Sunday, April 7, 2013 • 1:00 -
3:00pm
Featured Partner Event
Essex County Greenbelt Association Presents:
Vernal
Pond Exploration at Tompson Street Reservation, Gloucester
Join the Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team to explore the mysteries of vernal
pools at Greenbelt's Tompson Street Reservation. Search for early signs of spring, learn the
call of the wood frog and more. Boots
are recommended. Click here to learn more about this event and to get driving directions.
Reservations required. This event is free, but please email
ecga@ecga.org or call Greenbelt at 978-768-7241 to register.
Sunday, April 14, 2013 • 1:00 -
3:00pm
Featured Partner Event
Essex County Greenbelt Association Presents:
Greenscaping
Workshop at The Cox Reservation
82 Eastern Avenue, Essex, MA 01929
Put Nature to Work in Your Yard!
Barbara Warren from the North Shore Greenscapes Coalition will share
greenscaping techniques to create a beautiful healthy yard the natural
way. Curt Dragon of Earth Landscape will
demonstrate tips on composting. Bring
your garden soil and test it for pH, and plant a butterfly garden on the
property. Click here to learn more about
this event and to get driving directions.
Reservations required. This event is free, but please email
ecga@ecga.org or call Greenbelt at 978-768-7241 to register.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013 •
7:00pm
Featured Partner Event
The House of the Seven Gables Presents:
Seven
Lectures at The Seven Gables: Jim McAllister
115 Derby Street, Salem, MA 01970
“Architecture & Preservation in Salem 1900-2000” Salem’s own local
historian & journalist will give a lively account of many of the sites of
historic significance in Salem over the past century.
Reservations recommended. Essex Heritage and Seven Gables Members $10;
Non-Members $15. Please email sweber@7gables.org or call The House of the Seven
Gables at 978-744-0991 ext. 104 to reserve your seats.
Sunday, April 21, 2013 • 1:00 -
3:00pm
Featured Partner Event
Essex County Greenbelt Association Presents:
Earth
Day Celebration at Batchelder’s Landing,
Rowley
Anne Giblin, PhD will share her research on sea level change in Plum
Island Sound followed by a clean up of Batchelder’s Landing and Rowley salt
marshes. Click here to learn more about this event and to get driving
directions.
Reservations required. This event is free, but please email
ecga@ecga.org or call Greenbelt at 978-768-7241 to register.
Featured Partner Event Essex County Greenbelt Association Presents: What's This Tree? at The Cox Reservation 82 Eastern Avenue, Essex, MA 01929
Forester Mike Simmons will guide you on a walk through the Cox
Reservation showing you how to recognize trees by their needles, bark, twigs,
buds, and leaves. Bring your mobile
device and use the free electronic field guide leafsnap. Click here to learn
more about this event and to get driving directions.
Reservations required. This event is free, but please email
ecga@ecga.org or call Greenbelt at 978-768-7241 to register.
Pain and Suffering on Plum Island
It is a most difficult time for homeowners on Plum Island in West Newbury. The many residents of that community have been waiting through a series of storms both in winter and summer over the last several years to see if their homes will survive. Each of the storms did a little more damage to the homes and their supporting foundations that front the water. Each succeeding recent storm did a little more to erode the beach in front of those homes. This last storm that dropped a foot of snow on the area and the accompanying wind has proved to be the final straw for these homes as three of them have been destroyed by the owners and local officials before the houses collapsed into the Atlantic. The feeling is that there may be over thirty houses in peril over the entire island.
Massachusetts Senator Bruce Tarr has been very visible on the island
and promises to help the homeowners find a solution to this dilemma before most
of the waterfront houses are destroyed by the storms or the hand of a private
contractors. I hope a solution to this
problem can be found before that community is devastated. The present owners are seeking a legal
solution to preserve their assets
Salem Partnership Annual Meeting
The Salem Partnership, the very successful community organization that
works closely with the City of Salem, has scheduled its annual meeting on April
3, 2013 at Marsh Hall on the Central Campus of Salem State University. I have been associated with this group since
its inception and continue to be most interested in their accomplishments. If you need more information or want to
attend this meeting contact the Partnership at 978 742 8100.
Salem Five Annual Meeting
Since my retirement from the Salem Five Bank in 1999, I have attended
their annual business meetings held in the bank rooms on the first Tuesday each
April. At this meeting the very
valuable and financially healthy financial institution conducts an annual
business meeting where President and CEO Joseph Gibbons provides an update on
the health of the bank and its continuing role in the numerous communities in
this region where they serve. I
continue to be a Corporator of the bank and look forward each year to receiving
an update of their activities. This
meeting focuses completely on business and in May a social meeting is held
where a speaker of local interest is presented to attendees by bank officials.
Rebuilding Fishing Shack in
Gloucester
We have recently heard about a unique community project that is
rebuilding and renovating an old fish shack in Lanes Cove in the small
community of Lanesville. The old
facility is in a location that more than likely housed a similar building on
the current location about in the year 1775. The present building before the
renovation may go back as far back as 1880.
