Even More Matters by Sally Ann Connolly

Even More Matters Sally Ann Connolly

Sally Ann Connolly Even More Matters

Contents Advocating for child safety

Exposing contamination and a health risk

A move in the wrong direction

The gift of a lifetime

Child endangerment: Pulling no punches

Danvers should preserve woodlands

With or Without You: Setting the record straight

Hitting the memoir motherlode

Crude, rude, and offensive â&#x20AC;&#x153;Louieâ&#x20AC;?

A plea to stem land loss

On church contraction and protecting open space

Preserve Whipple Hill

Preserving our heritage

Town should buy Whipple Hill

Danvers landmarks are threatened

What to do with cemetery land

Better late than never

Communities and premature death

More than a room at the inn

In July 2007, the Consumer Product Safety Commission named magnets the number one unrecognized household danger.

Advocating for Child Safety

n article in The Journal of Pediatrics (January 2014) describes the advocacy role played by the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition in its fight against high-powered magnets. If ingested, these magnets can cause serious injury and even death. Gastroenterologists throughout the country responded to a physician’s query on the organization’s bulletin board in April 2013, indicating that most of the magnetic ingestions had occurred within the past year. NASPGHAN then set out on an aggressive campaign to educate pediatric gastroenterologists, other pediatric physicians, and the general public. The organization also began working to remove the hazardous toys from sale. In the process, NASPGHAN partnered with other organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics and American Pediatric Surgical Association. The authors of the journal article conclude by saying: “One year after our society became aware of the public health implications of high powered magnets, we have helped reduce sales of these products and inform the public. However, we still have work to do. Many families remain unaware of the danger, and just recently another toddler went to surgery for fistulae at our institution following magnet ingestion. Although the CPSC works to finalize its proposed magnet safety regulations, high-powered toy magnets are still for sale on the internet. In fact, one new company is advertising these magnets as ‘do-ityourself fashion jewelry.’ We need to continue to educate our policymakers and our patients about the hazards of high-powered magnets, or our patients will continue to suffer the consequences of their availability for years to come.” I am reprinting my reaction to discovering that toys with the potentially lethal magnets were being sold in my community (“Dangerous Toys Still for Sale,” Never Better: All Things Considered, 2007). More information is available on my website at “Dangerous Toys Still for Sale,” www.neverbetter.net.

Dangerous Toys Still for Sale

ould you shop in a store that knowingly and willingly sells toys that kill? A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts at the Liberty Tree Mall is doing just that.

This week I went shopping for gifts for my granddaughter’s fifth birthday. A.C. Moore seemed to be a good choice. Sommerlyn likes nothing better than creative projects. To my horror a whole section of the store is stocked with construction sets by Magnetix. Last year, the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a recall, warning consumers: “Tiny magnets inside the plastic building pieces and rods can fall out. Magnets found by young children can be swallowed or aspirated. If more than one magnet is swallowed, the magnets can attract to each other and cause intestinal perforation or blockage, which can be fatal. This product is unsuitable for young children. . . . [The] CPSC is aware of 34 incidents involving small magnets, including one death and four serious injuries. A 20-month-old boy died after he swallowed magnets that twisted his small intestine and created a blockage. Three children ages ranging from 3 to 8 had intestinal perforations that required surgery and hospitalization in intensive care. A 5-year-old child aspirated two magnets that were surgically removed from his lung.” Naively, I brought the recall to the attention of the store’s management. They knew all about it. “Oh, that’s an old recall,” said the assistant manager. Does that mean the same toys are less dangerous now, a year later? “That’s a voluntary recall,” she continued. Retailers, in other words, are not required to pull the dangerous items off the shelves. Rather, consumers who have bought the product are urged to stop using it and return the product to the retailer for a suitable replacement or refund. But what if the consumer did not happen to learn about the recall? Shouldn’t a warning be posted in the store near the item? Certainly, customers have a right to know that the product on the shelf is hazardous. I say to A.C. Moore and the other retailers still stocking Magnetix: Protect our children. Step up and voluntarily remove these sets from your shelves. Do not let unsuspecting parents and grandparents buy toys that will seriously harm or kill their loved ones. Do we have to wait until another child dies before you, corporate headquarters, and the manufacturer will deem a child’s life more important than a profit margin?

Before stopping at A.C. Moore, I had bought a few items for Sommerlyn at a local drugstore: a pad of detachable, white paper, a pad of construction paper, glitter pens, washable makers, and stickers. She will be thrilled with these safe gifts. I am.

