Heritage
Hero Award Presented to Joanne Holbrook Patton and the Patton Family
A
Most Successful and Popular Regional Event
The recent event to honor Joanne Patton and the entire Patton
Family was a wonderful success and the honor was most justified. The event was held on October 16 at the
Danversport Yacht Club which accommodated a sellout crowd attended by over 420
people from all over the region. This event and the award were a wonderful
testament to the commitment of the preservation of the heritage of this region
by the Patton family. Because of the strong military history of the Patton
tradition, many of the attendees came dressed in military uniforms and this added
to the festive nature of the evening along with the substantial number of
supporting congratulatory toasts, messages and tributes. In these days of reduced federal financial
support for many organizations including Essex Heritage, the proceeds from this
event will be used to underwrite the work of the Commission.
Partial
list of Essex Heritage Programs & Initiatives
The mission of the Essex National Heritage Commission is to
preserved and enhance the historic, cultural, and natural resources of Essex
County, MA. Since 1996, the Essex National Heritage Commission (Essex Heritage)
has championed the heritage development of Essex County by fostering
public-private partnerships that enhance and promote significant aspects of the
region’s history, cultural heritage and character. A few of the most significant initiatives and
accomplishments include:
Essex Heritage
Grants Programs
The Commission directly invests in the Area though its grant
programs. To date, Essex Heritage has
made 381 grants totaling $1,815,245 to non-profit organizations and
municipalities within the National Heritage Area. One hundred percent of the Area’s communities
have received a grant; most have received several grants. The Essex Heritage Partnership Grants
initiative is the largest of the Commission’s grant programs, and it provides
funding for heritage education, interpretation, historic preservation,
historical records and trail development.
Acting as seed money, these grants have leveraged an additional
$20,944,657 in matching investment in the Area, serving to drive economic
development along with heritage preservation.
Trails &
Sails:
Two Weekends of Walks and Water
Trails & Sails 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.
Essex Coastal
Scenic Byway
Essex Heritage is leading the planning effort for the Essex
Coastal Scenic Byway, a 85-mile route linking 13 coastal communities between
Lynn and Newburyport featuring scenic views, period architecture, historic
sites and recreational opportunities. With the twin goals of preserving the
byway’s intrinsic qualities and spurring investment in its infrastructure,
attractions and amenities, Essex Heritage worked to secure state byway
designation and federal funding for a comprehensive management plan that will
help community and regional leaders increase cultural tourism. Learn more about
the Coastal Scenic Byway.
Youth Jobs Corps
Essex Heritage has built a strong summer youth employment and
training program through a unique partnership with the National Park Service.
The program is directed towards youth ages 14-18 years. The teens are hired to
work at the two national park sites in Salem and Saugus and this year the
program was expanded to include Appleton Farms in Ipswich - a working farm
owned and operated by The Trustees of Reservations.
Essex Heritage hires the teens for 8
-12 weeks and they work under the careful guidance and supervision of NPS
staff. At the parks, they acquire skills
in historic preservation, building maintenance, natural resource management,
interpretation and visitor operations. For many of these students this is their
first job experience, so they are also given assistance on how to prepare for
work, work place expectations, resume preparation, and career development.
The impact on these students’ lives
has been substantial, and several have returned to work at the park during the
fall and also in subsequent summers. “The program has taught me responsibility,
appreciation for the city and its history, and opened new doors for my future,”
Daniel Mondragon.
Border to Boston
Trail
Working to expedite development of the 28-mile Border to Boston
Trail, Essex Heritage provides leadership and staff support to a regional
partnership composed of local officials, the Massachusetts Highway Department,
Merrimack Valley Planning Commission, Metropolitan Area Planning Council, and
National Grid. With portions already under construction, the non-motorized,
multi-use rail-trail will provide alternative transportation links to town
centers, schools, businesses, and public parklands in eight communities from
Salisbury to Danvers. When completed, the trail will be one of the region’s
most outstanding assets, facilitating safe, scenic and healthy transportation
and recreation for all. Read more about the Border to Boston.
Using Essex
History
Using Essex History has been a highly successful program aimed at
training middle school and high school teachers in ways to improve the
relevancy of American history for their students by providing developmental
seminars and instruction on creating curricula based on local historical
assets. Using Essex History was supported by a Teaching American History grant
and 130 Essex County teachers participated
in the program. Although the grant has run its course, the information
remains live and updated by Salem State College’s History Department. Learn
more about Using Essex History.
Essex LINCs
(Local History in
a National Context)
Essex Heritage was part of a team guiding a three-year heritage
education initiative designed to connect Essex County elementary teachers with
local primary source material. During visits to historical sites throughout
Essex County and beyond teachers learn how to infuse their social studies
lessons with stories, places, and artifacts that make history relevant for the
future stewards of the heritage area. Other core partners include Beverly
Public Schools, Salem State College, and the National Archives, Northeast
Region. The project was funded with a Teaching American History grant from the
U.S. Department of Education. Learn more about LINCs.
