Essex Happenings…October 22, 2012
Salem Witch Trial Film Invitation
Very Early this month, Essex Heritage expanded its partnership and continuing relationship with the National Park Service and introduced a new film that explores the infamous Salem Witch Trials. The film called "Salem Witch Hunt: Examine the Evidence” is now showing four times a day at the NPS Regional Visitor Center in Salem. The film is shown each day, seven days a week at 11:00, Noon, 1:00 and 2:00. The film, during the Halloween season is already drawing big crowds who are praising the scholarly approach and the entertainment value of the production. Now in what can only be thought of as an additional value, Essex Heritage is offering a film viewing and educational symposium with many of the educators who helped create this scholarly approach to this important phase of Salem’s long history. The following information provides more details on the film presentation, discussion scheduled for November 3, 2011, and provides a mechanism to reserve your seat, an event that will certainly fill up quickly. ACT NOW and reserve your space.
Thursday, November 3, 7:00 PM
Film Viewing & Symposium with Scholars
National Park Service Visitor Center Auditorium
2 New Liberty Street
Salem, MA 01970
The Essex National Heritage Commission, in partnership with the National Park Service, invites you to attend a special viewing and symposium with the scholars of the new interpretive film, "Salem Witch Hunt: Examine the Evidence." The film about the 1692 Salem Witch Trials is based on the most recent scholarly research of the causes, events and aftermath of these famous trials. The movie reveals newly found documents and research which sheds new light on the trials, with reenactors speaking the documented words of the accusers and victims, and analysis by scholars who have studied the trials for many years.
The film will be followed by a lively discussion and questions & answer session with the prominent witch trial scholars featured in the film, moderated by National Park Service historian, Dr. Emily Murphy. Light refreshments will be served in the lobby. Tickets for this exclusive event are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Essex Heritage members $12/Non-members $15. RSVP here!
The renowned witch trial scholars at the symposium include:
• Mary Beth Norton of Cornell University, the author of In the Devil's Snare;
• Benjamin C. Ray of the University of Virginia who has written extensively on the religious aspects of the trials and maintains the Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription website;
• Emerson (Tad) Baker of Salem State University who has recently published The Devil of Great Island: Witchcraft and Conflict in Early New England;
• Margo Burns who is the Director of the Language Center at St Paul's School and an associate editor and project manager of Bernard Rosenthal's book Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt, a comprehensive compendium of nearly a thousand documents from the trials; and
• Richard Trask, historian and archivist, Town of Danvers (formerly Salem Village).
North Shore Elder Services has provided the following information on an interactive networking session scheduled for November 3, 2011. To be added to the invitation to this session contact the Network at www.nschn.org.
The North Shore Community Health Network is sponsoring an interactive fall networking session focused on North Shore Health Issues on Thursday, November 3, 2011 at the Peabody Marriott, 8A Centennial Drive, Peabody, MA. Special focus will be on needs of elders, housing, and those of low-income populations. All welcome.
Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Patient-Family Advisory Council
I am pleased to be a member of the Spaulding Hospital North Shore Patient Family Advisory Council and I recently participated in a meeting where a DRAFT service standards statement was presented for discussion. The program that is currently being developed by the senior leadership staff at the hospital will in time be presented to all hospital staff for implementation. The program that will demonstrate the Hospital’s strength through service will be a wonderful addition to the way that patients will be served. The standards will focus on a number of criteria that include issues like teamwork, respect, excellence, notice patient needs, greet, talk and help. It is certain that when the new standards are put in place that the beneficiaries will continue to be the patients at the Salem facility.
City of Peabody Continues to Develop Plans to Alleviate Flooding
Even though Peabody Mayor Bonfanti is fast approaching the end of his final term as the chief executive of that community he is continuing to seek solutions for the flooding issues that have plagued the community in recent years. The Mayor is in the process of developing a $15 million dollar plan to divert the frequent flood waters that from time to time have inundated the downtown of the Leather City. The plan, that will include a major investment, with the anticipation that the substantial borrowings will be repaid by seeking grants. The focus of the plan will be to install 1000 ft culvert under the central business district that would move the vast amount of the flood waters into the North River and then into Salem Harbor. The plan seems to have some universal support and will intimately be implemented by the next Mayor of the City after the November election. We will continue to observe the progress of this new initiative and report on continuing planning progress.
North Andover Close to Naming New Town Manager
It is expected that by the time this item appears in print that the northern Essex County community will have a new Town Manager. The process, that began when the incumbent manager headed north to Portland Maine, and a call for candidates produced well over a dozen applicants. That list is now been pared down to a finalist and the Board of Selectmen selected Andrew Maylor as the new Town Manager this week. Maylor is a know commodity as he presently serves as the town Administrator of the Town of Swampscott and has had other assignments in communities in this region I am sure that the community will be pleased to have this process over and to finally have a new leader in place. Unfortunately the town of Swampscott will now have to institute a hiring process to make up for their loss.
Gloucester Mayor to Offer Series of Public Meetings
Mayor on Carolyn Kirk has scheduled a series of four public meetings to update the residents of that community on municipal matters. By the time this item goes to print two of the meetings will already have been held, but two meetings are still on tap. The meetings that have been called State of the City meetings will be held on October 25th at the Lanesville Community Center. The final session is scheduled for November 5th in a proposed community center at 60 Wonson Street in the Rocky Neck section of Gloucester. The Mayor is anxious to speak with large groups of residents and to listen to their concerns. Both meetings are scheduled for 6:30 pm
Sounds of the Holiday’s Concert
The Christmas season is still way too far away to begin to provide lots of details, but we want to at the least ask you to get a date on your calendar for a planned Holiday Concert scheduled for December 11, 2011 at 4:00 pm at St. Richard’s church on Forest Street in Danvers, The concert will feature holiday music offered by the North Shore Philharmonic Orchestra. The concert will be free of any charges except that entrance will be permitted with a substantial donation of non-perishable food that will be provided to the People to People Food Pantry in Danvers. The pantry is in dire need of contributions due to the incredible demands of the large population of homeless families being currently housed in Danvers motels. Your attendance at the concert and a substantial donation of food would be a great way to begin the traditional season of giving. The concert is not limited to parishioners of the Danvers church and will be open to all North Shore residents.
Two Personal Notes
New England Patriots Game
Last Sunday, I was able to attend, for the first time this year, a Patriots game in Foxborough. I converted my tickets to a handicapped section and the Pats have a most positive policy relative to people with disabilities. The experience was a good one. I enjoyed the game although the team’s play was a little sloppy, but they did get a win over a quality opponent. I was not able to stay until the end, so I missed the 32nd 4th period comeback in Tom Brady’s career. The team provides elevator access to my seats, but there are many patrons above my location who also have access to the elevators, so I escaped before the crowd.
Death of a Friend
I learned today of the death of Elizabeth (Betty) Hull formally of Marblehead, who passed away in the Naples Florida area earlier this month. She was pre-deceased by her husband Charlie who I worked with for a number of years at Salem Five. When Iwas first hired by the bank in 1960, it was Charlie who first taught me the banking ropes. Betty worked for many years in Salem as a legal secretary and her death is another link in an old chain broken. Rest in peace, Betty
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