Essex Happenings 12/5/2011

Essex Happenings…12.5.11


Information from the Danvers Bi-Peds Newsletter is offered for your information.


December 10, 2011, Saturday, 1:30 p.m. - Holiday Hike Meet at the Hobart St. parking lot, 10 Hobart St, near Cherry Street Fish Market. Santa will join the hikers to inspect the improvements along the Rail Trail. Learn how you can sponsor a mile marker to help with trail improvements. Hikers will go south to Collins St. and then enjoy seasonal refreshments and a raffle upon our return. Rain date is 12/11. Contact Laura Cilley at laura.cilley@post.harvard.edu or call (978) 777-4661 for more information.

December 12, 2011, Monday, 7:00 - Danvers Bi-Peds regular meeting - will be held in the Carriage House at Endicott Park, 57 Forest St., Danvers. Learn about trail updates and the stalled train station rehabilitation. Bring your ideas and expertise. Be a part of planning monthly walks, activities and efforts to make Danvers a safer place to bike and walk for all ages. All are welcome. Hope to see you there.

December 22, 2011, Thursday - Danvers Rail Trail Advisory Committee - monthly meeting at 6:00 pm. Contact Kate Day, 978-777-0001 ext. 3029 or day@mail.danvers-ma.org for location and more information.

NEWS

Mile Markers Are installed - The first step, after the coordination of the mile marker order by Laura Cilley, was to apply the information decals. That was accomplished on Nov. 10th when 6 volunteers and Kate Day, Sr. Planner, got together for a pizza and stickering party at the home on Lori Dupont. Each marker also got a ‘Donated By The Danvers Bi-Peds’ sticker.

That was followed by an installation day. It was great weather on November 19th for a volunteer rail trail work crew, but a bit cool at first. The power driven Easy Auger was picked up from the Danvers Hardware (paid for by an exchange for the sponsorship of a mile marker near downtown). The auger proved to be reluctant to start so it went back. In the meantime, some of the crew started to dig the 18” deep holes by hand. Another crew followed with mortar and tools to firmly plant the markers in the holes. A few others went along picking up trash exposed now that the vegetation has died back. On the whole, there was not much trash but after awhile it was noted that plastic bags found with a neat knot at the top were bags of dog ‘poop’. The trail rules say ‘pick up after your dog’. They also say carry in, carry out. The crew wondered what type of person bags the ‘poop’ but leaves the bag for others to deal with.

Rail Trail sponsorship program up and running - Thanks to the work of Mead Web Design, one is now able to look at the location of each 1/10th mile marker on a google map just by clicking. You may ask - Why would one want to do that? The answer is so one can find out which markers are still looking for sponsors and who is sponsoring what section. Check the www.danversrailtrail.org site to find it. Folks (families, individuals, organization, and businesses) can pick the location they wish to sponsor and pay on line. The sponsorships are $150 per year for 1/10th markers and $500 per year for on the mile markers. It is a great way to show support for the trail and all the funds raised will go toward the trail upkeep and improvements. Several of the marker locations are already taken. If you want to show your love of the trail by displaying your business, family name, or perhaps a group of friends; it is now easy to do so.

Life along the trail - It has been great weather for using the rail trail. Currently the edges have all been mowed where needed. As mentioned above, the mile markers are all in place, except for 3.4 near Danvers Farm & Home Service Inc aka Danvers Agway. There is a temporary detour in that area due to wetlands. If all goes as planned, Iron Horse Preservation is supposed to do work this fall to solve that problem using materials contributed by the Danvers Electric because it is imperative to them that they can drive their trucks through that area in order to service the power lines.

Elsewhere along the trail, there is now a crosswalk painted on Rt. 62, although caution is always needed when crossing such a busy street. The parking lot at 40 Popular (Rt. 62) has been repainted to allow the trail to pass. This has been signed with ‘walk only area’ signs due to the narrowness of the pathway through there. In spring bumpers will be installed to prevent the cars from pulling too far forward. For now trail users just have to hope the drivers will be aware of the trail and not park on it.

For adjacent homeowners, many have for years considered the rail bed as a good place to dispose of lawn and garden waste. If you are an adjacent homeowner, the entire rail right of way is now considered town land. If you are not sure where your property line is, it is best the find out before continuing to use the now trail right of way for disposal as it is against town ordinances to dump anything on it. If you are an adjacent homeowner who would like to improve the beauty of the trail you could clear out downed wood and assorted clutter behind your property. Everyone can help spread the word about keeping the trail attractive.

