Life is a series of occurrences, many being memorable for good reasons and others for not so good reasons.  2010 was a year of deeply personal trials for me. I found myself being tested in ways that challenged me not only physically but also psychologically. Health problems vexed me. Events and people from long ago haunted my thoughts. I was working and existing but I was not living. One person and one random occurrence changed everything. A busy Friday night in early November, 2010 found me at the Gulu-Gulu Cafe wearing headphones and staring intently into the screen of my laptop. A small …

The early 1970's were a critical time in the history of modern Salem.  Sam Zoll and Dick Guy faced off in the 1969 mayoral election. They were looking to succeed Francis X. Collins who had occupied the corner office at City Hall for twenty years. It was a true north Salem versus south Salem contest. When the smoke cleared Zoll stood as the winner. Zoll completed a two year term and stood for re-election in 1972 where he defeated a marginal candidate by the name of Morin. My memory of Morin presents a bear of a man with a bushy beard who would paddle from the beach at Derby's Wharf to …

Once again, barring any sudden encounter with a bus - we are blessed enough to see a new year emerge. Patch and I are both looking forward to the changes that a new year always brings. With new editors and managers on board you can be sure that there exciting things are going to happen. My first article in Patch ran on Nov. 27, 2010. This column today is number 222. Not all of those have been of the opinion variety. Meetings have been covered and interviews have been conducted. We have discussed dining, entertainment and sports. It has been a pleasure and I am looking forward to continuing …

If you were an adolescent in the 1960's and a teen in the 1970's you know that television and the movie theater played a real role in your daily existence. Other than radio there was no other electronic media out there. Growing up as local movie theaters were fading, I can only remember two in Salem. There was the Salem Theater and then the decidedly more upscale, at least in appearance, Paramount Theater. Each was located on Essex Street.  The Federal, Empire and Rialto Theaters were slightly before my time. Most of the Christmas movies that I remember from childhood were shown on television…

Billy Cormier, Susan Sorois, Neil Cornacchio, Gloria Riley, Peter Doyle, Barbara DuPray, Frank Hooley, Karen Kobialka, Wayne Malionek, Aurora Oquendo, Bobby Carter, Beth Tobin. Those are the names of a few but not all of the Salem children that attended St. Mary's school with me in the late 1960's and early 1970's. We were instructed and disciplined on a daily basis by a group of nuns belonging to the Sisters of Charity. Kindergarten was the realm of Sister Anita. One of the years I was in kindergarten (yes I did kindergarten twice) the student teacher was a tall young woman by the name of …

  Two years can seem like a lifetime, or a nano-second. It all depends on what you are doing and when you are doing it.  It was early on Thursday morning, Dec. 8, 2010 when I was contacted by Aubry Bracco then the Salem Patch Editor. She informed me that a Salem soldier had been killed the day before in Afghanistan. It seems like it happened yesterday.  Initially I was skeptical as it had been a long time since Salem had experienced a death in actual combat. We had grieved with Beverly, Marblehead and Swampscott as they buried their own heroes, but had not yet been touched directly with the …

A couple of times every year, lottery fever hits Salem and other communities across the country. Once it hits it spreads quickly without regard for race, creed, color or sexual preference. Many succumb to this fever.  Gambling may be classified as a disease, but lottery fever is not. If it was, the powers that be would be moved to declare it an epidemic, isolate and perhaps move to eradicate it. The first symptoms in Massachusetts occurred in 1972 when "The Game" was created. I remember those tickets in my Grandfathers store, Bill's Variety. They came 24 to a sheet and cost fifty cents a …

If all goes as planned, by the time you begin to read this sentence the yellow, cinder-blocked building on the Universal Steel site will be under the wrecking ball. And years of neglect, followed by tax issues and an eventual seizure by the city, will finally come to a merciful end. Most people seem to know this property as a federally designated brown fields site that sits just off of the North Street overpass. It has been long vacant and contaminated with polychlorinated byphenyls (PCB's), known to cause cancer and other dangerous metals, to include lead and arsenic. In the winter of 1976 …

  Recent actions taken by the Salem Licensing Board have caught the attention of many local residents and prompted some lively discussions on Salem Patch. Those who frequent downtown businesses on weekend nights can attest the vibrancy that has become downtown Salem. By late afternoon, it is not unusual to see places filling up with those out for a burger and a beer at Major Magleashe's or some delicious pasta and a good red wine at Cafe Graziani. Salem, along with Beverly, has become a destination for the dining and drinking crowd. This is good for everybody, but like anything else, it …

Let me state clearly here, I did not not vote for the Community Preservation Act. To me it is a tax poorly disguised as community initiative. None of that matters now. The CPA passed, it is here and a fact of life in Salem. Sometime after the New Year a committee will have to be formed to administer the program. This committee will be established by ordnance or by-law. The ordnance or by-law will also define the term lengths for committee members. This will be done by the city council with input from the Mayor's office. This committee is required by statute to have a minimum of five members. …

"Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters" - Abraham Lincoln To vote, or not to vote? Do we face the fire, or turn away from it? It would seem that there aren't many who actually wrestle with that question. Most come down on one side or the other and live comfortably with their decision. There are a few I know who vote sporadically, but they would seem to be the exception. We are either the type to face the fire or we are not. The fact is we all pay for our …

  Halloween crowds October is in its last days. The final Saturday of the month brought good weather and large crowds. Hordes of visitors crowded downtown streets and stood in long lines outside of many shops and restaurants. It is always interesting to try and forecast how crowded the city will be on October weekends. There is no foolproof system. My method is to begin looking at traffic patterns on Thursday afternoons. If the traffic on a Thursday seems heavier than normal, it usually indicates the crowds are coming in early. Friday was very steady downtown, The numbers didn't overwhelm, …

  A few weeks back I attended a meeting of the Salem Historical Commission. My reason for going was simple — the fate of an old barn on what used to be the Ropes Estate on 18 Felt St. was up for discussion. The Ropes Estate was sold earlier in the year and broken up into separate lots. The house and garage have since been purchased by landscape architect, Michael Blier. Blier has been busy repairing and restoring the property as a home for his family.  The barn was purchased by James Treadwell, a noted advocate for historic preservation in Salem. He has been, for many years, a leading voice …

  Anyone that reads message boards or newspaper comment threads is familiar with the "hang 'em high" mentality that comes with the territory. No matter the subject matter, hard-liners will insist that any and all infractions must be met with quick and severe discipline. Any other approach is seen as lily-livered or weak-kneed. Take the malefactor out back and tan his hide with a leather strap. The actions the Salem Licensing Board took against Bangkok Paradise last night will not come close to appeasing some of those homebound "knights of the keyboard" (thank you Ted Williams). That is …

  Chief of Police Paul Tucker, accompanied by one of his captains and three patrolman, told members of the Salem Licensing Board last Tuesday that "my officers feel this situation with Bangkok Paradise is out of control. As Chief I cannot let this stand." Tucker's comments came after a 40-minute hearing during which members of the Salem Police detailed an incident that occurred just before 1 a.m. on the morning of Sept. 1 outside of Bangkok Paradise located at 90 Washington St. During that incident, a 20-year old woman, arrested for disorderly conduct claimed to have been served two beers …

  As I walked downtown yesterday morning, I was writing today's column in my head. The subject had been chosen and the direction and tone selected. Then I turned on my iMac and looked at Salem Patch. Plans were changed as soon as I saw the headline concerning the events of early Saturday morning on Washington Street. Before continuing, be advised that I know the folks who own Bangkok Paradise personally. Some time back I worked with one of them at McCue Corporation at Shetland Park. I know him as a family man who has always worked a legitimate job for a legitimate income. There are many …

  Some years back a few Salem business owners decided to use the Halloween season to stir up some downtown shopping business. Many debate just who did what and when in that capacity. Suffice it to say that it was a group effort, driven mostly by private business owners. This past Saturday morning I saw the Samantha Statue get its annual pre-Halloween polishing. I then watched as the downtown filled with visitors. Parking became scarce, breakfast and lunch joints filled up, and folks wandered the city streets looking for the attractions. Sunday brought more of the same. This, despite the fact …

Today we follow up on last week's discussion on downtown locations that are in need of some work. You and I probably frequent many of the same places. We stop for coffee or a muffin, read a newspaper or just sit and chat with a friend. We all have our favorite spots whether it be a breakfast place or a bench somewhere. Some of the spots may have changed in appearance or in name over the years, but many have long been places where locals meet to discuss sports, business, family or politics. Town House Square is one of these places. Many no longer know it by that name. My grandfather, Bill …

  Most of my time is spent in downtown Salem. Thirty years of wanderlust has dissipated and it is my pleasure to say I am content to occupy my time in this small corner of the world.  When not spending idle time, I have been found employed by various local entities in the corporate, hospitality, municipal and fitness fields. If you see me sitting about staring at a computer screen, chances are I am working on one of my writing projects or opining for Patch. As I walk the town and take in the sights, I see many of the same things you see. Your perspective and mine may differ on occasion. Once …

  August has passed its mid-point and we will soon be into September. The ninth month has long been one of transition. The weather will begin a gradual change to cooler winds, and students will return to their studies. Transitions will also occur in the political world. There have been some watershed moments over the last 40 years in Salem. The mayoral election in 1969 stands as the first one in my memory. Two sons of Salem squared off to succeed Francis X. Collins who had led the city for 20 years. When the smoke cleared, Sam Zoll had won the vote over Dick Guy. Soon after that, Jean …