Salem Residents Fuming Over Stolen, Damaged Flowers

Salem police have responded to numerous complaints regarding stolen flowers, damaged flower pots and pulled up gardens this spring.

A recent uptick in reports of stolen flower pots and damaged gardens has some city residents asking local police officers to increase their latenight foot patrols in certain Salem neighborhoods.  It was Friday evening when Leach Street resident Jessica Dusak discovered that a brazen thief had stolen a hanging flower basket and four trays of flowers off of her front porch in broad daylight. Although the fresh flowers were worth less than $40, Dusak said she was disappointed because she expected more of her neighborhood.  "Leach Street is a lovely area and the flowers had been purchased just days before," Dusak said, adding, "my neighbors and I are simply appalled at how someone would do such a thing." Then, on Sunday morning, Hawthorne …

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Harry Potter Shops Settling in on Essex Street

Wynott's Wands recently relocated from Pickering Wharf to the former Fool's Mansion space on Essex Street, allowing for side-by-side Harry Potter shops.

For the first time this past weekend, the city of Salem had side-by-side Harry Potter shops on Essex Street. Remember Salem owner Tim Maguire recently relocated his new Wynott's Wands shop from a small commercial space on Pickering Wharf to the former home of The Fool's Mansion on Essex Street. Although having his two shops right next to each other will make life easier from a managerial perspective, Maguire said the big reason for the move was advancing his plan to open up a function space. "Beginning in July we're going to be offering the option of renting a room in the back of the former Fool's Mansion space for birthday parties and other events," Maguire said Monday afternoon. Maguire has owned and operated Remember Salem on Essex …

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Police Log

Police: Man Caught Stealing from Salem DPW

The following information was submitted by the Salem Police Department. Where arrests or charges are mentioned, it does not indicate a conviction.

The following is an excerpt from the Salem Police Department's log: Sunday, May 19: Monday, May 20: Other arrest: Nicole E. Comppen, 22, of 10 Beckett St., Salem, was arrested on a charge of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. If you have a question about this police log, please send it to Salem Patch.

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Patch Facts

Denzel Washington May Film on the North Shore

Here are the five things you need to know before you start your day in Salem.

Today is Tuesday, May 21, and here are the five things you need to know: 1. It should be another pleasant day in Salem. The National Weather Service is predicting that local residents can expect it to be cloudy, with a high near 60. Tonight should be cloudy, with a low around 51. (sunrise, 5:16 a.m.; high tide, 7:29 a.m.; low tide, 1:40 p.m.; sunset, 8:03 p.m.) 2. Will Denzel Washington be the next star to make a movie in the Salem area? Bill Laganas, owner of Lynn Meatland — a meat market, sandwich shop and catering company in Lynn that served the stars when Grown Ups 2 was in town — said last week he got a call from movie crew members saying movie scouts were looking at locations in the area for a Denzel Washington film. Washington is …

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This Inspiring Story Brought to You by Grape-Nuts

Cleanup Organizer Sees a Future of Smaller Footprints

Former high school teacher Pat Conaway sees real hope in the young people who help him clean the area's trails, waterways and roadways.

  Pat Conaway admits he is "kind of a nut" about the environment, so when he retired from teaching in 2008, it didn't take long for him to find a number of productive ways to spend his time.  "I wanted to get people fired up about the environment, to try to encourage citizens to get involved locally," said Conaway, founder of Big Hearts, Little Feet.  A nearly constant presence on area roadways, trails and waterways, Conaway can be found leading groups of volunteers, including many students, to pick up trash, improve trails and remove invasive species. From beer cans to soda and coffee cups, trash tossed by the roadside washes into local rivers and, if left alone, eventually finds its way to the ocean, where scientists have found plastic …

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Salem High School Chef Aiming for 'Cake War' Win

Which local high school senior do you think created the best cake?

A Salem High School senior is one of five local seniors hoping to win Cakes for Occasion's "Cake Wars." Catherine Kinsella is taking her cake creation up against Jamie Tarricone of Danvers High School, Ari Cipriani of Masconomet Regional High School, Kimberly Sousa of Peabody Veterans Memorial High School and Tess Greenberg of Beverly High School.  The winner will get a college scholarship and win dessert their Senior Class Up All Night event. Voting runs through Thursday at 3 p.m. on Cakes for Occassion's Facebook page. The cake with the most votes will win. The cakes were created at Cakes for Ocassions, on Maple Street in Danvers Square, in a three hour span. Family members and friends looked on as the senior decorated the cakes and the …

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Cash Toll Collection to End Next Year on the Tobin

Tolls on the Tobin Bridge will be collected electronically - without any cash payments to toll collectors - starting next year.

Salem commuters headed to Boston across the Tobin Bridge won't have to stop to pay the toll starting next year, the state Department of Transportation announced on Monday. MassDOT said it is making plans for “All Electronic Tolling” on the Tobin Bridge, a form of toll collection that means drivers don’t have to stop or slow down to pay the toll. There will be several informational meetings to explain the program to North Shore commuters and answer questions about it. The closest meeting will be held in Salem on Tuesday, June 18 at 6 p.m. The new program is about six month away. Starting in early 2014, drivers will not have the option to stop at a tollbooth and pay the toll with cash on the Tobin Bridge. Instead, tolls will be collected …

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Salem Man Killed in Incident with Vehicle

The incident occurred early Saturday morning in West Gloucester outside an apartment complex.

[Editor's Note: Michael J. Linscott was initially identified by authorities as a Danvers resident, but the Salem News reports it received a death notice over the weekend from Linscott's mother, which says they had moved to Salem and he was living with her until the time of his death.] A Salem man was killed early Saturday morning after an incident outside a Gloucester apartment complex. Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett's office are investigating the incident, in which Michael J. Linscott, 29, was killed, according to Blodgett’s spokeswoman, Carrie Kimball Monahan. It happened at about 1:41 a.m. when Gloucester Police received 911 calls reporting that a man had been struck by a car at 39 …

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