Essex Heritage Planning, North Shore Medical Center, Election Day, Halloween and Daylight Savings Adjustment

Friday, October 30, 2009

Essex Heritage Long Range Planning Process Continues

In the decade or so since Essex Heritage was first formed much has been accomplished and in general the mission remains the same. The Commission is committed to the preservation and promotion of the historic, cultural and natural resources of Essex County. In many ways the strategies to accomplish this task have changed over the years, and at the present time the leadership team of Essex Heritage is participating in a series of meetings to review and refine those strategies for the decade ahead. We still believe that the concept of using the collaborative building capabilities of a strong regional network of partners to encourage regional participation is critical and must be enhanced. But across time the strategies and tactics to accomplish these ends must be refined. Over the last couple of months and continuing through the end of the year, meetings of the Essex Heritage Trustees will continue to address these critical issues. We are pleased that participation in this effort has been so complete. The support offered by the Board members to insure that all opportunities are considered and every option is considered has been most gratifying. This is a process that is essential to the long tern future of the Commission and the expectations remain high that a vision for the future will be in place in the near term.

North Shore Medical Center Annual Community Meeting

On Wednesday evening, October 28, 2009 I participated in the annual meeting of the Board of Overseers and annual report to the community from the North Shore Medical Center. The meeting was held at the Peabody Marriott Hotel, and the setting and the accommodations at that facility were wonderful. I sat with Wayne Marquis the Town manger of Danvers, who was in attendance representing that community that became a host community for NSMC this tear.

The chairman of the Board of Overseers, Stan Lukowski the former CEO of Eastern Bank welcomed all to the meeting and then introduced Bob Norton the President of North Shore Medical Center. President Norton provided a report on the last year of operation of NSMC and reported on some real success in both physical plant improvements and how the hospital handled patients. The major improvement this year was the opening of the new facility on Endicott Street in Danvers, and I was astonished to learn that in just the four short months that Endicott Street had been open over 17,500 patient interactions had already taken place at that location. A wonderful presentation by Dr. Jefferson Prince focused on the work being done in the area pf ADD and ADHD was provided and the meeting ended with a brief reception.

I have served as an Overseer for many years, after taking a turn on the NSMC Board, when I was still in the employ of the Salem Five Bank. I was also the volunteer chairman of the NSMC Cancer Walk, that I was astonished to learn will be celebrating the 20^th anniversary of that endeavor in 2010. I have enjoyed my many years of association with the NSMC, and am pleased to be connected to an organization that is so important to the wellbeing of this entire region.

Election Day for 2009 is Next Tuesday

Next Tuesday, November 3, 2009 is Election Day. While there are no federal or state races to be decided this year, there are still many municipal elections of importance in the region. The special primary election for the open Senate seat in Massachusetts will not be held until early in December, but if your community is holding an election, we urge you to get to the polls and vote. There are several hotly contested races for Mayor in Lynn, Beverly, Newburyport, Haverhill and Lawrence and many of those communities have City Council or Alderman races as well. Going to the polls and picking a candidate to run your community for the next two years is an important task of every American citizen. Essex Heritage urges you to cast a ballot in your community

Halloween Celebrated Tomorrow

One of the biggest nights of the year for children in this region is Halloween and on Saturday evening of this weekend, the neighborhoods where you live will be alive with children and parents celebrating the holiday. Please take special care to be watchful as you drive through those neighborhoods for the youngsters who will be in costume and only thinking of the next treat they will receive at the next doorstep. Special care should be taken to drive safely and keep an eye out for all who will be out and around this weekend.

We also hope that all of the precautions and advance planning that the City of Salem Police department and other City officials have taken will pay off in a safe and fun filled event for the thousands that will likely show up in the Witch City to take part in the annual celebration of Halloween. If you or family of friends are planning to travel to Salem this weekend get there early, travel by public transportation if possible and most of all be civil and considerate of others, and have a fun time.

