Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Halloween Safety Tips


From: Robert K McCarthy
Councillor Ward One

Halloween Safety Tips
prepared by the:
Salem Police Department
Chief Mary Butler

Chief Mary Butler is pleased to announce that Salem's official neighborhood trick-or-treating will take place on Monday, October 31st from 5:30PM to 8:00PM.
Halloween is a cherished tradition in Salem, and sometimes the excitement of Haunted Happenings can cause us to forget to be careful. There is no real ‘trick’ to making Halloween a real treat for the entire family. The major dangers are not from ghosts or goblins, but from pedestrian vehicle accidents and trips and falls. Please use these attached tips to help make your celebration safe and fun.

Notification from Spectra Energy regarding testing of the Algonquin gas meter facility at Footprint


From the power plant project
via
Robert K McCarthy
Councillor Ward One

Notification from Spectra Energy regarding testing of the Algonquin gas meter facility at Footprint:

In our efforts to keep you informed of the progress of Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC’s (“Algonquin’s”) Salem Lateral Project, please note that Algonquin’s contractor has completed the installation of the pipeline segment of the Salem Lateral Project and is in the process of completing the work on the Meter and Regulator facilities.  Beginning on Wednesday, October 19th through Saturday, October 22nd, Algonquin’s contractor will begin testing the piping components for the Meter & Regulator facilities which are located on Footprint Power’s property.  The test will be performed over several days to prepare the facilities for service by filling them with nitrogen (an inert gas) under pressure to test the integrity of the components.  Once filled and pressurized, the test will run for a number of hours and may require extended work hours to complete.

THERE IS NO NATURAL GAS IN THE COMPONENTS AT THIS TIME

Once the test has been completed, the nitrogen will be discharged under pressure well away from the residences along Derby & Webb Streets.  This activity will take a few hours to complete and may generate a hissing noise.  Again, this is only the discharge of the nitrogen gas used to test the integrity of the Meter & Regulator Station Components.  Once the test is satisfactorily completed, the Meter & Regulator facilities will be ready to be connected to the pipeline later this month.

Algonquin representatives will be on site throughout this planned event to closely monitor the test which will be conducted in accordance with applicable federal and state regulations.  Notice of this testing has been made to the Police Department, Fire Department and other City officials.

We have set up a Hot Line that is monitored 24 hours a day 7 days a week for anyone to call with a question or to notify us of a complaint.  The 24 hour number is (866) 387-4448

Salem Seeks Public Comment on Draft Salem for All Ages Action Plan





CITY OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS
Kimberley Driscoll
Mayor



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 17, 2016

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Dominick Pangallo
Chief of Staff
Office of Mayor Kimberley L. Driscoll, City of Salem
(978) 619-5600
dpangallo@salem.com



Salem Seeks Public Comment on Draft Salem for All Ages Action Plan
Draft plan posted online for public review and feedback. Comments must be submitted by November 1.

SALEM, MA – As the City prepares to finalize its Salem for All Ages Action Plan for submission to the World Health Organization (WHO) later this year, it has now posted the draft plan on its website for public review and feedback. The draft plan can be found at www.salem.com and is available in hard copy for public review at the Salem Public Library (370 Essex Street), the Salem Council on Aging (5 Broad Street), and the Mayor’s Office at Salem City Hall (93 Washington Street).  Public comments must be submitted by November 1 and should be directed to:

Caitlin E. Coyle, PhD
Research Fellow, Center for Social & Demographic Research in Aging
Gerontology Institute
John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy & Global Studies
University of Massachusetts Boston
100 Morrissey Blvd.
Boston, MA 02125
By email to: Caitlin.Coyle@umb.edu

Salem’s Age Friendly initiative began earlier in 2016 when the City was added to the AARP’s national network of Age Friendly communities. Salem became the first City on the North Shore to join the network and only the third in Commonwealth. Acceptance to the network meant the City committed to developing an action plan that focuses on establishing a vision for each of what the AARP and WHO call the “eight domains” of an age-friendly community: civic participation and employment, communication and information, community support and health services, outdoor space and buildings, transportation, housing, social participation, and respect and social inclusion.

Within each domain, a vision statement for the future of an Age-Friendly Salem is described, followed by a series of recommendations, and corresponding specific action steps that should be taken. Following approval of the final report a permanent community stakeholders group will be formed to monitor implementation of the plan, evaluate its effectiveness, and update it as necessary.

