Essex Happenings September 3, 2013

SPECIAL NOTE

I AM PARTICULARLY PLEASED TO PROVIDING A MONTHLY PRESENTATION OF ESSEX HAPPENING.  I AM HAPPY TO BE ONCE AGAIN PROVIDING MY OUTLOOK ON THIS REGION.  IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT MY THOUGHTS AS PRESENTED DO NOT REFLECT THE PRESENTATION OF AN EMPLOYEE OR A MANAGER OF ANY OF THE ORGANIZATIONS COMMENTED ON IN THESE REPORTS. 

ESSEX HERITAGE EVENTS

Trails & Sails News

Thanks to new and returning event hosts, over 100 events have been scheduled for the 12th annual Trails & Sails: Two Weekends of Walks and Water, taking place September 20-22 & September 27-29, 2013!

See the full listing of events and plot your course online at www.trailsandsails.org when the site goes "live" August 1st! Trails & Sails 2013 is generously sponsored by: With Thanks to TD Bank:

A Presenting Sponsor of Trails & Sails 2013

Essex Heritage is pleased to announce that TD Bank has returned as a Presenting Sponsor of Trails & Sails 2013! We are very grateful for TD Bank's commitment to the mission of the Essex National Heritage Commission, our communities and the residents of Essex County. With their continued support we are able to keep Trails & Sails a FREE public outreach celebration. Thank you!

Essex Heritage Fall Meeting

Save the Date: Thursday, September 5, 2013

Mark your calendar for Essex Heritage's Annual Fall Meeting on Thursday, September 5th, from 8am - 10am, at the  Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester!  We invite you to participate in this free, valuable morning of networking and regional engagement! The agenda will include updates on Essex Heritage initiatives, introduction of new Commissioners and the presentation of Essex Heritage's Pioneers in Partnership Awards .Learn more and download a PIP Award Nomination Form

REGIONAL EVENTS

City of Peabody work in the Square Nearly Complete  

The City of Peabody road reconfiguration work in the square is almost complete and the City Administration, local merchants and residents appear to be pleased with the results.

City of Peabody Concert Series

The City of Peabody is scheduling a series of late summer early fall concerts at the Peabody Institute Library which started on 8/15.   The events will be held in the Sutton Room.   For information on dates and artists visit www.peabodylibrary.com

Cruise Ships planning Accelerates in Salem

The City of Salem is accelerating deep water port planning at its Blaney Street Port.  The City operated ferry service was recently featured in a WCVB Chronicle segment on commuting to Boston and now have announced plans to accelerate work on the development of the deep water port to encourage the visit of Cruise Ships from a few hundred to 1500 passengers starting as early as 2014.

COMMUNITIES OF SALEM and BEVERLY OFFER SUMMER FESTIVALS

During the early weeks of August, the communities of Salem and Beverly offered annual Festivals called Heritage Days and Homecoming for their residents.  

Local high Salem School Student band to hold Fundraiser

In this region we are blessed with a number of great student bands.  As a resident of Danvers we are most pleased with the number of events that the band has participated in over the years. We recently learned that another well drilled local band will soon be seeking donations to bring their instruments and uniforms up to date.   At the Salem Rotary we have annually been blessed with a holiday concert performed by the members of the Salem band and we wish them well as they start their new campaign.

NORTH SHORE ELDER SERVICES

Massachusetts Elder Affairs Secretary Ann Hartstein has announced the appointment of two senior managers.

•       Sue Temper is the new Elder Affairs Assistant Secretary of Programs and Operations.  Ms. Temper spent 18 years as executive director of Springwell, an Area Agency on Aging and Aging Service Access Point, offering a wide array of services to seniors and people with disabilities in the near-Boston western suburbs. Ms. Temper will assume her new role on August 5th.

•       Sue Thomson is the new Elder Affairs Assistant Secretary of Policy and Program Development, having been the agency’s Chief of Staff since 2007.  Ms. Thomson will begin her new job on Monday, July 29th.  Before coming to work for Elder Affairs, the new Assistant Secretary was Executive Director of the Massachusetts Democratic Party. 

