Essex Heritage Events and Activities
Essex
Costal Byway Guide
I have received an incredibly
comprehensive Guide Book prepared by local Journalist, Joel Brown, a resident
of Newburyport. The work is complete
with substantial information on the 85 mile journey developed by Essex Heritage
along with the thirteen communities. The Byway is from Lynn along the coast
north to Newburyport. The work contains
complete descriptions of all the historic, cultural and natural resources that
make up the Coastal Byway. In addition
to a description of the various resources along the byway that is presented in
chapter formats divided by each individual community with the exception of Plum
Island. In addition to the descriptive
narrative, the author has included information germane to the individual
communities. The Guide Book can be found and purchased in local bookstores in
communities along the Byway or go to www.essexbywayguide.com or www.amazon.com . It is an
excellent companion to any trip planned along the byway. In the guide, the author provides a listing
of Visitor Centers, a bibliography of appropriate related books and even offers a
treatise on visiting and enjoying the Byway by Train or Bike or by water.
Essex
Heritage Announces the 2012 People’s Choice Awards - the best events of 2012 as
voted on by participants:
This fall, thousands of people took to
the byways, waterways and trails of the Essex National Heritage Area during the
last two weekends of September to participate in the 11th annual TRAILS &
SAILS: Two Weekends of Walks and Water.
Essex National Heritage Commission
(Essex Heritage) and its partners organized over 200 free and unique events
designed to showcase the historic, cultural and natural resources of the
Heritage Area. Over 100 event hosts opened their doors and scheduled more than
200 events to connect people to the special places and organizations that
comprise the Essex National Heritage Area. While event tallies continue to
trickle in, over 3,000 participants have been recorded at events extending
throughout the 34 cities and towns of Essex County.
Trails
& Sails 2012: People’s Choice Awards
Essex Heritage is very grateful to the
hundreds of organizations, event leaders and businesses that opened their doors
and created experiences that continue to thrill and delight residents and
visitors alike. Based on participant feedback Essex Heritage will present
"People’s Choice Awards" to the top ten events that received the most
votes from participants. The 2012 “People’s Choice Awards” go to:
1. Old
Ipswich Rum Tour & Tasting hosted by Turkey Shore Distilleries, Ipswich
2. 1812
Privateer FAME: Go Sail, hosted by the Schooner Fame, Salem
3. Newburyport's
Historic Powder House open house hosted by the Newburyport
Preservation Trust, Newburyport
4. Sea
Level Rise at Crane Beach, hosted by The Great Marsh Coalition, Ipswich
5. Historic
Ice House Tours hosted by Cape Pond Ice Company, Gloucester
6. Appleton
Farmstead Tour hosted by The Trustees of Reservations, Ipswich
7. Winter
Island tour hosted by Friends of Winter Island, Salem
8. Learn
to Kayak with REI hosted by REI Outdoor School, Newburyport
9. A
Working Winery Experience hosted by Mill River Winery, Rowley
10. Rowing
the Jolly Boat hosted by the National Park Service, Salem Maritime National
Historic Site
Participant
Challenge Prize Winners
Essex Heritage is also grateful to REI
for generously donating two Novara hybrid bikes to the TRAILS & SAILS 2012
Participant Challenge. This year, Essex Heritage and our partners challenged
TRAILS & SAILS participants to attend as many unique events as possible
over the two Trails & Sails weekends in order to be entered to win one of
two from REI! We are now pleased to announce the two winners of the participant
challenge. Congratulations to:
• Heather
A. of Peabody
• Rick
M. of Salem
TRAILS & SAILS: Two Weekends of
Walks & Water is Essex Heritage’s premier partnership activity. The free
event expands cultural tourism by bringing new audiences to dozens of historic
sites and open spaces, and stimulating new business in the local economy. Held
in late September, residents and visitors alike experience the region’s best
from a wide array of events – guided walks, on-water tours, open houses –
organized by the front line stewards of the Area’s historic, cultural and
natural resources. Since 2002, over 36,059 people have attended TRAILS &
SAILS events. Visit www.trailsandsails.org to learn more.
