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MBTA bus services will return to the heart of Danvers for the first time in six years this fall with the restoration of the 465 route, canceled amid the COVID-19 health crisis.

Danvers Land Use & Community Services Director Aaron Henry told the Select Board on Tuesday that the MBTA was restoring the service from Danvers Square to Salem Depot as of Sept 6. The route will be on a one-year pilot program with plans already in place to make it permanent, according to Henry.

State Rep. Sally Kerans is a staunch advocate for the bus line instrumental in getting the bus line reinstated. Sally argued at the time that Danvers was making strides toward more public transit-oriented development, including the Maple Square project, and that the MBTA was not rewarding those efforts with service that would make it easier for someone living downtown to be able to get to Salem and into Boston without needing a car.

This will now happen with a route that will run every 65 minutes, including Sundays..

State legislators recently approved a bill filed and fought for by Sen. Joan Lovely that officially closes an age of consent loophole in Massachusetts to better protect 16- and 17-year-olds from sexual abuse.

The bill stipulates that while the state’s age of consent is 16, children under the age of 18 cannot consent to a sexual relationship with an adult who is a mandated reporter, has authority over them or is in a position of trust.

This means counselors, coaches, teachers and other adults who work with or around children who are 16 and 17 years old, and had sexual contact with a child of this age, can no longer claim it was a consensual encounter. Even if a sexual relationship with a child of this age has ended, under the bill, the adult cannot use that fact as a defense.

The bill also prevents these cases from being continued without a finding or placed on file, a major win for those seeking justice for this type of child sexual abuse.

“For too long, our laws have allowed adults in positions of authority and trust to exploit the very children they are supposed to protect and then hide behind a claim of consent. That ends now,” Lovely said in a statement.

“No figure of authority should ever be able to groom or assault a young person and walk away without accountability. Closing this loophole has been one of the most personal and important fights of my career, and I am proud that we got it done for the children and families of the Commonwealth.”

Our Sixth District Congressional Candidate Forum was a tremendous success, bringing together six outstanding Democratic candidates and a full house of engaged voters for an evening of thoughtful discussion and civic engagement.

Held during our nation’s 250th anniversary year, the historic Tapley Memorial Hall provided a fitting backdrop for this important event. The hall was filled to capacity with voters eager to hear from our candidates, reflecting the energy and enthusiasm surrounding this pivotal election.  We were proud to welcome Bethany Anders-Beck, John Beccia, Janie Belito, Daniel Koh, Dr. Mariah Lancaster, and Tram Nguyen, with the discussion moderated by DanversDems Co-Chair Lou Bernazzani.

To view the forum go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xwJmqx9EyI

The evening began with each candidate introducing themselves before responding to eight questions covering issues that matter most to our communities, including affordability for young people and seniors, healthcare, artificial intelligence, protecting our democracy, local priorities, the future of the Democratic Party, and the values that guide public service. Each candidate thoughtfully addressed these important topics, offering voters an outstanding opportunity to hear directly from each of them.

DanversDems is proud of the strong field of Democratic candidates seeking to represent the Sixth Congressional District. At a time when our democracy faces unprecedented challenges, each has answered the call to public service with a deep commitment to Democratic values and to improving the lives of the people they hope to represent. However, we can only elect one of them.  Everyone who attended the forum left better informed and better prepared to participate in the upcoming primary.

This forum also marked an important milestone for DanversDems. As our first large-scale public event featuring candidates in a congressional race, it was a wonderful success thanks to the dedication and teamwork of our volunteers.

Our sincere thanks go to Liz Brennan, Outreach Coordinator; Jillian Earp Durand, Candidate Forum Coordinator; our Blue Crew volunteers; Liz Bernazzani, Lucy Desmond, Barbara Devereaux, Charlotte Jordan, Debra Lemieux, and everyone who worked behind the scenes to make the evening such a success.

We also thank our volunteer questioners—Tom Meagher, Kacey Desmond, Lucy Desmond, Barbara Devereaux, Jim Conrad, Annlauren Djoko, Ellen Graham, and Debra Lemieux—for helping facilitate a thoughtful and informative discussion and our time-keeper Lizz Bernazzani

Special thanks to the Danvers Historical Society for making historic Tapley Memorial Hall available for this event, to Laura Colley for her gracious hospitality, and to the Danvers Cable Access Television (DCAT) team—Greg Dolan and Quill DeAngelis—for recording the forum and providing outstanding technical sound support.

I also want to thank State Senator Joan Lovely, State Representative Sally Kerans, Danvers Officials: Select Board Member Dee Djoko, School Committee Member Mike Shannon, Library Trustees Julie Curtis and Ellen Graham and numerous Town Meeting Members who joined us.

Most importantly, thank you to everyone who attended. Your participation is what makes our democracy strong.

Remember to vote in the Democratic Primary on September 1! Every vote matters!

State Rep. Sally Kerans, left, and Sen. Joan Lovely, at right, with Danvers police Lt. Rob Sullivan present the Commonwealth Pride Award to former Danvers selectman and retired judge David Mills on Saturday.