Salem Patch Reader Comments of the Week

Thankful CinemaSalem Offering Free 'Princess Bride' Screening:

ranadavid2002: I am so thankful this theater was saved. It's a staple of our Salem community, and my16 year old son has grown up going there and I'd like him someday to bring his children there. So congrats Salem :)

David Sanderson: Great!!! Its a cute theater and a convenient location in the heart of Downtown Salem....

A Look Around Salem's New iTaco:

Drew: The guacamole is made to order and the prices are great. A fine addition to the mall.

Cwheels: I'm downtown all the time and I would have never know this place existed. Museum Place = Death

How Should I Dispose of My Clementine Crates?

Mike Lash: I use them as plant flats for the spring seedlings. Better than plastic. Degradeable and strong.just stop looking at the box as trash and repurpose that nice wood box.

Daniel Vassily: Great Idea Mike, Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle!

Now Open in Salem: Jean-Louis Pasta Shop:

Bibis Pyewackett: Jean Louis' pasta is amazing! So far I've tried the Black Bean, Monterey Jack, and Cilantro ravioli and the Spinach and Feta ravioli-- I highly recommend both.

KlassySalem: The three cheese ravioli, and 5 cheese tortellini are delicious, too.

Restless: Wow.....bang goes my New Years Resolution....oh well....there is always next year!

Betty Bouchard: We have had a number of his raviolis: Lamb and Feta (amazing!) Beet and Chive (so yummy!), Three Cheese, Seafood, and Sundried tomato all of which were delicious! We happened by on his first day open and were immediately addicted! Less than 10 minutes to boil the water and cook the raviolis, warm some good olive oil and you have a restaurant quality dinner at home!

Diane H: WOW!!! Stopped in yesterday and the shop is great! Nicely decorated and loved looking at the racks with sheets of pasta drying! Lots and lots to choose from and we will definately be regulars at this shop. We tried the 4 cheese tortellini with the chunky vegatable sauce...both were amazing! The pastas are beautiful to look at and amazingly delicious! If you haven't been....make it a point! Jean Louis is very interesting man and clearly loves what he is doing!

City Council to Consider Old Town Hall Repairs:

Fran Wilson: Maintaning our past is one of the most important parts of planning our future.

john: Emergency repairs on that building is like opening a can of worms. If we are going to repair it then we should move 120 Washington to that building.

Salem Police Find Dog Tied Up in Freezing Temps:

Carolyn Costain: Its sad that some people think that just because the dog has fur "it will stay warm" its only true with some dogs that thrive in cold climates like Alaska or the dog is in a pack and they curl up together for body heat. Most domestic dogs do not have fur on their belly and the bare skin is exposed. The owner of this dog should be tide up in the yard with their belly exposed and see how they feel after hours in the cold. It's cruelty at its worst in this weather! 

Amy Malkoff: it's amazing that anyone would need to be "reminded" to do this

Does Salem Have a Rat Problem?

Lucia Coale: yup...$350 later on exterminators, and still had them... pretty gross to clean up after when a trap actually works... never had them before - just this year...

Cwheels: Rats are pretty intelligent, they wont go nuts on a new food source. They take a nibble and move on,if they get sick they never come back. that's why the bait blocks the pros use rarely work.

chester suchecki: anytime you have waterfont construction you drive the rats out of their natural habitat. salems ferry pier has been under construction for some time now and the rats have to eat so they turn to the local neighborhoods for food. humans created the problem now we want them to go away. was the big dig any different in boston? why doesnt the health department consult with them about it before asking for more money? cant the animal control officer handle his job that he is never there for?

Carolyn Costain: The Salem rat problem from Bridge st to Howard st. to the common seemed to get worse when they built the By-pass road and were digging up Bridge street. I've seen live and dead rats the size of a medium cat. I use to visit a friend in that area and in the summer it's bad!

$45M Downtown Salem Project in the Works:

Lisa Dolloff: Do we really need more empty slots for retail, more empty offices, and more empty condos? Maybe we should start worrying about all the problems we already have with all the empty real estate, and full parking lots and roads. Or does RCG own the city? Sometimes it feels like it.

pamela boucher: we already have two hotels now and don't need another. the hawthorne is just fine ok

Tim Philbroo: Couldn't agree more Lisa, I think our great city has more pressing concerns then more retail space and a new hotel. The Museum Place construction that will take 3-4 years, and our roads need some work as well. How about some trash clean up as well? Anyone else notice the amount of debris/trash is all over our streets? How often do we hear about a hypodermic needle being picked up by police.

Bil: We need a CVS or Walgreens, Maybe a new sub shop. or Dunkins.

Edward: This location would be PERFECT for a Trader Joe's, from what I read, it sounds like it would be the right size for one. As they already have two in the area (Peabody and Saugus), it would have to make financial sense for them to open a new location closeby. If TJ's opened up, I would shop there, no question.

Fanny Cleaver: The problem is that -- thanks to special permits and other whimsical decisions of our zoning board -- compliance is a moving target, set to meet the needs and desires of any given developer who, after all, doesn't have to live with the consequences.

For more of this week's reader comments, check out our news section.