Daylight Savings Time Adjustment Needed this Weekend.

This weekend marks that end of daylight savings and on Saturday night we turn back our clocks and get an extra hour of sleep. We will all know that daylight saving time is ended late on Sunday afternoon when sunset takes pace at about 4:30 p.m. I know that the start of winter is still 6 weeks away, but when it gats dark so early it certainly seems that winter is not far away. This is also a great time to check the batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.

As always we value your comments, questions and observations about the work of Essex Heritage. Please contact me with your thoughts at www.essexheritage.org. Thanks. Tom Leonard

Motif #1 Being Lighted, Danvers Light Plant, Town of Ipswich Land Planning, Loss of a Leader, Planned Giving Programs, New Commissioners Elected

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28. 2009

In the last couple of days, I noted with interest several local news stories that have come to my attention that will clearly have impact on this region. The stories are varied and have impact on different sections of the region, but all the issues are worth noting.

Rockport’s Motif # 1

After several months of planning and working together with many community interests, the famous Motif #1 in Rockport, that is one of the most photographed sites in this region will soon be lit every evening from dusk until midnight starting this December.. The consortium that made this happen is broad based and was led by Peter Beacham, Chairman of the Town’s Economic Development Commission. Congratulations are in order from Essex Heritage to all who played a role in bringing this idea to a successful conclusion. A local architect, Jack Campbell provide his services, the Rockport Rotary Club provided funding, National Grid provided the fixtures and the Historic Commission, the Planning Board and the Public Works Department all participated to the planning for the project that will certainly shine a positive light on one of the most recognizable icons in this entire region. This is a wonderful example of the kind of cooperation that is possible when a consortium that has the best interests of a community can come together to accomplish a goal.

Danvers Light Plant to Participate in a Pilot Energy Project

The municipal owned power company in Danvers is one of six community owned power companies that will participate in an energy efficiency project in eastern Massachusetts. The project that will begin soon will use technology produced by a Gloucester based company and will allow real time energy monitoring with internet based tools that will guide consumers and businesses towards deeper and more sustainable energy savings. The Danvers Light Plant will soon install wireless energy monitors in fifty test homes and some businesses in the Town and will run the programs for a year to measure results. It is hoped that this project will be a forerunner of more things to come as power use is monitored to help lower costs and achieve more efficiency. This project when coupled with the planned installation of smart meters across the entire Town is a most positive step for the utility.

Ipswich is an Example of How Smart Growth Planning can be Most Effective

Congratulations to the Town of Ipswich for being a community that clearly knows how to make planning work to their advantage. Over the last decade the Town has used its resources wisely to acquire land and preserve other parcels with zoning changes that will help preserve the character of the Town for future generations. The Town Government has used the investment of Town funds to leverage even more federal, state and private funds to insure that the Town is developed in a smart measured way. The municipal leadership of the community should be recognized for a wonderful achievement and a most successful strategy.

Region Loses a Religious Leader

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston has announced the retirement of the Regional Bishop for this region, Bishop Francis X. Irwin. The retirement will leave a void in this area, as Bishop Irwin has been a fixture in the region for many years. I have known the Bishop from his days as the head of Catholic Charities in the area, and during recent years when he had an office at Bishop Fenwick High School in Peabody and a residence at St. Mary’s Rectory in Danvers. Just recently Bishop Irwin presided over and provided a wonderful and fitting eulogy at the funeral of my good friend and mentor Brother Bill Drinan, C.F.X. the former Headmaster of St. John’s Preparatory School. Bishop Irwin will be missed by many in the region.

Planned Giving Initiatives

I suppose that in our lifetimes we are all asked at one time or another to consider a gift to a worthy cause. I have been connected to St. John’s Preparatory School for longer than I would like to admit, and have provided support for many programs that benefit so many who attend that school today. I am proud to be the co-chairman along with my good friend and long time associate, Paul Hennessey of the Planned Giving Committee of that school’s Institutional Advancement office, and welcome helping out in that phase of the school’s advancement efforts. They have been reasonably successful in attracting planned gifts to support the school, and I am proud of my commitment to that work and encourage all who might have an interest in learning more about support of that level to contact the school directly.

