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Dave Watkins

Saugus Library Opens Summer Season With Concerts, Pokemon Reading Challenge

Saugus Public Library anchors the town's summer with a packed slate of programs and free outdoor concerts. The library's summer reading challenge — themed around Pokemon — is running now for children, while adult and teen programming fills the calendar through July, including a Thursday…

Salem Extends Skipper Ride-Share Service Two Months Through September 30

Salem's on-demand Skipper ride-share will keep running through the end of summer, buying residents more time. The city announced Tuesday that one-time funding and service adjustments will extend the Salem Skipper through September 30, 2026 — roughly eight weeks beyond the early-August c…

Peabody Marks 50 Years of Brooksby Farm City Ownership With Ceremony

Peabody marks civic milestones and braces for constraints this week, as a Brooksby Farm anniversary ceremony and a state drought emergency arrive together. The city is celebrating 50 years of public ownership of Brooksby Farm with an upcoming ceremony, while Mayor Edward A. Bettencourt,…

Methuen Seeks Poll Workers for September and November 2026 Elections

Methuen's summer civic calendar moves quietly forward, with no new municipal announcements in the June 24 window. Mayor D.J. Beauregard's standing priorities — a no-override FY27 budget built on spending controls and operational reform, a poll-worker recruitment drive for the September …

Library Trustee Vacancy Opens as Summer Programming Kicks Into Gear

The Lynnfield Public Library anchors Wednesday's community calendar with three programs — a Classic Film Club, Virtual Yoga, and an evening author talk with Rob Fitzgibbon on "Murder in Salem" at 6:30 p.m. — as the library also seeks to fill a vacancy on its Board of Trustees. Lynnfield…

Lynn Library Launches "Plant a Seed, Read" Summer Reading Program for All Ages

Lynn's summer library season is open, anchored by a new reading program and a tighter schedule. The Lynn Public Library has launched its "Plant a Seed, Read" summer reading program with separate tracks for children, teens, and adults, running alongside modified summer hours — Monday thr…

Boxford Library Adds Kanopy Streaming Service for All Cardholders

Boxford Town Library expands free digital access with Kanopy streaming now live for all cardholders. The library announced this week that residents holding a valid library card can immediately access Kanopy, a platform offering independent films, documentaries, and educational content a…

Essex School Building Committee Approves $300,000 OPM Amendment, Launches CM Proposal Process

Essex Elementary School Building Committee unanimously advances five construction management firms to the proposal phase and approves a $300,000 owner's project manager contract amendment.

Salem Planning Board unanimously approves four apartments at 401 Main Street

SALEM -- June 23, 2026, Salem Planning Board unanimously approves four apartments at 401 Main Street and adopts new open space master plan. The board voted 5-0 on both items at its June 23 meeting, granting conditional site plan approval to Main Street 401 LLC, owners Kimberly and David Hebert,

Peabody City Council Approves $217 Million FY27 Operating Budget 9-2

PEABODY -- June 23, 2026, Peabody City Council approves $217 million FY27 budget and $102 million school spending plan on split votes. The council voted 9-2 on June 23 to adopt the fiscal year 2027 operating budget of $216,996,238.17, capping a three-meeting Finance Committee review that

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