Essex National
Heritage Area Visitor Centers
Essex Heritage coordinates a network of ten visitor centers that
provide information on the heritage resources throughout Essex County. The associated centers includes the National
Park Service’s Regional Visitor Center in Salem, the Hall Haskell House and
Visitor Center in Ipswich, and the NBC&VB’s Maria Miles Visitor Center in
Salisbury. Essex Heritage works cooperatively with these centers to promote
regional tourist visitation. By providing consistent and knowledgeable
assistance about the Area’s myriad of natural, historic and cultural
attractions, the visitor centers, most run by volunteers, are a key to
competing well in the growing and lucrative cultural tourism market. Learn more
about the ENHA Visitor Centers.
Essex Heritage
Membership Program
Through the Commission’s signature membership program, area
residents are encouraged to take an active role in supporting the
organization’s stewardship mission while exploring the region’s unparalleled
historic, cultural and natural assets. Members enjoy “behind the scenes”
excursions to heritage area sites for guided tours, educational lectures and
interpretive demonstrations
Essex Heritage
Photo Safaris
The photo safaris program connects new audiences with the region’s
heritage resources. Through a unique partnership with Hunt's Photo and Video,
major camera companies provide safari participants with the latest in digital
camera equipment and expertise as they learn photography tips using some of the
Area’s most extraordinary natural, cultural and historic landscapes as a
backdrop. Learn more about the Photo Safaris.
Coastal Trails
Coalition
The Coastal Trails Coalition, Inc. is a non-profit organization
whose mission is to assist in the development of the Coastal Trails Network, a
30-mile system of interconnected foot trails and bikeways throughout the lower
Merrimack River Valley communities of Amesbury, Newbury, Newburyport and
Salisbury. Launched in 2003, Essex Heritage, with early assistance from the
National Park Service Rivers and Trails Program and Merrimack Valley Planning
Commission, provides leadership and technical support in the areas of
visioning, outreach, and project development and implementation. Visit the
Coastal Trails Coalition website.
Heritage
Landscape Inventory
Twenty-four communities participated in a unique, year-long
program that brought together those interested in preserving the built
environment with those working to protect land. Through a local developed
inventory process, information and recommendations pertaining to threatened or
unprotected heritage landscapes such as farms, cemeteries, rail corridors and
"water's edge" properties are being incorporated into local and
regional smart growth plans.
Affiliation with
the National Park Service
One of the most unique benefits that Essex Heritage provides to
this region is the ability to partner with the National Park Service. This special public-private relationship
allows Essex Heritage to develop educational and interpretive programs with
Park Service staff and resources that bring history and environmental
stewardship to life for people of all ages and backgrounds. Essex Heritage is
particularly excited about current pilot programs that are designed to engage
underserved, urban youth in natural resource and ocean stewardship within and
beyond the Park boundaries. Read more about our successful partnership with the
National Park Service in youth engagement initiatives such as First Bloom,
F1rst Jobs and America’s Best Idea.
Alliance of
National Heritage Areas
The Essex National Heritage Commission has successfully built a
thriving network of partnerships and collaborations, which have become an
important catalyst for regionalism amid the independent interests of the 34
cities and town we support. The ENHC is at the table or leading the discussion
on all issues of significance to the heritage resources in Essex County.
To accomplish our mission the Essex Heritage is committed to
building:
• Public
awareness of these heritage resources through public events and activities;
• The capacity of
non-profit and public organizations who own or manage these resources;
• Connections to
the next generation and to more diverse audience;
• Partnerships to
develop new resources and assets for the region to embrace.
Please help us
continue this tradition of excellence and leadership. Your financial investment
will enable you to:
• Increase local
stewardship of the Area's important historical, cultural and natural resources;
• Encourage
efficiencies and effectiveness in local non-profit organizations by supporting
the training programs and partnership offerings;
• Enhance and
expand program offerings run in partnership with the National Park Service that
promote the region’s rich Maritime Heritage.
REGIONAL
EVENTS
North Shore
Medical Center in Salem has announced a plan to enhance their Salem campus
The local Salem medical facility that has served the Witch City
for a number of years is improving its campus with a new state of the art
Emergency Room and 90 patient rooms in a new tower building. The Hospital that has an affiliation with
the Partners Medical Group is a major contributor to the medical programs in
this region.
Danvers Council
on Aging and the most active Senior Center on Stone Street to Offer new much
desired program
The Danvers Council on Aging is in the final stages of
establishing an Adult Day Care Program on two days each week for 15
people. For more information or to
reserve a spot that are filling fast contact the Town of Danvers Council on
Aging at pam@dcoa.org , the director of the Center and the new program.
New Communication
Sources
The Danvers Rail Trail has created a new program. We have recently
learned of a new communication program in the region created for smart phones
and tablets that outline all of the features of the Danvers Rail Trail. The program points out rest areas and travel
directions.
Federal Shutdown
ends just in time to help Salem as it Celebrates Halloween
The government shutdown ended just in time to be most beneficial
to the thousands of Halloween visitors to the Witch City. That was a blessing to a community so
financially dependent on this time of the year.
Holiday Concerts
Scheduled
In December there are a number of concerts planed in the
region. Watch for local publications for
complete schedules to make your plans.
