patching...
Update: Get Salem Patch in your inbox every morning. Sign up for our free daily newsletter! »
Welcome back, Patch Blogger!

Patch Video

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

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 …

Ashton Synn

3:20 pm on Wednesday, May 22, 2013

These are both amazing and magical shops! If you like Harry Potter in any capacity you will love Remember Salem and Wynott's Wands! Step inside either shop and you feel like you have apparated to Diagon Alley. If you are going to Salem, do not miss these shops! These shops are a good enough reason to plan a trip to Salem! A correction, though. Remember Salem has moved one shop over to the …   more ›

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 …

Friday, May 17, 2013

Downtown Salem Fountain Flowing Again

A Salem fountain that has sat dry for more than three years was flowing once again Thursday afternoon to the delight of city residents and nearby business owners.

City residents out enjoying Thursday's weather were delighted to see water flowing once again from the fountain near the Essex Street entrance to the Museum Place Mall. The effort to get the fountain flowing was spearheaded by Arthur Ingemi, owner of the nearby Village Tavern, who noticed the fountain wasn't pumping water for the third straight summer season.  Ingemi said he spoke to Salem Public Works foreman George Sands, who was working in the area, and inquired about the possibility of getting the fountain going. Sands' response, he said, was that he could "get that baby going in about four hours" if he just had the right parts. So, earlier this month, Ingemi reached out to the mayor's office and soon learned that the city had all the …

christine

10:32 am on Monday, May 20, 2013

Every great city has fountains as places of public gathering. We need MORE!   more ›

Patch Facts

Work Underway on Essex Street Ped Mall

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

Today is Friday, May 17, and here are the five things you need to know: 1. It should be another beautiful day in Salem. The National Weather Service is predicting that local residents can expect it to be sunny, with a high near 66. Tonight should be mostly clear, with a low around 47. (sunrise, 5:19 a.m.; low tide, 11:06 a.m.; high tide, 5:27 p.m.; sunset, 8:00 p.m.) 2. A contracting crew was hard at work Thursday afternoon pulling up cobblestones along the mid-section of the Essex Street Pedestrian Mall. Click on the video attached to this post for a closer look at recent progress and Click Here for a break-down of what you can expect this summer. 3. The Salem and Beverly drinking water supply’s primary source – Wenham Lake – is under the…

Monday, May 13, 2013

A Virtual Look Inside Salem State's New Library

Local officials took a guided hard hat tour of Salem State University's Frederick E. Berry Library and Learning Commons Friday afternoon.

City and state officials were treated to a hard hat tour of Salem State University's new $74 million Frederick E. Berry Library and Learning Commons Friday afternoon. Construction on the 122,000-square-foot library and learning commons began in December 2010 and is expected to wrap up in August. The new library is the first new building built on the university's North Campus since the old library was completed in 1972. The new library will replace the old building, which was "outdated and had been plagued with problems since its construction," according to release. Check out the video above for a virtual look around the university's new library.

John Dumas

8:09 am on Monday, May 13, 2013

"Construction on the 122,000-square-foot library and learning commons began in December 2010 and is expected to wrap up in August." The Empire State Building was compleated in one year 47 days, using horse carts and hand tools. This building seemes to have been built in an L shape that has been designed to have the least possible interior space. We will still will pay the "PUBLIC" constuction …   more ›

What's Next for the Salem Willows Pier?

Wondering what's next for the storm-damaged pier at Salem Willows Park? You're not the only one.

The storm-damaged Salem Willows pier is still closed to city residents. The good news, according to Salem Harbormaster Bill McHugh, is that the Willows pier was well-insured prior to being damaged and the insurance adjuster has been notified that it is currently in need of extensive repairs. The Salem News is reporting this morning that bids for the repair project are expected to go out sometime this month. McHugh also pointed out that the damage seen in the photographs attached to this post wasn't only inflicted during The Blizzard of 2013 - the pier has taken a beating during other recent high-water events, including Hurricane Sandy and even this latest round of winter weather. Do you have a question for us? No matter how strange it may …

chester suchecki

10:48 am on Tuesday, May 14, 2013

looks like the pier could use some common sense engineering.   more ›

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Here's the Scoop on a Salem Chicken Coop

The Murphy family's thriving urban chicken coop on Dearborn Street in Salem is more than just a great green way to produce farm-fresh eggs.

