Wednesday, February 19, 2014

ESSEX HAPPENINGS March 2014

I continue to follow and applaud the work and the activities of the Essex National Heritage Commission as my many years of association with that organization remains high on my list of important matters.  I have come to realize the importance of that National Park Service affiliate and the daily value that is offered to the three quarters of a million residents of the region and the hundreds of thousands of visitors to the area that represented a great deal of activities that make the region such a national treasure.
Essex Heritage Initiatives
Since 1996, The Essex National Heritage Commission (Essex Heritage) has championed the heritage development of Essex County by fostering public-private partnerships that preserve and enhance the significant aspects of the region’s history, cultural heritage and character.
We look forward to working with you to promote the sustainability of this great region. Some of our current initiatives include:

National Heritage Areas
Essex Heritage is a member of the Alliance of Heritage Areas. National Heritage Areas (NHAs) across the country are designated by Congress as places where natural, cultural, and historic resources combine to form a cohesive, nationally important landscape. Through their resources, NHAs tell nationally important stories that celebrate our nation's diverse heritage. NHAs are lived-in landscapes. Consequently, NHA entities collaborate with communities to determine how to make heritage relevant to local interests and needs. Visit the Alliance of National Heritage Areas (ANHA) website.

 Visit the National Park Service (NPS) National Heritage Areas website.

Exhibit at The Gables: Antique Pocketbooks
March 4, 2014 to March 17, 2014 • The House of the Seven Gables, United States, 115 Derby Street, Salem, MA, 01970
This exciting collection of over 50 Antique Pocketbooks includes treasures from the Golden Ages. Many will be staged with accessories for opera, the hunt, or just a day in the country. Traveling across the pond? You may see that too!
Seven Lectures at The Seven Gables: History’s Witches
March 19, 2014 • The House of the Seven Gables, United States, 115 Derby Street, Salem, MA, 01970
Local author and illustrator Lisa Graves offers insights into this fascinating subject.
Exhibit at The Gables: The Malala Portraits
April 2, 2014 to April 10, 2014 • The House of the Seven Gables, United States, 115 Derby Street, Salem, MA, 01970
This stunning collection of portraits of the young girl, Malala, who spoke up in favor of education for girls and was shot for that opinion, depicts her intelligence, courage and dignity.  Painted by local High School students to honor the Nobel Peace Prize nominee, these are compelling works of art.
Seven Lectures at The Seven Gables: The Day the Ocean Changed to Chocolate
April 16, 2014 • The House of the Seven Gables, United States, 115 Derby Street, Salem, MA, 01970
The Day the Ocean Changed to Chocolate by Ben Strohecker, founder of Harbor Sweets!
DANVERS FINANCE COMMITTEE
Last year on the recommendation of Danvers Town Manager Wayne Marquis, I have recently received my sixth or seventh appointment to the Town’s Finance Committee.  The committee is made up of ten town residents who review and recommend to the elected Town Meeting membership.  The Finance committee reviews community budgets and the impact that zoning changes might have on residents and neighborhoods and other community matters.  During the final week of February the Finance Committee held a meeting to review a number of matters that will be presented at a Special Town Meeting scheduled for the first week of March.  The Committee considered and made recommendations.  The observations of the Finance Committee are not binding on the Town Meeting, but carry some weight in the final decision.  

Due to a recent surgical procedure,  I was unable to attend the meeting but positive recommendations on all 22 warrant articles were offered by the balance of the Committee.  I will report on the deliberations and the findings of the Town Meeting in a later report.  There was a varied listing of issues.  There were zoning and medical matters as well as family housing issues.    All of the issues were offered with positive observations, by they were only recommendations and the Town Meeting body could act differently.

Spieliotis to Serve
State Representative from Danvers Ted Speliotis has been picked to represent the Commonwealth on a State School  Safety Cooperative. The State Representative from Danvers will be representing the Speaker of the House on a new commission called for by the Governor to study violence in schools.

Peabody Historical Society
Congratulations to the Peabody Historic Society for their wise and well selected choice of Dick St. Pierre as their recently selected Executive Director.  He will have a large pair of shoes to fill with the retirement of Bill Power.  Both men have served as active Trustees of Essex Heritage and Dick will be a wonderful choice to carry on the work started by Bill Power.   I have seen Dick in action and Peabody Historical Society will be pleased in the long term with their choice. 


Observations on Local Sports
New England Patriots
The Patriots season ended not with a bang, but with a thud as they lost again in the Conference Championship Game and not the Super Bowl.  it is also very clear that the National Conference is playing with more physicality and the Pats need to be restructured to stay competitive.

The Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins lead their NHL Division and several members of the team are representing their specific countries in the Olympics and those not playing internationally are on two week break.

Boston Celtics
The Celtics continue to drift from game to game in their race to a good draft position.  

Red Sox
The Red Sox are preparing for Spring Training in Florida started on 2/15 and former star Curt Schilling announced more bad news (as if he needed more) that his medical advisors have discovered  Cancer  in his body.  The sometimes starting and relief pitcher, Ryan Dempster announced that he will sit out the 2014 season with a desire to spend more time with his family and neck problems.