We have tried to learn from the best at Essex Heritage as we attempt to let residents of the region and friends of the Commission know of opportunities to provide a planned gift to this initiative. The work of St. John’s Preparatory School in this area is a model for us to emulate, Essex Heritage is starting to address these matters in small initial steps and have the capability to accept a planned gift if someone had such a desire to offer the region that kind of support. If anyone needed any information about a planned gift and how it might impact Essex Heritage please contact either me, or Mary Williamson at our office for more details.

New Commissioners Elected at Essex Heritage Annual Meeting

At the recent annual meeting the Commission elected a number of new commissioners. The first of these new members are;

Ms. Sheila Fields, Beverly Chamber of Commerce
Ms. Susan Goganian, Beverly Historical Society
Mr. Jack Good, Beverly National Bank
Mr. Glen Mairo, Essex Harmony
Mr. Caleb powers, Action Business Coaching
Ms. Dianne Seely, TD Bank
Ms Cathleen Wardley, Boston Marriott Hotel, Peabody
Ms. Joanne Scott, Boys and Girls Club of Greater Salem

We are pleased to add these new Commissions and welcome them to Essex Heritage. We are certain that in their place of work, their home community or their sphere of influence that they will become advocates and ambassadors for the mission of Essex Heritage.

As always we value your comments, questions and observations about the work of Essex Heritage. Please contact me with your thoughts at www.essexheritage.org. Thanks. Tom Leonard

Scenic Byway Meeting, Senator Fred Berry Food Drive, Haunted Happenings, Pioneers in Partnership Award Winner

MONDAY, October 26, 2009

Scenic Byway Meetings

The Essex Heritage Scenic Byway program is continuing to be developed by the regional committee that has been organized to insure that the program has local input. A meeting is scheduled for Tuesday morning at the Ipswich Town Hall and members of the Essex Heritage leadership team along with the consultants that have been contracted to help in the management of this initiative will meet with local representative to continue the planning process. More information in the future as the planning progress


Senator Fred Berry Food Drive

The weather on Sunday certainly contributed to what appears was a most successful food drive organized by the office of Sate Senator Fred Berry of Peabody to benefit the food pantries of southern Essex County. I stopped by the site in Danvers where food was being collected on Sunday, to make a personal contribution to add to the gift already made by the staff of Essex Heritage and there was a big crowd making contributions of both food and cash. I know that the Danvers People to People Food Pantry, where my wife works as a volunteer received a substantial amount of contributed food later in the day on Sunday, and that gift was much appreciated. There is clearly a great need today at food pantries all over the region and Senator Berry should be congratulated for his initiative and the success of the effort. I would suspect that even now it is not too late to make a contribution and I know that between now and the coming holidays every one of the local pantries would welcome contributions of both food and cash to help them through this very busy period. Each month between now and the end of the holiday season, President John Hall of Salem Five Bank, and this year’s President of Salem Rotary Club is collecting spare change at one meeting a month for St. Joseph’s Food Pantry in Salem. I am certain that there are many drives like that being undertaken at organizations and churches all over this most generous region...

The City of Salem in the Homestretch of Haunted Happenings

Certainly the weather on Sunday was most conducive to events like Haunted Happening in Salem. I was not in the city on Sunday, but I have it on first hand reports that the crowds were large, as the sun was shining and the weather was warm for the season. For most of the month of October, crowds, even during mid week have been large and most orderly in the City as we close in on Halloween itself that will be celebrated this year on a Saturday. The numbers of visitors to the City being reported by both the Salem Chamber of Commerce and the National Park Service Regional Visitor Center are up substantially from past years, and it seems that the City id headed for a record October. I am certain that the city has planned well for this end of the fall season event and we encourage visitation as the season means a great deal to the merchants of this community, but like every one connected with the event we urge all the visitors to enjoy the festivities, but to retain levels of civility and to not infringe on the rights of others. This weekend I noted a posting on Face book from Kate Fox, the Director of Destination Salem that she attributes to the Boston Globe, that seems to say it all about Salem at this time of year. The quote was that “Salem owns Halloween like the North Pole owns Christmas”.