Essex Agricultural Technical High School Construction Site, 2012

Photos from EA&TI July 22, 2012 construction & campus photos, www.facebook.com

Exposing Contamination and a Health Risk

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Unpublished FEBRUARY 22, 2014

n 2012, during the months of October and November, 2,300 cubic yards of oilcontaminated soil were unearthed, stockpiled, and removed from the construction site the new Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical High School in Danvers. Also in 2012, during the months of November and December, several Essex Aggie and North Shore Tech students sought medical attention for the sudden appearance of vocal tics. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Bureau of Environmental Health, notes having “received signed medical records consent forms for nine students who have been reported as having vocal tics or chronic hiccups.” Oil contamination poses a serious health risk. Danger lies in the inhalation and ingestion of and skin exposure to contaminated soil/dust and vapors. In the past, the Essex Aggie campus experienced oil spills at Berry Hall and Smith Hall. Approximately a decade passed before these situations were remedied, and not to background level. Currently, two other contaminated sites on the campus are being remediated. Health officials must keep the general public informed about the cleanup process. And those investigating the sudden appearance of the vocal tics should look into the possibility of exposure to respiratory and neurological irritants. Surely, a more plausible explanation than “mass hysteria” can be unearthed.

How can total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) affect my health? “Some of the TPH compounds can affect your central nervous system. One compound can cause headaches and dizziness at high levels in the air. Another compound can cause a nerve disorder called "peripheral neuropathy," consisting of numbness in the feet and legs. Other TPH compounds can cause effects on the blood, immune system, lungs, skin, and eyes. Animal studies have shown effects on the lungs, central nervous system, liver, and kidney from exposure to TPH compounds. Some TPH compounds have also been shown to affect reproduction and the developing fetus in animals.” — Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tf.asp?id=423&tid=75

COMMENT FEBRUARY 26, 2014

A Move in the Wrong Direction

asing the standards for acceptable levels of pollutants in the soil, as proposed by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (“State is easing rules for some pollutants,” Feb. 23, A1), is a step in the wrong direction. Contaminated soil poses a real public health hazard. During October and November of 2012, 2,300 cubic yards (or 3,510 tons) of oilcontaminated soil were excavated, stockpiled, and transported from the site of the new Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical High School in Danvers. During November and December of that year, nearly a dozen Essex Aggie and North Shore Tech students sought medical attention for the sudden appearance of chronic hiccups. To this day, the vocal tics remain a mystery. However, a distinct possibility is neurological or respiratory irritation caused by exposure to the contaminated soil. Dangerous vapors and/or airborne particles may have been inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through the students’ skin. In this age of environmental enlightenment, scientific evidence—not deep pockets—should guide regulation of toxic chemicals such as petroleum hydrocarbons, arsenic, and lead. Risk reduction through more rigorous regulation is not only warranted but imperative.

The Gift of a Lifetime The following was originally published in The Danvers Herald (December 31, 2009)

his year I received the best Christmas gift ever. Loved ones delivered from harm. It doesn’t get any better than that.

At seven o’clock in the evening, the week before Christmas, my daughter Kelly called. In a voice quivering with excitement, she said, “Thank you for the gift you gave us. Our carbon monoxide detector started beeping tonight. I thought the battery was low, so I replaced it. But it continued beeping. We’re all out of the house now, and the firemen are here, looking for the source of the problem.” What they discovered was a blocked chimney. Carbon monoxide, the byproduct of combustion in their heating system, was unable to escape, and it had continued backing up into the house. Windows that had been sealed shut against the winter wind accelerated the accumulation. Although I was not standing in subfreezing temperatures as she was at the time, a chill ran through me. What if I hadn’t given them the detector as a housewarming gift? They had moved in before Nicole’s Law went into effect. Although this law requires carbon monoxide detectors in all residences that burn fossil fuels or have an attached garage, my daughter or her husband may not have made the effort to purchase detectors themselves. What if they hadn’t replaced the battery in the detector? What if they had been asleep on the second floor, far from the detector placed on the first level? My daughter, her husband, and their four children, ranging in age from one month to nine years, would not have been roused by its insistent alarm. Carbon monoxide is called “the silent killer.” Although poisonous and deadly, the gas is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless, and it is not easily detected. The Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention report that “each year, more than 400 Americans die from unintentional CO poisoning, more than 20,000 visit the emergency room and more than 4,000 are hospitalized due to CO poisoning. Fatality is highest among Americans 65 and older.” Researchers writing in the Journal of the American Medical Association say that moderate to severe carbon monoxide poisoning can have lasting, adverse effects on the heart. This incident has taught my family that compliance with Nicole’s Law saves lives. Detectors must be placed throughout the living quarters, specifically, within ten feet of sleeping areas. Following recommended safety precautions also makes good sense. The heating system should be cleaned annually, and the chimney and flue checked for flaws. Batteries should be replaced each year. And the detection devices themselves should be replaced according to the manufacturer’s recommendation. Surprisingly, carbon monoxide detectors last only a few years. Testing the operation of the alarm does not indicate that the device itself is still operating properly. Fact sheets on carbon monoxide and the prevention of carbon monoxide poisoning can be found at www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/466.html and www.cdc.gov/co/faqs.htm. A consumer’s guide to the requirements in Massachusetts can be found by Googling “Massachusetts Department of Public Safety carbon monoxide alarms.” Now that the holidays are over, I am reconsidering what I will buy for my children next year. Rather than an extra toy for the grandchildren, I will give them the gift of life: a new carbon monoxide detector. And I may throw in a smoke detector as well. ---------------------------Author’s note: This year, a close friend of Kelly’s husband succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning. The cause was faulty heating equipment and a non-working detector. Please take heed and keep your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors in working order. The CPSC website can now be found at http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Safety-Education.