“In Salem we are thoughtful about how we approach the future,” Mayor Kim Driscoll observes in her letter submitting the action plan. “Great cities do not happen by accident. They take careful planning, public input, and meaningful action. I am so pleased to present the Salem for All Ages Action Plan because I believe it meets all those standards. And because I believe it will truly make Salem an even greater City for all.”

To help prepare the Salem for All Ages Action Plan, the City worked closely with experts from the Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging at the Gerontology Institute of the University of Massachusetts Boston. Those experts worked closely with a working group made up of City officials and local volunteers, to develop the draft plan. Their efforts included multiple public listening session and meetings, three focus groups, an exhaustive document review of existing plans and reports, and a community survey completed by over 400 Salem residents over the age of 50.

“The priorities represented by the Age-Friendly designation are reflective of Salem’s values as a whole,” said Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll. “The goals of a livable, safe, and vibrant city serve to lift up all our residents, no matter their age or ability. This action plan has been informed by as many perspectives as possible, so that the recommendations it puts forth for Salem can be as diverse and as forward-looking as the people who live here. I encourage all Salem residents, whether they are seniors or not, to review the draft and offer their feedback to help make it even more reflective of our community.”

Link to draft plan [PDF 1.3MB]

Saturday, October 8, 2016

MDA Motorcycle Run


From: Robert K McCarthy
Councillor Ward One

Please be advised the motorcycle run to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) scheduled to take place Sunday, October 9th has been postponed due to the forecast if inclement weather.

The motorcycle run will take place on Sunday, October 16th.

The ride will leave Revere at noontime and is expected to arrive in Salem sometime between 12:45pm and 1:00pm and will enter Salem on Lafayette St. from Marblehead.

The ride will proceed down Lafayette St., right onto Derby St., and right on Congress St. ending at Shetland Park.

Roads on the route will be closed beginning at 12:15pm.  Extensive traffic delays are expected in all areas of the route.

Please adjust your travel plans accordingly.

Saturday, October 1, 2016

October_2016_Gables

October Nights
with contributions from Anne Lucas

October at The Gables is a very special time every year. The Legacy of the Hanging Judge and Spirits of The Gables, our annual theatrical productions, create an air of excitement, education, and fun.

Fifteen years ago, Anne Lucas, a local writer, was asked to create theatrical performances to enhance the visitor experience in October. Ms. Lucas was inspired to write The Legacy of the Hanging Judge after a trip to the United States Memorial Holocaust Museum. “I saw the dangers that prejudice taken to extremes in any community can produce.” This performance, which takes place in the Hawthorne Birthplace, gives the visitor an opportunity to meet Nathaniel Hawthorne as he agonizes over his writing.  He hopes to expiate his guilt over his ancestor and witch trials judge, John Hathorne..

As the performance moves through the historic house, it goes back in time introducing us to the — meeting perpetrators and victims of the infamous Salem witch trials.  They warn us not to turn a blind eye to injustice “or it could be you in the cell here beside me.”

Ms. Lucas was also given the task to enhance an existing performance when she developed Spirits of The Gables. This tour and performance allows the visitor to meet the characters from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s famous novel, The House of the Seven Gables. Lucas loves that, “we meet these “shades of the great Nathaniel Hawthorne’s mind” in the house that inspired their creation. The Ghost of Matthew Maule stalks the audience and warns that the Pyncheons will die horrible deaths — ‘God will give them blood to drink’ for the injustice done to him.  We find there is only one solution to this family feud — love.”

Much like the year-round staff at The House of the Seven Gables, Anne Lucas enjoys the October season. “Every year it is so much fun to come back to The Gables with new actors and old regulars.  The wonderful staff feels like family.  So there is always a letdown when it is over.”
Don’t be letdown as well! Be sure to get your tickets for this year’s performances.
Zombie photos by John Andrews, Creative Salem

Do’s & Don’ts of Salem Haunted Happenings
By guest contributor Kate Fox, Executive Director of Destination Salem

Salem Haunted Happenings, the annual celebration of Halloween and fall in New England has grown into one of the largest celebrations of Halloween in the world. Visitors passionate about Salem and Halloween book travel months in advance, excited to be immersed in the unique history and fun that Salem Haunted Happenings presents.

