Children's Museum Coming To North Shore: Patch Sunday

PEABODY, MA — The North Shore should soon have a new attraction geared toward little learners and families.

The Peabody City Council this past week voted to back Mayor Ted Bettencourt's plans for a Children's Museum on Main Street as a key anchor to that city's downtown revitalization and COVID-19 recovery.

The museum will be located at 10 Main Street and includes the creation of a new municipal department.

"We have the opportunity to make this happen now and the possibilities are limitless," Bettencourt said in his pitch to the Council's Finance Committee.

Read more about why Bettencourt believes the North Shore's first children's museum will be a boon for the city, plus anything else you may have missed this past week, in this edition of Patch Sunday:

Downtown Peabody Children's Museum Gets Go-Ahead

A downtown Peabody children's museum concept eight years in development took a major leap toward fruition Thursday night when the City Council's Finance Committee narrowly approved Mayor Ted Bettencourt's financing proposal for the
property at 10 Main Street.

In a 3-2 vote, the Committee approved the creation of a Children's Museum Department in the city with two full-time positions and the authorization for the city to enter into a five-year lease for the former TD Bank property.

Rep. Moulton Warns 'Freedom Is On The Line' In Russian Invasion

An escalating war zone 5,000 miles away could have dire ramifications on the North Shore and throughout America in the coming weeks, months and perhaps years.

"I can't emphasize enough how dangerous this situation is for the entire world and not just Ukraine," U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton told Patch Thursday. "We can't say today that this is the start of World War III. We need to ensure that a few weeks from now we don't look back and say that it was."

Beacon Street Spot Picked For Marblehead Cannabis Dispensary

t was almost all about location, location, location as the Marblehead Board of Selectmen voted to enter into a Community Host Agreement with Aro Cannabis to open the town's second retail dispensary.

Future Of Salem State's South Campus Up For Bid

Salem State University took another big step toward its campus consolidation on Wednesday with a request for proposal issued for its 23-acre South campus.

Salem Police, Homeland Security Conduct Cocaine Sting

A Lynn man was charged with cocaine trafficking after a package containing more than 450 grams of what is believed to be cocaine was intercepted on its way to a Salem business.

Salem police said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security intercepted the package on its way from the Dominican Republic. Police said that detectives worked with federal agents and the local business to deliver that package to the Salem-based business where the suspect signed for it.

Second Peabody Fatal Shooting Suspect Arraigned: Essex DA

A second North Shore man was arraigned in Peabody District Court on Tuesday in connection to a fatal shooting on Wallis Street last month.

The Essex County District Attorney's Office said Donald Frost, 31, of Merrimac was charged with armed robbery, larceny and accessory after the fact in connection to the shooting death of a Peabody man on Jan. 23.

Pop Up Pub Returns To Peabody's Courthouse Plaza

Two years after the winter Peabody Pop Up Ice Pub drew hundreds of North Shore residents to Courthouse Plaza for one of the city's final public social events before the onset of the COVID-19 health crisis, the chilly celebration of beer, music and frigid fun is set to return for 2022.

North Shore Diversity Catalog 2022 Features Nearly 250 Businesses

The 2022 edition of the North Shore Diversity Catalog includes nearly 250 entries of Black-, women- and minority-owned businesses and vendors throughout Beverly, Lynn, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)