ESSEX HERITAGE
EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
Featured Partner Event: Trail Work Day with
Manchester Essex Conservation Trust (MECT) -May 2, 2015 Upper Pine
Street/Pipeline Road WCA Trailhead, 375 Pine Street, Manchester, MA, 01944
Get dirty!
Join MECT to help with maintenance and stewardship.
Featured Partner Event: Explore Wilderness
Conservation Area - May 3, 2015 - Join the Manchester-Essex Conservation
Trust (MECT) to explore natural and historic highlights of the Wilderness Conservation
Area. Meet at the WCA Gateway, Upper School Street, Manchester.
Heritage Hero Award Dinner 2015 - May 7,
2015 • Danversport Yacht Club, 161 Elliott Street, Danvers, MA, 01923 -
Join Essex Heritage in honoring three incredibly deserving individuals who have
changed the face of conservation in Essex County and beyond. The honorees Al Creighton, Fred Winthrop and
Ed Becker are being celebrated for their 50-year legacy of regional land
conservation. THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PROGRAMS OFFERED BY ESSEX
HERITAGE ALL YEAR
Featured Partner Event: MECT Mother's Day
Walk - May 10, 2015 • Anne's Woods, 375 Pine Street, Manchester, MA, 01944
- Celebrate Mother’s Day with the Manchester-Essex Conservation Trust (MECT)
and enjoy this walk to Anne’s Woods with Erika Sonder.
Featured Partner Event: Art in the Barn
Weekend - June 12, 2015 to June 14,
2015 • Cox Reservation, Essex County Greenbelt Association, 82 Eastern
Avenue, Essex, MA, 01929 -See art transform the Cox Reservation!
Park for Every Classroom 2015 Teacher Workshop
- August 3, 2015 to August 7, 2015 • Salem Maritime National Historic Site,
160 Derby Street, Salem, MA, 01970. Apply now for summer 2015! Park for Every
Classroom is a FREE professional development program for educators of all grade
levels and disciplines.
PERSONAL NEWS
The May 1,
2015 edition of Essex Happenings blog almost missed the first of the month deadline
for the first time ever because this is such a busy spring season for me. The early spring has been incredibly busy
with annual meetings and my commitment to the Town of Danvers finance committee
process. The annual meeting schedule
included a Salem Five Bank business meeting which was run by the new President
Ping Yin Chai who was the COO before assuming the post from my long-time friend
Joseph Gibbons. There will be a social
meeting at the historic Hawthorne Hotel in early May. The results offered by
the bank leadership showed that the Bank’s result were most positive. The second annual meeting was of Essex
Heritage that was held very early in the morning in Lawrence. That meeting was scheduled too early and too
far from my home to allow for my participation. One meeting not yet scheduled
is the annual meeting of the Salem Partnership. I am a bit surprised that on the website,
Patricia Zaido is not listed as the Executive Officer of that
organization. I have served that
organization since its inception and I would not miss an event honoring
Patricia. I must have missed a communication about changes.
In spite of
a very busy and sometimes tiring schedule, my health and the use of my
prosthetic leg remains most positive. As
the nicer weather arrives I am able to resume an outside walking program and
the service of numerous community organizations continues with the incredible
help of my wife Marge who drives me from meeting to meeting and then home
again.
A large
amount of my time in April was in the preparation and presentation for the Town
of Danvers Finance Committee. For a
couple of weeks a great deal of time was spent reviewing the town’s annual
budget, This year the new Town Manager and the assistant manager
were well prepared and the schedule of presentation was well thought
out.
REGIONAL NEWS
NEW SALEM
FEMALE POLICE CHIEF SWORN IN
In case you
missed it, Mary Butler who previously served as an acting Captain on the Salem
force, was named and recently sworn in as the Chief of the Salem Police Force
replacing my friend Paul Tucker who now serves as State Representative for Salem. Chief Butler is the first female chief
serving in Essex County.
SALEM SENIOR
CENTER
There was
good news in Salem from the Mayor as the Developers of the Gateway Center at
the junction of Boston and Bridge Streets came to the decision to separate the
long awaited Senior Center from the rest of the multi–use project. This will
mean the planning for the Senior Center will begin immediately. The plans along with the bidding and
construction are going as planned. The
center could be ready for use by January 2016.
That may be an optimistic estimate, but the City has a large senior
citizen population. Of all the
communities served by North Shore Elder Services, the Salem population will be
most happy and the reward will be most well received. The present Senior Center is old and is
inadequate for the population served.
DANVERS
SWAMPWALK
Several
years ago, a group of dedicated volunteers created a wonderful recreational
asset for the Town of Danvers and the region.
The SwampWalk is located in the northern part of Danvers and directions
can be found on their website. I
recently learned that as a result of the melting of the snow pack and a family
of beavers, the project has had some problems.
I provide information sent to me by the chairman of this project George
Saluto.
The
bad news: SwampWalk is in worse condition this Spring than last Fall.
The
good news: The SwampWalk volunteer crew is undaunted, incorporating
professional help, & ready to take on the challenge.
The
plan: We will both raise the walkway & lower the swamp...& enjoy
the outdoors, as usual, doing it!
Your
part: if so incline to donate funds
&/or standby to haul lumber, screw boards, or simply drop by while we are
working & get a breath of fresh air while checking on our progress.
