TTC_04_18_18_Vol.14-No.25.p1-12

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Greg Der Bogosian, Project Manager Page www.TheTownCommon.com April 18 - 24, 2018 How to Submit Letters to the Editor Marc Maravalli, B.S., R.Ph. Publisher/Editor, The Town Common Letters to the Editor provide a useful way of communicating concerns, issues, or suggestions to all members of the community. The Town Common encourages all citizens to submit letters concerning issues of interest and concern to the local community. Letters selected for publication may be edited for length and clarity. Some letters may serve as a catalyst for other articles or coverage, and community leaders and agencies will be offered an opportunity to respond to letters concerning their areas of responsibility. All letters must be signed and include a daytime telephone number. Letters may be submitted to: The Editor c/o The Town Common 77 Wethersfield St. Rowley, MA 01969 or preferably via e-mail to: editor@thetowncommon.com. The Town Common deadline is 5pm Wednesday (except when a federal holiday necessitates an earlier deadline). The Town Common serves the communities of the Upper North Shore of Mass. & Coastal New Hampshire and welcomes your participation. Send your Organization or Group Notices, Birth or Engagement Announcements, Photos, Articles and Letters to the Editor, by mail, phone, fax, or e-mail to: 77 Wethersfield St., Rowley, MA 01969 Phone: 978-948-8696 Fax: 978-948-2564 E-mail: news@thetowncommon.com The Town Common Marc Maravalli, Publisher / Editor editor@thetowncommon.com Graphic Design Services graphics@thetowncommon.com Advertising Opportunities advertise@thetowncommon.com Event and Announcement Submissions events@thetowncommon.com 77 Wethersfield Street Rowley, MA 01969-1713 Phone: (978) 948-8696 Fax: (978) 948-2564 www.thetowncommon.com The Town Common is not responsible for typographical errors or omissions, but reprint opportunities do exist for prompt notification of such errors. Advertisers should notify The Town Common of any errors in ads on the first day of issuance. No credits &/or refunds are offered or implied. All material and content cannot be duplicated without written consent of the publisher. The right is reserved to reject, omit, or edit any copy offered for publication. Copyright 2004-2018 The Town Common © - All Rights Reserved In loving memory of Liz Ichizawa, Reporter (1956 - 2005) Letters To The Editor Rowley Solar Community Announcements Dear Editor, Community Connections The proposed solar array project in Rowley, MA will be an asset to the townspeople and the environment by providing a resilient, renewable form of Business energy. Locally produced Spotlight and distributed, environmentally-friendly solar energy is a benefit to everyone in town. For Sale Right now, landowners Real in Massachusetts Estate face • For pressure Sale to develop their farmable acres, especially as they get older and have to decide what to do with their property. A solar array is an excellent way of preserving the land in Sports an open state • Sports for years with • positive Sports benefits for the town and almost no drawbacks. The acres will still be able to be used for growing and livestock. The land can be easily converted back to its natural Pets, state once the Animals, solar array is decommissioned, Plus something that would not be the case with almost any other use of the space. If we care Health at all about keeping & Fitness Rowley’s farming heritage alive, we should be welcoming a solar farm. The solar array offers several advantages to Rowley beyond the energy it will provide. The tax revenue generated is not an expense to the town. The array doesn’t burden the town with costly services that residential or commercial use would. There’s no increase in traffic for the area, no large delivery trucks rumbling down rural roads. The impact on the daily lives of the citizens of Rowley is nearly non-existent, and it’s not going to cost them anything either. Currently, there are 571 apartment and condominium homes in place in Rowley, according to the principal assessor. That’s just over 25% of residences in our community. The residents in these dwellings typically cannot put up any solar array of their own. This project would give them access to a renewable resource that had previously been available to homeowners only. Renters would be able to benefit from this project just like landowners. As with anything new, there is some concern over the impact of this project on the town, the environment, and those living nearby. It’s only natural to be concerned. With the unknown, there is always fear, and often, as it is in this case, that fear breeds misinformation. There’s a lot of it circulating out there so here are some facts about the project: • All power generated from the array goes directly to Rowley Municipal Light Department. • The applicant for this project is providing the use of the land for a minimum of 25 years and availability