Haunted Happenings presents unique opportunities, including expanded programming and a festive atmosphere, and challenges, including traffic and longer waits for a table at your favorite restaurant. We have a few tips to offer to help you make the most of your visit to Salem during the height of the season.
  • Do pack your patience! Lines can be long. Don’t cut the line – other people are waiting, too!
  • Do dress for the weather so you don’t get caught in a snowstorm wearing your cute summer T, or melt in a wool sweater on a 75 degree day.
  • Do bring cash for the garages and surface lots, which charge $20 on entry on weekends in October so that you don’t get a $40 parking ticket, and do plan to leave your car and walk between sites.
  • Do check HauntedHappenings.org for road closures, traffic updates, and event listings so you don’t get stuck on Route 1A on Parade night (October 6) or Halloween.
  • Do make reservations for events that take them, including Spirits of the Gables and Legacy of the Hanging Judge, so you don’t find yourself on the wrong side of a sold-out event! 
  • Do be kind to the workers, staff, and volunteers in Salem. Don’t forget, they are doing their best to help you and others as quickly as they can!
Finally, do have fun. October in Salem is a bewitching season filled with fun, frights, and a festive atmosphere.

For up-to-date information about all the events and programs during Haunted Happenings, visit hauntedhappenings.org. To learn about all of the things to see, do, and eat in Salem throughout the year, visit salem.org.
Click to learn more about Haunted Happenings
Gifts at The Gables

Stop by the Museum Store this October and see some of the unique creations of The Gravestone Girls. We are pleased to add their atmospheric castings and magnets of old New England’s tombstones to our selections.

Available for purchase at The House of the Seven Gables Museum Store. Can't make it to our Museum Store? Contact Everett Philbrook, Store Manager at 978-744-0991 x195 or ephilbrook@7gables.org, and we can have this item shipped to you.
October Events
Spirits of The Gables and Legacy of The Hanging Judge
Select weekend nights starting on October 7th, 8:00-10:30pm
As nightfall descends on Salem, walk the halls of two of America's most famous homes as you enjoy these exciting theatrical productions.
Buy Tickets Now
November Events
Splendor in Marblehead a Century After the Turners
November 16, 6:00-8:00pm

Join former Lee Mansion curator Judy Anderson for an illustrated talk about the preservation of the splendid Marblehead house and its hand painted wallpapers that are over two and a half centuries old. A book about those wall-coverings will be for sale after the talk.
Reserve Your Seats
The Boston Girl: A Lecture
November 27, 1:00-3:00pm
Join us for our final lecture of 2016 with New York Times bestselling author, Anita Diamant. A book signing will follow in the Museum Store. Ferreira Foods will be on site that day with a pop up cafe. Seats are going fast!
Reserve Your Seats
What's Happening in Settlement?

A children’s trade book that dealt with the topic of slavery was the centerpiece of the Gables’ summer program, Caribbean Connections. The book, The Red Hair Comb / La Peineta Colorada, was originally published in Spanish. The Gables obtained permission from the publisher to do a PowerPoint presentation of the book and unpack its richness in English for local educators.

On August 30th, Ana Nuncio, Settlement Partnerships Manager, explored the book through a “picture walk” presentation.  Educators from the Salem Public Schools, Essex National Heritage, the Royall House and Slave Quarters  Museum, North Shore Community College, and historical researcher and educator Irene Axelrod attended the session.

Three strands were highlighted in the PowerPoint presentation:  cultural notes, historical background about slavery in the Caribbean, and close-ups on vocabulary and figurative language that is used throughout the book.
What's Happening in Preservation?

The Retire Beckett House (1655) not only has a new roof, but is also receiving repairs to the siding on the north elevation. Wood siding on a historic buildings serves aesthetic and functional purposes. Clapboarding, both in style and color selection, help to define a building’s architectural style. Siding of any material acts like the “skin” of a building that helps to deflect sunlight, wind, and water. Because of its exposure to the elements, it needs to be replaced on occasion. The repairs taking place will help to protect the Retire Becket House for decades to come.

 
Members! Join us on Thursday, October 6 for a special, complimentary reception and performance of Spirits of The Gables or Legacy of the Hanging Judge.

Showtimes begin at 7:30pm. Space is limited. Please contact Ryan at 978-744-0991 x104, or
rconary@7gables.org to reserve a space.

A reception with light refreshments will run from 7:00-9:00pm.
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