Friday, May 24, 2013

Essex Happenings May 24, 2013

Essex Heritage Events and Activities

WELCOME!

Welcome to the Essex National Heritage Area - 500 square miles of historic, cultural, and natural sites... unique and irreplaceable treasures that tell our history.
Join us on a journey through magnificence!

Press Release - Essex Heritage Launches New Website
May 8, 2013
Essex Heritage has launched the redesign of its website, www,essexheritage.org to provide visitors, members and partner organizations with even more relevant and easy-to-find information on the historic, cultural and natural resources in Essex county.  Visit the revamped web site at www.essexheritage.org. You will have substantial information at your fingertips about numerous activities of the Essex National Heritage Commission.

Essex County Featured on WCVB Chronicle
Twice this past week Iconic Essex County Sites Featured
The first of these two Essex County sites that were noted and encouraged a visit were sites connected to the United States Coast Guard.  Wonderful photographic visits to the main base of the Coast Guard off Atlantic Avenue in Boston’s North End were presented.  That facility is not available to usual tours. The one on the Boston base on the news program was revealing as the operation of the Coast Guard and its mission to protect people from the ocean and to protect the ocean from people was visually articulated and outlined many of their everyday functions.  From there, Boston’s Chronicle cameras headed to Essex County and visited the Coast Guard base in Newburyport, the community where the Coast Guard service was founded.  At last year’s Essex Heritage’s Trails and Sails, two weekends of walks and water the USCG base at Newburyport was on the agenda for residents to visit. 

The WCVB Chronicle program went on to visit the still operating Light House at Hospital Point in Beverly.  The show made a point of pointing out that the facility at that location will be available for tours at the Beverly Homecoming session in the summer and at the two weekends of the Essex Heritage Trails and Sails Festival in September.

The second show in that same week followed with a most photogenic visit to the Trustees of Reservations National Historic Place, the Crane Estate in Ipswich.   We trust that the scenes showed at that presentation will encourage residents of Essex County and visitors to the area to put the Crane Estate on their must visit locations during the Essex Heritage Trails and Sails weekends during the last two weekend in September.    The numerous rooms, the two hundred acres, the Grand Alley, the plantings and the world famous beach is very worthy of a visit.  To get more information on these events visit www.essexheritage.org

Become an Essex Heritage Member.  Your Support Matters!
The Essex National Heritage Commission Membership program offers unique opportunities to explore this Heritage Area. Members are the first to hear about exciting events, receive discounts to attend these events and receive the quarterly invitation highlighting them. In turn, supporting Essex Heritage through our membership program means you embrace and champion our mission to preserve, promote and enhance the historic, cultural and natural resources of the Essex National Heritage Area. Our power comes from the power of our supporters – people like you who commit to protecting our region and our resources. We can't do it without you! Thank you!
•  Learn more about member benefits and what it means to be a member
•  Become a member
Questions? For more information, email or phone Essex Heritage at 978-740-0444.
Thank you to our Corporate Members!

Essex Heritage is grateful for the generous support of our Corporate Members! Corporate Members enjoy unique visibility opportunities and privileges. Visit our Business Partnership Opportunities and Corporate Sponsors page to find out more.

Regional Events

Salem Ferry announces Waterfront Dining Program
Boston Harbor Cruises that runs the Salem to Boston ferry trips has applied for a food and beverage license.   The ferry trips that are expected to begin on May 23rd has applied for and has been awarded a seasonal license to operate a waterside eatery at the ferry launch site on Blaney Street in Salem.  The location will serve light food fare and alcohol similar to a facility operated in Boston by the Cruise Company at their location in that city on Long Wharf.  The City of Salem has approved a seasonal license that will valid from April 1st through January 15th.   It is expected that the new operation will be available sometime around the 4th of July.   This extra service will most certainly enhance the boating experience from Salem to Boston and make the trip more enjoyable.