Senior managers appointed at North Shore Elder Services to the local leadership team.

Cheryl Krisko, RN is now the Chief Program Officer overseeing all programs and services directly involving clients.  These include Home Care Programs, Nursing Services, Protective Services, Information Services, Family Caregiver, Options Advisors, GAFC, and Community Services.  Cheryl reports directly to me.

Rhonda Gauthier has been promoted to the position of Director of Community Services. 

Her responsibilities include overseeing Title III funded programs and activities (Area Plan, Nutrition, and Nursing Facility Ombudsman), Money Management, Volunteers, the Over the Rainbow LGBT Coalition and serving as liaison to Councils on Aging.  She reports to Cheryl Krisko in her capacity as Chief Program Officer.

North Shore Elder Services to install informational kiosk at Danvers Council on Aging

The Longevity Connection at North Shore Elder Services is pleased to introduce the Kiosk for Living Well at the Danvers Council on Aging. The Kiosk, a project launched this spring by Greater Lynn Senior Services, is aimed at building a community for and around seniors. Trained volunteers serve as advisors and are available to meet with visitors to the Center and explore, via face-to face discussion or the computer, a variety of healthy lifestyle options. The kiosk also is a resource for those seeking information on transportation options, looking for social activities and interaction, and Skype and email access. The volunteers will be here every Thursday in August from 10 AM-1 PM. September dates will be announced in the September newsletter. Stop by and say hello.   This is a most important development for me as I serve on both the Danvers Council on Aging and North Shore Elder Services.   It is even more important to me as I serve on the Longevity Connection Committee.   The management of that initiative at NSES should be complimented for heir initiative.

Larcom Theater in Beverly Announces Schedule for 2013-14

The remodeled Larcom Theater on Wallis Street in Beverly recently announced a schedule of six shows running from this October through next May.    This is a new operation and the schedule looks very interesting.   Tickets for all six shows are on sale now and a call to the Theater at 617-531-1257 will connect one to the box office.   All additions to the cultural resources in this region adds to what makes this region so special.   Essex Heritage is most concerned with the historical, natural and cultural resources of this region.

DANVERS HISTORICAL SOCIETY REPORT

Golf Tournament Report: This golf tournament fundraiser scheduled for 9/16 is an important event for the Society and will be played at the Black Swan Country Club in Georgetown.  If you can play on Sept 16, please sign up ($125 p/p includes golf, cart, lunch, contests, and a lot of fun).  Please reach out to golfers you know to join in the tournament. Also, make a donation if you can. We need as many sponsors as possible. Let's make this fundraiser a huge success so we can keep improving the Society and its programs.  Thanks, Wayne Eisenhower President

SHOW HOUSE UPDATE AT GLEN MAGNA MANSION: The Holiday Show House reached a major milestone this week with all the rooms being taken by designers and all the designer contracts signed.

Join us in celebrating four major upcoming Anniversaries:  In December, the 50th anniversary of saving Glen Magna Farms and the Endicott Mansion, and in 2014, the Society's 125th Anniversary, the 100th anniversary of the saving of the 1754 Page House and the 200th Anniversary of the Ingersoll Farm transformation into Glen Magna Farms, one of America's first country estates by Salem Maritime Merchant Joseph Peabody, one of the richest men in America.

St. John’s Prep Football

St John’s Prep football schedule for 2013 has been set.   After several planned scrimmages with local schools including Salem. Pingree and two Lynn Schools.  The Prep opens with Bridgewater-Raynham and will host powerhouses Brockton, Everett, Malden Catholic and Xaveraian as the season progresses.    The Prep team recently won a 7 on 7 contest held at Bishop Fenwick High School in Peabody and they are expected to be a football force in this region and the most talented Catholic Conference.

  

PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS

SUMMER READING

Since my recent decision to end a decade and one half employment relationship with the Essex National Heritage Commission as they continue to have limited financial resources to extend their efforts, I have more time to enjoy a long time avocation reading and as in the past, I wish to share some of my recent reads and my thoughts. The books that I have read this summer and enjoyed in recent weeks follow.

