Peabody Nurse Gets 'Super' Show Of Gratitude: Patch Weekender

PEABODY, MA —While most North Shore residents are settling in for a snowy Super Bowl Sunday indoors a Peabody nurse who works in the COVID-19 unit at MelroseWakefield Hospital was preparing to root on Tom Brady in person in sunny Florida as a guest of the National Football League.

Jen Medina was one of 76 frontline health care workers from throughout New England flown on the Patriots' team plane to the big game in Tampa, Fla. between the Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs.

"I was in complete shock," Medina, who found out she was one of the lucky 76 during a Zoom call with Patriots owner Robert Kraft last Saturday, told Patch earlier this week. "I didn't even know this contest was going on. It was a wonderful surprise. It has now become more surreal that I am actually going to the game."

Read the full story here.

Here are some other stories from across the North Shore on Patch this week worth checking out before kickoff:

Salem State Students Sought As 'Big Sisters' On North Shore

Salem State female students and other young women on the North Shore who have the time and interest in mentoring girls in the area are invited to become part of the "Big Sister on Campus" campaign at the university.

Swampscott Launches Mental Health Referral Service For Residents

Swampscott students and residents now have access to a free outpatient mental health referral service.

Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald and Superintendent of Schools Pamela Angelakis said in a joint statement that the service is aimed at helping students and adults have greater access to mental health services.

While increased state capacity limits announced Thursday may give a boost to larger gyms and restaurants, boutique fitness centers and small dining options on the North Shore are putting more hopeful stock in the signal the eased restrictions may give to those hesitant to eat and work out indoors nearly a year into the coronavirus health crisis.

Parakeet Pair Can Be Had For A Song In Salem

The Northeast Animal Shelter has been adopting dogs, cats and various other animals out of its Salem location for more than four decades as one of New England's largest, non-profit, no-kill animal shelters.

For what was believed to be the first time this week, the shelter was looking for a forever home for a pair of parakeets.

'Salem So Sweet' Aims To Bring Businesses Some Valentine's Heat

For six years, it was Kylie Sullivan's mission to make the streets of Downtown Salem come alive with bustling businesses, inspiring events and a sense of community where city residents and visitors felt a connection.

For the past 11 months, the executive director of Salem Main Streets has had to shift to designing ways to promote downtown businesses and keep the spirit of the city alive in a safe and socially distanced way.

Sullivan said that is the goal of the 19th annual Salem's So Sweet Chocolate & Ice Sculpture experience that this year runs two weeks through Valentine's Day.

State Awards Town $58K To Reimagine Danvers Square

A state grant will go toward helping the town reimagine Danvers Square in a way that opens it for more recreation, dining and socially distanced gathering placed amid the coronavirus health crisis, which could become permanent features following the pandemic.

The $58,000 grant is part of the state's Shared Winter Streets & Spaces Program Funding Awards announced this week.

Gov. Baker Champions Salem's Classroom Learning Example

Gov. Charlie Baker's push to get more students back in school more often across the state took him to Salem on Thursday.

On the day Salem High School welcomed back a cohort of students in grades 10 through 12 to the classroom for the first time since March 12, Baker used the Bentley Innovation Academy as an example in his news conference of how schools can successfully operate in person.