Danvers Group that Created Swampwalk To Hold Open House
The Swampwalk development team has completed their work and invite interested residents of Danvers and the region to an OPEN HOUSE scheduled for Saturday. May 18th at 10:00 AM at the North Entrance in Wenham to the walk from the Danvers Rail Trail. If you can’t make the open house you can plan a visit at some time soon.

There will be a ribbon cutting and a few short speeches. Additionally, 'work-crew' food from Supreme's will be served and guided environmental tours will be offered by Wetland Scientists.   The work has been a labor of love for many and is much appreciated as it opens a section of Danvers previously not accessible. In short, it will be festive & fun for the whole family.

Of special note, Bob Osgood, currently residing at the Tapley School, will be there to check-out 'Osgood Island'.  Bob is mobility impaired but is looking forward to being dropped off at the Rte. 97 parking lot & then being van-transported down the Rail Trail and then personally-transported onto the Observation Platform.

Long term Salem Restaurant to Close
The Salem Restaurant”‘43 Church” has announced its near term closing in June 2013.  The local eatery owned by the family of old friend and community benefactor George Harrington that has owned and operated the facility under several names for a number of years.   George has been a wonderful supporter of many local initiatives, and we certainly wish him well in the future. The location has some wonderful long-term history as when it was first rehabilitated and opened by Joan Boudreau, It was the very first building and business operation opened in the famous Salem Redevelopment activity.  The new operation was financed then by the Salem Five Bank, where I worked at the time, and was the first new operation started in Salem’s overall successful redevelopment effort.   The restaurant has had several successful runs with various owners and there was for a time a business club on the top floor of the facility.   The location in the past was made famous as the place where a successful early telephone call was made by Alexander Graham Bell to an assistant so there is much history that goes with the location.  There is a persistent rumor that the location may be transferred to a regional entity with a history in the area.  The City of Salem has long and well deserved reputation as the home of   many fine restaurants are we certainly hope that an arrangement can be made that keeps this location open as a prominent restaurant in a community with a history in that field

The City of Peabody Institutes a tree planting Program       
The City of Peabody is planting two and one half dozen trees in the City this spring, in front of resident’s homes.  The trees come in numerous species.  For more information about this program, contact Tree Warden Brian Grant at 978 356 7134

Town Meetings scheduled in the next weeks
Spring is the time for town meetings, and both Ipswich and Danvers along with others will hold meeting in the next few weeks.

The City of Newburyport has scheduled a half marathon
The event will produce revenues that will be donated to the One Fund to help repair the damages done at the recent Boston Marathon Bombings.

Medical, Senior and Disability Matters

Update on COPAA Efforts to Assist Boston Marathon Bombing Victims
I want to bring all of you up to date on what COPAA is doing as a partner of the Amputee Coalition of America. As previously related, Rose Bissonnette has been asked by the ACA to be the Peer Visitor Facilitator for Massachusetts to coordinate visits to help the victims of the bombings last Month who lost limbs. She contacted COPAA quickly after the attack and she asked if we would be one of those who would help. We immediately contacted our membership and I have tried to keep you all informed as we go along and as I hear from Rose.

First of all, we have had an outpouring of offers from many members. We do so appreciate how many have asked how they can help these latest victims of limb loss. I know we all feel helpless, but also we each share something with each of these folks. We want to reach out, to help, to tell our story and to let them know that there is hope after amputation. Many of us have gone on after our amputation to return to activities we did before we lost our limb. Many are as active if not more now. We know how important we feel to let others know that, and it is going to be helpful as time goes on even more.  Right now, of course, though, it's not about us, but about the victims and their story and the best thing we can do is be there for them, listen and help them with their first step in their journey. 