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy

“CTE, short for chronic traumatic encephalopathy, is a condition first identified in a dead boxer and labeled ‘punch drunk’ in a 1928 article in the Journal of the American Medical Association.” — Mark Brown, “Dead boxer still fighting,” www.suntimes.com/news, January 16, 2014

COMMENT MARCH 8, 2014

Photos: Young Boxers Master the Sweet Science By Barry Chin, Globe Staff n the print edition of today’s newspaper, your headline reads: “Never too young to master the art of boxing.” You could add: “or to start inflicting pain and injury.” Shame on you. As informed and caring adults, we should be protecting our youngsters’ sense and sensibilities.

— http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/03/09/photos-young-boxers-master-sweetscience/tus7hKTFxpoEInJRTPkjcI/comments.html

Sports-related concussions in the US: Nearly 4 million per year “Doctors have an ethical obligation to educate and protect athletes from sports concussion and clear them to play only when the athlete is medically ready, standing firm against objections from players, parents or coaches….Physicians also must educate patients and their families about the dangers of concussion in all relevant sports.” — American Academy of Neurology, July 2014

Child Endangerment: Pulling No Punches

he website of The Boston Globe ran a series of photos depicting the Annual Evacuation Day/St. Patrick’s Day boxing show (Barry Chin, Globe Staff, March 8). In one photo, a youngster in the 45-pound weight class smashes his fist into the opponent’s left cheek. In another, a child delivers a bruising blow to his opponent’s nose. Meanwhile, family and friends stand by, taking their own photos to preserve the spectacle for posterity. Who wants to forget the sight of a child grimacing in pain on the canvas? The federal government, however, declares that viewing brutality deserves regulation. In all states, cockfighting is illegal; and in most, it is a felony. The newly enacted 2014 Farm Bill goes further. It includes sanctions against those who view such fights. According to the Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act, to knowingly attend a dogfight or cockfight as a spectator is a federal misdemeanor, punishable by up to 1 year in prison and a $100,000 fine. To knowingly bring a minor under the age of 16 is a federal felony, punishable by up to 3 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Because we all lose when violence is glorified, protecting minors from such gruesome “games” is commendable. However, encouraging children to personally inflict pain and injury—the very goal of boxing—is beyond comprehension. Evidence shows that repeated, direct blows to the head—the kind sustained in boxing—can cause Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), which can lead to death. The ASPCA advocated successfully for the health and safety of dogs and roosters. Our children deserve even greater protection.

Economic Value of Open Space “Our protected open spaces— public parks, preserved farmland and land trust owned and eased lands—provide substantial economic, environmental and public health benefits to the region's households, governments and businesses.” — Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, http://www.dvrpc.org/OpenSpace

LETTERS MAY 9, 2014

Danvers Should Preserve Woodlands

he town of Danvers should act now to preserve its open spaces. Green space offers value to a community that extends beyond the economic, ecological, and environmental. Green space provides benefits for our physical and emotional health, as well. Reducing carbon dioxide improves air quality. Decreasing noise levels lowers blood pressure and the risk of heart disease and other stress-related illnesses. Protecting personal property from such threats as flooding and rain runoff provides a greater sense of security. Improving privacy, providing more opportunities for leisure and recreational activities, and enhancing aesthetics— although difficult to measure—all contribute to our personal sense of well-being. The state of Minnesota has found that investing in parks, trails, recreational facilities, and farmers markets pays off. Last year, the United Health Foundation named Minnesota the healthiest state in the nation for seniors. And for three consecutive years, the American College of Sports Medicine named Minneapolis-St. Paul as the fittest metropolitan area. In addition to generally accepted measures of good health, such as smoking, exercise, obesity rates, chronic health issues and access to healthcare, ACSM’s Annual Fitness Index evaluates “infrastructure, community assets and policies that encourage healthy and fit lifestyles.” In The Economic Value of Open Space, a report on the Twin Cities, the authors say: “Decision-makers who understand the value of open space will be more likely to take the time to assemble the tools needed to implement their open space plans before priority lands are developed. They will pass ordinances and a land protection plan and will invest in a land protection fund.”

Our community leaders can show their understanding by protecting the prime parcel of open space situated behind St. Mary of the Annunciation Cemetery and adjacent to Clark Farm. The town should extend the amenities of Endicott Park, which also abuts this property. Save our trees and our sanity. Save Whipple Hill.