It is a wonderful project established by the community that brought a
number of volunteer laborers together in a project to save a valuable community
asset. We mentioned volunteer laborers,
and a substantial portion of the needed material has also been donated. It is a eclectic group of volunteers that
have gathered to develop a common band with a sensational effort to save a most
important community asset.
The project is not unlike a project in Danvers when it is obvious that
a local project can be the single event that can bring together a group of
volunteers that are all focused with a high level of enthusiasm on a very
important community project. The only
difference between the two communities is that the Lanesville effort and the
North Danvers project, Swamp Walk, is that one is an old property worth savings
and the other is a new asset that was created when nothing existed before the
effort.
These are two sensational projects at the opposite ends of a
sensational region. The two projects are
wonderful examples of how to bring broad and varied communities with its
residents together towards a common goal.
Commonwealth Grant offered to
Salem Through SSU
The University in Salem has received a $128,000 grant from the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts to work with both residents of the City of Salem
and the teachers in that city to improve English speaking and writing skills
this summer. The teachers from the
community and the University will work together on this program. One of the principal goals of the summer
institute will be to improve the language instructional teaching skills of the
community’s Teachers.
Town of Danvers Announces
Updated Web Site on Rail Trail
The Town of Danvers has announced that the information provided to the
residents of this region and the “look” of the Rail Trail Web site at
www.danversrailtrail.org has been improved and updated. The web site was prepared two years ago by
the Rail Trails volunteer web master Mark Jones, and the senior planner from
the community, Kate Day. They encourage
a visit to the site to review the changes.
City of Beverly Holds Electronic
Recycling day Scheduled
The Boy Scouts operating in the Garden City have scheduled a Recycling
day for used electronics on March 23rd.
The event will be held at Immanuel Church at 140 Bridge Street from 10
AM until 4. PM . Television Sets, Computers, Radios.
Microwaves, Air Conditioners and other items will be collected. For additional information call 978-922-2012
News from Danvers Bipeds
This information is provided as this group, along with the Town of
Danvers, has been most instrumental in seeing the conversion of the Rail Trail
to a sensational recreational asset in the Town of Danvers. This effort is an integral part of the
mission of Essex Heritage to see the re-use of land on abandoned railroad
rights to be converted to a more active
present use.
EVENTS
·
March 11, 2013 - 7:00 - Danvers Bi-Peds regular
monthly meeting, Carriage House at Endicott Park, 57 Forest St.- All are welcome to attend and be a part of
planning monthly walks, activities and efforts to make Danvers a safer place to
bike and walk for all ages. New ideas
are always appreciated.
·
March 16, 2013, 1:30 - March walk - Looking for
the Green - Most everyone is eager to see signs of green at this time of the
year. This months the Bi-Peds will lead
a walk around the Sandy Point section of Danvers. Wear your Irish Green in honor of St.
Patrick’s Day. Park at Popes Landing, 8
Harbor St D`anvers, MA 01923.
·
May Annual Meeting - The exact date is not yet
decided but it will probably be similar to last year which was a pot luck
supper at the home of the Barrys on Riding Club Road. Last year it proved to be the most enjoyable
meeting of the year.
NEWS
February’s Trail
Lovers Stroll - It was a beautiful day for getting out the cross country skis
or the snow shoes which is what a few folks did as they made their way from the
Indoor Sports Arena to Lowell St. and back.
Upon returning they were treated to homemade Valentine cookies and
beverage.
LIFE ALONG THE TRAIL
Check Out the
Recently Updated Danvers Rail Trail Web Site For Updates, News, and How You Can
Donate to the Danvers Rail Trail. Visit http://danversrailtrail.org/
Medical,
Senior and Disability Matters
The following information was provided by Mary Mansfield the head of
COPAA, the Amputee support Group sponsored by Cornell O & P Company in this
region designed to bring a focus on amputee issues. As a member of that support group, and as a
present amputee, I am committed to providing topical information and to work on
action steps that could benefit amputees in this region. The legislation outlined in this report that
exists in Indiana and is being considered in Kentucky could be most positive if
adopted by the Massachusetts Legislature.
Recently Stephanie
Decker on “ABC World News with Diane Sawyer!”
was chosen as her “Person of the Week.”
Stephanie has been working with other advocates in Kentucky, including
Paducah Area Amputees in Action support group leader, and Amputee Coalition
lead advocate, Terri Ross, on passing Insurance Fairness for Amputees in
Kentucky.
Stephanie has
brought attention to the need for Insurance Fairness for Amputees by discussing
the fact that even though she’s originally from Kentucky, she was glad that she
lived in Indiana where she was able to have access to adequate and affordable
prosthetic care through her insurance because of Indiana’s Insurance Fairness
for Amputees law. It passed in 2008. Bringing attention to the arbitrary caps
and restrictions placed on prosthetic devices raised concerns for legislators
on both sides of the aisle in Kentucky.
As a result, last
week, the Kentucky House voted to pass the Insurance Fairness for Amputees bill
(HB 376), by a vote of 82-7! This week
HB 376 is currently in the Kentucky Senate and Stephanie and other amputee
advocates throughout Kentucky are bringing awareness to legislators and asking
the Kentucky Senate to pass this bill before the legislative session ends.