Essex Heritage has great
appreciation for TD Bank and Eastern Bank for their long-time sponsorship
commitment that keeps TRAILS & SAILS a free public outreach celebration.
TRAILS & SAILS 2012: Two Weekends of Walks & Water was presented by TD
Bank and Eastern Bank with additional support from other local sponsors.
Essex Heritage Partnerships
Speaking Trails and Sails, the following
presentation points out a community that participated in that Festival and even
though the event is completed, Ipswich can be a great place to visit.
Visit
to the Town of Ipswich
Now that the Tenth Edition of Essex
Heritage’s Trails and Sails is completed it is time for me to once again
provide readers with a profile or two on locations around this sensational
region that are certainly worthy of a description that might encourage you to
visit that community. I have never had
the good fortune to live in the Town of Ipswich, but regardless of having lived
in three other of the thirty-four communities in the Essex Heritage region,
Ipswich appears to me to be a wonderful place to reside where opportunities to
enjoy the region abound. Salem, Peabody
and Danvers where I have lived in my lifetime have all been most welcoming
places to live that all provide a wide variety of wonderful resources to enjoy
and visit, but the Town of Ipswich is a treasure chest of great locations to
visit and enjoy.
Trails and Sails were once again a
spectacular success and visitation to over two hundred locations available in
the two weekends of free visitation.
There was a broad array of Historic, Cultural and Natural Resources that
can be found across this part of the country
Essex Heritage has devoted a vast amount of time and energy in the past
decade pointing out and organizing those resources in Essex County to present
them in a collaborative effort. Trails and Sails can last all year as the
numerous resources that have cooperatively organized can be enjoyed at most any
time of the year. I believe that the
four unique seasons of the year that we are blessed with in New England is one
of the reasons why the resources within the boundaries of Essex Heritage are so
enjoyable. It is fact that many of the
locations that are close to or enjoy proximity to the Ocean that are so
attractive in the summer season, can be enjoyed and embraced just as completely
on a cold harsh winter day.
Speaking of winter, there may never be a
better time to visit and enjoy the architecture of the region as right now as
the holiday season is upon us and the chill of winter is here. Visit the Town
of Ipswich now to view the largest collection of First Period homes anywhere in
this country. The homes are most
attractive now, as the community has developed a strategy of first period home
illumination. The numerous homes of
that period can be enjoyed by visitors and residents alike who have seen owners
of these homes light up their properties for the holiday season. The homes have been illuminated with flood
and spotlights and individual window treatments. Make it a point to visit the community of
Ipswich during this holiday season. You
will be pleased that you took the time for this visit. I want to spend a little time now to point
out the many historic, cultural and natural resources of this friendly and
special community.
Inside the community geographic limits
there are several active farms that have both farm stands and active tours of
the facilities. One of the largest and
most active farms is Green Meadows farm owned and operated by the Patton
family. In a previous segment on places
to visit I prepared a comprehensive article on that location, so a simple
mention is enough for this profile, but definitely put the farm on your “must
visit” list. In addition, there are
several additional agricultural locations worth exploring. The Russell Farm, and its crop of apples
are certainly worth a visit.
The biggest landowner and a major force
in the community and the rest of the State are The Trustees of Reservations. Staying with the farming theme, they own and
operate Appleton Farms just off Route 1 in town. At that location, in addition to having an
opportunity to visit the oldest working farm in New England, visitors can take
tours and hikes. One can experience a
visit to a farm stand where organically grown produce and milk produced by the
cows on the site can be purchased. In
addition to the farm, the Trustees offer and operate one of the most
recognizable properties in the State where this architectural gem can be both
viewed and enjoyed - The Crane Estate and the Great House that dominates the
property is open for visitors and guided tours. Adjacent to the farm, regardless of the time
of the year, visitors can visit the well-known Crane’s Beach can be viewed
either in the serenity of summer or during the ferocity of the Atlantic Ocean
as the winter arrives.