The Greenspace Network “The Greenspace Network is an inter-connected system of naturally-vegetated open space linking existing parkland, population centers and key natural resource areas at the regional scale. Linking "green spaces" throughout the region boosts their ecological, recreational scenic and economic value. Greenspace is a form of public infrastructure necessary for community health, function and sustainability…. The Greenspace Network is based on the twin principles of protecting core natural open space areas and linking them with greenways. The Network proposes to protect large expanses of unprotected woodlands, stream corridors, wetlands, meadows, vacant lands, and in some cases, agricultural lands, and join them with existing parks to create an interconnected system…. The Greenspace Network enhances ecological and recreational capacity, protects critical natural resources, ameliorates the impacts of sprawl, and improves the quality of life in the region's communities.” — Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, http://www.dvrpc.org/OpenSpace/network.htm

A Memoir: With or Without You “Domenica Ruta grew up in a working-class, unforgiving Italian town north of Boston where in the seventeenth century women were hanged as witches. Her mother, Kathi, a notorious figure in this hardscrabble place, was a drug addict and sometime dealer whose life swung between welfare and riches, whose highbrow taste was at odds with her base appetites.” — http://www.domenicaruta.com/the-book

With or Without You: Setting the record straight Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth? — Galatians 4:16

lthough I have only started reading Domenica Ruta’s memoir, With or Without You, I must object to the author’s description of her hometown. True, Danvers is situated north of Boston, but it is hardly “working class,” “unforgiving,” and “hardscrabble.”

In 1999, the median household income in Danvers was approximately $59,000; and family income, approximately $71,000. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, only 2.9% of individuals in the town lived below the poverty level, as compared to 12.2% nationally. When compared nationally to other communities of similar size, Danvers ranks among the top 11% middle-class communities. Like many other suburbs in Massachusetts, Danvers has relatively low diversity. Ninetyseven percent of the population is white. The largest ethnic groups are Irish (24%), Italian (15%), and English (12%). Danvers, moreover, is hardly what the author describes in her book as a “dying phenomenon: a place where everyone knows everybody else.” Although residents tend to be friendly and welcoming, such intimacy in a town of approximately 25,000 seems unfathomable. Many, maybe all, memoirists follow too closely the advice given by Emily Dickinson. They tell the truth but they “tell it slant.”

Danvers, Massachusetts: Demographics Income Danvers has a higher percentage of households earning $50,000-$200,000 annually than does the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the nation as a whole. — www.zipatlas.com

Racial and Ethnic Composition “Like many suburban communities in Massachusetts, Danvers’s minority population is a small percentage of the town’s total population. In fact, the minority population in 2000 was just over 3% while the state was about 13% and Essex County was over 5%. Between 1990 and 2000, Danvers’s population diversity (in terms of ethnic and racial composition) changed very little.” — Community Development Plan, Town of Danvers, June 2004, www.danvers.govoffice.com

Hitting the Memoir Motherlode With or Without You by Domenica Ruta Bay State Reader’s Advisory, Suggestions from a Massachusetts librarian

Laurie Cavanaugh (May 24, 2014)

I hope I didn’t put words into her mouth, because I can’t remember now if those adjectives to describe Danvers were from the author or the publisher. I think growing up with a single mother on welfare who ran afoul of the law may have placed her in the seamier, poorer segment of Danvers society. I did find Danvers described by a police chief in 1980 as “a paradise for car thieves”. It also had a state mental hospital, which don’t tend to show up in the tonier towns! I thought, too, her idea that everybody knew everybody else was within neighborhoods, the way people in a neighborhood tend to form ideas about others in the neighborhood. Please check back in and let me know what you think of the book as you get further into it!

Sally Ann Connolly (May 25, 2014)

You didn’t put words into the author’s mouth. They are found on both the book’s cover and her website, and they permeate the book reviews I have read. As a result, I felt that the reputation of Danvers needed to be scrubbed. Ruta’s neighborhood, which runs off a main road and backs up to the river, cannot be described as seamy, although it certainly isn’t “toney.” Like my own children, the author may have known and been known by everyone on her street, but expanding that experience of intimacy to an entire community is misleading. Danvers, moreover, isn’t crime-ridden. Although the car theft rate may be higher than other communities, that is most likely due to the shopping center that opened in the ‘60s and was expanded in the ‘90s. Danvers State Hospital, always a stain on the town’s reputation, closed in 1992. Substance abuse continues to be a problem for society as a whole. The author’s recovery, in spite of her dysfunctional family, is to be commended. 21

Memoir: Fact or Fiction “Obviously, a memoir should be true. The author should not alter the truth in telling his or her story. In fact, Elie Wiesel checked the text and made minor corrections in his book, Night, before it was published in the U.S. to make it as truthful as possible. Memories are faulty, so a little leeway is given to authors of memoirs, but they are expected to be honest and to check their facts for accuracy. Creating fiction and passing it off as nonfiction, as apparently was done by James Frey in his controversial A Million Little Pieces, is completely unacceptable.” — Barbara Doyen, literary agent

“The darkness and light of ‘Louie’” By Matthew Gilbert Boston Sunday Globe (June 8, 2014)

COMMENT: Crude, rude, and offensive, “Louie” garners critical acclaim atthew Gilbert’s incisive reviews are always a pleasure to read, and they have led to my discovery of many first-rate shows. However, his latest review of “Louie” neglects to tell readers that the program helps set a new standard for vulgarity in TV viewing.

