Friday, October 5, 2012

Essex Happenings...October 5, 2012


ESSEX HERITAGE PROGRAMS & ACTIVITIES

Trails and Sails Completed
By the time you read this posting, all of the festivities of Trails and Sails 2012 are over and all of the visits have been completed.   We certainly hope that many of you had a chance to visit or participate in one of the several hundred events offered in the thirty-four communities of Essex County.  For the most part, we experienced good and temperate weather for this two-weekend festival.    I have not yet seen the final visitation numbers for all of the events yet, but I anticipate that, as in the past years, the attendance will have grown.  When the reports are completed, we will provide a report on the participation numbers.
We are incredibly thankful to all of the sites and the wonderful volunteers that welcomed visitors to their sites as a part of this signature event offered for the past 11 years by Essex Heritage to the residents of this incredible part of the United States.  The offerings during this festival are varied and are designed to show off the region to the residents and regions to this area.    There are not many other opportunities like this one around the country, and we are incredibly proud to be able to bring these events to the three-quarters of a million residents of Essex County Massachusetts.   There were events that allowed the people to walk, explore, paddle, hike, sail and generally enjoy this region.  We hope you enjoyed the weekends and if there was a venue that you missed because of time or some other constraint, we encourage you to take the time in the future to visit that location and savor Essex County.    We want you to enjoy this region all year round.   To assist you in this endeavor, I have made a commitment to provide a profile of a presenting site every couple of weeks in this space to continue to showcase this wonderful part of the country.  So just in case you missed a highlight of the weekend festival, you will have a chance to learn about locations through this site, and then make appropriate plans to visit that location in person.

Essex Heritage Annual Fall Meeting: Tuesday, October 30 – 8:00AM-1000AM 
Join us for a morning of engagement! Participate in this FREE, valuable networking opportunity that will further connect you with the work of Essex Heritage and that of our partners. The agenda will include updates on Essex Heritage activities and initiatives, introduction to new Commissioners as the presentation of Essex Heritage's Pioneer in Partnership (PIP) awards. 
We hope you will be able to join us!  This event is FREE and open to the public The event is being held in the Smith Barn at Brooksby Farm38 Felton Street Peabody, MA 01960.  It will start at 8:00 AM with continental breakfast and the business meeting is from 8:30 - 10:00 AM.
 Reservations required. RSVP here or call 978-740-0444.

ESSEX HERITAGE COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Some of these events have previously been announced, in the past, but it never hurts to repeat the announcements in case you missed the announcement the first time.

Friday, October 26, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Featured Partner EventThe Andover Historical Society Presents: Trials and Taverns: A Lecture with Dr. Emerson Baker97 Main Street, Andover, MA 01810 (map it)
Puritan New Englanders viewed taverns as a necessary evil. Travelers needed a place to stay and eat, and sessions of court were sometimes even held in them – including the early hearings in the Salem witch trials. However, they were also places where people could fall for the Devil’s temptations. Taverns provided the setting for drunkenness, lechery, gambling, idleness and even witchcraft. Salem State University historian Dr. Emerson Baker will discuss the bewitched and debauched Quaker tavern at the center of his book, The Devil of Great Island: Witchcraft and Conflict in Early New England. All through the summer of 1682 a stone-throwing demon would supernaturally assault the New Hampshire tavern, and there were links between these events and witchcraft in Salem ten years later. Indeed, there are many interesting connections between witchcraft and taverns in early New England. Baker will also explore what early tavern culture was like. What were the preferred alcoholic beverages and tavern games during the Salem witch trials? Come join us for a drink and find out.
Refreshments and Socializing starts at 7:00-7:30, Lecture 7:30, 2 drink maximum.Advanced reservations required. Essex Heritage and AHS Members $15; Non-Members $25. To reserve, please contact (978) 475-2236 and let them know you are an Essex Heritage Member
Throughout October

