Peabody Independence Greenway, Newburyport Solar Program, Green Farms

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2009

New Rail Trail for Bicyclists and Walkers in Peabody Completed

As an organization that has devoted valuable time and precious resources to the development of rail trail activity in this region over recent years, Essex Heritage applauds the City of Peabody for their recent Rail Trail development accomplishments. Mayor Michael Bonfanti officially opened Peabody’s Independence greenway for use yesterday with a ribbon cutting ceremony at Ross Park in West Peabody. What the City of Peabody has accomplished in such a relatively short period of time is amazing. The concept of developing a Rail Trail for this community with its wonderful combination of residential and commercial uses was only conceived a short two decades ago in a city master plan created in 1990. From the planning process to completion and use by the residents of Peabody in such a relatively short period of time is quite an accomplishment. The city moved from the planning stage that took the better part of a decade to the acquisition of the abandoned railway right of way and then the start of actual construction just a short three years ago. It appears that one of the keys to the success of this project was the various sources of funding that were acquired to complete the project. The city committed money raised from their Community Preservation Act funding to complete the trail design and then sought and received funding from the Federal and State governments for the more than $3.0 million in funding needed to complete the project. The Massachusetts Highway Authority has overseen construction and will ultimately turn the trail over to the City of Peabody when all of the work is completed.

The soon to be completed Peabody Independence Greenway now allows Peabody residents to travel 4.6 miles from the North Shore Shopping Center near the Leahy Clinic up into West Peabody along a paved way that moves along through woodlands and scenic views that opens up almost 400 acres to residents of the City. Travel for the most part can be accomplished safely with out the worry of vehicular traffic. There is a small stretch of the trail that has an on street connection. The City is already contemplating how the trail can be connected into the neighboring community of Salem and beyond where other trails exist. If one were willing to look into the future there might come a time when cyclists could ride in the State from the New Hampshire border deep into the coastal North Shore region.

Essex Heritage has and continues to play a coordinating role in the Border to Boston Trail program that will open up a rail trail in the future from Salisbury to Danvers. Some of that Trail is presently open and a section in Topsfield will open this coming weekend. We can only hope that some of the participants in the Border to Boston venture can learn from the Peabody experience and can envision what can be accomplished when a community decides to move forward with a single purpose. The recreational experience in Peabody is now much more expansive and the safety of cyclists in the community is protected. Once again, Essex Heritage offers its congratulations to Mayor Bonfanti and the other associated municipal officials who played a role in this project for what they have accomplished for their community and the region.

More Green News

In recent postings we have been noting activities in the region that positively affect the environment as those actions can be so important to the future. I noticed a recent announcement by the Town of Newburyport that will have such an impact. The Town and an energy services company, Ameresaco Inc. recently unveiled a solar power system that will supply power to several town buildings. The system that the Town is touting as the largest municipal solar project of its kind in the State will supply power to a public middle school and to the department of Public Works Building in town. In addition to providing power to the school, the project will also provide and educational experience for all of the students who attend the Nock Middle School. Weather and solar power production information will be provided to the students and that information will be used by the teachers and analyzed by the students in the classrooms at the school. This seems to be a wonderful use of solar power that serves both municipal needs and the students in the community.

Many Farms in the Region Seeking Green Solutions to Success

In a recent story in the Boston Globe, North Edition reporter Cathy McCabe authored a comprehensive story about the efforts of many farmers in the Essex County agricultural community who are employing eco friendly strategies to assure continuing success. The story noted the efforts of many in this region to use “green techniques” to help them continue to be relevant. The report noted the use of yard use that is being turned into compost and then recycled for a profit by Essex Heritage Commissioner Bill Clarke an eighth generation farmer at his farm in Danvers. It also highlighted the use of wind power and solar that is being tested for use at other farms in Newburyport, Amesbury and Salisbury in the region. It seems certain that in the not too distant future that more and more of the farmers in this region will continue to explore new eco-strategies to stay profitable, and in that way preserve the current farming acres in the region as open, contributing and valuable space. It seems reasonable to assume that more and more green strategies will be employed in this region by the agricultural community in the years ahead,