Frozen in Time: An Epic Tory of Survival by Mitchel Zucoff…a wonderful story about a military airplane crash, survival and ultimate  rescue.  Wonderful thriller with a glorious ending about a hunt for US Hero’s.

Those Angry Days, Roosevelt, Lindberg and America’s Fight over WW 11….A Story of America’s entry into a World War.

Inferno by Best Selling author Dan Brown…A novel set in Europe about world population growth.   This book was as entertaining as his previous presentation.

The Guns Last Night by Ric Atkinson the last book in the Liberation Trilogy about the war in Western Europe in 1944 and 1945

I am currently reading and fascinated by a book entitled FDR, written by Jean Edward Smith about the life of President Roosevelt from his youth to his time in the White House.  As you can see my choice of reading focuses on the period of the 1940’s as I was alive during that period but only have hazy real time memories of the period. 

The book provided a wonderful overview of how well the President and the Congress worked together in the time of crisis at the end of the great depression. The period brought the country the creation of Social Security, the establishment of insurance on bank deposits and the project focused WPA that developed numerous facilities that are still providing support to many locations in the country. In addition the time produced the electrification of Rural America.

Roosevelt’s efforts were certainly complimented by the start of World War Two and the positive impact that the conflict had on the economy, job creation and other economic benefits.    There was a period of disenchantment with the President as the Roosevelt decided to attempt a court packing program with the Supreme Court, but most of those problems were overcome with the election of the President to an unprecedented third term.  His forward thinking to create and obtain congressional approval of a lend lease program to assist the President in his efforts to arm England and aid them in their defense of Europe before our entry into the war.    Then came Pearl Harbor in 1941 and a second front for the President to be concerned about. The attack came after a prolonged series of discussions on both sides to prevent a difficult war in another part of the world.

The book ended with recaps of several important battles of the war.   It also recounted the president’s final election and the final day of his life at Warm Springs, Georgia.   I was so enthralled with the presentation that I have started a new offering by the  Roosevelt Author on the life of the General and President Eisenhower.   Hopefully that effort will be as good as book I just finished

SUMMER BASEBALL TOURNAMENT IN COOPERSTOWN, New York

My youngest grandson Casey Leonard participated in a summer baseball tournament with his Northborough team.   They as a group did not fare all that well, but had a great series with a half a dozen hits and two home run.   He pitched and caught and after a summer of chasing all over that part of the state to watch him play, we were pleased to learn that many of these games could be watched on our lap top computer.   There was a single camera located behind home plate on several of the 120 fields where they played, and as primarily a pitcher or a catcher we saw much of Casey’s activities in those games that were shown on the laptop.

Essex Happenings, August 1. 2013

SPECIAL NOTE:

Information on the following organizations is provided as a Trustee.  I am not an employee or in management of the organizations mentioned below.  TOM LEONARD

Essex Heritage Events

Salem Maritime Festival at the Salem NPS Site

August 3, 2013 • Salem Maritime National Historic Site, 193 Derby Street, Salem, MA, 01970

Celebrate Four Centuries of Salem's Maritime Heritage!.  Come and see what Maritime life must have been like.

Featured Partner Event: Seven Lectures at The Seven Gables: Seven Lectures at The Seven Gables: Hank Phillipi Ryan

August 21, 2013 • The House of the Seven Gables, 115 Derby Street, Salem, MA, 01970

How does an Emmy winning reporter become a best-selling author of fast-paced murder mysteries? Hank will share how she went from a reporter at Rolling Stone Magazine to the US Senate and then to under-cover investigations for NBC to following her dreams.

Essex Heritage Annual Fall Meeting

September 5, 2013 • Cape Ann Museum, 27 Pleasant Street, Gloucester, MA, 01930

Essex Heritage's Annual Fall Meeting is Thursday, September 5th, at the Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester.  In the  at the 9/1 posting of Essex Happenings we will provide additional  information about the format , agenda and location for this twice a year gathering of interested Essex Heritage participants.   This event can be a wonderfully informative gathering with sensational networking opportunities.   It is never too early to register for this premier regional event and a call to Essex Heritage at 978 740 0444 can accomplish that act now. By calling ESSEX Heritage 978 740 044.

