This weekend Manchester Harbormaster Bion Pike sent out an interim communication, a mini “Waterline” if you will, that tips off a brewing issue for mooring holders accessing their boats at Tuck’s Point.  This season’s new “haul-out solution” to address the condemned ramp that accesses the dinghy dock off the rotunda is seen by many to be not enough. 

Perhaps it was appropriate that Memorial Day 2020 began with a fog, a heavy one, and perhaps it was also appropriate—at least for the more optimistic of us—that by 10:30 a.m. when the official ceremony kicked off at the Amaral Bailey American Legion Hall in Manchester, the sun began to surge.

Last week, the American Legion lined 19 flags along Beach Street starting at Reed Park in Manchester and extending to Masconomo Park to signify the men killed in action and the Legion placed flags at all veteran graves in Manchester cemeteries for Memorial Day 2020.  

The Selectmen, in consultation with the Board of Health, have approved the partial opening of town beaches starting Monday, May 25.  The opening is restricted to residents and only for transient use -walking and running.  Residents will be required to show a beach tag to enter Singing Beach. Beaches will remain closed on weekends and no facilities or parking will be provided during this initial stage.  

The controversial owner of a car sales and automotive repair business on Eastern Avenue tried the patience of the Board of Selectmen on Monday when he was called to account for overstepping—three times in less than two years—the rules of his operating license. 

This report was presented by Essex Town Administrator Brendhan Zubricki at this week's Board of Selectmen meeting on May 18, 2020, and it covers topics of interest for town business from May 2 to May 15.

Town Hall remains closed to the public. Staff is available to help you with your business needs. Please email the appropriate department directly for assistance. Phone lines are currently down and being worked on as quickly as possible.  

Starting just before 9 a.m. last Saturday, residents began lining up in their cars for the town’s first ever “drive thru” selling at Manchester Essex Regional Middle High School on Lincoln Street to secure their seasonal municipal tags, licenses and placards for resident beach access, dogs and boating.

Next week, on Thursday, May 21, the owners of a proposed recreational cannabis retailer in Essex will  host last of two state-mandated community outreach meetings required in order to set up shop.  The public meeting will give BB Botanics an opportunity to share its final plans and field public questions about the dispensary and cultivation establishment planned for 242 John Wise Avenue. 

Welcome to May.  There is a lot going on as we hit the boating season this month.

There’s a nice turn of attention these days to the water.  Locals are thinking about beach passes and moorings, harbormasters are getting ready for summer management.  In fact, the town is offering “drive through” service to purchase licenses and boat placards tomorrow and next week at the M-E Regional High School parking lot.  Coastal town parks are now open for walkers and beaches are also opening, albeit in a “phased” fashion and it all is starting to feel a bit more normal for many of us

The Cape Ann Museum has rescheduled the last day of its CAM Contemporary exhibition, “In Gratitude,” a projection of an illuminated multilingual message, “Thank You Frontline Heroes,” to Thursday, May 14 due to rain last week.

The Essex Board of Selectmen meeting Monday voted to keep the status quo on “residents only” for the town’s public boat ramp and it heard about the prospect of participating in an oyster bedding program to help the environment.