Monday, July 28, 2014

Essex Happenings - August 2014

Fourth of July Holiday
We certainly hope that all of you enjoyed the festivities and such that are an important part of the Holiday.  We traveled to Cape Cod for a couple of days earlier in the holiday week and when the fireworks show was cancelled due to the weather and were rescheduled for the Fall to help celebrate a milestone anniversary of the founding of Barnstable, MA, our plans changed.  The rains came to the cape and we headed back to Essex County and were fortunate enough to view the well known Town of Danvers fireworks display that more than lived up to expectations.   If it was the fireworks, concerts or parades, we hope the celebration of the USA’s Independence was a pleasant experience for you and family.

Essex Heritage  News and Events
As I have done for a number of years, I want to offer some ideas about the work of Essex Heritage.

Essex Heritage Annual Appeal
Your financial support ensures that the tradition of regional leadership and program excellence, the hallmarks of the Essex National Heritage Commission, will continue for years to come. We are strong because of your support!  The Essex National Heritage Commission works to sustain the cultural, historic and natural resources of this region. Donate on line at www.essexheritage.org

Today, we are asking for you to support our Annual Appeal so we can continue our work.  Your contributions support our mission and enable us to bring money into this region by obtaining grant funding from national organizations such as the National Park Foundation, the National Park Service, and the National Scenic Byway Program – which increasingly require evidence of private matching funds.
This region has had a profound influence on the history of this country – and it defines the unique quality of life that we enjoy on the North Shore and lower Merrimack Valley.  Our historical and cultural assets continue to be unparalleled in this nation and they remain a fundamental part of our economy and our way of life.  Essex Heritage, the foremost advocate of the entire region’s irreplaceable historical, cultural and natural resources, provides advice, guidance and technical support while working to build capacity for over 250 non-profit partners and 34 municipalities. We serve as a catalyst for collaboration between non-profits and others, establishing strategic partnerships that generate genuine impact.

This is a critical time to demonstrate your commitment to the collaborative work of Essex Heritage.  We are asking you to support us as we continue to conserve endangered historic sites, build trails for recreation and health, employ under-served youth in heritage preservation jobs, support after-school enrichment for Latino students, and lead our coastal communities in developing cultural tourism along the Essex Coastal Scenic Byway.

Your gift this year to our Annual Appeal is crucial to help us fulfill our 2014 goals of increasing our Youth Jobs Corps program, continuing to offer Trails & Sails for free to more than 5,000 people, and connecting  towns and cities together to strengthen and grow partnership projects that sustain our region. With your help, Essex Heritage can continue to work to ensure that our region remains strong and vibrant. We look forward to an exciting year together; please donate online or call us at: 978-740-0444.

National Park Service’s Salem Maritime Festival
August 2, 2014 • Salem Maritime National Historic Site, 193 Derby Street, Salem, MA, 01970
Celebrate Four Centuries of Salem's Maritime Heritage! What a sensational collection of events for the enjoyment of Essex County residents.
  
Essex Heritage and NPS Co-Present Week-long Teacher Workshop - Park for Every Classroom
August 4, 2014 to August 8, 2014 * Park for Every Classroom is a FREE professional development program for K-12 educators of all disciplines • Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site, 244 Central Street, Saugus, MA, 01906.  The workshop is full.

Essex Heritage’s Photo Safari Featuring Olympus
August 9, 2014 • Appleton Farms, The Trustees of the Reservations, 219 County Road, Ipswich, MA, 01938 * Equipped with the latest camera gear from Olympus, capture Appleton Farms, one of the oldest continuously operating farms in the United States!

Essex Heritage’s Featured Partner Event: Ipswich River Paddle
August 24, 2014 • Riverbend Reservation, Ipswich River Watershed Association, 143 Country Road, Ipswich, MA, 01938 * Paddle the Ipswich River from Riverbend, headquarters of the Ipswich River Watershed Association.

Essex Heritage’s Trails & Sails: Two Weekends of Walks and Water
September 19, 2014 to September 21, 2014; September 26, 2014 to September 28, 2014 • Throughout Essex County - Explore Essex County's cultural, historic and natural sites during two weekends of 150+ FREE events! Learn more at www.essexheritage.org

Essex Heritage’s Featured Partner Event: Cox Reservation Archaeology Walk
October 26, 2014 • Cox Reservation, 82 Eastern Avenue, Essex, MA, 01929
Celebrate Archaeology Month by joining Greenbelt and noted Cape Ann archaeologist Mary Ellen Lepionka as we uncover the human history and material culture of our headquarters site.
  
Essex Heritage’s Featured Partner Event: Mutt Strut with Greenbelt
November 23, 2014 • Tompson Street Reservation, Fernald Street, Gloucester, MA, 01930
Join Greenbelt's Land Conservation Director, David Santomenna and his dog and Greenbelt mascot, Shiloh, for a dog-walk within Greenbelt's largest reservation.

Other Events
Adventures in Time Summer Day Camp: Week 2
August 4, 2014 to August 8, 2014 • North Andover Historical Society, 153 Academy Road, North Andover, MA, 0184 * This July and August the North Andover Historical Society is once again presenting its legendary summer day camp -- Adventures in Time. A summer enrichment program for boys and girls, ages 7-13

Seven Lectures at The Seven Gables: New England Powder Houses
August 20, 2014 • The House of the Seven Gables, United States, 115 Derby Street, Salem, MA, 01970
Enjoy a night of history as author Matthew Thomas takes us back to colonial days in New England when locals defended their land.

