"People Are Craving To Be Around Other People": Patch Weekender

BEVERLY, MA — Nearly 15 months after businesses shut down, masks were mandated and most of life as we knew it around the North Shore changed in profound ways, those who weathered the coronavirus health crisis are looking forward to next weekend when the state lifts all remaining virus-related business restrictions.

For some, that means working out inside a local gym without a mask. For others, that may mean watching an entire Bruins, Celtics or Red Sox game at a favorite watering hole without having to satisfy a table capacity or food requirement.

For a few businesses, that means the ability to open or cater to a live audience at all for the first time in more than a year.

But with renewed freedoms could come plenty of confusion when it comes to distancing and mask-wearing as house rules and etiquette vary from store to store and business to business.

As we look ahead to the grand reopening weekend, here are some stories from Patch this past week detailing how it will all affect area businesses, as well as other things you may have missed along the way.

Beverly Fitness Studio Owner Eager To Work It Out After Pandemic

Kathy Glabicky's motto for the high-intensity Tread Tabata workout she created is: "You can do anything for 20 seconds.

"Over the past year, the Beverly fitness boutique owner has modified that motto to: "If you survived 2020, you can do anything for 20 seconds."

Mask Confusion Could Be In Store Across MA On May 29

Going back to the way things always used to be is going to seem very strange to a lot of people starting next weekend.

When Gov. Charlie Baker said on Monday the date for removing all statewide coronavirus-related business restrictions was being shifted up from Aug. 1 to May 29, there was plenty of enthusiasm from those celebrating the demise of face masks, social distancing and the general detachment that has encompassed the past 15 months.

Peabody's Granite Coast To Transition To Good Old Taproom Times

Granite Coast Brewing Company entered a whole new world — along with everyone else in the industry — at the onset of the coronavirus health crisis last spring.

The Peabody taproom is about to enter another one as it eases back to more normal brewery operations with coronavirus-related business restrictions set to expire statewide next week.

"We've been talking about it theoretically for a long time," Amy Luckiewicz, Granite Coast marketing manager and event coordinator, told Patch.

Danvers Town Hall To Fully Reopen June 1

Danvers residents will be able to do business at Town Hall without making an appointment as of June 1.

New Housing Units Coming To Beverly's Cabot Street

Downtown Beverly will welcome 67 new studio apartments on Cabot Street with the help of a $10.5 million tax-exempt bond from MassDevelopment.

Union Hopes To Hit Brakes On New Salem Bus Contract

The union representing 22 school department employees who drive or monitor bus routes for the district is calling for more public input and transparency into the city's efforts to contract all bus routes out through a private company.

Peabody's Melanoma Foundation Cautions Teens Of Cancer Risk

Steve Fine had run the Peabody-based Melanoma Education Foundation for schools across the country for nearly two decades when in 2017 he said he wanted to determine if the message of early detection of the common and potentially deadly skin cancer was hitting home with its teen audience.

Danvers Teen Siblings Hope To Set Vaccination Example

When Melanie Skane said she first found out that her two young teens were eligible for the coronavirus vaccine she admitted she wasn't sure how she felt about the siblings getting the shots.

When she brought Taylor, 13, and Jackson, 15, to the Danvers DoubleTree Hotel mass vaccination site for their Monday appointment, however, she said she was overwhelmed by all the students their age lined up the first week they were eligible for the vaccinations.

Hocus Pocus 2: Sanderson Sisters Officially Returning To Salem

Nearly 30 years after the Sanderson Sisters first wreaked havoc in Salem, Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy will be back on screen reviving their original roles in Hocus Pocus 2.

Marblehead Narrows Police Chief Field To 3 Finalists

A Boston Housing Authority chief, former Acting Salem chief and Peabody captain are the three finalists to be the next Chief of Police in Marblehead.

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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.)