North Shore Back In Business 2 Years Later: Patch Sunday

SALEM, MA — Welcome to a springlike Sunday on the North Shore.

Two years ago this week, few had any understanding of how profoundly the world was about to change in the upcoming week amid the onset of the coronavirus health crisis. But this week, several businesses in the region were showing that they have emerged from two years of lockdowns, restrictions and countless roadblocks ready to make up for two years of lost time.

Read about those businesses in Beverly, Danvers, Peabody and Salem — and anything else you may have missed this past week — in this edition of Patch Sunday.

Lulu's Bakery & Pantry A Sweet New Addition To Downtown Salem

A long and winding journey to find a retail location for Nikki Economides to sell her Fixx Chocolate creations has led to Thursday's grand opening of the new Lulu's Bakery & Pantry on Derby Street in Salem.

Kaffmandu Looks To Make Coffeehouse A New 'Home' In Beverly

The name of the game in coffee officially changed this week when Om Shrestha opened his third Kaffmandu location on Cabot Street.

Granite Coast Brewing Eager To Pour It On At Peabody Pop-Up Pub

"In 2020, just before COVID, we were set to have our busiest month ever, Obviously, that didn't happen so we aimed at making March 2022 even busier ever. It's kind of our announcement that we survived and are ready to be active in the community again." — Granite Coast Brewing Events Director Amy Luckiewicz.

Beverly's Cabot Theater Drops Vaccination Requirement

One of the first entertainment venues on the North Shore to institute a proof-of-vaccination or negative-test COVID-19 policy is easing that policy for most shows as of Sunday.

Beverly's historic Cabot Theater put its vaccination protocol in place amid the delta variant surge in August after Executive Director Casey Soward told Patch a survey of patrons and performers showed overwhelming support for the policy.

Salem Superintendent 'Hopeful' Ahead Of Next Mask Meetings

Salem Superintendent Steve Zrike said he is "hopeful we are on a good path" in COVID-19 case trends ahead of Monday's School Committee meeting where further debate and a vote is anticipated on whether to make masks optional in school buildings.

Swampscott To Take Critical Look At High Town Hall Turnover

Recognizing that there has been "an unusual level of turnover at town hall" in recent months, Swampscott Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald told the Select Board he is committed to identifying some of the reasons for that turnover and presenting suggestions to try to correct them.

Stage Set For Salem High's Winter Musical 'Into The Woods'

Nearly two years to the week after the onset of the COVID-19 health crisis shut off the stage lights for productions across the state and the country, the spotlight will shine once again at Salem High School with the presentation of the winter student musical "Into the Woods."

Road Woes Top Marblehead Resident List Of Complaints

While the vast majority of Marblehead residents were very satisfied with the town's fire, police, emergency services and public schools, they expressed displeasure with the state of the roads and sidewalks, in the annual town-wide survey.

Signs Of Ukraine Support Shown, Voiced Across North Shore

From the streets of countries across Europe to weekend rallies in New York City and Boston all the way to the North Shore, civic groups, officials and residents are showing their support for the people of Ukraine amid the Russian invasion.

(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.)