The Stories That Defined Salem In 2020

SALEM, MA — A year that brought unprecedented challenges to Salem residents and small businesses also brought out the resolve and fighting spirit of the North Shore city.

As we all look forward to the hope of a brighter 2021, here are some of the stories of how Salem battled through the coronavirus health crisis and social justice debates with innovation, resilience and a collective eye toward a better tomorrow.

Salem's 'Stay Away' Halloween Message Gains National Attention

Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll acknowledged how strange it was to stand in front of the cameras and microphones and do something that would have been considered incomprehensible less than a year ago.

Tell people to keep themselves — and all their potential business revenue —out of Salem this Halloween season.

It's a message that gained national attention considering it was coming from the holiday's unofficial hometown.

A Salem 'First Day Of School' Like No Other In History

With the knowledge there is no substitute for in-person learning, yet there are no perfect answers when it has come to navigating the unprecedented challenges of the coronavirus health crisis, Salem Superintendent of Schools Stephen Zrike was looking forward to November's reopening of buildings to select grades like it is the "first day of school" all over again.

Salem Bakery Owner Not Sugarcoating 2020 Struggles

The challenges Andy and Jackie King faced at A&J King Artisan Bakers of Salem in 2020 started well before the onset of the coronavirus health crisis, and promise to continue well after the calendar turns to 2021.

The couple preserved through a redesign of their Central Street retail location in January, a burst pipe that flooded that space two days after the redesign was finished, then an insurance battle to cover costs of the extensive damage.

And that was before they also closed their Boston Street location for seven weeks at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Group Sets Up Fund For North Shore Restaurant Workers

A Salem-based nonprofit collected donations for restaurant employees that are out of work because of closings related to the new coronavirus.

Behind You was formed in 1999 and offers needs-based emergency assistance funds for restaurant employees that live or work in Beverly, Lynn, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott and have medical hardship preventing them from working for at least four weeks.

Salem Sees Peaceful Protest Over Death Of George Floyd

A peaceful protest in front of the Salem police station of the death of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man who died Memorial Day in the custody of the Minneapolis police, drew praise from Mayor Kim Driscoll.

"Earlier this evening, a number of Salem youth led a peaceful rally in front of the Salem Police Department in memory of George Floyd and to demonstrate their solidarity with those seeking justice and demanding change," Driscoll said in a Facebook post. "Our young people, and particularly our young people of color, need to know they live in a community where they are seen, heard, cared for and respected."

Salem Book Store Battles Crowds Over Mask Compliance

An award-winning bookstore on the Pedestrian Mall felt compelled to lock its doors on weekends in October to those who don't have an appointment due to what it says is a "lack of compliance with mask and hand-sanitizing requirements" associated with the coronavirus health crisis.

Wicked Good Books, the independent book store on Essex Way, posted on its website that it was open "by appointment only" during October on Saturdays and Sundays. The store remains open to the public on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

"This year is unprecedented," Wicked Good Books owner Denise Kent told Patch. "Honestly, it's been exhausting emotionally and physically for our staff, and we're only one third the way through the month."

'An Unimaginable And Heartbreaking Loss' For Salem

Salem Police Chief Mary Butler said Friday that in his 31 years with the department, Dana Mazola's philosophy on police work didn't change from the time he filled out an application to join the force.

"My main reason for wanting to become a police officer is that I have an ability to deal well with all types of people - and that is an important aspect of police work," Mazola wrote on his application to the department in 1989. "I enjoy helping people solve their problems and helping them through stressful or traumatic situations."

Mazola, 56, died in June after a head-on car crash near 321 Jefferson Avenue in Salem. Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll called the Swampscott native's death "an unimaginable and heartbreaking loss."

Spitfire Tacos Of Salem Delivers Christmas Gift To Point Neighbors

The first year owning a restaurant is difficult enough without having to make some of the choices Kathleen Rodgers has had to make in her first year owning Spitfire Tacos of Salem.

Rodgers, and her partner, Ryan, signed a lease to open the Lafayette Street shop on Feb. 1 — six weeks before the start of the coronavirus health crisis that would consume the remainder of 2020.

The owners could have stayed open — as takeout restaurants were allowed to do during the spring shutdown — but instead they closed until June.

"We were very anxious," she told Patch. "We had to start paying rent here and we also still had to pay at home. It was definitely scary."

So, they decided that while they can't see their families this year, they can do something nice for others who may be a little lonely themselves during the pandemic through providing free meals on Christmas Eve.