Two events and details are as follows:
St Richard’s of Danvers will hold its annual Sounds of the Season
on December 8, 2013 featuring the North Shore Philharmonic at a FREE concert at
the church at 4:00 PM. The only
contribution to attend is a gift of non-perishable food that will be presented
to the Danvers People to People Food Pantry.
The event is sponsored by the Living Legacy Financial Group and C.R.
Lyons Funeral Directors. The event is
chaired for the church by John Call who can be reached at 978-739-900 The second event scheduled is a series of
dinners and concerts priced most fairly at Peabody City Hall on December 7 and
8.
HAPPY
YEAR END HOLIDAY GREETINGS
We certainly do not want to let one of the most festive of the
Holiday Periods in this country pass by without offering our best wishes to all
of our readers as they celebrate the end of the Year Holidays.
White House
Disability Issues
As a person challenged with a disability, I present the following
from the Federal Government for your information:
On November 1, disability, veterans,
civil rights and business leaders joined Vice President Joe Biden and Senior
Advisor Valerie Jarrett at the White House for conversation regarding the
Administration’s strong support for ratification of the Disabilities. During the meeting, the Vice President pointed
out that the United States has long been a global leader in promoting equality
and dignity for people with disabilities. He reinforced the Administration’s
commitment to carrying forward that important legacy by urging Senate approval
of the Treaty. He also noted that ratifying the Treaty would help ensure that
Americans with disabilities, including our veterans and wounded warriors, have
the same opportunities to work, study, and travel in other countries as any
other American. Click here for the readout of Vice President Biden's
Meeting on the Disabilities Treaty.
For more on Vice
President Joe Biden and Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett Disabilities Treaty
meeting please check out White House blog post by Stephen Pomper with the White
House National Security Staff. In addition, Judith Heumann, Special Advisor for
International Disability Rights at the State Department also published a blog
post yesterday.
Anniversary of
the Death of President Kennedy
During the week before Thanksgiving 2013, the world paused and
commemorated the 50th assignation of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas
Texas. The reminders and the services
and pictures presented were most moving.
The memories of that fateful day brought back numerous reminders of the
moving ceremonies and the events that marked that tragic times of that slain
president. For adults of my age the
assignation of the president was a stark reminder of a most chilling time and
the numerous accomplishments of President Kennedy were brought back to the top
of mind awareness and many of the actions of that elected official were
remembered. The entire commemoration recalled President Kennedy’s call for more
public service efforts by the citizens of this country. His famous call to service that called for us
all not to ask what our country can do for us but rather what we can do for our
country was recalled and featured.
Danvers
Historical Society to Offer Designer Showcase at Glen Magna in Danvers
To celebrate a half century of the stewardship of the Glen Magna
Mansion the Danvers Historical Society will offer a designers showcase at the
historic Glen Magna Estate from December 1, 2013 until December 15, 2013 from
10 am until 4 pm. The event is
sponsored by Designer Bath, Landry and Arcaro, Fireside Catering, North East
Community Bank, and North Shore Magazine.
The event will feature designs and decorations from over a dozen or so
nationally known designers and artists.
Tickets to the event are priced moderately considering the quality of
the show and what the society will do with the proceeds to further its
mission. To purchase tickets or for
more information call 978-777-1666 or contact the Society at www. DHS a@
Danvers History.org. Volunteers are
still needed to help with their showings.
E-mail Laura at lauracilley@dhsglenmagna.org for available time
slots. Many hands make light work.
Also new to the Museum Store in the Page House: the 2014 calendar
“Celebrating 50 years of Stewardship at Glen LOCAL sports Magna Farms” and the 2013
ornament “Days Potato Chips”
Keep informed through the Danvers Historical Society blog at
http://danvershistoricalsociety.blogspot.com/
Local
Sports and Other Personal Observations
Several local area high Schools did very well in the 2013 in the
State Playoffs specifically Masconomet and Bishop Fenwick High Schools. Both schools can win a division title at the
super bowls.
The Danvers Falcon Field Hockey team won more games than they
lost, but they did not do that well in the playoffs We were very pleased to learn that our
granddaughter Katherine Leonard was named both a Salem News and a Northeastern
Conference All Star for her team play and a most productive nineteen goal
regular season. CONGRATULATIONS
KATE.
The Red Sox World series win was sensational for the region and
the many fans of the team. They clearly
outperformed their potential. The Patriots had several recent wins in a
slightly weakened NFL and they will have a chance to shine in the playoffs if
they do not slip at the end of their season. The Winter sports teams
representing Boston are off to a reasonable and expected start, but the Bruins
will get it together as the season continued, but the Celtics have much work to
do,
Personal
Reading
I am currently reading a book written by Chris Mathews, from the
staff of Speaker of the House Tip O’Neil , titled “Tip and the Gipper” (President Reagan). It is about the period when politics worked in
Washington DC. It should be read and
emulated by every current Washington elected official. This is a book about how
two stubborn Irishmen could put aside their differences to work together for
the good of the citizens of the country.
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