Peabody Essex Museum Takes Shot At Change: Patch Weekender

SALEM, MA — Welcome to another summer weekend on the North Shore.

The region experienced some wild weather this week with high temperatures, destructive thunderstorms and the flooding effects of Tropical Storm Elsa.

Danvers officials took a close look at plans for the proposed gas and oil surge capacity generator just over the line in Peabody, a Marblehead beach remained closed for excess bacteria levels and Peabody High named a longtime girls soccer and girls lacrosse coach as its new athletic director.

Meanwhile, the nation's oldest continuously operating museum is making some new additions as it drops its mask mandate for visitors and staff.

Plus, great North Shore summer and fall events are officially coming back for 2021.

Read all about anything you may have missed on Patch this week here:

Salem's Historic Peabody Essex Museum Adds Some New Wrinkles

The Peabody Essex Museum is making some changes and additions with hopes they will bring some new visitors to the nation's oldest continuously operating museum — and maybe even save a life.

Starting Friday, the Salem museum was open for extended hours on Fridays for the first time with the opportunity for visitors to get their coronavirus vaccination at Peabody Essex through a partnership with Curative's mobile vaccine unit.

"One of our motivations was just making any opportunity for it to be easier for anybody to be vaccinated," Peabody Essex Interim Chief Operating Officer Bob Monk told Patch. "I don't know that we'll get great crowds for vaccinations. We don't have any expectations for that, but we hope it helps. It's all about mitigation."

Danvers Officials Scrutinize Proposed Peabody Generator Plans

State Rep. Sally Kerans (D-Danvers) repeatedly pressed utility officials on the potential environmental and health impacts of a proposed gas and oil surge capacity generator at the Waters River substation on "already burdened" Danvers and Peabody residents during a meeting at Danvers Town Hall on Friday.

Kerans was one of about a half dozen public officials who joined the Danvers Select Board in the two-hour meeting with representatives from the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company. The meeting was broadcast on Danvers Community Access Television's YouTube channel but was not open to the public for comment.

Similar to the four-hour forum at Peabody's Torigian Center on June 22 — which was open to the public and allowed comment — MMWEC officials spent the Danvers meeting citing the economic and reliability benefits of what they call the most modern, efficient technology available for the proposed surge capacity power generator.

But Kerans was among those who repeatedly pushed back on the proposal — calling on the MMWEC to voluntarily commission an independent environmental impact study and questioning why surrounding Danvers and Peabody neighborhoods are being asked to house a third generator that benefits public utilities across the state.

Marblehead Beach Remains Closed To Swimming

Grace Oliver Beach in Marblehead remained closed to swimming Friday after the latest bacteria testing showed its geometric mean over the past two weeks remained above acceptable levels.

Next Swampscott Elm Place Apartment Forum Set For Tuesday

Developers of a proposed 120-unit apartment building with both affordable and market-rate housing at Elm Place will have a second public forum in five weeks with Swampscott residents on Tuesday night.

Longtime Peabody High Coach Tabbed As New Athletic Director

After 13 seasons of guiding the Peabody High varsity girls soccer and girls lacrosse programs to prominence, Dennis Desroches is taking on the challenge of running the district's whole physical education, health and athletic department.

Desroches will become the new Director of Athletics, Director of Physical Education and Director of Comprehensive Health in the district this fall, according to Superintendent of Schools Josh Vadala, as schools eye the first season of real normalcy after more than a year of coronavirus-related disruption.

While Desroches' promotion is a boon for the greater athletics department, it will be a loss for the two programs he coached to the top of the Northeastern Conference for more than a decade. Vadala said that while the district does not have any rules preventing administrators from coaching teams, Desroches has agreed to vacate both coaching positions and lead the search for his successor.

Salem Derby Wharf Fireworks Back For Heritage Days Aug. 6

When the disappointing word came down in April that Salem's annual Fourth of July fireworks at Derby Wharf would be postponed a second straight year out of coronavirus public gathering uncertainties at the time, there was the hopeful pledge that they might be rescheduled for the city's Heritage Days festival in August.

Officials made good on that promise Wednesday when they said the show of bursting color over Salem Harbor will be on Aug. 6 as part of the returning festival Aug. 2 through Aug. 8.

Swampscott Beach Beer Garden Officially Back For 2021

Dave Grishman thought he had discovered some community-building gold when an idea hatched amid the harsh winter of 2019 came to fruition with two highly successful Swampscott Beer Garden events that summer in fall.

Nearly two years later, he and the rest of those behind the craft beer, hard seltzer, food and music party at Fisherman's Beach will finally get another chance to strike that gold alongside some dearly missed Swampscott neighbors.

Beverly Police Look To Combat Bike Danger With Safety Rewards

The arrival of spring — and hopeful signs of easing coronavirus worries more than a year after the onset of the pandemic — brought a new concern to the streets of Beverly this March.

Daring bicycle stunts — including playing "chicken" with cars, riding without helmets and bullying other riders — were causing the potential for damage and injury to both drivers and children riding the bikes.

Topsfield Fair Returns With No Restrictions This October

One of the great family traditions in Massachusetts is coming back this fall with the return of the Topsfield Fair.

The 200-year-old fair — which was canceled for only the third time in its history because of the coronavirus crisis last fall — will return with "no restrictions" this October at the historic fairgrounds.

Marblehead Chef To Compete On Food Network's 'Chopped' Tournament

Local foodies may notice a familiar face on the next episode of "Chopped" as The Landing of Marblehead's Alex Pineda competes for a chance to win $50,000 in Alton Brown's "Maniacal Baskets" contest.

Pineda is scheduled to appear in the fourth and final episode of the preliminary round in the contest where show host Alton Brown solicits social media contributions to come up with the "maniacal baskets" from which the competitors must make their dishes. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Pineda's episode did not air as scheduled on Tuesday night but will do so at a later date; now tentatively scheduled for July 13.)

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(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.)