Salem Patch Reader Comments of the Week

Salem Residents Step Up to Replace Stolen Christmas Gifts

Leanne Schild Nice story. So often, your headlines focus on the negative things that happen in Salem but SO much good happens here too. More of this kind of story please!

Linda McGrath I was happy to read such a lovely story. The Grinch or Grinches were also loose on Broad Street and tore red bows off fence decorations, not once but twice. The first time the bows were thrown on the sidewalk and when replaced were ripped up and thrown into the street.

Henry Talbot Another great community effort by the Community Impact Unit of the Salem Police Department and the Plummer Home! Happy Holidays to the men and woman of the finest police department on the North shore!

---

Sinead O'Brien Last weekend a man was violently struck by a car on North St. at Lynde. And again a week later? I live on North, and vehicles drive way, way too fast. It's clearly a danger. Something needs to be done.

Maggi Smith-Dalton The walk light at that intersection has never worked properly...not since day one. AND cars, as you say, drive ridiculously fast there, especially when coming around the corner on the ramp from Bridge St.

ACG Some mornings no less than a half dozen or more cars will go right past me as I stand part way into their travel lane at the 7/11 crosswalk. I would say most of them are doing 40-45. When someone does stop I have to watch out for the person behind them passing on the right. I do see an SPD officer some mornings sitting near the gas station. So there is a presence. Maybe just not often enough?

Jack Carver That has to be the worst cross walk. Mostly the pedestrians are hidden by the parked cars at the Old Shell station side of the cross walk and just pop out into traffic. I blame both People just walk right out into the cross walk with out looking and drivers are speeding and texting.

---

Salem's Most Bizarre Police Log Entries 2012

chester suchecki and the people of salem wonder where the police are. chasing idiots but you still have them on the streets

Simon Vaughn Markham A great compilation! You brought back some of the classics!

---

How Can Salem Crosswalks Be Made Safer For Pedestrians?

pk All phone use should be banned while driving. Our lives are worth it. If people are so self-centered that a ban is not feasible, we should at least ban all hand-held devices. While studies have shown that all use of all phones is a danger, a ban on hand-held devices would prohibit texting behind the wheel which is far more dangerous than anything else. From an enforcement standpoint, the only workable solution to making texting while driving illegal is to ban all hand-held use as officers cannot be expected to distinguish calling from texting by a driver in a moving vehicle.

gene Get the police out of Dunkin Donuts and on the streets. When is the last time you saw speed enforcement in Salem? In fact, when was the last time you saw anyone stopped for either not yielding to a pedestrian, failure to use turn signals, or any one of a host of violations that could turn catastrophic? For that matter when was the last time you saw a bicyclist cited for riding the wrong way down the street?

Meg Elizabeth I have lived off of North Street for many years, travel on it daily, and have never once seen a traffic patrol cop. I will admit to probably driving too fast down that road sometimes; it is easy and tempting to do when you hit a rare moment of no traffic, it is a straight street to speed on, and there are never speed traps. And on the other had, I am often a pedestrian feeling not so safe walking and crossing North Street. I even opt for walking down the sketchy HMA path to the train station then over that bridge. I would rather face off with the homeless then a large metal car.

Justin Mattera As someone who walks around town everyday, I see it all. Weather I am walking from the wharf to city hall, to Steve's Market or just for a walk with the dog, I see it all. Personally, I know that drivers around here are awful. For this reason, I use the cross walk signal 100% of the time. I don't care if no cars are coming, I wait for the little white man to light up and then I go. I once saw a women crossing in front of Tavern on the Square with a small group of children. A MBTA bus was doing a turn and the woman and kids just kept walking. The bus had to come to a Sharp stop and beeped the horn. The woman became enraged and said "I'm walking here, slow it down" (the real words were quite worse). So I ask this, what gives her the right to cross the street when its clearly not her turn and yell at the driver who is following the laws? Would it be ok for a driver to simply not follow the traffic lights and drive past a red light? The majority of the crossing walk issues are with the people walking, they need to follow the rules just like the drivers. Yes, there are times when its clearly the drivers fault, however I would say its the people walking who think its fine to cross when, where and at any time they want. I will say again, I walk everyday, I don't drive, I have no sides of the drivers, I just speak the truth and speak what I see on a daily basis. Happy holidays to everyone.

Diane Wolf I agree, Justin. Just because someone told us when we were little children that "Pedestrians always have the right of way." doesn't mean we should toss all caution, self-preservation and courtesy to the wind and just cross the street whenever it suits us. It's called personal responsibility.

Carolyn Costain They should put some kind of reflectors dotting the crosswalks because cars don't seem to even slow down or stop when your standing in one.

Nancy Santos-Pacheco I agree. The more traffice enforcement the better the odds are that these things wont happen as often. Boston St over by the Shell gas station is horrible and even with the cross walk and light its horrible to cross.

---

Salem's Long History of Movie Houses

William Legault Nicely done as always Jerome. Especially enjoyed the references to the Koen family.

ROBERT RICE Good article. I am sure I went to see movies at the Plaza with my aunt and uncle a few times. I was born 1955 so the theater had to be closed late 1950's or early 1960's not early 1950's. This was the theater a few buildings down from Salem theater not an empty lot?

Jerome Curley According to Salem Library documents the Plaza closed in the mid-1950s which I should have written instead of early 1950s as I did. For recent history, I was surprised to see so many conflicting dates for when Salem theaters opened and closed. Sorry for not being more precise. I'm puzzled by your empty lot comment..is that referring to something or just your comment about what is there now?

Nelson Dionne As I recall, it reopened circa 1958. I recall seeing "The Blob" there, among other 3rd rate movies. The balcony seats were at about a 60 degree angle ! And ofd course, the candy was overpriced at 25 cents, instead of selling the nickle 7/8 oz. bars all the local variety stores had. I think it may have finally closed about 1963 ( best guess )

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