As always, your comments, observation and questions about the work of Essex Heritage are welcome. Please contact me click here at www.essexheritage.org/tom.html or call 978 720 0444. Thanks. Tom Leonard

ENHC Nomination Process, Haverhill News, Green News, Connor's Farm

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2009

Essex Heritage Nominating Committee Completes its Task

The Essex Heritage Commission Nominating Committee under the direction of new Trustee Sumner Jones from Eastern Bank had completed its task and has identified a dozen and a half potential new Commissioners. Invitation letters have been sent to the nominees and over the next couple of weeks prior to and just after the annual meeting exploratory conversations will be held with interested parties to learn if they will accept a position as a Commissioner. At the Essex Heritage Annual Meeting scheduled for October 20, 2009 at the Community House in Hamilton a final list of Commissioner nominees will be presented for election and the region will have a new group of advocates to help spread the good word about the work of Essex Heritage. As we finalize a list we will provide profiles in this space later this month.

News from Haverhill’s Mayor

Earlier this month we received a newsletter from the Mayor Jim Fiorentini of Haverhill. The Mayor while very guarded about the direction of State revenues and how those trends will affect Haverhill remained upbeat about several positive activities in his community. The City received a recent visit from Governor Patrick who participated in a celebration of the opening of Hamel Mills Lofts in Haverhill and to announce that the City will receive funding to build a new parking garage in the downtown. This is a project that is much needed and that the City has desired for some time, and the announcement was greeted with much enthusiasm. The Mayor’s newsletter also noted that the City had also received an Open Space grant to purchase an old rail trail in Bradford. That purchase has been accomplished without the expenditure of any municipal funds and the community is very pleased to now own the open space from the Basilier Bridge to the Comeau Bridge. The City is making plans to apply for State grant funding to convert that old rail line into a walking and bicycle trail. This is certainly part of a longer term plan but the Mayor remained confidant that there will be a rail trail in the future along the river in Bradford. Essex Heritage is certainly a strong advocate of rail trail expansion in this region, and looks forward to hearing more of this project in the not too distant future. The Mayor also announced that the City continues to Go Green. Solar panels are being installed at the Senior Center to help manage costs, and a posting that National Grid is about to begin construction on one of the largest solar farms in New England at the old gas company site was announced. The Mayor lauded this announcement as a great way to enhance the already positive image of the City of Haverhill.

Sticking with the Green Trend

I saw a recent news release that I thought was most positive as it contained information about two communities that were teaming up to qualify as Green Communities. If going green were not positive enough, any time two communities take positive steps to accomplish anything collectively it is a big plus for the region and the citizens of the two communities. . I have long advocated the need to accomplish more tasks collectively as there is so much more that can be accomplished together rather than alone. The communities of Salem and Swampscott that have a common border were recently selected by the State Department of Energy Resources to receive a technical assistance grant under the Green Communities program. The assistance is designed to help municipalities meet the criteria needed to qualify as green communities which will then make them eligible for additional grants. This certainly qualifies as a wonderful example of how two neighboring communities can work together to help accomplish a common and commendable goal. Anything that local communities can do to set an example of working together and saving energy is most admirable. We applaud the municipal leaders of Salem and Swampscott for seeing the need to work together and to cooperate as a small part of a larger region.

Connor’s Farm in Danvers

This is such a wonderful time to visit local farms. The fall season is a great time to experience all of the wonderful open space resources we have in this region, and the area farms are a perfect example and use of the preservation of open space. The Connor’s Farm at 30 Valley Road (Route 35) in Danvers just before one gets to Topsfield has always been a great example of combining the opportunity to purchase locally grown produce and having a little fun at the same time. The farm that was founded in 1904 and began life as a truck farm, now has had for many years, a wonderful farm stand on the 140 acre working farm, where all kinds of produce can be purchased. This year, Bob Connors, who I am happy to say played Little League baseball for me years ago in Danvers, mowed has annual corn maize to a new level. The seven acre maize is shaped as Family Guy characters “Stewie and Brian”. I can’t say, I can even begin to explain to you who these characters are, but I understand they are from a popular Fox TV show that appears here in the Boston region. Arial shots of the maize have appeared in local newspapers and a shot of the maize can be viewed on the farm web site at www.connorsfarm.com, In any event the maize is quite popular and is open through the end of the month. I am certain that Bob Connors would welcome you to a visit to his “Family Guy” maize and his farm stand through the end of this month. October is such a great time to get out into this region and enjoy all of the farms that dot this historic landscape.