up to 65 years. • The project will not lower nearby property values – Extensive studies have been conducted in multiple states to settle this very question, and the majority found no impact. Solar farms are, by design, built to be low-profile. The project is taking care to screen the farm from any possible viewers through the use of vegetation. • There will be fencing to keep out animals such as deer to ensure they don’t hurt themselves on the equipment, but small animals like birds and mice will not be impacted. The idea is to leave the land as untouched as possible. • Do solar arrays make noise? New arrays, such as those to be used by this project, offer superior noise reduction from those available just a few years ago. If you’ve read that they’re noisy, you’re probably dealing with some old information. • What about Electromagnetic Fields? Today, in your own home, you would be exposed to far higher levels of EMFs than standing on the edge of a solar farm where they are 0.2-0.4mG magnetic fields. A typical vacuum cleaner emits 20-200mG. • Each solar panel is painted with a non-reflective coating to reduce glare. A recent study noted that the glare from a solar farm was similar to that of a pond or flat lake. I hope this helps folks understand how this project is a win for Rowley. Lower electric bills, energy that is safe, green, and renewable, and the preservation of farmable land are all good things. With so little negatives involved in this, I can’t see any reason Rowley should not jump at the chance to make this proposed project a reality. Jodi Stoddard Anna Jaques Hospital Named Three Years in a Row as “150 Top Places to Work in Healthcare” NEWBURYPORT – Anna Jaques Hospital has once again been ranked nationally by Becker’s Healthcare as one of the “150 Top Places to Work in Healthcare | 2018” list, which highlights hospitals, health systems and healthcare companies that promote diversity within the workforce, employee engagement and professional growth. This is the third year in a row that Anna Jaques has been recognized. AJH is only one of three Massachusetts hospitals and the only MA community hospital named to the list in 2018. “To be named as a Top 150 Hospital by Becker’s three years in a row is a true testament to the on-going efforts of the hardworking and compassionate individuals who make Anna Jaques such a special place to work and receive care. Our employees, physicians and volunteers deserve this recognition,” said Mark Goldstein, President & CEO. Criteria for which Anna Jaques was selected included: employee recognition program; benefits offerings; volunteer and community support program; and wellness initiatives offered at the hospital. The organizations featured on this list offer benefits and opportunities for employees to build successful careers above and beyond the average healthcare provider or company; they encourage professional development and promote leadership from within. Many members of the list offer unique wellness and personal benefits The Town Common to ensure employees strike a positive work/life balance as well as employee recognition programs to highlight their accomplishments. Largest Independent Becker’s Newspaper Hospital Review Serving has published North a version Shore of this list of since Mas 2011. This list is not an endorsement of included executives, hospitals, health systems or associated healthcare providers, and organizations cannot pay for inclusion on this list. Complete Effective Community Outreach Join us for the 23rd Annual Equine Expo! Essex County Trail Association is hosting the23rdannual Equine EXPO to be held on Saturday, April28, 2018 from 9am-3pm in the Arena Building at the Topsfield F a i r g r o u n d s on Route 1, Topsfield, MA. This popular event draws over 800 people each year. Individuals, groups and businesses make up over 80 booths offering goods and services – selling anything new or used for the horse, rider or driver. To outfit everyone for the show and trail season, find a massage therapist, trainer, saddle fitter or a new saddle, upgrade all your equipment, build a barn, purchase supplements, books, herbal products, home decor or gifts this is the place to be! We also have a large information table with pamphlets on trails, land organizations, businesses, etc. A demonstration ring will be running all day with a number of great demos scheduled including different horse breeds, training, trailer loading & western dressage. A silent auction offers a wide variety of items for bid. There will be a food vendor serving lunch. Plenty of free parking and the building is accessible to everyone. An admission fee of $5 (kids under 10 are free) goes toward one of our goals of maintaining trails in our member Towns of Hamilton, Wenham, Topsfield, Ipswich, Essex and West Newbury for all types of passive recreation. Drop by for a day of one stop shopping. For more information,please call Kay at 978-768-6275 or Sue at 978-468- 7715 or emailkljoreo@aol.com.
