the clearest note a town can ask for: That what we choose to remember, repair and fight over still matters because someone is coming up behind us to inherit it  — Cheers, Will 

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Village students plant 1,807 poppies for Marblehead’s war dead  

At Marblehead Village School, 4th and 5th graders pushed 1,807 handmade paper poppies into the lawn Friday, May 22, in a remembrance project built around John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields." 

Oysters could return to local harbors 

after generations away

Marine scientist and Marblehead resident Steve Wolf said a pilot project could raise about 60,000 baby oysters at Tucker’s Wharf before testing them around the harbor. Supporters hope the effort can improve water quality, ease erosion and revive a species long diminished north of Cape Ann.

Marblehead Museum opens exhibit

on slavery, freedom and memory

After a five-year, $1.4 million restoration, the Marblehead Museum is opening “Resistance and Resilience: Slavery and Freedom in Marblehead.” The exhibit recovers enslaved lives connected to Marblehead families and asks visitors to confront history built from incomplete records.

McCormack to depart after reshaping Marblehead's public history

Lauren McCormack will leave the Marblehead Museum on June 30 to lead Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area. Her tenure included the $1.4 million Brick Kitchen and Slave Quarters restoration and broader work on Marblehead’s Black and Indigenous history.

Modica takes viral moment to Beacon Hill

David Modica, whose blunt Town Meeting question drew more than 1 million combined views on Instagram and X, is to speak at Abundant Housing Massachusetts’ May 27 lobby day. The group is pushing statewide zoning changes as Marblehead’s housing fight continues to echo beyond town.

Student artists take over Abbot Hall

with a show built to mature

More than 300 works by 7th through 12th graders fill Abbot Hall through May 27. Five seniors curated the exhibition to show students’ artistic growth from middle school to graduation.

Historian traces Marblehead’s

 revolution to the sea

Christopher Magra told a Salem audience that Marblehead’s fishing economy helped push the colonies toward revolution. He tied the town’s cod trade, Parliament’s 1775 Restraining Act and the schooner Hannah to a saltwater origin story for American independence.

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Early voting set for June 9 election

Marblehead voters will have three days of early voting at Abbot Hall before the June 9 election on a tiered operating override and trash question. Mailed ballots must reach the Town Clerk’s Office by 8 p.m. on election day.

League forum puts contested  races before voters

The Marblehead League of Women Voters will host Candidates’ Night on May 26 at the Marblehead High School Library. Voters will hear from candidates in six contested races before the June 9 town election.

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.

EDITOR'S DESK:

McCormack showed what local history can do

We reflect on Lauren McCormack’s years at the Marblehead Museum and the way her research made local history immediate. Her work helped return names, places and overlooked stories to the town’s public memory.

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.

Rotary Club of Marblehead awards $25K in scholarships

The Marblehead Rotary Club awarded five $5,000 scholarships to students chosen from 44 applicants. The recipients’ paths include journalism, student leadership, chess, military-family service and a turn toward public policy. Full story.

Counseling center honors Aldrich, names scholarship winners

The Marblehead Counseling Center presented its second annual Amy Saltz Community Champions Award to Dave Aldrich, founder of Grab the Bagel, on May 1 and celebrated the honor Thursday at the Beacon Restaurant during the organization's Community Champions Celebration. Aldrich, a Nahant resident, founded the national Grab the Torch foundation about two decades ago and launched Grab the Bagel in 2024 as a nonprofit social enterprise whose bagel-sale revenue benefits local families, first responders, schools and community services in Marblehead and Swampscott. Nominator Paul Todisco said Aldrich "selflessly gives of his time and energy without expecting anything in return. Full story.

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.

Diann Baylis secures Governor’s Council ballot spot  
Marblehead immigration attorney Diann Baylis has qualified for the Sept. 1 Democratic primary ballot for Governor’s Council in the 6th District after submitting more than 1,380 certified nomination signatures to the Secretary of State’s Office. Baylis said the campaign is entering a new phase as she prepares to meet voters across the district’s 20 communities and make her case on judicial appointments, constitutional rights, elections and immigration-related issues. 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 
Summary: 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
Summary: 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.