As always, your comments, observation and questions about the work of Essex Heritage are welcome. Please contact me click here at www.essexheritage.org/tom.html or call 978 720 0444. Thanks. Tom Leonard

Happy Columbus Day, Financial Successes, Banking Notes, Regional Fall Events

Monday, October 12, 2009

Happy Columbus Day Holiday

We certainly hope that you all enjoy this wonderful fall holiday. There are a number of events and celebrations taking place all over the region, and we hope you find an event where you can enjoy the day. I intend to make this a very abbreviated posting as on this holiday as our office is closed for the day and also two of my grandchildren are participating in a soccer tournament west of here, and my wife are going to be spectators at a number of games today. I do want to note a couple of issues of note before I sign off.

Recent Financial Successes for the Region

• The region received some wonderful news in the last couple of days when Governor Patrick announced that the State will make a firm commitment of an additional $21 million to the new Regional Vocational Technical High School scheduled to be built in Danvers. This new commitment brings the total offered by the State to $98.6 million towards this important regional effort. To date Danvers and Rockport have approved plans for the school and we expect that more communities will approve the plan in the near term. Essex Heritage was a very early supporter of the Regional Vocational Technical School and continues its support today.
• The Governor also announced a second major commitment to the region when he offered $69 million to Salem State College to replace the library that was declared unsafe. This is most important as the College is continuing its efforts to gain University status could not accomplish that without a university style library.
• Wayne Marquis, the Town Manager of the Town of Danvers announced at a recent Selectman’s meeting that the process of approving the town received some good news, when the High School rebuilding/addition process received some good news when revamped plans showed a reduction in total project costs of $3.2 million.

All in all, very good financial news for many regional projects.

Banking Partners Make Positive Announcements

Several of our most generous banking partners made news in the last several days. The soon to be announced Danvers Bank and Beverly National Bank leadership team made a wonderful commitment of $25,000 to insure the continuation of the Beverly Bookmobile project. On another note, Eastern Bank was named the number one Small Business Administration lender in the entire State. That commitment certainly helped a number of small businesses in both this region and across the state.

Regional Fall Events

· I see that the community of Newburyport has a number of events planned for Columbus Day. That looks like a great place to visit today.

· Next Saturday, October 17, 2009, the Groveland Historical Society will hold a Historic House and Barn Tour. The tour will feature seven 19^th and 19^th century homes and a reproduction of a Georgian Colonial. Four historic barns will also be on display. For more information call 978 374 3684.

Personal Note

Sunday was such a beautiful day here in New England, until late in the afternoon when both professional teams, the Red Sox and the Patriots both suffered difficult losses. One loss took place in the ninth inning and the other took place in overtime. I am sure that there were other events in the region that were much more enjoyable than the two described above.

As always your comments, questions or observations about the work of Essex Heritage is appreciated. I can be contacted at www.essexheritage.org. Thanks. Tom Leonard

North Shore Chamber, Essex Heritage Annual Meeting, Tax Credit Program, First Bloom Grant

Friday, October 9, 2009

North Shore Chamber Continues Important Breakfast Series

Each month the North Shore Chamber continues to provide its members with wonderful programs at their monthly breakfast seminars. Each month the chamber provides either a topical speaker or a panel that provides valuable information to a large regional audience. The speakers generally represent federal, state and local government officials or representatives from private industry and those participants always provide information that is relevant to today’s news or current issues. The series moves between several local hotels or large function facilities and each month draws a large crowd of members and their guests to these forums. The most recent presentation was by the leadership of the leading hospitals in the region, and as always provided topical information on most important issues that affect us all. The medical profession and the current movement in Washington to update medical benefits for a larger portion of the population was a part of the discussion.