Another Pioneers in Partnership Winner from the Essex Heritage Annual Meeting

The final winner of an Essex Heritage Commission Pioneers in Partnership award that we will profile is the founder and chief curator of the Amesbury Hat Museum. This endeavor started rather modestly as after moving to Amesbury, Ms. Allison Kelly saw an opportunity to preserve a piece of local Amesbury lore that had largely been left forgotten. Ms. Kelly who is a retired nurse and library volunteer first began to collect hats that were once a staple product of the Amesbury economy manufactured by the Merrimac Hat Corporation that was founded in 1856. Over the many years that she has been pursing this endeavor she has collected hundreds of hats in her travels up and down the Eastern seaboard from the rocky coast of Maine to sunny Florida. That collection of hats is now exhibited in the old mill building at 9 Water Street in Amesbury, where after making an appointment this collection can be viewed. For all of Ms. Kelly’s efforts to help preserve the wonderful manufacturing history of this region, Essex Heritage Commissioner Deborah Carey nominated Allison Kelly to receive an Essex Heritage Pioneers in Partnership award at the Essex Heritage Annual Meeting. Accepting the award for Ms. Allison Kelly, who was unable to attend the meeting due to the health of her husband was Peter Bryant the Chairman of Amesbury Treasures.

As always we value your comments, questions and observations about the work of Essex Heritage. Please contact me with your thoughts at www.essexheritage.org. Thanks. Tom Leonard

Meeting with NPS Officials, Pioneers in Partnership Winner, and Weekend Sports Events

National Park Service Visitors in Attendance in the Region

We were very pleased to have a number of National Park Service officials and visitors from other National Heritage Area’s at our recent Annual Meeting. That group was visiting this region as immediately following the Annual Meting we convened a meeting with that group that could have a substantial bearing on the future of Essex Heritage. For the last year or so, the Commission has been collectively working on the completion of an evaluation that would measure and quantify the success of Essex Heritage since its inception. A substantial amount of data has been gathered on the activities of the Commission and a preliminary outline of those findings have been developed and now needs to be developed into a final report that must be presented to the US Congress.

We were joined at the meeting by the Executive Directors and senior staff of two other National heritage Area’s who are scheduled to be the next area’s examined. Our Visitors from the Augusta Canal Heritage Area in Georgia and Smokestacks and Silos from the State of Iowa were most interested observers at the meeting. A substantial amount of progress was made at the meeting, and there is now every indication that in the near term a report that will satisfy all of the parties that have an interest in this evaluation will be completed. The National Park Service after gathering this information will make a final report to the Congress that will recommend the future of this particular Heritage Area and others elsewhere in the country. A recent report by a blue ribbon panel has been widely distributed that discusses and makes recommendations on how the Park Service should address the second century of their existence. That report called the “Second Century Report” is complimentary to the Heritage Area’s and urges that the National Park Service consider making these entities full-fledged partners of the Park Service in the future. That resolution would be great news to all of us who have interests in seeing this concept advanced.

