* Correction to podcast Audio – St. John’s Prep hockey coach Kristian Hanson recently earned his 300th coaching win, not 100th as noted in the podcast. (Bill Newell will be let go immediately)

Programming Note: North Shore Sports Desk airs tonight at 7 p.m.

Weather – National Weather Service – 7 Day Forecast: It is still February, but you would not know it by this forecast. Near record high temps into the 60s are possible Thu & Fri with only a very brief shot of seasonable cold air Sat. Mainly dry weather expected other than a period of rain late Thu into Fri.

Community News Notes – Photos – Sports (Below)

City of Salem – Salem Residents looking to schedule a bulk item pick-up will now incur a fee of $20/item via Waste Management. Schedule a bulk item pick-up by calling 1-800-972-4545 and follow the prompts to residential service. 2 bulk items can be scheduled for pick-up. https://salemma.gov/mayors-office/news/bulk-item-fee-process-change-effective-feb-2023

City of Beverly – Beginning Monday, February 27, the Danvers River Channel under the Kernwood Drawbridge will be closed from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily for the next two weeks. More info https://beverlyma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3878/MassDOT-Kernwood-02072023

Peabody Institute Library – Middle and high schoolers are invited to decorate cupcakes this Monday in the Teen Room. Sign up here:

Hamilton-Wenham Library – Coming up on Monday! Have you ever wanted to try playing Dungeons and Dragons and don’t know where to start? Or maybe you’ve played before but don’t have a regular group? Whatever your level of experience, come join us for a one-shot adventure! Register online!

Town of Danvers – We are celebrating Black History Month with our neighbors on the North Shore. Check out some of the events happening this month.

Sports

Gloucester High Athletics – Great efforts by the gymnastics squad at the NEC Championship Saturday Night. Mia Russo 6th place in the league on bars & tied for 4th in the all around Abbie Wallace competed her full for the first time this season on floor! Molly Pennimpede was 13th in the league on beam

Great swims for Gloucester last night at North Girls Sectionals! Anna Patrick, Esme Sarrouf, Sarah Fernandes, & Willow Barry cut times in all events. Qualifying for States were Barry (100 FLY & 100 BK) & Fernandes (100 FR)

Great day at D3 Sectionals yesterday. Michael & Jayden Toppan win D3North Titles! Joe Allen finished 2nd, JJ Figueroa-Mercado 3rd, Aiden DeCoste and Markus Muniz both 5th. GHS finished 6th as a team. On to States!

Salem High Athletics – Great day of wrestling as Salem High is sending 7 Wrestlers and 1 alternate to states next week placing 8 total!

Speedfossil came into existence in the Fall of 2014 when singer/songwriter Garret Vandermolen put together a band of like-minded musicians to support his debut Speedfossil release, Light Of Day. Garret was no stranger to the music world, having toured the country in the early 90’s with the Boston band, The Vouts, as well as producing, arranging, and supervising records for a wide array of artists, including The Flying Nuns, Burning Spear, and The Banjo Spiders, to name a few.

Garret left the music world for over a decade before returning as Speedfossil in 2014.  Releasing their critically acclaimed 2^nd full length LP, You’re So Next!, in 2017,  the live band and recording line-up solidified shortly thereafter in the beginning of 2018. 

Along with Garret and long time bass player and backing vocalist, Michael Scotti, the band was rounded out with two new additions: Hector St. Hilaire on drums and Dan Jordan on lead guitar/backing vocals. 

Speedfossil has continued to release new singles and videos throughout 2018, 2019 and the pandemic of 2020. The band’s third album, No Anesthesia, originally slated for 2020, will be released in the Fall/Winter of 2021. You can check out all of the Speedfossil albums, singles and videos, as well as any future performance dates, at the band’s website: https://speedfossil.com/

Unfinished Music podcast with Speedfossil