Regional County Events and Other Happenings

Regional Salem MBTA Station

In mid July, the MBTA closed the Salem railroad station parking lot to begin construction of a new parking garage at that site.  Over the next 14 months or even possibly longer, the current 460 parking spaces will not be available.  For those of you still using the train for transportation alternate planning for parking  in Salem will be a must.

Information on a future Boys and Girls Club of Greater Salem Fundraise

The Boys & Girls Club will be holding a fund raiser, Champion for Kids Celebration, on Saturday, September 28th, 3-8 PM at 29 Winter Island Road in Salem. “This year we will be honoring Collins Middle School Principal Mary Manning.  Mary has spent her entire career in service to Salem children working as a teacher and then middle school principal.  Mary has a reputation as being completely devoted to her position, often serving as an advocate for children, especially those most vulnerable. This event will be well attended by those who admire Mary and want to express their sincere appreciation in a lighthearted and humorous way. Thank you very much for your consideration.”

  

Proposed Salem Redevelopment of A Parcel at Washington and Dodge Street Receives Initial City Approval

The Salem City Council recently approved the selling of roughly half acre of land owned by the city and currently contains 38 open parking spaces.  This will be sold to RGC a Somerville based development firm with previous experience with the city.   There will likely be a number of changes that will be made to this development before even a groundbreaking is scheduled but in the preliminary plans. The developer plans a six story building that will contain an interesting mix of retail, commercial and residential uses that could include one hundred hotel units.   This project will help change the face of downtown Salem, and as plans progress we will keep you posted.

Reports from North Shore Elder Services

Mixed Results in Health Pilot Plan: Program Members Raise Quality of Care but Struggle to Lower Costs, By  MELINDA BECK, Wall Street Journal

Lowering health-care costs is tougher than improving the quality of care, according to first-year results from a key pilot program under the federal health law.

All of the 32 health systems in the so-called Pioneer Accountable Care Organization program improved patient care on quality measures such as cancer screenings and controlling blood pressure, according to data to be released Tuesday by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. But only 18 of the 32 managed to lower costs for the Medicare patients they treated—a major goal of the effort.

Two hospitals lost money on the program in the first year. Seven have notified CMS that they intend to move to another program where they will face less financial risk. Two others have indicated they intend to leave the program, CMS says, but it declined to identify them.

ACOs are an emerging concept in which hospitals and groups of doctors contract to care for a specified population of patients, with the goal of improving quality and lowering costs by better coordinating care. In general, ACOs are shifting to a system that pays doctors to keep people healthy, as opposed to the volume of services they provide. To do this, many systems emphasize preventive care to stave off costly hospitalizations.

The pilot program is a closely watched first indicator of whether these pillars of the landmark federal health law can help transform care. However, some analysts said it is unsurprising that more participants didn't achieve savings in the first year, given that the program has three years to achieve its goals.

As outlined in the Affordable Care Act, health systems that lower the cost of care for a large group of Medicare beneficiaries, while meeting 33 quality measures, stand to split the savings with Medicare. The systems chosen as Pioneers were supposed to serve as models, since they were already experienced in providing such value-based care.

The Obama administration says it is pleased with the results on quality measures. "Overall, we are very excited about the results. It's incredibly rare that 100% of the participants outperform benchmarks," said Patrick Conway, chief medical officer for CMS and acting director of its Innovation Center, which runs the program.

The Pioneers were able to slow cost increases, according to the initial indicators. On average, costs for the more than 669,000 Medicare beneficiaries treated in the 32 Pioneers grew by only 0.3% in 2012, compared with 0.8% growth for typical Medicare beneficiaries, CMS said.

The ACO concept has spread quickly. Another 250 health-care systems have set them up under Medicare's Shared Savings Program, which is similar except that those ACOs aren't required to share in any losses, as Pioneers are. They stand to share only in the savings in the first two years.

