Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Gloucester Water Issues, Special Senatorial Election, MVCC Seminar,and Danvers Town Hall Fire

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

City of Gloucester Water Issue

It was good to read in the media recently that most of the City of Gloucester water supply was once again deemed to be safe and usable. The City of Gloucester has had a number of issues to deal with recently, and these have been turbulent times for this Cape Ann community. It is very good to see that this issue is now mostly behind them. The community relies, among other economic engines, on tourism, and the local restaurants in Gloucester have had a difficult time over the past several weeks. I would encourage all of you who have an opportunity in the near future the visit the City of Gloucester and enjoy some of the fine sea food products that are served in the many fine eating establishments in that community.

Senatorial Election Process

The recent announcement by former Congressman Joseph Kennedy that he will not seek to replace his uncle as a Senator representing Massachusetts has certainly “opened the door” to a number of potential candidates. Many elected officials and even some former elected officials, I suspect now view the potential to be elected to a seat in the Senate that has not been open for almost a half a century as most appealing. Essex Heritage will certainly keep a close eye on the special primary and general elections that will take place later this year, as the successor to Senator Kennedy will be most important to organizations like this one in both the near and long term. The recently departed Senator was a champion for many causes in Massachusetts and Essex Heritage was certainly a primary beneficiary of his interest. Funding for the efforts that we have undertaken to preserve the historic, cultural and natural resources of this area were obtained because Senator Kennedy certainly cared for and felt our mission worthy of support. We can only hope that the successor in that role will be as interested in the preservation of the important resources in Essex County as Kennedy was during his many years in Washington.

Merrimack Valley Chamber Seminar for Not –for-Profit Organizations

An informational piece from the Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce arrived in my office yesterday, and it seems most worthy of being passed to our many friends in this region. In the most recent past, Essex Heritage has made a conscious effort to bring information about expense reduction and revenue enhancement to the many not-for-profit organizations in our region that we interact with throughout the years. That effort must be ongoing if we are all to survive in these difficult economic times. The seminar that is being offered by the MVCC is titled, Creative Leadership in Tough Times for Not-For Profit Organizations. The seminar is being offered next Friday, September 11, 2009 at the LaQuinta Inn & Suites in Andover starting at 8:00 a.m. and will last for one and one half hours. The presenters are well qualified and known to this organization. Dr. Donald Ruhl was one of the original group that helped to form the Essex Heritage Commission and he will be joined by Dr. Howard Brown in making the presentation. If you have an interest in attending this informational seminar the cost is minimal and more information can be obtained by contacting the Merrimack Valley Chamber of commerce at 978 696-0900.

New Intern at Essex Heritage

We are pleased to announce that we have been joined by Ms. Rachel Lovett, an Endicott College Senior as an intern in our office. Rachel is undertaking the study of New England History at Endicott, and we expect that she will spend some of her early time at Essex Heritage assisting in supporting the Trails and Sails events at the end of this month. In future postings, I will provide additional information about that event that certainly qualifies as the signature event for Essex Heritage.

Wrong Telephone Number for the Danvers Historical Society Golf Event

A couple of days ago, I provided a wrong telephone number if any of you had an interest in signing up for the golf fundraiser at the Thompson Club in North Reading being offered by Danvers Historical Society. The proper number to call to make a reservation is 978-777-1666.

Danvers Town Hall

Late yesterday afternoon a fire was reported the Historic Town Hall in Danvers. the fire was quickly extinguished, but not without damage. We do not have many details about the fire in the building first built in 1855, but Town Manager Marquis did report that the building is covered by insurance and any damage would be repaired. Essex Heritage provided a Partnership Grant to the Town to help in the preservation effort at the Town Hall.

One Personal Note

Over the last four months, my wife Marge has been undergoing treatments for a lymphoma that was first identified in May 2009. During that time she has received wonderful treatment first at Mass General Hospital in Boston and now at the Mass General/North Shore Medical Center facility on Endicott Street in Danvers. This morning she reached the mid point in the scheduled radiation treatments that she is undergoing that is the final phase of her treatments. All of the news we have received recently is most positive, and her entire family is most pleased and our expectations remain high for a complete cure.

As always I invite your comments, questions and opinions about the work of Essex Heritage. I can be reached at tleonard@essexheritage.org or at 978 740 0444

Tom Leonard, President Emeritus, Essex Heritage Commission

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