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Good morning, Beverly. Can you feel that? It’s that Memorial Day weekend heat hitting a few days too early. It’s also the heat from Monday’s City Council meeting that featured some lively discourse between council members.

In today’s Beverly Buzz:

• City Council Pauses on Quadrupled Trash Fee 🗑️

• Bracing For Higher Water Bills 💧

• An Update on the City Hall Hunt For a Temporary Home 🏛️

• Upcoming events 💃 🍺 🎶 🎥 🧑‍🍳 🎤

Let’s get to it.

— Chase Nussbaum

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THE DIGEST

City Council Pauses on Quadrupled Trash Fee 🗑️

The City Council is hitting the brakes on Mayor Mike Cahill’s controversial proposal to quadruple Beverly's annual trash fee from $100 to $425 starting July 1st. Following a heated two-hour debate over a projected $3.9 million budget deficit, councilors delayed their vote to explore lower fee options of $200 or $300 to help ease the burden on local taxpayers. Make your voice heard on this pricey issue by attending the special City Council meeting at City Hall on Tuesday, May 26th at 6:30 p.m. And read more about the intense meeting from Monday here.

Bracing For Higher Water Bills 💧

The South Essex Sewerage District (SESD) — which provides sewer conveyance and wastewater treatment services to Beverly and other towns — is seeking special state legislation to bypass Proposition 2½ limits to fund a massive $390 million modernization plan over the next decade. Because infrastructure upgrades can no longer wait, Board Chair Michael Parsons warned that assessments to member communities — including Beverly, Danvers, and Salem — are projected to double.

City Hall Hunts For Temporary Home 🏛️

Beverly is one step closer to finding a temporary home for municipal offices when the historic City Hall at 191 Cabot Street undergoes a massive $28 million renovation this fall. Mayor Mike Cahill and a newly formed evaluation committee are weighing four distinct local bids — including the Cummings Center, the Cabot Street YMCA, 306 Cabot Street, and 138 Conant Street — to house the city's operations for up to two years. A final decision will be made soon to ensure a smooth move-in by August 1st.

MBTA Updates 🚆 

On Monday, May 25th, the Spring/Summer 2026 Schedule will go into effect for the Newburyport/Rockport Line.

From June 8 through July 12 an adjusted systemwide Spring/Summer
schedule will be in effect to accommodate Boston Stadium Train Service for
World Cup matches. You can find the schedule here.

Reminder: Through mid-May, the MBTA is suspending eight midday Newburyport/Rockport trains for track repairs, so check your departure times before heading to the station.

What else is buzzing 🐝 

• 🍁 Leaf pickup occurs this week on your trash day. And heads up: Trash is delayed one day next week.

• 🐾 The countdown to kindergarten is officially on! Superintendent Cushing announced that Beverly Public Schools registration is now open for kiddos turning five by September 1st.

• 🎒 Help ensure local students start next school year feeling confident and ready to learn by donating school supplies through the Beverly Bootstraps Roonga link or purchasing backpacks through their Amazon List.

• ✈️ Eight airports have been approved for TSA’s “straight to gate” pilot program, including Logan Airport. The program is only available out of Framingham for Delta and jetBlue passengers for now, but it’s something to monitor for possible expansion.

• 🍻 A new brewery just opened last weekend in Topsfield: Essex County Brewing Company.

• 🧠 Alzheimer’s experts share foods linked to better brain health.

FEATURED EVENT

Dust off your lawn chairs and head down to the Cove Community Center for the 4th Annual Beverly Firemen's Relief Association (BFRA) Cornhole Tournament on Saturday, June 20th from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Beverly Firefighters are hosting this charity event for the benefit of the BFRA.

This double-elimination event features cash prizes, a mobile golf simulator, tacos from La Qchara, and local brews from Coastal Mass and Gentile Brewing. Grab a partner (ages 14+) and register your two-person team online for $60 before the 64-team bracket fills up — and don't forget some cash for the raffle baskets.

Interested in sponsoring the event or have questions? Reach out to Ben!

PET OF THE WEEK

Sweet 10-year-old Fred is ready to trade his rough past for a life of luxury. Found abandoned outside, this resilient senior is looking for a cozy retirement home where he can be the absolute center of your universe. Fred’s favorite things include delicious snacks, chin scratches, and bird-watching from a warm window bed. He will thrive in a peaceful, quiet household with low foot traffic. If you're looking for a chill companion to share your lazy days, learn more and apply for adoption here.