Bean Pot Hockey Tournament
In 1952 a hockey tournament between the four Boston colleges was established at the old Boston Garden.  The participating schools are Boston College. Boston University, Harvard and Northeastern University   The Tournament is now played at the TD Garden on the first two Monday evenings in February. Each year a blind draw as organized by two tames are played on the first date.  On the second evening, the two winners from week one play as do the two losing teams.  This year the final is set with Boston College playing against Northeastern and BU and Harvard competing.   Boston College has won the last four Bean Pot events and they are alive to extend that record on Feb 19th.  In the history of this event, a major snowstorm hit and virtually closed down the City of Boston and stranded many in the arena for days.   I have attended many of these events over the last half a century, but are content now to watch the events on TV. 

Winter Reading
The winter of 2013-14 has had weather that was very cold and has kept me indoors more often than usual and has had me reading even more often.  As a result, I have read several good books.   I have recently read biographies of Boston athletic greats including Ted Williams and Bobby Orr.  Staying with that kind of books I have recently read a life story of Derek Sanderson.  The story began with Derek’s youth growing up in Ontario in southern Canada.   The book appropriately titled Crossing the Line continued through his early hockey career and his NHL signing with the Boston Bruins.  He along with his Boston teammates were folk heroes in Boston.  Derek was a part of a group of players that won two Stanley Cup Championships in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s.  He was a premier star on that team and was met with great adulation wherever he appeared in Boston.  

As a result of his popularity and his talent he became the target of a competing league and ultimately signed with that league for an ungodly amount of money.  The story continued with information on how he misspent that money on wild times with little or no thought for the future.  He recounted an incident in a snowstorm in southern Canada where he almost died as he had no control of his facilities.

Sanderson’s life was finally put under control and he was saved from self-destruction with the help of former teammates and friends.  As part of his salvation he became involved in a Boston municipal program where he spoke to high school age youth about keeping their lives in order.  He later in life married to a local gal and he and his wife were blessed two young men and developed a communications career on TV with hockey and golf  coverage, and began a financial program to work with young athletes in the preservation of their earnings and future assets.  

I was particularly pleased to see a reference in the book about how a former client of mine at Salem Five was very helpful when Sanderson’s days were at its darkest level.   Yvon Cormier, a builder and a developer took Derek under his wing and put him to work at the Andover Country Club where Cormier was developing new homes.  Yvon was a long time hockey fan from his youth growing up in Canada. The story outlines a serious link to Sanderson’s addiction to alcohol and drugs that were with the help of friends, and local support, Sanderson addressed and defeated these two addictions.

Danvers Historical Society Anniversary Events
The following events are being planned and we will keep you posted  as details become available: 
·         Celebrating Stewardship - the 50th Anniversary of the Danvers Historical Society acquiring Glen Magna Farms
·         The 100th Anniversary of the Danvers Historical Society acquiring the Jeremiah Page House  
·         Celebrating The Society 125 Years!!

STUDENTS PERFORMING IN THE COMMUNITY
Two High Schools in Danvers should be congratulated for efforts offered at the schools.  At St. John’s Prep their annual Empty Bowls event showcased some of the artistic work from their students and raised over $3500 for Haven From Hunger that feed the hungry.  In Danvers High school a student run retail store provided experience for the young men and women that participate.

COPPA MATTERS
The organization devoted to enhancing the life of people with disabilities have been benefited by a grant from Eastern Bank, one  primary financial organization in the region that has provided a valun profit status for those that wish to donate and receive non taxable status for their contributions.

Boys and Girls Club of Greater Salem News
One of my most favorite organizations where I serve on the Board of Directors and does such wonderful work in this region is sponsoring a raffle fund raiser on St. Patrick’s Day. I encourage participation in the following event as the proceeds are all provided to support the club’s operation that supports the youth of this region.

The 5th Annual Shamrock Sweepstakes will take place on Thursday, March 13 at the Moose Lodge at 50 Grove Street. This is a major fundraiser for the Club. We will be selling only 300 tickets at $100 each. The top prize is $10,000. Tickets are on sale at the Club. For more information, call us at 978-744-0915.

Lodging in the region
We are always moat interested in the advance of more lodging for the tourism industry of this region and the City of Salem is in the process of adding more hotel rooms to the region.  The Waterfront Hotel at Pickering Wharf is planning to add thirty two hotel rooms and the City is working on a new Hotel facility in the Post Office section of the Community.   The added rooms will add substantially to lodging in the region.


NORTH SHORE ELDERS PROGRAMS
Gift Cards offered by North Shore Elder Affairs
With the multiple credit card security breaches in the news recently, it can be difficult to feel safe shopping in your favorite stores. However, NSES has a solution for you! By purchasing gift cards to your favorite restaurants and stores through NSES, not only can you feel protected from fraud, but you will also receive full face value of the card with no surcharges, and the vendor will contribute a percentage back to our Nutrition Program!  To find out what gift cards are available to purchase, click here. For additional information, or to place an order, call or email Erica at: eblumberg@nselder.org 
Phone:  978.624.2226
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