Featured Partner EventThe House of theSeven Gables Presents:Spirits of the Gables & Legacy of the Hanging Judge115 Derby Street, Salem, MA 01970
Spirits of the Gables – Witness two families entangled by a curse in this presentation of the novel performed in the mansion that inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne to write The House of the Seven Gables.Legacy of the Hanging Judge – Scenes from the Witchcraft Hysteria are reenacted in this presentation performed in the rooms of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Birthplace.Spirits of the Gables and Legacy of the Hanging Judge will both run on: October 5, 6, 7 from 7:30pm - 9:30pm,October 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27 from 7:15pm-11:00pm, October 31 from 7:15pm-10:00pm.Shows run continuously and are each 35 minutes long. Rates:- Legacy of the Hanging Judge: $15- Spirits of the Gables: $15- Combination Ticket: $27 (available for any two performances on the same evening)  Reservations highly recommended. Please call 978-744-0991, ext 104.
Saturday, November 3, 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Behind the Scenes Tour of the Danvers Archival CenterPeabody Institute Library of Danvers,15 Sylvan Street, Danvers, MA 01923.  Join Historian and Danvers Town Archivist Richard Trask for a special behind the scenes tour of the Danvers Archival Center.  The Archival Center houses a wonderful and diverse collection of materials that relate to the history of Salem Village and Danvers from the 17th century to the present, including many public, church, and private records related to the witchcraft trials and life in Salem Village. Learn about the significance of the Archival Center as our knowledgeable host spotlights some of the valuable and historically important materials that directly relate to our local, regional and national history. As seen in the film Salem Witch Hunt: Examine the Evidence, the tour will also highlight some of the Archival Center’s rarely seen items and artifacts.Reservations required. Essex Heritage Members $7; Non-Members $10. Please register online above or send checks to: Essex National Heritage Commission, 221 Essex Street, Suite 41 Salem, MA 01970 or call Essex Heritage at 978-740-0444 for questions and details. Event fees sustain the Essex Heritage Membership program and support partner sites.
Wednesday, November 7, 7:00 PM

Featured Partner EventThe House of theSeven Gables Presents:Strong Women at the Gables: Elizabeth Palmer Peabody, a Notable Local Figure with International Connections, 115 Derby Street, Salem, MA 01970.  Louise B. Swiniarski, Education Department Professor at Salem State University, will focus on Elizabeth Peabody: her work, friends, and the literary salon she hosted on West Street in Boston. She will also discuss Elizabeth’s relationship with her sister Sophia, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s wife. Advanced reservations required. Essex Heritage and Seven Gables Members $10; Non-Members $15. To reserve, please contact (978) 744-0991 and let them know you are an Essex Heritage member.
Wednesday, December 12, 7:00 PM

Featured Partner EventThe House of theSeven Gables Presents:Strong Women at the Gables: An Orchestra at Her Fingertips115 Derby Street, Salem, MA 01970Pianist Jacquelyn Schwab will perform vintage 19th century American parlor music, including Stephen Foster and Civil War songs, hymns, spirituals, and ballroom dances. Schwab is best known for her performances on Ken Burns’ Grammy award-winning Civil War documentary, as well as the Emmy award-winning Baseball and Mark Twain documentaries on public television. A folk and classical improvisational pianist, she has a unique style that defies easy categorization.

Advanced reservations required. Essex Heritage and Seven Gables Members $10; Non-Members $15. To reserve, please contact (978) 744-0991 and let them know you are an Essex Heritage member.
REGIONAL NEWS

October in Salem
As time moves us closer to the year-end holidays, the month of October and Halloween in Salem are upon us.   In this posting, I want to remind you of a cooperative film premiered by Essex Heritage last October about the most recent scholarship on the Witch Trials of 1692 in Salem.   If you visit Salem this fall, you should plan to visit the NPS regional Visitor Center and view this film.   The experience will make your visit to Salem that much more meaningful.

Salem City Council to Make Changes in Downtown Salem Parking Plans
The City of Salem has installed a new traffic plan which has been in place now for a couple of months, and from that experience the Council hopes to tweak the plan to make it better and more efficient.  

