Essex Heritage….May 4, 2012 One Last appeal for the Heritage Hero Award Dinner on May 9, 2012 2012 Essex Heritage Hero Award Dinner PURCHASE TICKETS Wednesday, May 9, 2012 at the
Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA 01970 Cocktail Hour ~ 6:30 PM
Dinner with program ~ 7:30 PM

Essex Heritage and the National Park Service are proud to announce the 2012 Honoree: Mr. Thomas M. Leonard We are delighted to celebrate Tom, an enduring advocate for heritage preservation in Essex County whose long and distinguished career with Salem Five reinforced his pursuits as a strong community leader. Tom consistently works closely with area elected officials and business groups to raise awareness of the dedicated efforts being accomplished for this region and has been instrumental in advancing the preservation and promotion of area resources. Tom Leonard's lifetime achievements embody the qualities that define 'Heritage Hero' and we look forward to celebrating him this spring. The Essex Heritage Hero award will be presented within a tribute dinner format, with the opportunity to celebrate Tom's many contributions. Join us to share recollections and inspiring moments with colleagues, friends and family. Tickets are available for purchase here.
Sponsorship opportunities are available, please see details here (pdf). Proceeds from the event (ticket sales and sponsorship) help sustain the many programs of the Essex National Heritage Commission which support heritage non-profit organizations and municipalities in Essex County, MA.

Thank you to the 2012 Heritage Hero Honorary Committee. About the Heritage Hero Award The Essex Heritage Hero Award Dinner is an annual celebration that recognizes the special contributions of individuals or groups across Essex County whose passions embody the mission of Essex Heritage – to protect and preserve the region’s rich historic, cultural and natural resources. Previous Honorees 2011 Honorees: 
Dr. Wayne Burton, President North Shore Community College
Kimberley Driscoll, Mayor of Salem 
Mr. Wayne Marquis, Danvers Town Manager 2010 Honorees:
Nicholas Costello, Former Mayor of Amesbury
Byron Matthews, Former Mayor of Newburyport
Maria Miles, Founder of the Salisbury Chamber of Commerce

2009 Honoree:
Thomas P. Costin, of Nahant

2008 Honoree:
Jim McAllister, the locally beloved historian, author, columnist and owner of Derby Square Tours in Salem, MA Essex Heritage Receives TD Charitable Foundation Grant TD Bank, through the TD Charitable Foundation, recently awarded $5,000 to Essex Heritage as part of the banks Commitment to giving back to the community. The grant will allow for the hiring of three additional under-served youth to start working in the Salem and Saugus National Parks through the Youth Summer Jobs program. The program brings under-served youth to the parks to work for 8 to 12 weeks in a variety of jobs including; maintenance, administration, visitor services and interpretation. Participants receive employment training and gain valuable leadership skills. Essex Heritage and the National Park Service are grateful for the generosity of TD Charitable Foundation and their support for the Youth Summer Jobs program. INFORMATION FROM NSES Life Is Short! You won’t stop laughing from the minute Loretta LaRoche opens her mouth until she says good-by an hour and a half later! Appearing in a one-woman comedic tour-de-force on Sunday afternoon, May 6th at the North Shore Music Theater in Beverly, Loretta will touch the funny bone of everyone from nine to ninety and even older with her unique straight-from-the-heart humor. Tickets are only $40 or $50 depending on where you sit – and there is not a bad seat in the house! And if you want to make it a particularly memorable time, spring for the VIP seats at $100 and sit in the two first two rows closest to the stage and meet Loretta in an after-the-show reception in the Broadway Club adjacent to the theater. All proceeds support programs for North Shore elders. Order your tickets today by phone 978 232 7200, online at www.nsmt.org, or at the North Shore Music Theater box office, 62 Dunham Road, Beverly right off Route 128 at Exit 19. Endicott College President to Celebrate Anniversary Congratulations to Endicott College President who is celebrating his twenty-five anniversary as President of the Beverly school. Under the leadership of Richard Wylie, the college has expanded and prospered and the school has become an important element of the North Shore Education experience. President Wylie represents the college as a Commissioner of Essex Heritage and has been a committed supporter of our efforts in this region. Earth Day in Peabody An Earth Day is scheduled for next Saturday at the Torigian Community Life Center from 9 until 2. The event will feature programs the city has embraced, offered by local companies implemented to positively impact the environment. There will also be an electronic recycle collection area where televisions and computers can be dropped off available for residents. There will also be a shoe and sneaker drop off program, and an exchange area for plans and seeds for home gardens. Green Peabody will sponsor the event titled Greenfest. Chestnut Street Days in Salem If you have always wanted to learn more about the homes on Chestnut Street in Salem and want more history about the past occupants, put the afternoon of May 5, 2012 on your calendar. On that afternoon, ten residents of that famous Salem street will open their homes to visitors. This event will provide a financial benefit to the famous Hamilton Hall in the same neighborhood. The cost to visit the ten homes and have the opportunity to speak with the current occupants is $25 and all of the proceeds will go to help maintain historic Hamilton Hall. To obtain more information or to make a reservation for that afternoon contact 978 744 0805 or reserve by mail by sending a check payable to Hamilton Hall along with your name to confirm your participation. Salem Chamber Holds Annual Dinner The Salem Chamber recently held its annual gathering and awards evening and we congratulate Julie Leaderhaus of the historic Hawthorne Hotel for being named the Business Person of the year, and to Bill Haney for his award based on his efforts to improve the quality of cultural presentations in the region with his work at the North Shore Music Theatre. National Grid Delays Work in Downtown Salem National Grid has deferred electric cable replacement work in the downtown for one year to allow the power plant plans in Salem to become a little clearer. Newburyport Plans Youth Fishing Event Town Officials in Newburyport are seeking a number of volunteers to help with both the advance planning and the organization of a first ever youth fishing derby in that port city now scheduled for June 16, 2012 in that community. Anyone interested in helping on this project should contact Andrea Egmont the Director of Youth Services AT 978 465 4434. Death of an NFL/Patriot Legend It was a shock to learn of the suspected suicide death of Junior Seau. He was a perennial two-decade All PRO and last performed in the NFL for the New England Patriots for New England Patriots. for parts of our seasons in a most commendable way. He was scheduled to go into the San Diego Chargers, and was an almost certain lock to be elected to the NFL Hall of Fame.