ESSex HAPPENINGS APRIL 28, 2011

Essex Heritage Coastal Scenic Byway Update

At the spring meeting of Essex Heritage in Rockport a general report on the planning process for the Scenic Byway was provided, and it was clear from that report that the planning for activities along the trail will be a continuing process and from time to time exhibits would be scheduled at venues along the length of the byway. The planned exhibitions will be designed to bring attention to the Byway and will be of interests to residents in the region as well as to visitors. We will continue to bring attention to opportunities and two such announcements follow.

Gold Coast Exhibit
A new exhibit at Endicott College highlights several of the prominent late 19th century Boston families who helped turn Beverly into an important summer resort. For more information, go here.


Plum Island Airport Exhibit
Check out this online exhibition about the history of Plum Island Airport located on the byway in Newbury. The exhibition was created for Historic New England by a graduate student. Find out more.


Essex Heritage Hero Award Dinner, May 19, 2011.

Plans are shaping up for our 2011 Heritage Hero Award Dinner - an event you do not want to miss! Join us as we celebrate the achievements of our inspiring 2011 Essex Heritage Heroes: Dr. Wayne Burton, Mayor Kimberley Driscoll and Mr. Wayne Marquis. Brian Cranney will serve as Master of Ceremonies for this fun-filled evening. All proceeds will benefit Essex Heritage programs that preserve and promote the historical, cultural, and natural resources in the 34 cities and towns of Essex County. Tickets are now available online! There is still time to be a sponsor! The advertising deadline is May 4th! Find out more about sponsorship opportunities here (pdf).

Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor: Danversbank; Banner Sponsors: Eastern Bank, Salem Five, and Saugusbank; Lead Sponsor: North Shore Community College, as well as our table sponsors: The Hawthorne Hotel, Hunts Photo & Video, Peabody Essex Museum and The Provident Bank.

The planning process for this annual highlight event in the Essex Heritage region is now in the home stretch and all the remains is to fill the ballroom at the Danversport Yacht Club on April 21, 2011 to honor these three regional leaders. Tickets and tables are now available at Essex Heritage, and can be purchased by contacting Deb Payson at www.essexheriage.org Act Today. This is an event you will not want to miss.

St. john’s Prep to Name the Latest Distinguished Alumni at the 2011 Graduation Services.

At the graduation services on May 22, 2011, St. John’s Prep will award the annual distinguished alumni award to Attorney Jude Curtis’77. Attorney Curtis will be the twentieth Prep alumni member to receive this award. He presently serves as the Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer for Price Waterhouse Coopers in New York. I report this award, as Jude is an old friend, who I served with on the Board of Trustees at the Prep. He succeeded me on the Board as Chairman of the Development Committee. He later became the first alumni to serve as Chairman of the Board at the Prep. Jude was part of a large Salem family that came from modest circumstances and in time left a wonderful legacy at the Prep. He became a champion for the strategy to be certain that the Danvers Catholic School stayed affordable for all with an enhanced endowment to help provide financial aid. Jude lived for many years in Essex County while he served in a similar professional capacity for the John Hancock Co. It will be good to welcome Jude to this select group of Prep Alumni at graduation next month.


Consolidated Effort to Create a Regional 911 Center Taking Shape

Preliminary discussions have been held between the Communities of Salem, Danvers and Marblehead about the possible formation of a regional consolidation between the three local governments to form a shared police dispatch center. The plan is in the very early stage of development but it is clear that these kinds of associations must be considered if services will continue to be offered effectively and costs contained. The Town of Danvers considered joining a larger consortium of communities that will be headquartered in Middleton, but passed due to questions of costs associated with that effort. The discussions are still in the preliminary stage, but the leadership of these three communities has long ago come to the conclusion that consolidations in many areas may be a valuable strategy for all local communities to pursue if they hope to continue affordable resident services

Home Therapy Ending and Out Patient to Begin

On a personal note, I want to report that another phase of my rehabilitation from the leg amputation is complete. For the last month, I have received therapeutic services in my home. That phase of therapy is now complete, and starting on Thursday, I will begin phase three of my rehabilitation at the Out Patient Department at Spaulding of the North Shore in Salem. The folks who provided the help were most professional, and also most helpful. On the final day of home therapy my home PT therapist had me up and walking a few tentative steps on crutches which is the next step in my progression.

Essex Heritage Nominating Committee to Meet Soon

As we have done in the past, we want to offer an invitation to anyone who reads this presentation to let us know if you believe that you have a skill that would make you a candidate to be a commissioner at Essex Heritage. If you have an interest in serving please let us know at www, essexheritge.org, and we will review your qualifications and possibly present your name to our Nominating Committee for consideration.

A Cape Cod issue to Consider

Although this presentation primarily reports on Essex County activities, occasionally, I will provide information from other parts of the State. At the present time, there is a gathering of the endangered right whales feeding off the coast of Cape Cod. From some reports there are about 200 of these mammoths of the sea just off the coast. This may be a once in a lifetime sight, and they are so close to the coast, that they can be seen from the beaches on the upper Cape.