Monday, October 4, 2010

Essex heritage Development, Scenic Byway, North Shore Elder Services, Danvers Council on Aging, NSMC Meeting

ESSEX HAPPENINGS, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2010

Essex Heritage Development Activity

The month of October has been identified as Membership Month by Essex Heritage. Several mailings have been sent to friends of the Commission and a broad e-mail appeal was delivered that outlined the benefits of becoming a member. Up to this point in the life of Essex Heritage we have always been able to rely on the funding that we have received through our association with the National Park Service. We certainly anticipate that the funding from that important source will continue into the future, but with the large numbers of Heritage Areas that have been created or are anticipated, coupled with increased pressures on Federal funding, it is imperative that Essex Heritage reach out to the public it serves for some substantial level of financial support. That effort will be an important part of our work for some time, but for now we have focused a great deal of energy on raising awareness this month. We are gratified with some of the very earliest results this month so far, but encourage any of you who see the benefits we have and will continue to offer to this region as positive to consider offering your personal support. Memberships start as low as $35.00 for a single senior or $55.00 for a senior family membership up to a friend level at $100, 00 with levels in between for regular memberships. There is an even higher Supporter, Benefactor or Sustainer levels for those who wish to offer an even higher level of support. A complete listing of all the various levels of membership can be found on the Essex Heritage web site at www.essexheritage.org/membership . Please consider providing a level of support to this effort as Essex Heritage relies on your participation and active involvement to fulfill our purpose. A membership furthers the mission of Essex Heritage by connecting people to the places and stories of the Essex National Heritage Area.

Some categories of membership allow for participation in regional events sponsored and managed by Essex Heritage. One of those events is scheduled for this Friday, October 8, 2010 at the Green Meadows farm in Hamilton, where members can enjoy a New England farm tour and picnic lunch. For more information about this event and how you can participate contact Elizabeth at 978 740 0444 or online at www.essexheritage,or/membership.

Essex Heritage Business Membership Activity

In addition to the personal memberships outlined above, there is also an active business program in place. In the past we have reported on previous participants in this program, and we are now pleased to announce that in the last couple of days, Pentucket Bank, Haverhill Bank, the Newburyport Institution for Savings and the Hawthorne Hotel have all agreed to becomes business sponsors of this effort.

Essex Heritage Scenic Byway

Planning efforts to keep the Essex Heritage Scenic Byway moving towards a successful conclusion continue as during the next several months a series of community meetings will be scheduled around the region. It is anticipated that between now and the holiday period at year end, individual communities that are a part of the Byway will schedule meetings to allow for more and more public input into the planning for this regional initiative. When those meetings are scheduled information will be provided with advance notice and residents of the community will have the opportunity to offer opinions on how the byway might be signed and promoted that might best suit their needs. The leadership at Essex Heritage is also working collaboratively with Montserrat College of Art in Beverly to develop the graphics to create an informational brochure to help get the byway message more widely disseminated in the region. We are particularly pleased to have this exciting new partnership developed between the college and Essex Heritage.

North Shore Elder Services “We Give Thanks” Event

North Shore Elder Services and Gatehouse Media of New England are sponsoring the second “We Give Thanks” recognition awards. The awards will be announced and will be provided at a dinner honoring the nominees at the Danversport Yacht Club on Wednesday, November 18, 2010, and tickets for the event can be obtained from North Shore Elder Services at 152 Sylvan Street, Danvers. The deadline for offering nominations in ten different categories to salute North Shore individuals, organizations, and businesses that have made a difference in the lives of older adults, their families and their caregivers are due this Friday, October 8, 2010. For additional information about the nomination process or to purchase tickets for the November dinner contact the Danvers agency at www.nselder.org or call 978 750 4540. North Shore Elder Services was founded 35 years ago and serves older residents of Danvers, Marblehead, Middleton, Peabody and Salem.

Danvers Council on Aging

I have been proud to have served on the Advisory Board of the Danvers Council on Aging for almost a decade. The Danvers Senior Center that is one of just a handful of nationally accredited Senior Centers in the country and serves hundreds of seniors each month. They provides both in-center and home delivered meals plus travel opportunities, educational and health programs to many in the community that my wife and I also call my home town. In the next couple of weeks the Danvers Senior Center will be offering several opportunities for both seniors and others in the Town to examine the range of services offered at that facility. On this coming Thursday, October 7, 2010 as part of Town wide Open House, stop in to the Senior Center at 25 Stone Street, Danvers to explore what is offered. It is also never too early to get a date on your calendar, as on November 20, 2010 the annual Holiday Fair will be held at the Senior Center, and the funds raised at that event are all redirected back into the wonderful programs offered to seniors.

North Shore Medical Center Associates Group

For several years I have been associated with the North Shore Medical Center as a Community Associate. Once a year, the hospital gathers these community representatives to provide an update on their activities. That meeting was held last evening in Peabody, and since it ended too late to provide a report to you here, I will provide an update in the next posting.

End Today’s Posting on a Sad Note

I do not have much information and when we receive that information we will pass it along, but we are sorry to report that our Executive Director, Annie Harris’s Mother-in-Law has passed away. I know that many of you in the region know Annie, and are sorry to learn of her loss.

As always we value your comments, questions and observations about the work of Essex Heritage. Please contact me with your thoughts or any questions you may have at www.essexheritage.org. We are always striving to make Essex Heritage work as effectively as possible and your input and suggestions are always welcome. We can always provide more information and better communication, and one of the goals of these postings on Essex happenings is to provide that opportunity. Thank You. Tom Leonard

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