Another Pioneers in Partnership Award Winner Profiled

The second of the two Pioneers in Partnership Award winners presented at the Annual Meeting was made to a group from Ipswich that collectively joined forces to organize the 375^th anniversary celebration of the founding of the Town of Ipswich. The two partners in this endeavor sought and obtained Town Meeting support along with substantial private support to manage a year long series of community historical events that catalyzed numerous volunteers, civic groups and businesses to create and execute this wonderful series of events that is just now coming to a close. These two exceptional community volunteers served the Ipswich Historical Society in many capacities over the years as both the volunteer President of that organization and the as the volunteer Director of the Essex Heritage Ipswich Visitor Center. Bill Nelson has had a long and participatory relationship with Essex Heritage as he has managed the Essex Heritage associated Visitor Center in Ipswich almost since the site was first established. The joint concerted effort to assure that this wonderful community celebration took place led two Essex Heritage Trustees, Fred Winthrop and Paul McGinley to each nominate Nathaniel Pulsifer and William Nelson to receive the prestigious Pioneers in Partnership Award. I want to take this opportunity to note that even with the volunteer work offered by Nat and Bill, the Ipswich Anniversary event with all of its wonderful community ramifications would not have been possible without the enthusiastic support of Bonnie Hurd Smith. The wonderful administrative support that she offered to this project went well beyond the scope of the contract she signed to help pull this program together. Her participation was most important and Essex Heritage congratulates and recognizes her for her wonderful work on this project.

Ending Today with Two Personal Observations

Local sports activities both professional and amateur have always been one of my passions and this weekend there are two events that certainly have attracted my attention. On Saturday, with the series tied at nine wins each, Boston College’s football team travels to South Bend, Indiana to play Notre Dame University for the final time in this series. These games held over the last two decades have always been most entertaining, and for this region, I hope this is not the last time these two major Catholic Institutions play one another on the gridiron. It would be wonderful if sometime in the near future, the two Athletic Directors of the schools could get together to announce a new series of games for the future. This is series of games that should be continued.

The other major sporting event this weekend is the trip by the New England Patriots to Wembley Stadium in London, England to play the NFL team from Tampa Florida. The NFL certainly wants to extend its franchise internationally, and they could not have picked a better team to head to London to accomplish this end than the Patriots. The wonderful history that exists between America and the United Kingdom is personified by the revolution against the English Crown that began right here in New England and ended with the Declaration of Independence from the crown by the colonies. Now the colonies are bringing a team back to England to compete in one of England’s most famous sporting venues. I will have an eye turned to each of these events over this weekend.

As always we value your comments, questions and observations about the work of Essex Heritage. Please contact me with your thoughts at www.essexheritage.org. Thanks. Tom Leonard

Annual Meeting, Pioneers in Partnership Award Winners and Old and New Communication Tools

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2009

Essex Heritage Annual Meeting

The morning of October 21, 2009 dawned bright, clear and frosty. The Essex Heritage Annual Meeting started at 8:30 and the setup in advance of the meeting began at 6:30 a. m. We are always indebted to our committed and conscientious staff that arose early and cleaned the frost off their wind shields, to be at the meeting site before the sun even rose this morning. It was a perfect fall morning and Essex Heritage had a full house in attendance at its annual fall meeting at the Community House in Hamilton. We are indebted to the Board of the Community House for providing their wonderful facility that we had access to this morning. The Hamilton Community House is a classic example of the wonderful spaces that we have been blessed to have met in over the last dozen years.

We want to particularly thank William Bowler a Hamilton Selectman for being in attendance and for bringing the greetings of the host community. This meeting marked the last meeting that was managed by outgoing President Ms. Nancy Huntington Stager and started the new term of President Kevin M. Tierney. The transition appeared seamless and both Nancy and Kevin provided valuable information to the group assembled. The group included a contingent of Senior National Park Service officials who are in Essex County to work with Essex Heritage over the next couple of days, to complete the long awaited evaluation report that will ultimately be presented to the United States Congress.