The show’s producer/writer/actor, Louis C.K., is following too closely in the footsteps of George Carlin. He peppers the show with cringe-worthy obscenities. As a result, I cannot recommend it to family and friends. For me, this otherwise noteworthy program must remain a secret indulgence. I keep praying that C.K. stops asking “How low can we go?” and turns to asking “Can we take the higher ground and still work magic?” --------------------------Addendum 1: Raunch rules. The “new standard” is actually the new norm for popular and critically acclaimed TV programs: “Orange is the New Black,” “Ray Donovan,”… Viewers beware. Addendum 2: When the profanity is tempered, as in Season 3’s final episodes, “Louie” can be thoroughly entertaining and still perceptive. New Year’s Eve in a hospital? Our family could have written the script.

“We must not be against development, rather we should support responsible development that makes best use of property without devastating open space and the environment.” — Coventry Land Trust

“On open space, a gloomy tale turns rosy” The Boston Globe, Editorial (August 17, 2014) COMMENT: A plea to stem land loss RE “On open space, a gloomy tale turns rosy,” Editorial, August 17: For the town of Danvers, unfortunately, everything is not coming up roses. Perfectly good, open land is being sold to renovate a perfectly good church, St. Mary of the Annunciation Church, and to demolish an historic building for the sake of a parking lot. The tract of open land, which is destined for residential development, is approximately 27 acres. It includes Annunciation Cemetery on Hobart Street and abuts Endicott Park and one of America’s Founding Farms, Clark Farm, which dates back to 1729. In the town’s open space master plan, the area has been identified as valuable contiguous green space. Despite declining attendance and dwindling financial resources, the Archdiocese of Boston and St. Mary’s Church are moving forward with the project. The price tag—$3.75 million—pales in comparison to what residents and visitors to the area will lose and what the town will pay in services over time. Danvers, like many other suburban areas, cannot afford to sacrifice more valuable land to residential or commercial encroachment. Stop the sprawl and Save Whipple Hill.

LETTERS AUGUST 30, 2014

On church contraction and protecting open space To the editor:

he sale and development of Annunciation Cemetery property in Danvers, which is owned by St. Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Church, is an issue of great concern to many residents. In addition to the environmental, health, and quality of life factors discussed in letters published online and in our local newspapers, I am concerned about what this sale portends for the future. As several individuals have indicated, church officials have not been forthcoming with information; therefore, we are only left to speculate. The Archdiocese of Boston has been plagued by the same problems that confront the Catholic Church nationwide: declining church attendance, a shortage of priests, and financial difficulties. The Archdiocese reports that only about 17 percent of Catholics attend Mass regularly. Since 1988, the number of priests has declined by 37 percent, and over the next decade, the loss is expected to be between one-third and one-half. Financially, the church is hard-pressed to meet its obligations, which include salaries and benefits, insurance, heating, repairs and maintenance, in addition to costs incurred by the sex abuse scandal. The Archdiocese reports that 40 percent of its parishes cannot meet these obligations. One response to the crisis has been to close churches. Since 1990 in Massachusetts, 125 churches have been closed. At the end of last year, the Archdiocese had 15 church properties on the market, including a church, convent, and school in Methuen and a school building in Reading. In Peabody, St. Thomasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; school is for lease. In Salem, St. James Rectory is now up for sale. When selecting which churches to close, age and historic value carry little weight. In Maine, for 26

example, a dozen church properties have been sold since 2013. St. Joseph’s Church in Lewiston, which dates back to 1864, was bought by a healthcare organization, with plans to install a parking lot. The Archdiocese of Boston says it is struggling to meet the costs of making all of its premises safe and suitable for “an acceptable standard of usability.” Construction, maintenance, and renovation efforts, it says, must be “necessary” and “address the needs of the Parish,” without having “adverse implications.” The sale of Annunciation Cemetery land, however, will not be used to finance ordinary and extraordinary costs of operation. Rather, the funds will be used to reconstruct St. Mary’s Church, improve handicapped access, and demolish the historically significant Mackey Funeral Home to make way for a parking lot. The cost of the project: $3.75 million. In addition to the sale and lease of properties, the church is reconfiguring its parishes into collaboratives. The 288 parishes in Massachusetts will be reduced to 125 collaboratives. In Danvers, the parishes of St. Mary’s and St. Richard’s will form one of these collaboratives, with one administrative team led by one pastor. The Salem Catholic Collaborative has already deemed St. James Rectory to be redundant. The collaborative’s pastor, the Rev. Dan Riley, says the sale is necessary in order to decrease expenses and “so that all of the priests of the collaborative will live in one rectory.” He goes on to say: “This will strengthen the priests’ community and communication….I believe we are the last of the 12 collaboratives in phase one to have a plan to get the priests living together in one rectory.” Will St. Richard’s Rectory also be deemed redundant? Are St. Richard’s Church and its approximately 11 acres also in danger of being divested? The Archdiocese specifies that in making decisions about which church properties to close, criteria include: handicapped access and parking availability and public transportation. Sale of Annunciation Cemetery land may be the beginning of an even greater loss for Danvers. In 2009, the Danvers Open Space and Recreation Plan recommended that in the event that St. Richard’s Church becomes available for purchase, the town should acquire “part or all of this parcel to expand Endicott Park and increase its contiguity.” The report also recommended “the acquisition either by easement or purchase of a small portion of the (Annunciation) cemetery,” thereby providing “a continuous link from the trails within Endicott Park to Clark Farm and ultimately to Gates Field and the Highlands School.” In May, the Open Space and Recreation Advisory Committee called for “an access easement 27