Essex Heritage Annual Meeting Scheduled for October 20, 2009

Over the last week or so, invitations to the annual October meeting of Essex Heritage have been delivered both through the mail and electronically. We hope that you received your invitation, but if you did not receive an invitation, and want to attend the meeting contact Essex Heritage at www.essexheritage.org to secure a reservation. The meeting scheduled for the Community House in Hamilton will feature reports on the activities of the Commission ranging from plans for Bakers Island to the new Essex Heritage Scenic Byway project. A slate of new Commissioners will be offered for approval and the slate of officers for the 2009-2019 year will also be confirmed. Three new members of the Essex Heritage Board of Trustees will also be confirmed and three former Essex Heritage Trustees will be designated as Trustee Emeritus. At the meeting several new prestigious Pioneers in Partnership will be presented to regional activists who have completed projects that have had an impact on this region. In a future posting on this message, I will provide an overview of he award winners, and will outline the projects that were identified for the awards.

New Historic Tax Credit Legislation

I recently received a message from the National Trust for Historic Preservation that could have a substantial impact to help move this country out of the economic malaise currently affecting so many regions of the country. The message reported that legislation has been filed in the United States Congress that would extend the existing historic tax credit program. Taking a cue from the current Ken Burns documentary, the report notes, “That if National Parks are America’s best Ideas then surely one could make the case that Federal Rehab Tax Credit has been proven to be one of America’s best historic preservation ideas”. The tax credit concept was first introduced in 1976 and since then, over 50 billion in renovation and revitalization dollars have been invested in preservation projects. Now, on October 1, 2009 Senators Olympia Snowe and Blanche Lincoln along with Representatives Allyson Schwartz and Pat Tiber introduced a measure to the Congress that would make a good idea even better. The 2009 Community Restoration and Rehabilitation Act is a package of amendments that would further the mission of the rehab credit, by encouraging substantial energy savings in historic buildings whole spurring greater investments in commercial projects particularly with smaller businesses located in older neighborhoods where there is a critical need for revitalization. This could be a boon to business development as in 2008 alone the tax credit program produced $5.64 Billion in private investment and created over 57,000 new jobs or about 55 new jobs per project. I am sure that all of our friends in the development business and the banking industry will be watching and monitoring this proposed legislation to see if the legislation progresses through the Congress. Passage of the bill could be a spur to the economy both at the national level and regionally here in Essex County.

First Bloom Program Plans Announced

Essex Heritage in collaboration with the National Park Service and the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Salem were recently notified that they were the recipients of a $20,000 grant from the National Park Foundation. The grant will fund the popular First Bloom program at the Salem Maritime National Historic Site. This grant is a follow on project to a similar program at the Saugus iron Works National Historic Site n 2008. First Bloom is a national education conservation program that reaches out to urban youth to teach them about local plants and encourages them to protect the environment in America’s National Parks and in their own back yards.

In this program fifteen young boys and girls from the local Salem club who are in grades 4 through 6, will explore nature and work with National Park Service Rangers and local educators to learn the National Park Service ethic of environmental stewardship. The fifteen youth from Salem are part of a Salem Boys and Girl’s Club program called Ultimate Journey that introduces nature to these children using a variety of outside activities and field trips. Participants will post their experiences on a web site written for kids by kids. First Bloom was created by the National Park Service to honor the passion of former First Lady, Laura Bush for the environment. Ms Bush serves as the honorary chair of the National Park Foundation. This is the second collaboration with the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Salem, as last summer the club worked with the local National Park Site and Essex heritage on a summer camp initiative around this region,

As always, your questions, comments and observations about the work of the Essex Heritage are encouraged. I can be reached at www.essexheritage.org. Thanks. Tom Leonard

Northeast Harvest, North Shore Community College, North Shore Arts and Theatre

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Northeast Harvest…Your guide to Fresh Food Grown Locally

Northeast Harvest is a collaborative venture of the Essex Agricultural Society and the Essex National Heritage Commission. These two organizations have joined together to help sustain the farmers and the other agricultural producers of Essex and Middlesex Counties. Together we are working with many other local organizations as well as individual growers in the region to highlight the number and variety of farms and food products that are available in northeastern Massachusetts. To put it simply, our mission is to help consumers discover, enjoy and support the farmers and local agriculture in this part of the State of Massachusetts.