Essex Heritage Executive Director, Annie Harris and our senior partner, National Park Service Regional Superintendant Patricia Trap provided a recap of the work accomplished by the Commission over the last half year to enhance this partnership. Ms. Harris provided details about .specific endeavors undertaken by the Commission with some of its other regional partners, and received a warm round of applause when she announced that Essex Heritage was prepared to partially reinstate the Partnership Grant Program in 2010. The Grant program has been one of the most important projects undertaken by Essex Heritage during the life of the Commission, and a reinstatement of the program even on a limited basis will be warmly received by the region. Over the life of this program, Essex Heritage has provided almost 300 individual grants to non profit partners, and municipalities that total in excess of $1.5 million dollars. That commitment of funds that has seen grants made in every one of the thirty-four communities in the region has resulted in an additional $15.0 million in investment made in the region. In the weeks ahead more information on how this program will be re-started will be released, but just the fact that the program will be back in place in some form in 2010 is great news for the region.

Pioneers in Partnership Awards Provided

At the meeting three Pioneers in Partnership Awards were provided and today I want to focus on one of those awards. In future postings, information on the other two awards will be outlined but for today we will focus on the award made for a Topsfield project.

A Pioneer in Partnership award was presented this morning to a special individual who exemplifies the best of Essex County. Our award winner currently serves on four working committees in his home town of Topsfield; the Planning Board, the Recreation Committee, the Open Space Committee and the Rail Trail Committee and also serves as the Topsfield representative to the Border to Boston Trail coalition that Essex Heritage has helped to manage for the last several years. He had provided the Town of Topsfield with over 30 years of uncompensated service to his community. Long before the Border to Boston coalition began to take shape; for the last two decades our 2009 award winner has been tirelessly working to develop a rail trail in Topsfield. That effort has recently been rewarded as the first section of the trail was opened just last weekend. For his many years of effort, Mr. Joseph Geller received the prestigious Essex Heritage Pioneers in Partnership Award at this morning's Annual Meeting.

.Essex Heritage Communicating Using Many New Resources

Over the time that Essex Heritage has been serving this region, we have taken great care to make the Essex Heritage web site, www.essexheritage.org better organized and a vehicle that provided valuable information to the user. The site is regularly updated and current information and activities are always highlighted in a way that makes that information highly visible. For example during the weeks leading up to our signature event, Trails and Sails that series of events was prominent on the site. It is clear that many visitors to the series of free events offered those two weekends in September obtained the information that they needed to plan their experience by accessing the Essex Heritage web site. We were recently provided information by our web-master that confirms both the importance of the web site to Essex Heritage and to the region. During the month of September 2009 that covers the period of the Trails and Sails events and the period leading up to the events Essex Heritage experienced more than 57, 500 “hits” on the web site. That total is up almost 27, 500 hits from the prior month. That activity represents a healthy increase in activity month to month. We can only surmise that the increased activity was due to requests seeking information on the Essex Heritage signature event. During the month of September inquires came from all 50 states in the country and the District of Columbia and their were visits from dozens of countries around the world including Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Iraq, Japan, India, Australia, Russia, Chili, Brazil and many more. In addition to a much broader use of the web site, Essex Heritage is also communicating using social networks like Face book, Twitter and Linked in as well as using other non traditional methods like the BLOG where you are now reading this message.

As always we value your comments, questions and observations about the work of Essex Heritage. Please contact me with your thoughts at www.essexheritage.org. Thanks. Tom Leonard

Essex Heritage Annual Meeting, Northeast Harvest, Tax Credit Act, Park Service Officials to Meet in Salem

MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2009

Essex Heritage Annual Meeting in Hamilton Tomorrow

We are now just one day away from convening the Annual Meeting of the Essex Heritage Commission at the Community House in Hamilton. We have always thought it important to hold these regional meetings in unusual locations around the region that we serve, and the meeting in the morning will be no different. We are pleased to be calling the meeting to order for the first time in Hamilton. The Community House is a special place where so many wonderful Hamilton social and business events have been held, and we feel privileged to have been allowed to use the facility for our meeting. We expect attendance to be high at the meeting and also anticipate that will be many in the audience who have never been in this facility before. That will serve our purpose quite nicely as it will continue our tradition of bringing our partners and associates to locations not easily accessible to the general public. We are also pleased that Hamilton Selectman William Bowler, will attend the meeting representing our host community and will bring the greetings of the Town of Hamilton to the meeting