Newburyport Plans Waterfront Up-grade
The Town of Newburyport has contracted with a Providence, RI Architectural firm to produce a plan to re-order the waterfront space in that community with more green space and make it friendlier for residents.  The plans include adding additional commercial space in two buildings and a commitment to maintain 70 % of  the current parking spaces.   The new buildings will include eating spots and shops on the lower level, with residential space on the upper levels. 

Local Community Bank Provides Financial Gift to Stoneham Theatre
The local newspapers have reported that the Stoneham Savings Bank and their partner financial institution, the Salem Five Bank, have made a substantial $25,000 cash contribution to the Stoneham Theatre that serves many of those reside in this region.   We are fortunate to have a theatre of this quality so close and handy.

Town of Wenham Updates Recreation Plan
The Town of Wenham is organizing a committee and seeking volunteers to upgrade the Town’s Open Space and Recreation Master Plan for the community. If you have an interest in participating in this effort send a letter volunteering to the Board of Selectmen at the Wenham Town Hall.

Salem State University Invitation
Salem State University President Patricia Maguire Meservey cordially invites you to the Agganis Forum with special guest speaker Julie Palen '89, entrepreneur and business leader on Wednesday, October 24, 2012 at 6 pm at the Salem State University Recital Hall on the Central Campus,71 Loring Avenue, Salem, Massachusetts. "My Wild Ride from Entrepreneur to Taking the Company Public:How I started, What I Learned and What You Need to Know."  Julie Palen shares the success story of the evolution of her business from start-up to public trade, a story that includes evolving from a nanny to president of a mulit-million dollar company. Palen sold Internoded Inc., a custom software development firm, to Tangoe, where she is currently senior vice president of business development and mobile device management. A sports movement and science graduate, Palen is now a proud alumna on the board of advisors to the Bertolon School of Business.

Seating is limited, reservations requiredPlease RSVP by October 16, 2012 to Maria Rodriguez at 978.542.2426; mrodriguez@salemstate.edu

Special Door Prize: One free MBA course at Salem State! All costs included. Must RSVP and be present to win. Approximate value $1,000.(Current Salem State employees excluded from this drawing.)
Want to learn more about Salem State's MBA program? Visit: whysalemstate.com




COMMMUNITY HEALTH AND ELDER AFFAIRS

North Shore Elder Services
North Shore Elder Services re-affirms strategic objectives going forward and will offer public meeting.  North Shore Elder Services has recently adopted four strategic objectives to drive its operation in the years ahead as follows: 
1.      Continue to provide publically financed core services that are of high quality and effective as is possible within budget targets;
2.      Extend relationships and services within medical and heath sectors that are responsive to the opportunities and challenges of national and state and national health care reform initiatives.
3.      Develop marketplace programs and services that address the needs and demands of the broader population of older adults and their families who are not necessarily eligible for publically-subsidized programs and services which will facilitate their ability to function safely and comfortably in spite of medical, physical and/or cognitive limitations and which generate net income for the agency.
4.      Identify and/or initiate opportunities for Collaboration, Resource sharing for program expansion and/or enhancement  with other  aging, disability, health and other related organizations

The Shore Elder Services are holding an annual public meeting at 9AM on October 24 at the Hilton Double Tree Hotel (formerly the Coco Key Hotel) at Ferncroft Drive in Danvers.  At this meeting the objectives noted above and other matters will be discussed.

The Town of Salisbury Senior Center Plans Fundraiser
As a member of the advisory board that helps to make policy at the Danvers Senior Center, it is always of great interest to me what other Senior Centers in the region are doing.  The Salisbury Hilton Senior Center in conjunction with a friend’s group that helps raise funding for the center offered a major fund raising event recently at Surf Side Bar and Grill in Salisbury.   Funds raised from a dance and silent auction will be used to complete interior improvements at the Senior Center.    Fundraising programs like this one take place all over the region as the Friend’s group raised funds for the center and allowed the Town to allocate resources to other programs in the community with reduced resources available in numerous towns. The more self-funding that can be accomplished the better. 