WEATHER

4-Day Weather Forecast

Wednesday

89°/56° 🌡️ | ⛅️ Partly Cloudy | 💧 19%

Thursday

61°/45° 🌡️ | ☁️ Cloudy | 💧 0% 

Friday

62°/49° 🌡️ | ⛅️ Partly Cloudy | 💧 0% 

Saturday

64°/48° 🌡️ | ☁️ Cloudy | 💧 24%

UPCOMING EVENTS

Wednesday, 5/20

😊 Retirement Reimagined: Your Next Chapter Starts Here | The Cabot | 6 pm | Free | Info

🤔 Trivia with Michael | Backbeat Brewing | 6:45 pm | Info

🎵 O'Maley Music Presents Spring Finale 2026 | The Cut | 6:30 pm | $5 - $15 + Fees | Info

📚 Sci-fi & Fantasy Book Group | Fogg Room, Main Library | 7 pm | Info

Thursday, 5/21

⛵ 3 in 30: Roles in Privateering | Cabot House | 2 pm | Free - $5 | Info

📖 Author Talk: The Diaries of Rev. John C. Kimball with editor and historian, William Vodra | Cabot House | 6:30 pm | $5 | Info

🎤 Improv Night | Off Cabot | 7 pm | $24 | Info

🎶 Live Music: Irish Session | Backbeat Brewing | 7 pm | Info

💭 Pub Trivia | Coastal Mass Brewing | 7 pm | Info

🎵 The Bordellos - Third Thursday (music) Therapy FREE SHOW | The Cut | 7 pm | Info

Friday, 5/22

🧘‍♀️ Friday Flow & Frequencies | Seven Spinning Wellness | 6:30 pm | $30 | Info

🍣 Adult Cooking Class: Sushi & Dumplings | Tastebuds Kitchen | 7 pm | $74.20 | Info

🎶 Live Music: Mike Miksis Group | Sala Restobar | 7 pm | Info

🎶 Live Music | Backbeat Brewing | 7 pm | Info

🎸 Vance Gilbert | Off Cabot | 8 pm | $34 | Info

🎵 Dead to the Core - May Show | The Cut | 8 pm | $15 - $34.50 + Fees | Info

Saturday, 5/23

🎶 Live Music: Jazz Jam | Backbeat Brewing | 4 pm | Info

🎵 Live Music: Joel La Rue | Sala Restobar | 7 pm | Info

🍺 Live Drag Music Bingo | Gentile Brewing | 7 pm | Info

🎸 Samantha Fish | The Cabot | 8 pm | $39.50 - $69 | Info

🎵 Booty Vortex | The Cut | 8 pm | $20 - $35 + Fees | Info

🎼 Live Music: Space Moose | Chianti Bar & Lounge | 8:30 pm | $12.51 | Info

Sunday, 5/24

😌  Sunday Stretch-Reset Ritual | Seven Spinning Wellness | 10 am | $22 | Info

🥧 Rocherry Bakery Pop Up | Coastal Mass Brewing | 12 pm | Info

🚶 Castle Neck Hike in the Dunes | Crane Beach on the Crane Estate | 1 pm | $24 - $30 | Info

🎥 Screening of Jaws | The Cabot | 7 pm | $13.50 - $16.50 | Info

🗣️ Jimmy Tingle: Humor and Hope for Humanity | The Cut | 7:30 pm | $24.50 - $39.50 | Info

Tuesday, 5/26

🎭 Raw Art Works presents Art Week 2026 | The Cabot | 6 pm | Free | Info

🤳 How To Use Any Camera with Levi Cyr-Redcross from BevCam | BevCam Downtown | 6:30 pm | $100 | Info

⛹️ Men’s Basketball League - Season 6 | Balch Playground | 7 pm | $70 - $450 | Info

⭐ Crane Beach Star Party | Crane Beach on the Crane Estate | 8 pm | $5 - $10 | Info

KID AND FAMILY EVENTS

Wednesday, 5/20

🎵 Music & Movement | Conrad Room, Farms branch | 10:45 am | Info

🏗️ LEGO Club | Conrad Room, Farms branch | 3:30 pm | Info 

🧑‍🎨 Crafternoon: Weaving: Grades 6-12 | Sohier Room, Main Library | 4 pm | Info

Thursday, 5/21

🧑‍🎤 Karaoke NIght | McPherson Youth Center | Ages 11 - 18 | 4 pm | Free | Info

Friday, 5/22

🏡 The Legacies of Long Hill: House & Garden Tour | Long Hill | 10:30 am | $6 - $20 | Info

🐮 Family Cow Connection | Appleton Farms | 5:15 pm | $24 - $30 | Info

Saturday, 5/23

🍩 Caregiver & Me Cooking Class: Sprinkle Donuts | Tastebuds Kitchen | 9 am | $37.10 | Info

🐢 Turtle Time | Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary | Ages 4-10 | 10 am | $15 - $18 | Info

🐰 Learning with Livestock | Appleton Farms | 10-10:45 am, 11-11:45 am, 1-1:45 pm | Free | Info

🍔 Kids Eat Free | A&B Burgers | 11:30 am | Info

🏰 Castle Hill Tour: Cupola with a View | Castle Hill on the Crane Estate | 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM, 1:30 - 2:30 PM, 3 - 4 PM | Free - $30 | Info

Tuesday, 5/26

🐐 Barnyard Story Hour | Appleton Farms | 10:30 am | $5 - $10 | Info

Wednesday, 5/27

🌲 DIY Sea Glass Creations Workshop | Hammer & Stain | Ages 12+ | 6:30 pm | $48 - $75 | Info

TRASH AND RECYCLING

Visit the 2026 City of Beverly Holiday and Leaf Pickup Schedule for more information on each icon.

THANKS!

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