In northeastern Massachusetts, within a 35 mile radius north of Boston, there are hundreds of local farms producing a wide variety of fresh products, You can find a wide variety of fruit and berries, vegetables, cheese, honey ice cream and baked goods as well as unique products like llama wool and rare varieties of flowers. For more information on this collaboration please visit the web site at www.northeastharvest.com. At that site you can also sign up for a periodic newsletter that provides current information on the farms and products of the region. Also it seems appropriate at this time to once again remind you that the Topsfield Fair that is offered at this time each year by our partner the Essex Agricultural Society is in full swing from now through the Columbus Day weekend. Visit the Fair this week to get a first hand flavor of the products offered by the farmers of this region.

North Shore Community College to Break Ground for a New Building

On October 29, 2009 on the Danvers campus of the North Shore Community College, the College will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for the newest addition to the campus. The college has recently secured funding to build a new Health Professions and Student Services Building on the campus that is located just off Rt. 95 in Danvers. The new building will add to an already busy campus that along with the other college campus in Lynn is experiencing substantial growth in the number of students attending classes. Due in part to expanding programs and to the difficult economic times, the number of attending students has grown to a record enrollment. In the last year alone, the college has seen the enrollment of students in degree programs increase by almost 1000 students. The groundbreaking for the new Health Sciences building will also bring attention to the plan to make this new building one of the first in the State to produce more energy than it consumes. The new facility will be a model of green technology complete with solar panels, wind turbines and rainwater harvesting. While the funding for the construction of the new building is in place, there will still be a need to raise additional funds to furnish the building before an official opening. The college received substantial funding from the Commonwealth, but like all other public colleges in the State only a portion of the needed funding comes from public sources, and there always remains a need to raise private funds. The College has established the North Shore Community College Foundation to help with that task, and I am pleased to serve on that Board. The College has recently announced that it will be undertaking a major gifts campaign over the next several months to complete the furnishing of the new building. For more information on this project contact Sandra Edwards, Vice president of Institutional Advancement at sedwards@northshore,edu. Essex Heritage is proud of the partnership that it has established with the North Shore Community College and will continue to work with the College as it improves this region through education.

North Shore Music Theatre Facility Foreclosed

It was particularly sad to see that a foreclosure auction was held recently at the North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly. It was not surprising to see that the lead bank in the consortium of financial institutions that held the mortgage on the property was the successful bidder at the foreclosure sale. In similar cases where the outstanding debt is so high, potential bidders are usually content to wait until after a financial institution has total control of a facility before beginning an exploratory attempt to acquire the property from the financial institution. I do not have any inside information, but the region can only hope that there might be an arts or theatre group in the area who might begin discussions with the new property owner to learn if some kind of deal can be struck. The loss of the theatre in Beverly has created a major void in the arts and theatre world in this region and it would be most positive to learn that there is a local group somewhere preparing an approach to bring theatre back to the region. The Essex County region is poorer for the loss of the North Shore Music Theatre and hopefully in the near term, a local group will surface with a new plan. Essex Heritage long ago recognized the need for the arts and for the kind of entertainment offered in this region, and maybe positive news on this front will be forthcoming.

As always your questions, comments and observations about the work of Essex Heritage or about anything that you see in these postings are most welcome. I can be contacted at tleonard@essexheritage.org Thanks Tom Leonard

Marlehead Not-For Profit Honored, Topsfield Linear Common, Governor Patrick Visits Salem, Essex Heritage Scenic Byway Meetings, N.S.Community College

Monday, October 5, 2009

Marblehead Chamber to Honor Not For Profit

At the 57th Annual meeting of the Marblehead Chamber of Commerce, on October 13, 2009 at the Landing in Marblehead the Marblehead Museum and Historical Society will be honored as the Non Profit Organization of the Year. The Museum is located at 170 Washington Street in the heart of Marblehead’s Historical District that includes over 200 privately owned colonial homes the helps preserve the qualities of this new England fishing port and harbor. The Museum preserves and interprets the local and national importance of Marblehead and its inhabitants through programs and artifacts that span five centuries. The Marblehead Museum and Historical Society is a wonderful partner in the work undertaken by Essex Heritage and we offer our congratulations on the award and the recognition they will be receiving,

