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Selectmen Pave Way for New Restaurant

The Board of Selectmen awarded a common victualer's license to the local man looking to open Joey D's on Pleasant Street.

The Board of Selectmen unanimously approved a motion Wednesday night to award a Common Victualer's License to a local man looking to open Joey D's in the space formerly occupied by Hooked Seafood & Grill. Prospective owner Joseph Costanzo, of Green Street, told board members he recently sold Luciana's Restaurant and Pizza on Highland Avenue in Salem and is looking to open a business on Pleasant Street that will offer fresh-caught seafood, Italian fare and pizza. "I've been in the restaurant business for 30 plus years and I've owned my own restaurant since 1985," Costanzo said, "so I have many, many years of experience under my belt." Althought Costanzo didn't offer a guess at when Joey D's will be ready for customers, he did say he hopes …

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2012 Town Election Results

Here are the results to the three contested races in today's annual Town Election.

Unofficial Results to Contested Races in Marblehead's 2012 Town Election: The following unofficial results were submitted by Town Clerk Robin A. Michaud. Candidates listed in bold are the unofficial winners. --- Municipal Light Commission: --- Recreation and Parks Commission: --- Water & Sewer Commission: ---

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Don't Forget to Vote Today!

Marblehead residents will hit the polls today to cast their votes in the annual Town Election.

Local polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. today so that town residents can cast their votes in Marblehead's Annual Town Election. Polling Locations: Contested Races: Municipal Light Commission: Recreation and Parks Commission: Water and Sewer Commission: Marblehead Patch will be posting full election results as they become available tonight.

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Voters Green Light Lead Mills Purchase

Town Meeting voters unanimously approved the purchase of the Lead Mills property Tuesday night.

Local residents unanimously approved a proposal to purchase the recently rehabilitated Chadwick Lead Mills property at Town Meeting Tuesday night, paving the way for a new waterfront recreation spot in Marblehead. If the override is approved in a Special Town Election next month, the 5-acre site, located off of Lafayette Street near the Salem/Marblehead line, would be purchased for approximately $1.6 million. The proposed land acquisition would be a collaborative purchase between Marblehead and Salem - with Marblehead paying $1.5 million of the total cost. The majority of the land - about 3.5 acres of it - is in Marblehead. Although it would be deemed conservation land and would be maintained by the Marblehead Conservancy, the proposal …

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Leaf Blower Ban Narrowly Defeated

A proposal to ban leaf blowers in Marblehead was defeated at Town Meeting Tuesday night.

A proposal calling for a seasonal ban on the use of gas-powered leaf blowers in Marblehead was defeated by less than 100 votes at Town Meeting Tuesday night. The majority of those gathered at Marblehead Veterans Middle School voted in favor of indefinitely postponing the seasonal ban, which would have run from Sept. 15 to May 15, by a margin of 285 to 211. Prior to opening the floor to comments from the public, the article's sponsor and longtime resident Christopher Bergonzi used his time at the podium to challenge opponents to dispute the health risks associated with gas-powered leaf blowers. "I and many others believe that the use of leaf blowers in Marblehead has become increasingly excessive and incessant and poses serious health risks…

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Voters OK $4.9M Drainage Project

Town Meeting voters approved a proposed three-year, $4.9 million drainage project.

Marblehead residents overwhelmingly approved a Town Meeting article Monday night calling for a debt-exclusion override to pay for a proposed three-year $4.9 million drainage project. Monday's approval, which passed by a margin of 576 to 10, means the extensive drainage project will appear on the Special Town Election ballot next month. Among the handful of town residents who spoke in favor of the project was Ben Rhodes, owner of the Pleasant Street building currently occupied by Hooked Seafood and Grill and Worldly Pets. Prior to the vote, Rhodes told those in attendance how hard it was to "not to be able to sleep at night" if he knew there would be "more than a few inches of rain in the forecast." "I've seen more than eight feet of water …

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Marblehead to Celebrate Anthony M. Sasso Day

Departing Town Administrator Tony Sasso was recognized at a Selectmen's meeting Wednesday night and will be honored with a day named in his honor next month.

Selectmen new and old surprised Marblehead's departing Town Administrator Tony Sasso by attending his last scheduled selectmen's meeting at Abbot Hall Wednesday night. The meeting, which featured a unanimous board decision to name May 17 as Anthony M. Sasso Day in Marblehead, drew a small crowd of former selectmen, town officials and Sasso's close friends to the Selectmen's Meeting Room. "I thank you for everything you did for this town," Chairman Jackie Belf-Becker said. "It's been such a wonderful learning experience and sharing experience working with you and I can't image you not sitting in that seat." Also thanking Sasso was selectman James Nye, who said he was proud to have worked alongside him on so many important town projects. "…

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Finance Committee Endorses $4.9M Drainage Project

The Finance Committee agreed to recommend a three-year $4.94 million drainage project Monday night.

The Finance Committee unanimously approved a motion to support a proposed three-year, $4.94 million drainage project at their meeting Monday night. The committee's recommendation came less than a month after members told the Water and Sewer Commission that they'd need more information, specifically an in-depth year-by-year cost analysis report, before they could make a final decision. Local residents will be asked to approve a debt-exclusion override to fund the project at Town Meeting next month. At Monday's meeting, which drew a crowd of town officials and local residents to the lower-level conference room of the Mary Alley Municipal Building, committee members seemed more than pleased with the commission's revamped presentation. "I …

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