This meeting will also mark the end of the term of office of Ms. Nancy Huntington Stager who has served as the Essex Heritage President for these last two years. Ms. Stager who serves as an Executive Vice President managing the Human Resources function for Eastern Bank has been a special leader for the Commission during her term of office. Nancy has lead by example and has exhibited an exceptional style of management as she has taken the status and standing of the Commission in the region to new heights. Ms Stager will be honored at the Annual Meeting and her commitment to the mission of Essex Heritage will be noted with a special award given by Essex Heritage and our senior partner, the National Park Service.

The October 2009 meeting will also mark the beginning of the Kevin M. Tierney era as President of Essex Heritage. Kevin who years ago was a contemporary of mine at Salem Five Bank now serves as President and CEO of Saugus Bank. We are certain that Kevin will use his many administrative and leadership skills to pick up right where Nancy Stager left off, and under his direction Essex Heritage will continue to grow as a major player as we strive to serve this region as a collaborator and coordinator of regional services.

Northeast Harvest

Last month, we pointed out to you that Essex Heritage in collaboration with the Essex Agricultural Society, the Mass Department of Agriculture, and a list that looks like a “who’s Who” of the Farming Community in Essex and Middlesex Counties are producing a monthly Newsletter. The October edition of the Northeast Harvest was published in the middle of this month], and contained a number of informative articles about farming in the region. The Newsletter identifies Winter CSA’s that have been created by many of the local farms. The winter programs usually begin in late October or early November and will run through March 2010. If you had a share in a summer program you should ask your provider if a winter program is available. The articles that were of the most interest to me, was the stories about turkey’s and where they can be found and finally, a “how to” primer on how to prepare that holiday delicacy. Based on the weekend weather we just experienced these past two days, it is clear that the Thanksgiving Holiday is closer than you think. I hope that many of you who regularly read this BLOG are also subscribers to the Northeast Harvest Newsletter. If you are not and want to be added to that electronic mailing list contact Essex Heritage at www.essexheritage.org and we will see to it that you are added to the mailing list.

Continuing Report on the Community Restoration and Rehabilitation Act

Supporters of the federal rehabilitation tax credit act have reminded us that continuing support is needed to assure that the act is passed by the U S Congress in this session. They have asked us to contact our representative in Congress to seek support. We are proud the say that our Congressman John F. Tierney has already recognized the importance of extending the legislation and has signed on as a signatory on the bill. Thanks Congressman Tierney.

Meetings with National Park Service and the Center for Park Management

Next week immediately following the Essex Heritage Annual Meeting members of our Board of Trustees and other invited partners of the Commission will gather at the historic Hawthorne Hotel in Salem for a two day session to finalize the evaluation report that was preliminarily outlined last spring. The meeting will bring together the Essex Heritage leadership group, senior National Park Service officials and the managers of the evaluation, the Center for Park Management. It is expected that as a result of these meetings that many unanswered questions that were discussed last spring, and several misconceptions about the work of Essex heritage will be qualified and a final report that shows the Commission as the unifier of the region will be one step closer to release. One can only hope that as we all gather in the historic downtown of the City of Salem in the middle of the Haunted Happenings celebrations that Salem has become famous for, that we all do not become bewitched and struggle to come to the proper conclusions. We are confident that all of the parties can come to a common understanding of the role of Essex Heritage and how important the Commission has become to the entire region.