Topsfield to Open Trail

It is certainly not too early to make plans to attend the opening of the Topsfield Linear Common Trail on Saturday, October 17, 2009. The dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled to take place at 1:00 p.m. That reception and presentation will be followed by a short walk to the head of the trail where a ribbon cutting ceremony will take place. This event is the culmination of years of planning and advocacy and the opening. of the 1/3 of a mile soft surface, multi-use tail will link the Village Center with a school, recreational facilities and local business. Essex Heritage is very pleased to have a played a part in both the planning and the funding for this project. Funding for the project came from grants from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Essex National Heritage Commission Partnership Grant Program. Planning and permitting is now underway for the next phase of this project that will take users to Route 1 across for the Topsfield Fair. Ultimately the 3.5 mile trail in Topsfield will connect with the contiguous communities of Wenham and Boxford and will be a part of the 28-mile Border to Boston Trail connecting Salisbury with Danvers. Essex Heritage has provided continuing leadership and support to this important regional coalition that is helping to develop this initiative.


Governor Deval Patrick Visits Salem

This morning the Governor of the Commonwealth, Deval Patrick paid a visit to Salem, to participate in two events. He was a presenter at the Massachusetts Development Work Force Board’s quarterly meeting held at the Salem Five Bank’s Community Room, and he used the trip to Salem to make a second announcement. He released additional information at a public appearance at the Salem MBTA station that funding to build a new six-story 750 to 900 car parking garage at that busy station is now in place. The City of Salem has been seeking funds for many years for a parking garage and railroad train waiting area to serve the hundreds of commuters who use the Salem station to travel to and from Boston. Salem’s location as the county seat and the headquarters for the current court system also draws many travelers from north of the city each day. In addition, the city’s reputation as a tourist destination draws hundreds of people each month that come to explore the city’s attractions all through the year. . The Salem Partnership a private-public partnership that has been advocating and fostering positive development in Salem for two decades has long had the creation of more parking facilities at the MBTA station in Salem as a primary objective. The current construction of a new Superior Court House in Salem that is under construction at the present time is certainly an added impetus for the addition of more parking for that part of the city. The current railroad station has no enclosed waiting area for the trains that service the City and points north, and the platforms where commuters wait for trains has long been thought of as one of the coldest stops on the MBTA system. It is anticipated that an effort to build a public-private partnership to help get a mixed use facility on the site will be a part of any plan.

Essex Heritage Scenic Byways Meetings Continue

There is just one more public meeting scheduled in the first round of meetings to outline the parameters of the Essex Heritage Scenic Byway that will run from Lynn in the South to Rockport at the northern end of the county. The meetings to date have been well received by all of the interests that have been invited to participate, and many good ideas have been offered and some plans slightly altered to take advantage of community input. It is anticipated that the Essex Heritage Scenic Byway will serve as a catalyst to more economic development in the region, and at the same time take advantage of local knowledge to be certain that any increased traffic is properly managed and provides a positive impact to the participating communities. Essex Heritage is pleased to be playing a leadership role in this initiative that will be most important to the coastal communities in the region.

North Shore community College Foundation Annual Meeting

This evening, as a member of the Essex Community College Foundation Board of Directors I will attend the annual meeting of that group in Saugus. The board will gather to hear from College President Dr. Wayne Burton, who will outline plans for the coming year, and to hear and audit corporate reports on the financial health of the Foundation. The Foundation Board exists to assist in fundraising efforts for the college that is only partially funded with public funds. In these difficult economic times, enrollments at the college have dramatically increased and the need for funding for the school and the many students it serves has never been greater.

