Week in Review: May 30 to June 5

It was a cross between old and new this week, starting with the annual Memorial Day Parade and ending with local politicians debating about how to take the Old Town House into the future.

Hundreds of locals turned out to honor our veterans in a parade and ceremony at Memorial Park. 

On Tuesday, Bliss Salon on Pleasant Street decided, as Americans, they would pitch in to help their fellow man. Bliss Salon has donated more than 100 pounds of hair to an organization which helps sops up oil spills.

The salon is working with the environmental charity Matter of Trust, which packs all that hair into booms and absorbent mats. The ridged texture that helps hair absorb natural skin oils also makes it good for mopping up crude.

The week continued with debate among the Board of Selectmen regarding the use of the Old Town House going forward.

To make the historic building compliant with the Voting Rights Act and make future elections at the polling place possible, the town would be required to install an elevator in a building's closet.

Ten years ago, when voters rejected the proposed elevator, it would have cost about $150,000, Town Administrator Tony Sasso told the board.

At this week's School Committee meeting, a vote was taken to send a letter to the Marblehead Community Charter Public School urging them not to expand their lower grades.

Late Friday, word came the MCCPS had dropped its expansion plans.

Writing to the MCCPS community, Emil Ronchi said, "Ultimately, the financial risk and other uncertainties, combined with a satisfactory but relatively tepid response from the community, served to dissuade a majority of the Board from moving forward with this initiative."

With the Marblehead High School class of 2010 graduating today, this week Marblehead Patch highlighted some of the students setting off from Marblehead and what they hope their future plans hold.

Congratulations to the Class of 2010!