 Medical and Disability Issues

Long-Term Care Insurance Reform Passes the House
After many years of advocacy, the Massachusetts House of Representatives has passed legislation updating regulation of long-term care insurance (LTCI) this past Thursday. Barring any unexpected events it will go to the Senate and then to the Governor for signing this week.

Long advocated by the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), the bill clarifies the estate recovery waiver provision as valuing a policy at the time of purchase, not the time of nursing home admission.  As an incentive to encourage seniors to purchase LTCI, Massachusetts provides those with policies providing at least $125,000 of coverage protection from any claim for estate recovery against their home.  

However, MassHealth has long interpreted this provision quite narrowly, only permitting the waiver if the senior still has $125,000 of coverage when she enters a nursing home.  If she depleted the policy paying for home or assisted living care before entering the nursing home, she would lose the waiver.  Since being able to pay for non-institutional care is a prime reason to purchase LTCI, and one would think that MassHealth would want seniors to stay out of nursing homes and off their rolls as long as possible, it's position has always seemed perverse and counterproductive.   

The bill also incorporates consumer protection provisions of the NAIC model long term care insurance regulation.  In addition, NAELA is named as a member of a working group to advise the Division of Insurance on methods for stabilization of rate increases. They have now (for the first rime) been included in a legislative work group.  

Disability Issues
We have recently seen a number of stories about people both in and out of this region.     First there was the story of Oscar Pretorius who ran in the recent Olympics and showed what could be done with a handicap.    Recently in the SALEM NEWS there was a wonderful story about a Salem High School golfer who has played quite well with only one leg.  Will Parr, whose dad Mike has worked closely with Essex Heritage in his role with the National Park Service in Salem, has achieved much with a disability.  He has been without a leg for many years, but that has not held him back. The local TV recently showed films of a young man who is a senior at Concord-Carlisle Regional High School who lost a leg at birth and is now playing some of the most unbelievable soccer with the assistance of a pair of crutches.    So it is clear that there are many role models out there who are setting great examples for all of us.


PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS

Election Day 2012
As many of you are digesting this report Election Day 2012 is just ahead on November 6th.   Choosing the officials that will lead us nationally or locally is one of the important responsibilities that we have as residents of this country, and we urge you all to take advantage of this hard won opportunity and cast your vote for the candidate of your choice.  Election 2012 is not a lot different from other elections in the past.   There are important candidates running for offices from the President to local leadership in your state and community.  It is not our place to endorse or otherwise speak out regarding individual candidates, but Essex Heritage urges you, if it is at all possible, to visit your local polling place and cast your all -important vote this year. 

National Football League Referee Issue
It is certainly quite clear that the National Football League has a controversy that will be most difficult for them to solve.   The replacement officials that they have put in place at stadiums across the country have led to unhappy players, coaches and fans as the decisions that they are handing down are unpopular with all of the participants.   No matter what decision they render it appears that everyone is unhappy with his or her lack of consistency.  The NFL has a major issue of discussion concerning pensions with their normal game officials and the resolution of that issue seems most important as the integrity of the league is being called into question and a resolution must be attained.  As this presentation is prepared a resolution has been announced and the regular officials are back “running” the games.

We Give Thanks Award
I am proud and pleased to serve on the Board of Directors of the North Shore Elder Services representing the residents of the Town of Danvers.    I am even prouder of the fact that the organization will be holding its annual We Give Thanks Award that identifies people in this region that should be acknowledged for their work. This year, my wife Marge Leonard will receive the NSES Family Care Givers award for 2012.   We are most appreciative of NSES President Joseph Palmer who nominated her for this award.  She is a most deserving recipient for what she has done for me since my accident.   Without her commitment to me, I could not continue to my work in the community.  She will be sharing the stage on November 15th at Spinelli’s Function Hall in Lynnfield with other prominent regional award winners like State Senator Bruce Tarr,  Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll, and Former Danvers State Representative Jack King, Brian Cranney, and others.  

The North Shore Elder Services, We Give Thanks Awards Dinner will be held on Thursday, November 15th at Spinelli's Function Hall in Lynnfield, MA.

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