April 18 - 24, 2018 www.TheTownCommon.com Page 3 Continued from page 1 said it seems a particularly good time to relax and enjoy talking about books and poems. The writers, Hendrickson said, say Newburyport “is the best organized festival. We know what we are doing.” The reason is that the organizers do not change the program once it is set. Newburyport always has something interesting going on. And the parties are fun, she said. The festival organizers, who raise $45,000 to $50,000 each year to support the event, do not pay the authors. They do reimburse their travel and lodging expenses. Hendrickson concedes that there appears to be a bias toward women authors this year. Of the 19 fiction writers, four are men. Six of the 22 non-fiction writers are male. Only one of the 10 writers of children’s and young adult books are men. The exception is that the male poets outnumber their female counterparts. There are 11 men Continued from page 1 to discuss the future of the toothpick. Turner told his commission members last month that Harrington wants the town involved in any discussion about the future of the toothpick. Larry Paul, an engineer, has been creating drawings of the toothpick with hopes of someday restoring the beacon to its original condition. He envisions replacing the wooden structure with something that would survive the weather better and enlarge it to its full 35-foot height. If taller, some observers believe the beacon might look even more like a toothpick. No one left alive knows why the beacon is called Ben Butler’s Toothpick. Paul said the speculation has always been that the wooden structure was given that moniker because Butler, a well-known loud mouth, built it. “I was told it was because Butler had a big mouth,” Paul said. According to his research, Butler admitted he often put his foot in his mouth. And during one speech, he reportedly refused the offer of water, saying “Windmills don’t run on water.” Born in Deerfield, NH in 1818, Butler grew up in Lowell, where he developed an empathy for the local mill workers. When he served in the state legislature, Congress and as governor of Massachusetts, he championed Newburyport Literary Festival to nine women. “We are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment,” Hendrickson said. Actually, she admits, the amendment giving women the vote passed Congress 99 years ago and was ratified in 1920. Or it may be that more women than men read today, which explains why the opening and closing ceremonies at the Firehouse for the Arts are dominated by women. “Festival favorite, Ann Hood, popular and prolific fiction writer, is our honoree this year. Ann is the author of 14 novels, three memoirs, a short story collection, a 10-book series for middle readers and one young adult novel. For our opening ceremony she will be in conversation with her longtime friend, Andre Dubus, III about her life as a writer and the books that matter most to her,” the festival websites states. Several years ago, Toothpick Needs a Paint Job the 10-hour workday. He became a very successful manufacturer in Lowell, producing the first American wool bunting used in making flags. Butler presented President Abraham Lincoln the first American flag made of bunting made in the U.S. During the Civil War, he was named a general and became an important player in the fight against slavery. At one post, he used his legal knowledge to declare that captured slaves were contraband, seized by the northern army. In that way, he circumvented the law that required Yankee soldiers to return any escaped slaves to their southern owners. For his efforts, Confederate President Andrew Johnson ordered Butler executed if he were ever captured. As governor from 1883 to 1884, Butler appointed the first black judge, the first Irish Catholic to the judiciary and Clara Barton, who founded the American Red Cross, as the first women to serve in an executive office. Butler also owned a marble quarry in Rockport. The original stones that formed the base for the toothpick reportedly came from his quarry. The current beacon was destroyed in a storm in 1947 and rebuilt a few years later. And for 20 years Butler owned the yacht America and entered it 28 times in races, winning five. Come in for a visit and compare! Massachusetts’-own Dubus was the honoree and he opened the festival with a conversation with Sea View Retreat -Since 1954 (978)-948-2552 Hood. The closing ceremony at 7 p.m. will be “Women’s Voices – Four Fiction Writers Discuss Their An extended Care Community Work”. The program will honor four local writers. Holly Robinson will moderate a discussion with Anne Easter Smith, Aine Greaney and Meg Mitchell Moore. All events are free except for the Friday night Dinner with the Authors. Held at 7:30 at www.seaviewretreat.com the Masonic Lodge at 31 Green Street, it costs $50. Reservations MANSION DRIVE • ROWLEY, MA • JUST OFF ROUTE 1A can be made on line. The Founding sponsors are Newburyport Bank and New Dining Room Institution for Savings. Other Full Bar sponsors include Riley & Italian Deli & Marketplace Associates, Bookish and the Take out Massachusetts Cultural Councils Grab & Go for The Newburyport and Newbury. Town Common Party Trays Individual donations total about $6,000. 978-465-2225 For a full schedule of events, GiuseppesFineFood.com 257 Low St . Newburyport visit newburyportliteraryfestival. org/schedule-events. IPSWICH It will pay to shop Ipswich Ford BRAND NEW F150 & F250 PICKUP TRUCKS 4x4 and 4x2 Over 15 in Stock to Choose From 2015 Ford Focus SE Sedan $12,995 Stk #8127 2012 Ford Focus SE $9,995 Stk #8151 2007 Lincoln MKX AWD SUV $10,995 Stk #8174A See our inventory at: 2008 Honda Accord $7,995 Stk #8145A 2015 Ford Fiesta SE $11,995 Stk #8141 2016 Ford Fusion SE $16,495 Stk #8021 •Private & Semi-Private Rooms with Baths and Beautiful Views • Medicare/ Medicaid certified The • Social Town Services-Speech, Co Physical, Occupational, & Massage Therapies • Full Activity Program • and much more... Weekly Community Newspaper PRE-OWNED SPECIALS The North Shore’s Largest Independent Co 2014 Ford Escape SE 4WD SUV $19,995.00 Stk #8153 2014 Ford F150 S/C 4x4 $26,995 Stk #8149 2016 Ford Flex SE $17,995 Stk #8161 105 County Road Route 1A & Route 133 Ipswich, MA 978-948-8696 • www.thetowncommon.com • adver WWW.IPSWICHFORD.COM 2008 Mazda Tribute $7,995 Stk #8116A 2016 Ford E-Max Energi $19,995 Stk #8166 2017 Ford F150 Supercrew $35,995 Stk #8111 Email: IpswichFord@prodigy.net 105 County Road . Route 1A & Route 133 . Ipswich, MA . 978-356-2916
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