from the end of Sandpiper Circle to the town’s property, which would allow for a pedestrian connection to the town’s Endicott park property.” We must act now to protect and preserve what is left of our green space. We should accept the Advisory Committee’s recommendation and expand it to include the access recommended in the 2009 Open Space Plan. We must ensure that, as the plan states, “the attractiveness and quality of life of town inhabitants will remain.” Sally Ann Connolly Danvers

Preserving Open Space: Critical for the Town of Danvers “Preserving these vulnerable properties is critical because a lack of protection may potentially lead to major, unwelcome changes and decreases in quality of life. Lack of protection and unmonitored, careless development could bring on negative consequences such as diminishing the Town’s appearance. Also, the condition of natural resources could be greatly altered in a relatively short amount of time. Protecting open space and planning for future development allows for assurances that the attractiveness and quality of life of Town inhabitants will remain.” —Town of Danvers 2009 Open Space and Recreation Plan

SNAKE Program hiking on Whipple Hill Photo by Tim Creamer

LETTER TO THE EDITOR SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

Preserve Whipple Hill he Town of Danvers Affordable Housing Protection Plan describes the town as “a built out community.” Our wastewater treatment plant is near capacity, and the water infrastructure is challenged. We are car dependent, lacking in public transportation access. Our roads, moreover, are “often very congested.”

In the future, the traffic problem and burden on our town services will only increase. Presently, entering and exiting our roads and highways can be treacherous. Entering Bayberry Road, for example, is not for the fainthearted. The “sitting duck” is at the mercy of drivers in both directions. Calamity awaits only a distracted driver or an oversized or speeding truck. Developing Annunciation Cemetery land into a 20-unit subdivision, with Bayberry Road as the only access, is asking for trouble. We should act now to preserve what is left of our limited open space. The safety, health, and peace of mind of our residents are at stake.

Endecott Pear Tree Engraving, 1852, Danvers Archival Center, Peabody Institute Library, Danvers, Massachusetts

LETTER TO THE EDITOR SEPTEMBER 25, 2014

Preserving Our Heritage

n 1964, one of the prized landmarks in Danvers, the Endecott Pear Tree, was vandalized. A news report at the time said that “not a leaf, not a twig, not a branch, not a limb was left on the two main trunks.” A living piece of our heritage, dating back to the 1630s, had almost been obliterated. Local historian and newsman Thurl D. Brown wrote in The Danvers Herald that the vandalism brought “into sharp focus the desperate need for the community to act now to preserve and conserve what remaining historical assets and natural resources it has left before the hand of man and the ravages of time have their way.” Presently, three properties in Danvers call out for protection: the Porter-Bradstreet homestead, Mackey Funeral Home, and Whipple Hill. Town committees have already identified the first two properties as historically significant. Whipple Hill, with its roots in our past, is a natural resource more vital than ever. A recent United Nations report warns that the atmosphere contains historically high levels of carbon dioxide. The levels reflect “ever-rising emissions from automobiles and smokestacks” and “a diminishing ability of the world’s oceans and plant life to soak up the excess carbon put into the atmosphere by humans.” Fifty years after the senseless destruction of the Endecott Pear Tree, we are called upon again to save the few, remaining vestiges of our past and our life-giving greenspace. We must prevent further erosion of the town’s character and charm and, in the process, mitigate further harm to our environment. Let us not shirk this obligation to future generations.

Out of the woods, Bayberry Road, Danvers, Massachusetts

LETTERS OCTOBER 1, 2014

Town Should Buy Whipple Hill

aunted happenings in Danvers? My children, who grew up on Whipple Hill, cannot be convinced otherwise.