As always we value your comments, questions and observations about the work of Essex Heritage. Please contact me with your thoughts at www.essexheritage.org. Thanks. Tom Leonard

Peabody Independence Greenway, Newburyport Solar Program, Green Farms

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2009

New Rail Trail for Bicyclists and Walkers in Peabody Completed

As an organization that has devoted valuable time and precious resources to the development of rail trail activity in this region over recent years, Essex Heritage applauds the City of Peabody for their recent Rail Trail development accomplishments. Mayor Michael Bonfanti officially opened Peabody’s Independence greenway for use yesterday with a ribbon cutting ceremony at Ross Park in West Peabody. What the City of Peabody has accomplished in such a relatively short period of time is amazing. The concept of developing a Rail Trail for this community with its wonderful combination of residential and commercial uses was only conceived a short two decades ago in a city master plan created in 1990. From the planning process to completion and use by the residents of Peabody in such a relatively short period of time is quite an accomplishment. The city moved from the planning stage that took the better part of a decade to the acquisition of the abandoned railway right of way and then the start of actual construction just a short three years ago. It appears that one of the keys to the success of this project was the various sources of funding that were acquired to complete the project. The city committed money raised from their Community Preservation Act funding to complete the trail design and then sought and received funding from the Federal and State governments for the more than $3.0 million in funding needed to complete the project. The Massachusetts Highway Authority has overseen construction and will ultimately turn the trail over to the City of Peabody when all of the work is completed.

The soon to be completed Peabody Independence Greenway now allows Peabody residents to travel 4.6 miles from the North Shore Shopping Center near the Leahy Clinic up into West Peabody along a paved way that moves along through woodlands and scenic views that opens up almost 400 acres to residents of the City. Travel for the most part can be accomplished safely with out the worry of vehicular traffic. There is a small stretch of the trail that has an on street connection. The City is already contemplating how the trail can be connected into the neighboring community of Salem and beyond where other trails exist. If one were willing to look into the future there might come a time when cyclists could ride in the State from the New Hampshire border deep into the coastal North Shore region.

Essex Heritage has and continues to play a coordinating role in the Border to Boston Trail program that will open up a rail trail in the future from Salisbury to Danvers. Some of that Trail is presently open and a section in Topsfield will open this coming weekend. We can only hope that some of the participants in the Border to Boston venture can learn from the Peabody experience and can envision what can be accomplished when a community decides to move forward with a single purpose. The recreational experience in Peabody is now much more expansive and the safety of cyclists in the community is protected. Once again, Essex Heritage offers its congratulations to Mayor Bonfanti and the other associated municipal officials who played a role in this project for what they have accomplished for their community and the region.

More Green News

In recent postings we have been noting activities in the region that positively affect the environment as those actions can be so important to the future. I noticed a recent announcement by the Town of Newburyport that will have such an impact. The Town and an energy services company, Ameresaco Inc. recently unveiled a solar power system that will supply power to several town buildings. The system that the Town is touting as the largest municipal solar project of its kind in the State will supply power to a public middle school and to the department of Public Works Building in town. In addition to providing power to the school, the project will also provide and educational experience for all of the students who attend the Nock Middle School. Weather and solar power production information will be provided to the students and that information will be used by the teachers and analyzed by the students in the classrooms at the school. This seems to be a wonderful use of solar power that serves both municipal needs and the students in the community.

Many Farms in the Region Seeking Green Solutions to Success

In a recent story in the Boston Globe, North Edition reporter Cathy McCabe authored a comprehensive story about the efforts of many farmers in the Essex County agricultural community who are employing eco friendly strategies to assure continuing success. The story noted the efforts of many in this region to use “green techniques” to help them continue to be relevant. The report noted the use of yard use that is being turned into compost and then recycled for a profit by Essex Heritage Commissioner Bill Clarke an eighth generation farmer at his farm in Danvers. It also highlighted the use of wind power and solar that is being tested for use at other farms in Newburyport, Amesbury and Salisbury in the region. It seems certain that in the not too distant future that more and more of the farmers in this region will continue to explore new eco-strategies to stay profitable, and in that way preserve the current farming acres in the region as open, contributing and valuable space. It seems reasonable to assume that more and more green strategies will be employed in this region by the agricultural community in the years ahead,

As always, your comments, observation and questions about the work of Essex Heritage are welcome. Please contact me click here at www.essexheritage.org/tom.html or call 978 720 0444. Thanks. Tom Leonard