That will be the first step that we need to take as we try to help these folks who have lost limbs so catastrophically and so tragically. Helping them find their way on their journey will be a delicate and sensitive task, but I think we have some pretty incredible members of our Association and I know Rose will have others who will be just as incredible. For most of us, we are giving these bombing victims more help and better information than any of us received when we lost our limbs. Be proud of the work we have done in our COPAA to get to that point!   For your information, COPAA organized by the professionals at Cornell Brothers is a couple of years old and is now in the process of organizing with a formal board, By-Laws, contributors and a formal organization.  I expect that as in the past, I will participate in the new formal organization that provides so much for so many.  This update was prepared and presented by Director “Posie” Mansfield of COPAA.

We want to thank all of you who responded and have submitted and assure all of you that a list of volunteers has been offered to help this issue. She will then sort through them, take the information, and notify us when we will be needed. It won't be right away, as this has been a traumatic event, which the victims need to deal with before anything else. Their road to recovery will begin once they get sent to rehabs or when they are settled in the hospital awaiting other medical issues to heal.   That is when they will most need us. We will wait until the time is right, when some healing has started. For some, the healing will require a lifetime.

The plan is to pair a current civilian amputee peer with Veteran amputees from the military who have also volunteered to help. Both will be with one patient to give two unique perspectives.
        
 So far they are reporting 14 amputations, with more anticipated in the coming days/weeks.

I am incredibly proud to represent this wonderful Association. I want to thank every one of you who have made an offer to help. I can assure you we are all being considered based on ACA criteria. The process will also include a CORI check, of course, and so a lot of paperwork will need to be done early. If you volunteered you will probably hear from Rose directly, but she may contact me. I have forwarded all your contact information to her for her consideration.

Thank you to all who stepped up. To the rest of you, I hope you all are doing the best you can in your own daily lives. I will keep you all posted. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Also, you should know that not only am I keeping Keith Cornell up to date on what I know, but also he is in the loop with many others in his field. He is also very busy doing his part to help, and he is grateful as well to all of you who have volunteered.
Our sister group at Whittier may see an increase in their patient load with Boston Marathon Bombing victims. We send along to them our thoughts now as they gear up to prepare to take patients at some point along the way. As you may or may not know, Whittier is an excellent wound care facility as well as having Keith and his lab there on site. Needless to say, they also are a fantastic, multi-faceted hospital and rehab. Any patients who go there will receive the best of complete patient care.

Thank you all again, and I am here for anyone who wishes to talk or has questions. For those who cannot volunteer to go in, please know that your thoughts and prayers for the victims and for those of us who are going in will be greatly appreciated as we find the right words for these difficult times.

News from North Shore Elder Services and its subsidiary program, the Longevity Connection
One of the most important committees that I serve on at North Shore Elder Services headquartered in Peabody is the Longevity Connection.  This service is focused on potential clients that require services offered by North Shore Elder Services that do not qualify for government assistance.  This program could be very valuable to an ever expanding segment of the region served by North Shore Elder Services.     The goal of the Longevity Connection is to provide clients of the Longevity Connection with the best insights and information available, as well as goods and services-pre approved. Reasonably priced and delivered seamlessly.

Some of the services provided are:
•      Longevity Liaisons
•      Professional Services Provided by Affiliates
•      Private Care Management
•      The Longevity Store
•      The Longevity Library and Bookstore

For more detailed information about any of the services listed above call 978 538-8254 to set up an appointment and the conveniently located and accessible facility at the North Shore Elder Services office or visit the Longevity Connection web site at www.longevityconnect.org.

The agency is awaiting word if a grant they have applied for from Tuffs Health Care and their marketing programs will be provided. If successful electronic and informational Kiosks will be crated and delivered to public places like libraries and Senior Centers to help spread information about services.   The Longevity Connection is ready and willing to speak to local groups to provide information.   If you wish more details on this program or wish to make an appointment for a public presentation contact Manager Eileen Lubas at Eileen@longevityconnect.org.