5th Annual Beverly Commons Trail Run
August 23, 2014 * Hosted by Essex County Greenbelt, this race offers 3.5 mile or 7 mile distances through the challenging hills of the Beverly Commons Conservation Area in Beverly Farms. The 7 mile distance is part of the 2014 North Shore Trail Series.

North Shore Elder Services  - Serving Danvers, Marblehead, Middleton, Peabody, Salem
Information on their Fundraising Concert at The North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly on September 13, 2014 at 7:30PM *  Irish Tenor Ronan Tynan in Concert * To purchase tickets: www.nsmt.org; 978 232 7000

Seven Lectures at The Seven Gables: The Schooner Fame
November 19, 2014 • The House of the Seven Gables, United States, 115 Derby Street, Salem, MA, 01970 * Capt. Mike Rutstein will share Schooner Fame’s story: its plan, the selection of trees and building in Essex.

Regional and Community News
Replacement for Danvers Town Manager underway
Several weeks ago I was called to a special meeting of the Danvers Finance Committee to approve funding for a search committee to hire a new Town Manager.  That process has begun and the Town has contracted with Municipal Resources of Meredith, New Hampshire to conduct the search.  The process will end with a vote of the Selectmen in October.   FYI - A gala Retirement party for Wayne Marquis is planned for 9/24 at the Danversport Yacht Club.
      
Salem Boys and Girls Club News and Activities
The Boys and Girls Club have put together a team of 12 runners who have made a commitment to take on an exciting challenge, and we are hoping for your support. On September 12 & 13, we will be participating in the Reach the Beach Relay - a 200 mile run from Cannon Mountain to Hampton Beach, NH. The runners will take turns running continuously day and night until we reach the finish line. This logistically and physically challenging race combines fitness, adventure and team building like no other sporting event. Our team is ready for the challenge and will be representing the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem, with each runner raising a minimum of $1,000 in support of this cause.  We look forward to the team camaraderie both on and off the course as we work together to complete the race, and meet our personal and team fundraising goals to support programs at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem. You can make a donation to our by going to https://www.crowdrise.com/BGCGSReachTheBeach
and making a donation to any team member. Thank you for your support!
  
COP AA News
In just a few short weeks, we’ll be right in your backyard with our Limb Loss Education Day series! Did you save the date? Just a month out, now is the perfect time to register for the Limb Loss Education Day near you!
Event: Limb Loss Education Day – Boston
When: Saturday, August 16, 2014, 9am-4pm
Where: Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Boston, 300 First Avenue, Charlestown, MA 02129
Register today at amputee-coalition.org/LLED
Our goal is to reach all amputees with our programs and services. By bringing one-day programs to specific regions of the country, we hope to reach more amputees faster, and bring meaningful educational programs and adaptive recreation to their communities.

The Limb Loss Education Day is a great opportunity to network with other amputees and professionals in the area, learn about what’s going on in the community, and even meet some manufacturers that exhibit at the event! The LLED will also be featuring the Orthotic & Prosthetic Activities Foundation’s (OPAF’s) First Dance!

Registration is only $15* and lunch is included
*Children 10 and under may register on-site for free
*On-site registration is available, but to ensure we have enough lunches for all attendees, please register in advance

The Amputee Coalition’s LLED series is brought to youby our National Sponsors:
Platinum: Hanger
Gold: Endolite, Ă–ssur, Ottobock and UNYQ
Silver: Ability Dynamics and Fillauer Companies
Bronze: The Board of Certification/Accreditation (BOC), College Park Industries,Purdue Pharma, Rusk Rehabilitation at NYU Langone Medical Centerand Scheck & Siress
The LLED series also receives partial funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC #5U59DD000904-03).

For more information, please visit our Web site or call 888/267-5669 to find out more information about the Limb Loss Education Day event in your area.

Summer Reading;
American Spring 1775; By Stephen Moore
Pacific Payback 1942; By Walter Borneman

I do not intend to go into great detail about the two most entertaining books that I have recently read except to say that they were both wonderful volumes on the history of war in the past.  The American Spring outlined the events in the spring of 1775 that led up to the events at Lexington and Concord.  In this presentation there were numerous references to patriots from Salem and Danvers that played a role in that period of our history.   The second book, called Pacific Payback outlined the bravery and courage of the aviators flying off the Pacific Aircraft Carriers as they sought to get even for the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor        

Sports
The World Cup in Soccer is over, and many are looking forward to four years from now when the USA is expected to be more competitive.   The Red Sox 2014 experience seems to be coming to an end with losses in Toronto and in Florida.

 We can now look forward to American Football.  Just recently as a New England Patriots Season Ticket holder, the tickets for eight regular season home games, two practice games and the season cannot start soon enough. 

Personal Matters
My granddaughter
I try to stay away from too much personal material in this Blog, but this item is important to me.   At the end of July, my granddaughter competed in the Bay State games in the girls Javelin throw and won the event over a dozen girls with a throw of 110 feet and change.   She has advanced quickly over the last year and with two more years to go at Algonquin Regional High School she has a chance to improve even more in the years ahead.

Local Community Food Pantries

Do not forget the Local Food Pantries in this region just because it is summer.  At this time of year, the demand for food and other services for the poor and marginalized in this region remain high.  Your continuing support for these organizations is critical.