As always, your questions, comments and observations about the work of Essex Heritage in encouraged. I can be reached at tleonard@essexheritage.org. Thanks Tom Leonard

Private Label Wine, America's Best idea Airs, Salem State College, and a Personal Note

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2009

Danvers Historical Society and Alfalfa Farm Establish Partnership

Two organizations that have strong ties to Essex Heritage recently entered into a new historic relationship that should benefit both organizations. Alfalfa Farm that was just featured in a story that appeared in a recent Boston Globe North article has created two private label wines that will help bring attention to the work being done by Danvers Historical Society. A percentage of the sales of the two wines created and then introduced at the recent Essex Heritage Trails and Sails event at Glen Magna Farms will certainly benefit the Society, and is also expected to boost sales at the Topsfield winery. The two wines produced with the Danvers Historical Society label are a blueberry and a Cabernet Franc and are priced at only $16.00 per bottle. The Trails and Sails event was a wonderful success and Glen Magna Farms in Danvers and its gardens never looked better. To add to the evening, event attendance exceeded expectations.

Sales of the private label stock can be purchased at Alfalfa Farm Winery at 276 Rowley Bridge Road, Topsfield, www.alfalafarmwinery.com and as noted, a portion of the proceeds will benefit and support the work of Danvers Historical Society. Dick Adelman the owner of Alfalfa Farm also serves as a Commissioner and strong supporter of the work of Essex Heritage and he and his family have always been wonderful supporters of not for profit organizations in the region. The work being done by Dick and his family is a great way to help preserve some of the wonderful open space in this region, and that incentive is important to Essex Heritage. Alfalfa Farms will be holding its annual Harvest Festival Weekend on October 17 and 18, and that would be a great time to stop and sample their products and to purchase some Danvers Historical Society private label wine to support a local preservation based organization.

Ken Burns Documentary on the National Park Service Coming to an End

All this week the exceptional Ken Burns documentary on the history of the National Park Service has been airing on the local Public Broadcast station in Boston. If you have not seen any of the episodes tonight will be last time they will be shown in their first airings. I would expect however that this is not the last time that Public Broadcasting will show these exceptional films, so if you did not see these spectacular films, watch local TV listings in the future to see when they will be reprised. In my role with Essex Heritage, I have had an ongoing relationship with the National Park Service for over a decade, and as I watched parts of this series, I was enthralled with what I watched. The photography was sensational and as each segment unfolded, I learned more and more facts and information that I did not know about the National Park service and their history. The history of the Park service and the people who helped make the organization what it is today was an eye opener to me. The sights and sounds of the documentary as they showed the premier parks in the system made you want to pack your bags and leave for a visit to Yellow Stone, Rocky Mountain or Arcadia as soon as possible. As the series title notes, the creation and continuing operation of the National Park Service truly is America’s Best Idea.

Salem State College Continues its Journey to University Status

Earlier this week, Salem State College President, Patricia Meservey testified at the State House in Boston in support of a bill that would give University status to certain State Colleges including Salem. Clearly, this designation for Salem State College would be well deserved and would allow the college to better “reach out” for students in this very competitive time. The status if granted would likely encourage more students to stay here in Massachusetts for college, and then the likelihood of their residing here to start their careers would be better. That would ultimately produce more and better trained workers to support businesses in this region, and that would be a plus for this local economy. There is no timetable for a vote on this measure, but Salem State can certainly count on the support of the Essex National Heritage Commission when the vote is scheduled.

One Personal Note

October 2^nd has always been a special day for me. When I was just a teenager, I left home in Salem to join the United States Air Force on this day 56 years ago. I spent four very productive years in that branch of the military service. I served during the cold war period and a fair amount of my time was spent in northern Maine at a Strategic Air Command (SAC) base and we wee regularly preparing for an attack of some kind that fortunately never came. I later served in the United Kingdom, and the four years of my life that I spent in the service of my country was well spent and I learned wonderful lessons, such as teamwork, discipline and order that were all part of our daily lives in those years. I have always thought that this country should have some form of national service, as I certainly came out of my experience older, wiser and better prepared to face life as a contributing adult.

As always is the case, your comments, questions and observations on this material and the work of Essex Heritage is appreciated. I can be reached at tleonard@essexheritage.org. Thanks. Tom Leonard