New Rehabilitation and Care Center opens
A new and well-appointed 140 bed rehabilitation center called Hawthorne Hill appears to be one of the final pieces of the development of the old State Hospital in Danvers.  This facility is on the lower section of the Danvers Hill and is located adjacent to the Beverly Hospital in Danvers facility.   The first patients in this new facility were moved from the now closed Cedar Glenn Nursing home on Summer Street in Danvers.  Cedar Glen is now closed and certainly some reuse must be expected.  That facility was built on the site of a popular restaurant and bar called Putnam Lodge that was a great spot in its day for banquets and other social functions. This location was a popular spot for Danvers residents and regional events.

Spaulding Hospital Adaptive Sports spring Newsletter is now available and for those disabled individuals in this region can be accessed for information Click here to view.

People in the News

Former Arizona Congresswoman Honored
Former Arizona Congresswomen Gabriel Gifford who two years ago, was almost assassinated at a public meeting by a mentally unbalanced gunman was recently presented a profile in Courage Award by Kennedy Library Trustee and daughter of slain U S President John F. Kennedy, Caroline Kennedy, for her continuing and courageous recovery from the gunshot to her head and the perpetual fight that she has been waging along with her former astronaut husband for tougher and stricter gun control measures.  She indicated in her remarks that the fight will continue in the future, and she wished that more people that could influence the changes has more courage to institute the needed reforms.  She also wants to leave the world better than she found it.

Two Selectmen named in Swampscott
Former Selectman Mathew Strauss along with John Callahan were elected to Selectmen seats in Swampscott.  They were elected from a field of four candidates

Anderson Elected in West Newbury
The Town of West Newbury has a new selectman, Joseph Anderson who previously served the community as a member of the Town’s Finance Board.

Unscheduled Space Walk
One of the Astronauts that recently completed an unplanned space walk to repair a leak in the space station was a Salem native, Chris Cassidy who is presently living in nearby York, Maine with his wife and three children is a graduate of both the United States Naval Academy and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Two Local Bankers Honored with Salem Chamber Awards
Two regional bankers from this region that are both friends and fellow Salem Rotarians were recently honored by the Salem Chamber of Commerce at their annual event.  Michael Wheeler, President of the Beverly Cooperative Bank was named Businessman of the Year, and John Hall Senior Vice President at Salem Five Bank received the Community Service award for 2013.  Congratulation to both of their well-deserved awards.

Personal Observations

Current Reading Project
From time to time, I have shared some of my current reading material with all of you.   I have recently completed of a new book by a favorite author. The book written by Nathanial Philbrick who previously wrote books about, the Voyage of the Mayflower and a story about General Custer’s Last Stand and In the Heart of the Sea.   Having read all of those presentations and completely enjoyed them, when his present book about the City of Boston, the siege of that City by the English and the battle for Bunker Hill that helped drive the English from the City, and started a national revolution, I jumped at that purchase.  

The treatise begins with explanations and the situations that led up to the Revolutionary War such as a standoff in Salem called Leslie’s Retreat and the first battles in Concord and Lexington.  The book contains numerous references to Salem, Danvers and other eastern Massachusetts communities.   The people from those communities who participated in the early hostilities of that period were developed most effectively as the story continued.    The book was most enjoyable and on page after page, I learned new facts about the event of that time.     The book concluded with the evacuation of Boston by the English prior to a planned attack on Boston by General Washington and his army on March 17th. It is very evident from the presented facts of the time, why the celebration of the evacuation of Boston, the departure of the English for Halifax, Canada along with the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day is so important to Bostonians.  As with his other literary works, I endorse his present offering Bunker Hill, A City, a Siege and a Revolution as a wonderful read, and is made even better for those of us that live or have lived in this region.

Boston Sports Update
The Boston Bruins closed out its series in a contentious seventh game with a surprising Toronto team.  In a surprise, to go along with other upsets, Boston arch-rival the Montreal Canadian’s were eliminated.  Now the Bruins have the dangerous New York Rangers to contend with in the next series as they move toward the possible winning of the Stanley Cup.   So the New York rivalry with Boston with the Yankees, the Knicks, the Jets and the Giants continues.



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