Summary
1.
We need to elevate more of the
walkway than planned.
2.
We need more than $6,000 (TBD).
3.
We will be lowering the swamp within a few weeks.
4. Then we will begin raising the walkway
& continue as long as we have the funds for lumber & material.
5.
The Beverly/Salem Water Board is now a player (one of the dams is on
their property).
Details
Late last Fall, the northern section
of SwampWalk saw 200’ under a few inches of water due to the beaver population
raising their dams.If so inclined, Please help us bring SwampWalk back to life.
Please make your tax deductible check out to ‘Town of Danvers-SwampWalk’ and
send to: Kristan Farr, Town Hall, One Sylvan Street, Danvers, MA 01923.
SPAULDING
HOSPITAL CLOSING
I am
particularly unhappy that the Spaulding Hospital Group has decided to close its
Salem Location. I spent over 100 days at
that location after my leg amputation and learned how to walk again with the
help of the dedicated therapy staff at that location. I also used the support of staff in the
out-patient area. I am still using the
services of the adaptive sports group and I am currently taking a Yoga course
in Salem and am scheduled for a continuing session in the golf program. All of that said, I believe that closing that
location is an immense loss for Salem and the region.
NORTH SHORE
ELDER SERVICES NEWS
Healthy
Aging and Healthy Communities by Nora Super, Executive Director, White House
Conference on Aging: Last week, U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julian Castro, U.S.
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’
(HHS) Assistant Secretary for Aging Kathy Greenlee, and I hosted a listening
session at the White House with experts in aging, housing, and health care to
hear their ideas and insights about opportunities to help older adults remain
healthy and active in their communities.
Session participants urged us to break down the silos between housing,
transportation, health care, and long-term services and supports. They also shared wonderful examples of
communities—such as Boston and Reno—who’ve come together to address these
issues with a multifaceted, multidiscipline approach, recognizing that healthy
aging takes place in communities where older adults can be active, find
affordable and appropriate housing, and access needed health and social
services.
COP AA
NEWS
Summer
Barbecue: I want to let you all know
that our Annual Summer BBQ will be on Saturday, June 20 this year, at Winter
Island Park, 50 Winter Park Road in Salem, MA . It is just before Salem Willows
on the right. We will gather in the pavilion, which is at the end of the road
after going through the entrance. There is ample parking, it is under cover so
that in the event of rain, we won't have to worry about having to dodge the
raindrops. There is a ramp for wheelchair access, and for the first time, we
will have indoor bathrooms! It will go
from 11:30am to 2:30pm, the same as last year.
The cost is $10 per person, and if you can bring a dessert, a salad, a
side or an appetizer, that would be great! Just let me know what you plan on
bringing so that we can plan.
We are all looking forward to seeing you there! please rsvp to me or to
Amanda. You can call my home phone at 978-468-3447 or call Amanda at
978-469-1481. This is one of our best events every year, and we want you all to
come and enjoy the day. Getting together with old friends and new is only one
feature to look forward to. Once again, we will have our friend, Roland
Sullivan, do the spread, which will include, hot dogs, burgers, BBQ ribs, BBQ
chicken, mac n cheese, and more.
Do plan on bringing the whole family! Enjoy the rest of your day!
DANVERS
COUNCIL ON AGING ACTIVITIES
TRIAD Corner:
The Danvers TRIAD Council is a partnership which includes the Sheriff, District
Attorney of Essex County, the Danvers Police and Fire Chiefs, the Council on
Aging and supportive services, and seniors. Our Triad Council has produced our
second program called “The Triad Corner” with Danvers Community Access
Television (DCAT) to bring more awareness to the public about our Triad
programs. The show was taped on February 25th and will air on DCAT every
Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. from April 4th through May 30th. The show will
also be available anytime in April and May on DCAT’s website: www.danverstv.org
Click on the “Video on Demand” tab at the top of the Home Page. Then click on
“Danvers Access Shows”. Then scroll down to “Triad Corner”, click and the show
will start. You can also enlarge the screen by clicking on the two arrows on
the right side of the bar at the bottom of the small screen. Lew Hathaway,
Triad Chair, is the host for the show and his guest is Pam Parkinson, Director
of the Danvers Council on Aging. “Home SAFE Home” is the topic for this show so
you can learn more about how our Triad programs can help keep you safe in your
home and Pam will provide more information on how the Social Seniors Supportive
Adult Day program at the Danvers Senior Center can help provide a safe “home
away from home” if the need should ever arise.
.
BOOK CORNER
As many of
you know I am a voracious reader and I just completed one of the most
entertaining books in my recent reading past.
I would strongly recommend “The Girl From Boston” by Anita Diamant The story focuses on a female Jewish
immigrant who grows up in the North End of Boston and is impacted by a
Settlement House that closely reminded me of a similar program at the House of
Seven Gables that I used as a youth in Salem.
The story continued as she grew older and interacts with young men. Ultimately she married, outlived her husband
and bears several very successful children who, like herself, value
education. During several summers in her
youth she attended a camp run by the settlement house for a week in an inn of
sorts In Rockport Ma, and there are vivid descriptions of that part of Essex
County that our friends from Cape Ann will relish.
The book was
a joy to read, was very emotional in places and other offerings that she has
written are on my future reading list.
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