Commercial insurance companies have set up nearly 200 ACO-type contracts with health-care systems. Last week, UnitedHealth Group Inc. UNH +11.27% said it expects to double its accountable-care contracts to $50 billion by 2017. More than a dozen states also have created ACOs to care for Medicaid patients.

As of January 2013, the Shared Savings ACOs were providing care for more than four million Medicare beneficiaries in 49 states, according to Levitt Partners LLC, a health-care consulting firm.

Of the 18 Pioneers that saved money, 13 saved enough to be able to split their savings with Medicare, generating a gross savings of $87.6 million in 2012. Among them was Partners Healthcare in Boston, which includes Massachusetts General.

"We did great. We saved about $14.4 million for Medicare, and will get back a little over $7 million," said President and Chief Executive Gary Gottlieb.

He said that about 70% of the system's patients are still under traditional "fee-for-service" contracts, where a hospital is paid separately for the individual services it provides. However, on the basis of the pilot-program results, he said he expects to move toward the ACO model "as we continue to demonstrate cost savings and quality improvements."

Bellin-ThedaCare Healthcare Partners in northern Wisconsin lowered costs for its 20,000 Medicare ACO patients by an average of 4.6% compared with the baseline population the program used for comparison. It stands to share in several million dollars in savings.

Executive Director David Krueger said the health-care system reduced hospital admissions rates, readmission rates and length of hospital stays for its ACO patients. "All that would be very bad news in a fee-for-service world, but in a shared-savings world, it's very positive news," he said.

One of the two that incurred losses was Atrius Health, a nonprofit alliance in eastern and central Massachusetts. Officials there said one difficulty Atrius faced was that the historical cost-per-patient it needed to beat was already unusually low, because they had lowered costs in years before. "We didn't have as much low-hanging fruit," said Emily Brower, executive director of the ACO.

She said Atrius may owe Medicare about $2 million, but the total amount won't be known until the next quarter. But she said the system has no plans to leave the program.

Many health-care analysts said they weren't surprised that more Pioneers didn't achieve savings—in part because many of their other patients are still under traditional payment contracts. "It's like being a little bit pregnant," said Chas Roades, chief research officer of the Advisory Board Co., which advises hospital systems. "It's hard to manage two separate sets of books, and it's hard to ask doctors to practice medicine in two different ways."

When organizations undertake major health-care reforms, "it's a marathon, not a sprint," said Mark McClellan, former administrator of CMS who now directs the Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform at the Brookings Institution, a left-leaning Washington think tank. Significantly lowering the cost of care is harder and takes more time than showing improvements in quality.

"It's a big step just to be able to track which of your patients has diabetes, let alone improving their care at less cost," he said.

Longevity center health fair announced

This fair is focused on equipment and clinics,  as well as the launch of our first yoga class here at Longevity.  You have all been so supportive of Longevity that we want to give you the option of setting up that day or just visiting as a guest to have some lunch and network.  Let me know if you are interested in participating as a vendor.  In any event it will be a pleasure to see you all.  Please forward this to contacts and clients that you feel may benefit.  We thank you as always.  Eileen C. Lubas, Manager, The Longevity Connection, 152 Sylvan Street, Danvers, MA 01923

OFFICE 978.539.8254; CELL 978. 766. 6738; FAX 978. 750. 8053 eileen@longevityconnect.org

Salem COA Plans Events for Heritage Days

The Salem Council on Aging is organizing a number of events foe seniors in Salem in conjunction with the annual celebration of Heritage Days in that City.   For details or reservations to various events call the Council at 978-744- 0924

Danvers High School Project Nears Completion

As we get closer to the start of the 2013-14 school year the ongoing project to improve the High School is almost complete and will be ready for the incoming students.  This project when coupled with the Junior High addition  and rehabilitation makes the town well prepared from an educative perspective,

School House in Newbury near Sale

The old Yellow School House that has been declared surplus in Newbury is about ready for sale to a couple that wants to convert to property to a single family home.   There are historic ramifications to the sale that need to be addressed.