The presentation on
ABCNews.com of the story is likely to include a reference and link to the
Amputee Coalition’s web page for more information.
Dan Ignaszewski |
Director of Government Relations
Amputee Coalition
Phone: (703) 330-1699 Ext. 7102
Cell: (202)
742-1885
E-mail: Dan@amputee-coalition.org
www.amputee-coalition.org
Washington, D.C. Headquarters: 9303 Center Street, Suite 100, Manassas, VA
20110
People
in the News
Development Staff Added in
Gloucester
The City of Gloucester has named Thomas Gillette Executive Director of
the Economic Development and Industrialization Corporation and Thomas Daniel
the new Community Development Director of the Cape Ann Community by Mayor
Carolyn Kirk. The moves have been made
to enhance the community development process in Gloucester
Marblehead names new Hugh School
Principal
The Town of Marblehead has named Layne Millington as the new principal
of the High School. He previously served
as the Principal of neighboring and competing Swampscott High School.
Personal
observations
St. Richard’s 50th Anniversary
This local initiative could be reported as either a regional event or a
senior disability issue, but because the current events has had such a personal
and powerful impact on my wife and me that I have decided to consider the
matter a personal observation.
The parish where my wife and I have worshipped almost from the time we
first moved to the Town of Danvers is currently celebrating the establishment
of the parish and the building of St. Richard’s church fifty years ago. Cardinal Richard Cushing, then the Leader of
the Boston Archdiocese of Boston, decided that another parish was needed in the
fast growing rural Town of Danvers.
I have for a number of years served on the Parish Council and the
Finance Committee of the Parish. My
participation was a result of my wife’s urging that I should do more for our
parish church. When the parish decided to form a committee to prepare a series
of celebrations to commemorate the establishment of the Parish five decades
ago, my wife Marge and I both offered our services to assist the work of that
group as they outlined a celebration.
After a short time, the Chair of the Celebration requested that my wife
and I were asked if we would consider being named Honorary Chairmen of the
Celebration. We accepted the honor, and
at the start of the celebration process volunteered two New England Patriots
tickets to be used as a raffle prize in
the opening month of the celebration to help raise funds for the development of
an activities program. That contribution
added $700 to the “kitty” for the celebrations. Marge also volunteered to help create a
raffle prize with numerous chances to win over the duration of a month. I agreed to serve on a planning committee
that was designed to prepare a plan to generate financial gifts to be used to
develop projects that would commemorate the celebration.
The general committee, chaired by Betsy Geheb planned a series of
events to be held in the church hall in the basement of the church over the
anniversary year to bring the parishioners together, and we have been active in
developing and offering events over the last several months.
On Saturday, March 9, 2013 the General Committee organized a St.
Patrick’s day dinner that included entertainment. The chairman of the Irish event was Mary
Roach and she encouraged my wife and I to attend the event. Up to this event, we had not attended any of
the social events as the church basement in the Church Hall was only accessible
by a pair of steep stairways. and the
effort to get down to that hall is almost impossible for me without
assistance. One of the potential
projects likely to be undertaken as part of the Anniversary Events is to make
the Church Hall accessible to the the many parishioners that wish to
participate in future events, and that project is being investigated and
hopefully a plan will be developed.
At the Irish dinner event we agreed to attend and were assisted down to
church stairs with substantial help by a pair by two young affable and strong
employees from Lyon’s Ambulance Company of Danvers. Those two young men accomplished their task
and on Saturday evening we participated in our first event in the church hall
during the celebration. The event was a
huge success with over 200 in attendance and the dinner and entertainment was
excellent with a catered meal, a Celtic Band from St. John’s Preparatory School
and a troupe of Irish step dancers from the City of Boston performing. The evening also included a raffle of a
number of donated gift baskets.
The highlight of the night for Marge and I was the recognition of our
participation as Honorary Chairmen with a number of general committee members
making very complimentary remarks about our participation. The high point of those remarks was rue
reading of a letter from the Pastor of the Church. Church Pastor Reverend Bruce Flanagan who was
on vacation, but offered his thoughts in a pre- prepared letter. All that happened that evening was a pleasant
sunrise and an honor for Marge and I was truly much appreciated. We were also presented with a generous gift
basket for our help.
.
LATE NEWS
Just before we posted this material, the College of Cardinals voting in
Rome named a new Pope to lead the 2.1 billion members of the Catholic
Church. Pope Francis 1 a Jesuit priest
from Argentina is being thought of as a most positive, humble man and a Pope
that cares for the poor and the marginalized who will effectively lead the
world’s Catholics.
Happy Easter Holiday
We certainly hope that the up-coming holiday will be a pleasant one for
you and your family. As the Easter
holiday is very early this year, celebrated at the end of the month of March, I
think it likely that the Easter Parade with its annual showing of holiday
finery will be postponed at least until the weather becomes a bit more spring
like. There will be time to dress up a
bit as the weather improves.