The poultry that live inside Maura Murphy's urban chicken coop on Dearborn Street in Salem are more than just your run-of-the-mill roosters and hens - they're members of the family. The beautiful backyard coop was the brainchild of Murphy's 10-year-old daughter, Catherine, who fell in love with chickens after spending a long weekend caring for a batch of newborn chicks as part of a project at Glen Urquhart School in Beverly Farms. Catherine's experience caring for the chicks led to helping out on a neighborhood farm - and after a year of pitching in, the Easter Bunny brought her a coop of her very own. "With the help of our neighbors Ed and Betsey, and Dan, the owner of Agway in Danvers, and his daughter, Ashley from Ashley's Chickens, …

Friday, April 26, 2013

Ask a Salem Expert: Glass Etching With Jack Walsh

We stopped by Buffum Street Thursday afternoon to learn a little more about glass etching from local expert Jack Walsh.

If you hear a faint whirring coming from the rear of 19 Buffum St., it's probably just Jack Walsh sandblasting a wine bottle or commemorative plate into a one-of-a-kind piece of glass art. For this week's Ask a Salem Expert feature, we stopped by Walsh's DancingSand Custom Bottle and Glass-Etching Studio to learn a little more about how he sand-blasts bottles. Click Here for a look at Walsh's website.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

'Naumkeag Ordinary' Opens in Downtown Salem

Here's a virtual look inside Naumkeag Ordinary, Salem's newest downtown restaurant.

Naumkeag Ordinary officially opened for business Sunday afternoon in the former Cafe Polonia space on Washington Street in downtown Salem. Click the video above for a virtual look around Salem's newest restaurant. The restaurant is owned by Matt Brady and Dan Bitler. The pair most recently worked together at Coda Bar and Kitchen in Boston's South End.   Naumkeag is the name of the Native-American tribe that lived in Salem and an ordinary was the Colonial term used to refer to a tavern. Naumkeag Ordinary offers primarily American pub cuisine with entrees ranging between $8 and $15, according to the menu below. --- Phone Number: 978-744-4968 Menu: Starters Entrees Have you been to Naumkeag Ordinary yet? Are you excited to check it out? What …

TriciaVC

1:08 pm on Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Highly recommended by this local! I stopped by here for lunch when with a friend and it was great. We both had burgers and they are gigantic and perfect for only $10 (including fries and house-made pickles)! I also had deviled eggs - pesto drizzle :). Excellent wine and craft beer options. The list is short but well chosen. Friendly staff, but it was lunch and not busy. Highlights - 1. Great …   more ›

Friday, April 12, 2013

Elizabeth Warren Tours Community Health Center in Salem

US Sen. Elizabeth Warren made a few stops in Salem Friday morning.

United States Senator Elizabeth Warren made a swing through Salem Friday morning to take part in a roundtable discussion with city and state leaders about the impact federal funding has on the local level. After a stop at Beverly Cooperative Bank, Warren joined state Sen. Joan Lovely, Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll and other local officials for a tour of the North Shore Community Health Center on Congress Street. Warren paused at several stops along the tour to point out the important role community health centers play in Massachusetts and applaud the work that is being done on behalf of area residents.

Bill

1:53 pm on Saturday, April 13, 2013

Oh Gene...the hearings in DC and theater, pure and simple. She puts on a big show so people like you will fall for it, vote and send in campaign checks. NOTHING will come of it - NOTHING. She is taking money from the same people who work for the banks. It is all a charade. We have had Obama and a Dem Senate for 5 years and not a single person from a bank or wall street has been held accountable …   more ›

Got a Hot Tip?
 
 

Videos