How Prepared Are You for the Storm?

Is the grocery store out of bread? Are people packing the hardware store? Take a picture of how you are prepared for the storm and upload it here!

Have you been rushing around to get everything done before the full force of the blizzard arrives Friday?  Maybe you've been busy running to Crosby's Market in classic New England fashion and buying your milk, bread and canned goods? Did you run to Dawson's Hardware and buy a new shovel or salt?  Or, maybe you're a Department of Public Works employee getting the plow ready?  We want to see what you're been up to getting ready for the storm. Post your photos of what you've seen in the stores and what you are doing around your house to get ready to our media gallery above by clicking the green "upload photos and video" button above!  What are you buying to prepare for the storm? How did you get ready for the blizzard? Tell us in the comment …

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What's Open and Closed on New Year's Day

A look at what businesses and offices are open and closed on New Year's Day, a federal holiday.

Tuesday is New Year’s Day, which is a federal holiday. Most businesses are open, although some have special hours. It is best to call ahead to find out if the business is open or has special hours. Grocery stores, convenience stores, restaurants and liquor stores are all, generally, open. You can get phone numbers and other important information about every local business in our Directory section. Crosby’s Marketplace: 10 a.m.- 7 p.m. CVS: Store, 7 a.m.-10 p.m.; pharmacy closed Dunkin Donuts: 6 a.m.- 8 p.m. These local businesses are closed on Tuesday: Connolly's Pharmacy, French Lessons, Hayfields and Wenham Tea House. Hamilton Town Hall and Wenham Town Hall are closed. Hamilton-Wenham Public Library is closed. There is no trash pickup on…

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Patch Facts

Five Things to Know on Dec. 12: High School Winter Concert

An essential get-me-going daily morning column from Hamilton-Wenham Patch.

Today is Wednesday, Dec. 12. Here are five things you need to know in Hamilton and Wenham: 1. Sun: Yippee, the forecast on Wednesday calls for sun from start to finish with temperatures into the low 40s. 2. Legos: Legos take over Hamilton-Wenham Library for an hour on Wednesday afternoon for “Lego Mania.” The event runs from 3-4 p.m. and is designed for students in grades 1-5 “to come and create a masterpiece, share ideas and designs, work individually or as a team.” 3. Concerts: There’s one big concert close to home and another big concert far from home on Wednesday night. At Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School, the band and chorus put on the winter concert starting at 7 p.m. It is free and open to the public. And in New York City, an …

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What Are Local Turkey Prices This Thanksgiving?

If you have not bought a Thanksgiving turkey yet, take a look at the local turkey prices as Thanksgiving approaches.

Turkey prices range from 59 cents to $3.29 per pound this week at the grocery stores in Hamilton and Wenham and nearby. Here's a sampling of turkey prices (per pound) at Crosby's Marketplace in Hamilton plus Shaw's and Stop and Stop in North Beverly. In addition to the brands and prices listed in the chart, some other turkeys available include fresh Shady Brooks Farms at Crosby's for $1.29 per pound and Plainville for $2.99 per pound. At Shaw's, fresh Wild Harvest turkeys are $2.99 per pound or $2.49 with a card, fresh Jennie-O for $1.39 or 99 cents with a card and frozen Honeysuckle for $1.19 or 69 cents with a card. At Stop and Shop, Nature's Promise is $2.59 per pound or $2.29 with a card. A fresh Stop and Shop turkey is $1.29 per pound…

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Glut of Maine Lobsters Keeps Local Prices Hovering Around $6 Per Pound

A glut of Maine lobsters is pushing down prices this summer.

The price of lobsters in the state is dropping this summer, with some retailers selling them for as little as $4.98 per pound. Warm weather has helped produce a glut of lobsters from Maine this year, where wholesale prices have reportedly dropped to as little as $1.25 per pound. That’s prompted some fishermen there to keep their boats tied to the dock, the Wall Street Journal reports. For many lobstermen, when the price of their catch falls that low it’s not worth fishing for them. The Maine glut has translated into lower retail prices throughout New England. At Crosby's Marketplace in the Shoppes at Hamilton Crossing, the price of lobster is $5.99 for chicken lobsters up to 1-1/4 pounds. At Shaw's in North Beverly, chicken lobster are …

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Michelle Bailey

2:01 pm on Thursday, August 2, 2012

Yummy! That answers what's for dinner.   more ›

Meet Your Neighbor

A Hundred Chickens Running Loose Introduced this Woman to Hamilton

"Meet Your Neighbor" introduces you to librarian Julie Preston of Wenham.

Name: Julie Preston Street: Meridian Road, Wenham   Family: Rachel, 14 and Charlie, 9   Occupation: Librarian and Event Planner   Hobbies/interests: Bowling, raising rabbits, belly dancing, cooking and of course reading   What are you passionate about? Special needs issues as related to the district schools, literacy for all individuals What did you study in school? Sport, Fitness and Leisure with Music and Biology at Salem State College and Master’s of Divinity at Boston University School of Theology   Are you utilizing this subject now? When I plan events and programs I use these subjects. I teach Sunday School at the First Church in Wenham and I love it! Best book: "Dune" by Frank Herbert   Best movie: "Pretty Woman"   Dream vacation: …

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Michelle Bailey

9:31 pm on Sunday, July 22, 2012

I was surprised to hear Julie sing the first time! What a pretty voice she has.   more ›

New Playground to Take Patton Park 'To the Next Level'

Fundraising is well underway for a new playground at Patton Park that will not only offer newer play structures for children but could help bring some new customers to downtown businesses.

A new Patton Park playground – which in addition to providing fun for children may also may work as an economic development tool for downtown Hamilton – is getting closer to reality. The Friends of Patton Park group says they have raised $70,000 toward the effort and have commitments for $90,000. At Hamilton Annual Town Meeting in May, voters approved spending $5,000 in town government money toward the project. The plan to install new equipment at the park recently received an OK from the Planning Board, which “wholeheartedly endorsed” the proposal as part of the site plan review process. The plan will also go before the Hamilton Zoning Board of Appeals on July 11. The plan does not outline the specific equipment that will be installed or …

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Get Out

New Orleans Jazz and Lego Trains Close to Home This Weekend

The "Get Out" planner gives you a look at the top events on the weekend calendar in Hamilton and Wenham.

Don’t let the prospect of a snowstorm keep you inside, there’s plenty going on this weekend in Hamilton and Wenham. All weekend the Lego train is at Wenham Museum and New Orleans Jazz comes to the Community House on Saturday night. Each Friday morning Hamilton-Wenham Patch’s “Get Out” weekend planner brings you a quick guide to local events and activities. The weekend calendar includes a wide variety of  things to do and we encourage you to look past this weekend guide into our full calendar of events, where we have other events listed. Remember, if you have great ideas of your own that you want to share, please feel free to add them in the comments section at the bottom. 1. GIRL SCOUT COOKIE SALE Where/When: Crosby’s Market; Saturday, 9 a…

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