There seems to be a mystery friend(s) of the trail north of Chestnut St. First some great mowing happened and most recently, some large dead, leaning trees were removed - wood and all. It makes the trail look much better. Thanks to whoever it is. Your work is appreciated.

Other things in the works along the trail include passing by Danvers Farm & Home Service safely and removal of a portion of the stone wall across from there on Wenham Street. For those of you who have been determined enough to pass through the very picturesque but very muddy cut in the rocks north of Wenham St., that area has not been forgotten but it is not an area which can be dealt with quickly and probably not with volunteer labor. Of course, the unusual amount of rainfall has made it worse.

Remember the $60,000 Department of Conservation and Recreation grant that was applied for by the Town? Let us all hope Danvers receives it as many of the trail issues can then be dealt with. In the meantime, the Danvers Rail Trail may have been years in getting off the ground but as rail trails go, it has moved at an amazing pace since then.

Thanks to all - Laura Cilley put together a list of all those who helped during the last year with advancing the Bi-Peds goal of safer biking and walking in Danvers, many of them trail related. She tried very hard not to leave anyone out. The list is too long to include here but you can read the list at danversbipeds.org. She read the list at the Thanks to All Stroll on Saturday, Nov. 19th just prior to drawing the winner of the $25 gift certificate graciously given by McKinnon’s Market. It was won by Kevin Bellew.

Tom’s Spaulding Story - Tom Leonard is a long time supporter of the Bi-Peds and the Danvers Rail Trail. A year ago he suffered a fall that resulted in an infection that led to the loss of his leg above the knee. Go to http://www.spauldingnetwork.org/for-you/patients.aspx to watch the video of the incredible story of this determined, generous gentleman’s comeback.

MORE REMINDERS
Sidewalk Reminder - Help spread the word - sidewalks are for people, not vegetation or cars. Now is a good time to cut back bushes such as Burning Bush which when planted were cute, little plants but now have grown to take over the sidewalk.

If you are lucky enough to have the town plow snow from your sidewalk, remember to keep it clear of piles from driveway plowing. If you don’t get that service, it would still be appreciated by pedestrians if the sidewalks were cleared.

Membership - Are you a Bi-Peds member? Go to www.danversbipeds.org/ to join or print out a membership form and send it in. Check with your company to see if they match funds as GE does. Almost all the money taken in by the Bi-Peds goes toward the rail trail and other concerns leading to safer biking and walking in Danvers and you get a 15% discount at the Western Cycle bike shop on everything except bikes.

BEYOND DANVERS

Interesting - Walking comprises 11% of transportation trips, 12% of roadway fatalities and yet receives less than one percent of transportation safety funding.

From the Federal Walking Policy Platform - Rethink transportation safety. Safety is not how to make the cars drive faster with fewer crashes, rather making communities truly safe for families to walk and utilize our public rights of way.

Visit the web site for more news - www.danversbipeds.org

Heritage Films at Hollywood Hits in Danvers

Dan Tremblay lives in Danvers and has an ongoing volunteer relationship with the Danvers Historical Society and operates a business called Heritage Films. He is now showing those entertaining and informative films every week at the Hollywood Hits Movie theatre in Danvers. The films are offered us usual three at a time and the cost of attending is priced most moderately. For more information on pricing, and scheduling contact the theatre In Danvers directly.

Christmas Walk in Marblehead

In a previous posting, I noted that it appeared that during a recent visit to downtown Marblehead that a Christmas Walk was being conducted. I was wrong about that assessment as I received an announcement that the Christmas Walk is scheduled for the weekend of December 2 thru 4. There will also be I tree lighting and an artisans marketplace.

North shore Elder Services Recognitions

At its 41st annual meeting on November 16th in Boxborough, the Massachusetts Council for Home Care Aid Services saluted two North Shore Elder Service case managers, Melissa Daly and Barbara Quinn. They were among the nominees for the Cathe Madden Award which is given to ASAP Case Managers in memory of Cathe Madden who demonstrated extraordinary enthusiasm, innovation, and commitment to her job. These are all qualities that Melissa and Barbara exemplify fully.

Congratulations, Melissa and Barbara! We are proud and grateful that you are members of the North Shore Elder Services staff.

Business-Public Sector Group Formed in Andover

The Town of Andover has created a new opportunity for local businesses to apply for membership in that community’s Economic development Committee. This new vehicle will offer those members access and a line of communication between the businesses and local officials. This new program sounds remarkably like a very successful program that has operated since 1987 in Salem, aptly named the Salem Partnership.