Their forays into the deep, dark woods behind the house felt like steps back in time, back to the early days of Salem Village. And their expeditions often ended with a race back home, the hairs on their necks standing in somber salute to the sad souls of yesteryear. What some have called “Witch Hill,” unfortunately, faces another incursion into green space. The parcel of land is targeted for sale, and if it is purchased by a private developer, this valuable landscape will become merely more housing and asphalt. The conversion would excise not only a piece of our past but also a potentially valuable tourist destination. Travel and tourism is a growing industry. And the segment showing the greatest growth and highest spending is cultural and heritage tourism. A report by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities says: Visitors are becoming “tired of the homogenization of places around the world” and “authentic experiences are an important factor and motivator for their travel decisions and expectations.” Visitors flock to New England, and specifically the North Shore, to enjoy our natural beauty and historic sites. The Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism reports that in 2012, Essex County benefited from more than $780 million in domestic travel expenditures, which include

lodging, transportation, meals, entertainment, recreation, and retail shopping. The town of Danvers is being handed an opportunity to share in these tourism dollars. We should expand Endicott Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;already a popular recreational spot. We should spruce up its existing walking trails. And we should let visitors and residents, alike, experience the wonders and thrills that await their own journey into the woods.

Photos courtesy of Danvers Archival Center, Peabody Institute Library Danvers, Massachusetts

Eagle Scouts construct amphitheater on Whipple Hill, 2014 Wicked Local Photo/Deborah Gardner Walder

Boston North VIEWS: COMMENTARY OCTOBER 12, 2014

Danvers landmarks are threatened

ries for conservation and preservation are being heard across the Commonwealth, from Dover, Belmont, Stoughton, and Reading to Newbury, Ipswich, Beverly, and Danvers.

The pleas from Danvers are especially poignant. The town has a rich history dating back to the 1600s. Originally Salem Village, it played a pivotal role in the witchcraft hysteria. Later, residents rallied for both local and national independence and unity. And from 1878 to 1992, thousands of mentally ill patients received treatment at the sprawling, hilltop Danvers State Hospital. Throughout town, unique homesteads and landscapes weave a tale of resourcefulness, service, and personal integrity. Sadly, two historically significant structures—the Porter-Bradstreet homestead and Mackey Funeral Home—are now targeted for destruction. Also endangered is Whipple Hill, a green space that the North Shore Regional Strategic Planning Project identifies as a Priority Preservation Area of local significance. We must heed the pleas of concerned citizens. A Priority Preservation Area deserves “special protection due to the presence of significant environmental factors and natural features, such as endangered species habitats, areas critical to water supply, scenic vistas, areas important to a cultural landscape, or areas of historical significance.” I would love to celebrate our past and explore “The Spirit of Danvers Heritage Trail.” If only we had one.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR NOVEMBER 6, 2014

What to do with cemetery land?

he town of Danvers is currently debating what to do with the historic Holten Street Cemetery.

If we decide to honor our past by preserving the final resting place of some notable and less illustrious citizens, we only have to look at neighboring communities. Like scores of other communities throughout the Commonwealth, they have made judicious use of the Community Preservation Act (CPA). Georgetown, for example, acquired funds to restore 86 badly deteriorated headstones and monuments in Union Cemetery. Funds were also directed toward legal expenses, management of the cemetery, and the cost of materials to repair the cemetery’s fence. Hamilton received funds to rehabilitate headstones in Hamilton Cemetery ($6,000), improve the cemetery’s fence and landscaping ($7,400), and renovate an historic building on the property ($13,000). CPA funds were also given for restoration of the tabernacle in Asbury Grove ($26,000). In Newburyport, funds supported restoration projects in Highland Cemetery, Oak Hill Cemetery, and Old Hill Burying Ground. The Community Preservation Coalition says that, as of July 2011, 475 gravestones in the Burying Ground had been restored. Since CPA was enacted in 2000, communities have proactively planned for the future while— at the same time—taking bold steps to preserve their heritage. The Community Preservation Coalition sees value in cemeteries and burying grounds. As of 2010, it had designated $4.5 million for their restoration and conservation. I have to wonder: For what cold day is Danvers waiting? 40

Danvers needs help maintaining a link to its past “The best solution would be for private citizens to reactivate the association that manages the Holten Street Cemetery. But if that proves to be impossible, the state should find a way to split maintenance costs with the town….Whatever solution is found, someone has to take responsibility for the Holten Street Cemetery, before the damage becomes irreparable.” —Editorial, Boston Sunday Globe, K7, November 9, 2014

LETTER TO THE EDITOR NOVEMBER 20, 2014

Better Late Than Never he town of Danvers is coming late to the table. One hundred fifty-eight communities in Massachusetts have already adopted the Community Preservation Act.