City of Peabody Library Prepares for Restoration

One of the most iconic historic buildings in the region is scheduled for rehabilitation.   The Peabody Institute Library in the City of Peabody is being readied for renovation.  There will be structural repairs used to correct the damage that has occurred in the building damaged in  a winter storm in 2011.  The library was built in 1854.  Work to be done includes new windows, masonry work and elevator repairs.   The restore historic buildings in the region has always been a high priority for Essex Heritage. 

Danvers Historical Society News

Programs and Fundraisers:

On Fri. August 9, 2013 Onion Town Variety Show 7 PM Tapley Memorial Hall.

On Fri. Sept. 6, 2013 Onion Town Variety Show

On Mon. Sept. 16, 2013 Golf Tournament Black Swan C.C. $125 includes golf, cart, lunch and lots of fun!! or sponsor a hole for $125. Other sponsor levels available. Oct. 2012 program TBD

Fri. Oct. 18, 2013  Onion Town Variety Show 7 PM Tapley Memorial Hall

On Fri. Nov.8, 2013 Onion Town Variety Show 7 PM Tapley Memorial Hall

On Thurs. Nov. 14, 2013 program: Richard Trask “JFK Assassination, A Personal Perspective” 7 PM Tapley Memorial Hall

Sat. Nov. 30-Sat. Dec. 7 -Parade of Trees Tapley Memorial Hall

INFORMATION ON A MOST IMPORTANT FUNDRAISING EVENT SESCHEDULED FOR GLEN MAGNA :  Designer Show case:  To date DHS have 13 available spaces of the 15 established spaces filled.  Committee is still actively seeking a Presenting Sponsor.  Rich Warren did not have any success with East Boston Savings. Wayne E. will approach Peoples United. Gold Sponsors to date: NorthEast Community Bank; Corporate sponsors to date:  Landry & Arcari, Designer Bath and Salem Plumbing, North Shore Window Solutions.  Media Sponsor is Northshore Magazine. 

Designers to date:  Michael Carter, ASID,mcarterandco.com;  Donna T, ASID, Boston Design and Interiors, Inc.; Diana Kennedy, dianakennedyinteriors.com; Eric Roth,ericrothphoto.com;  Caitlin Flynn and Elyse Parkhurst of North Fork Design, northfolkdesignco.com; Candy Weston, Weston Design, westondesignvt.com; Don Mosher, moshergallery.com;  Yvonne Blacker Creative, yvonneblacker.com;  Bill Ralph, Fine Arts and Antiques, Essex; PLEASE CHECK OUT THEIR WEBSITES AND FAMILIARIZE YOURSELVES WITH THESE DESIGNERS!!!!!

For Registration and Appointments, call: 978-539-8254

Personal Observations

2013 Patriots Camp Training Camp Opened this past week 

There will be many new challenges not faced previously to be considered by the Patriots in light of current player conditions.   New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick offered a most personal, candid and effective presentation at his long awaited press conference He covered a wide range of issues connected to the Hernandez matter and the talent evaluation process.   He appeared to be most stricken and hurt by the depth and severity of this situation.   He took responsibility for bringing the players into the process.  Building a cohesive and competitive team going forward in 2013 may be the biggest issue he will have been challenged within the 14 years he has been connected with this franchise.   I generally attend one practice each camp and that visit will be this week in an in stadium practice and that will be interesting to observe.

Bulger Trial Continues

The trial currently underway at the Federal Court House in Boston has taken many twists and turns and the final disposition of these proceedings will be followed closely by the local population, as justice for many is expected with the trial result.

 Annie and Susan, the following is the volunteer BLOG that I am now preparing once each month.  Can it be reviewed and then posted to BLOGER     TOM

Boston baseball team still in first place half way through the 2013 season

The Boston Baseball entry has surprised its fans with a better than expected first half of the season and with sixty or so games still remaining in contention, but recent pitching injuries have had an impact.  The schedule remains competitive and the final year-end standings are still very much in doubt. The schedule for the Boston entry remains difficult and to stay in the race will be difficult.