The community is a location where a
visitor can spend the day or a longer period of time, touring historic homes or
by joining a walking tour, or by visiting the community regional Visitor Center
connected by an arrangement with Essex Heritage, but no matter where you look
or visit you will be pleasantly pleased.
This is a wonderful way to enjoy trails and sails all through the year.
Regional Events
Salem
Partnership Holiday Party
The Salem Partnership, that was formed
several years ago to assist the City of Salem in their development, recently
gathered at the Old Town Hall in Salem to celebrate the Holiday. The event was well attended by many of the
past and present members of the Partnership, and after being unable to attend
in the last couple of years, it was great to be with so many friends and
associates. It was most enjoyable to be
with that group of advocates that has meant so much to that community and will
always remain special to me as a result of the fact, that I was born in Salem
and worked in that community at Salem Five Bank for nearly four decades.
Zoning
Issue Regarding Medical Marijuana
Communities all over this region are
reacting to the recent change that will allow Medical Marijuana to be sold on a
retail basis. Several communities are
trying to legislate where this product can be sold, and others seem to be
waiting to learn if the Commonwealth issues regulations. We will try to keep you posted on this matter
in the future,
Danvers
to Hold Annual Diversity Dinner in January
The annual awards dinner will honor
several people and provide Drum Major Awards next month. We will report later on all of the winners
and how to obtain tickets but for now, let me congratulate all of the
recipients. The one name that jumped off
the page was the husband and wife team that together help to manage Brother’s
in Danvers, Kyriakos and Patricia Andrinopoulas.
The
Boys and Girls Club Director has asked that I print the following appeal from a
supporter:
Thanks for the great work you do at the
Boys and Girls Club of Salem, making a significant, positive, and permanent
difference in the community. We were happy to honor and support your work with
a Cinema Salem Grant a few years back.
Cinema
Salem raises money for new digital equipment
Since we opened Cinema Salem, we've felt
that a movie theater can also make a positive contribution to the community as
well, even if it's less dramatic. We enjoy being part of the network of people
and organizations that enhance the public conversation and the cultural
richness of the North Shore.
Because our industry is changing, Cinema
Salem needs to convert to digital projection in 2013, and we've launched a
Kickstarter campaign to raise the funds. You can read all about it here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1960547513/save-cinemasalem . The
response so far has been very encouraging, but because Kickstarter has an
"all or nothing" policy, we need to reach our goal in order to
receive any money at all.
I wonder if you would consider passing
along this email to your colleagues and supporters at the Boys and Girls Club
so that they're aware of this campaign. Thanks
for sharing this message, and thanks for the great work you do every day.
St.
Richard’s Concert to Benefit the People to People Food Pantry
The event that St. Richard’s held on
Sunday was a wonderful success and the church was completely full. Over ten thousand pounds of food. up from
8,000 last year was collected for the People to People Food Pantry and all of
the planners including those on the Parish Council should be complimented on
their efforts Due to some logistical
problems, I was unable to attend, but it is wonderful that so many were
entertained and such a worthwhile charity was the beneficiary. It is expected that during the 50th
Anniversary year at the Church in December 2013 another event will be
scheduled.
Medical, Seniors, and Disability Issues
There
is Current News Recently on the RIDE Offered by the MBTA
THE RIDE will be launching its new
centralized In-Person Eligibility Assessment process on Monday, December 10,
2012.
Individuals whose new applications are
pending have received letters informing them that they will need to go to THE
RIDE Eligibility Center in Charlestown. Anyone who is currently on THE RIDE
will receive a similar letter when they are up for renewal/review. All
applications and screening will be done at the Charlestown Center. We are
trying to obtain a copy of the letter sent to pending applicants and will
forward it to you when we receive it.