Enacted in 2000, CPA has funded approximately 1,250 outdoor recreation projects, 3,600 historic preservations, 8,500 affordable housing units, and preservation of 21,838 acres of open space. With CPA funds, for example, the city of Peabody purchased the Marquado property in South Peabody ($70,250), Valley Circle land ($575,000), and Tillieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Farm ($2.6 million). Funding also made possible the Leather Workers Museum, Riverwalk, Scouting Way, and relocation of the 1874 Sutton-Pierson house. Boxfordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s funds went toward the purchase of Anvil Farm land (28 acres), Haynes land (76 acres), and a bond on Sawyer-Richardson property (135 acres). In 2012, Hamilton received $75,000 to develop open space and recreational facilities at the Patten Homestead property. With $250,000, Rowley placed a permanent Conservation Restriction on 78.86 acres in the Great Marsh. The town also saved Pingree Farm (27.6 acres of farmland and woods), and with $2.75 million, it purchased the historic Bradstreet Farm (120 acres). Newburyport restored Maudsley State Park and protected agricultural land known as the Common Pasture. Middleton used funds to restore Memorial Hall, Old Town Hall, and the 1878 Tramp House. 42

Wenham rehabilitated its 152-year-old Town Hall as well as the fence around the Civil War Monument and the portico, cupola, and roof of the Hamilton-Wenham Community House. Some communitiesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;including Georgetown, Hamilton, Middleton, Peabody, and Wenhamâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; have even used funds to preserve historic town records. For its first 12 projects, the city of Beverly will receive more than $1million. Examples of CPA trust fund distributions are: Hamilton, $1.4 million; Georgetown, $2.5 million; Boxford and Concord, $4 million each; Peabody and Chatham, $4.5 million each, North Andover, $9.5 million; and Weston, $11 million. The Community Preservation Coalition says CPA funds stimulate both local and state economies. Housing opportunities expand. Construction increases. And preservation of valuable landscapes, historic structures, and artifacts boosts the tourism industry. Danvers can no longer afford to delay. The Community Preservation Act should be made an integral part of its smart growth plan.

Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver, and the other is gold.

Tom Keane, The Boston Globe columnist, says that as mayor of Boston, Tom Menino “understood the need to mesh the new (such as explosive downtown development) with the old (including preservation and keeping Boston’s sense of its own history).”

-----------------------In November 2014, the Community Preservation Coalition noted a 14% increase in the acreage of land preserved with CPA funds. The Coalition also noted: “Historic preservation projects represent nearly 50% of all CPA projects approved locally, demonstrating the strong interest in continuing to preserve Massachusetts' historic heritage for future generations.”

Communities and Premature Death

he town of Danvers was not included among the 100 communities in Massachusetts having the lowest rate of premature deaths (i.e., before the age of 75). Its neighbor, Topsfield, however, was ranked number one.* Hmm. So much to think about. Air pollution, soil contamination, noise, green space. Population density. Educational level, income, marital status. Lifestyle factors: smoking, diet, physical activity, body mass, alcohol consumption, drug use, seatbelt use, distracted driving, other risky behaviors. Heredity. If only the answer to greater longevity were zip code. ---------------------------*Channel WCVB, slideshow, www.wcvb.com/health, September 3, 2014

LETTERS DECEMBER 6, 2014

More than a room at the inn

he dramatic and disturbing rise in the number of homeless children throughout the United States means that too many families have been left to languish in hotel or motel rooms that threaten both their physical and emotional health. In Massachusetts, no community shelters more homeless families than does the town of Danvers. Yet, a remarkable structure in the center of town is destined for destruction. Only a six-month demolition delay has prevented the Archdiocese of Boston from razing the historically significant 1895 “Queen Anne Revival” A. F. Welch House, which lies next to St. Mary of the Annunciation Church. Parishioners of St. Mary's and other residents of Danvers have pleaded for its preservation. This historic home could be converted into affordable housing units or temporary housing for the homeless. A room at the inn or a home? For too many families there is no alternative. We call upon Cardinal O’Malley not to betray the basic mission of the Church for 30 places of parking. That would be a shame.

Books by Sally Ann Connolly A BOY FROM LAWRENCE: The Collected Writings of Eugene F. Connolly (2005) “A BOY FROM LAWRENCE is filled with such treasures. It is a very uplifting meditation book, recommended for those in need of comfort, illumination, redirection, grace, prayer.” — Midwest Book Review

Never Better: All Things Considered (2007) “The author does a wonderful job of intertwining the journal entries into the narrative to seamlessly tell her story….At times the reader feels as if he/she is sitting next to the author and working through the grief of loss together. By the end of the book, the reader feels as if the author is a good and trusted friend and it is a shame that their time together has come to an end.” — Writer’s Digest

Matters on My Mind (MOMM) (2011) “The author deftly combines sound advice on many practical matters—health and medical subjects; children, young and adult; entertainment; et al.—with dashes of humor. One can easily visualize the situations she describes and appreciate both sage counsel and the author’s appealing personality. Her short chapters, filled with lively writing and pithy comments, make for easy as well as profitable reading. Many of the insights, while presented in a chatty downto-earth way, are quite profound. The book is very much a sort of situational biography of the author; her experience—and her reactions to the situations—are quite universal.” — Writer’s Digest

More on My Mind (MOMM) (2012) More that Matters (2013) Even More Matters (2014)