For a PowerPoint about the In-Person
Eligibility Assessment program, click on
For FAQs about the In-Person Eligibility
Assessment, go to
Congratulations
to the Management of Simon Malls
Congratulations to the leadership of the
Simon Malls for their excellent efforts to create an experience for children in
this region that are physically and mentally challenged to have a time with
Santa Clause at many of their mall locations.
Resources
for Aging
Resources for Aging, Inc. was founded in
1994 to fill a need in the community and across the United States. The goal was
to empower the growing number of informal caregivers to be more effective and
efficient in managing the care process. In 1998, the Caregiver Sourcebook was
developed to meet that need.
People in the News
Former
state Senator Berry, Provides Farewell Speech
Happy Retirement wishes to former
Senator Frederick Berry. As a result of
his recent departure from the Massachusetts Senate, he provided a fitting
farewell speech to his former colleagues of the Massachusetts Senate. Hopefully, Senator Berry will enjoy his
retirement and he will remain as healthy as possible. He served as a wonderful caring, energetic
and successful legislator who provided superb services not just in his home
town of Peabody, but throughout his
entire region
Personal Observations
Happy
Holidays
Since this is the last posting to this
Blog before the end of the year Holiday Season, I want to offer all of my
readers and friends a Happy and Holy Holiday season regardless of whatever
deity that you choose to worship.
Former
NBA Basketball star Addresses One Thousand
Danvers High School Students
Recently, a large group of Danvers High
School students had the good fortune to listen to a presentation on the dangers
of drug addiction. Chris Herron who
played for the Celtics and was originally from New Bedford, Mass spoke the
large group of students about his many years of addiction to drugs and
painkillers. His experiences have been
difficult and it is his goal through these presentations that he makes all over
the country is to alert today’s students of the dangers that they could face
from drugs. His life has been the
subject of an ESPN film documentary and he has written a book and created a
foundation to support his message about addiction. His presentation was most timely and well
received by the students. It was sponsored
by the Danvers Cares Prevention Coalition.
North
of Boston Area Becomes “hot bed” for High Level Entertainment
Essex Heritage has long advocated that
it is most concerned with the Preservation of the Historic, Cultural and
Natural Resources of Essex County.
Through its many active programs it has done much to impact the Historic
and Natural Resources of the region. It
is most pleasant to view the cultural activities of this region to see how many
venues are coming to the table to provide entertainment of all kinds to the
residents of this area. There are
superlative efforts ongoing in Beverly at the North Shore Music Theatre, in
Lynn and Lowell organized and offered by the Communities in question and in Rockport
at the wonderful Shalin Liu Performance Center.
Essex Heritage was fortunate enough to offer an Annual Meeting a couple
of years ago at the Shalin Liu Performance Center. The opportunities for residents of this
region to enjoy the arts without a trip to Boston are plentiful. It is a wonderful to be able to enjoy
entertainment in our own back yard.
Tickets for events held in theses venues can be obtained locally.
Patriots
vs. Texans
After a long week to ten-day preamble to
the game, the two teams at the top of the AFC standings lined up on an
unusually warm December evening to begin to settle seeding positions for the
year end National Football League playoffs.
The game was played on Monday, December 10th at Gillette Stadium and the
Patriots fashioned a spectacular, dominating win against the Texans. But for four points, the Pats could be
undefeated. They seem now to be the
favorite to represent the AFC in the title game. They have another test next weekend against
the San Francisco team again at Gillette Stadium.
National
Hockey League Lock Out
The disappointments of the recent last
days of negotiations on a new contract for the National Hockey League is still
fresh in my mind and the thoughts of another season being cancelled is most
negative in my thinking. We are still
personally hoping that a resolution of the issue can be worked out and we who
love the game will see it played before the winter is over. All games through 12/31 have now been
cancelled and the two sides have another negotiation session planned. If a resolution is not reached in the next
few days, there will be no chance of getting a 48 game schedule in play and the
entire season may be cancelled.
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