Online Edition Wednesday, August 18, 2004
|
ShipshapeModel boat builders gather in PeabodyBy Club News Cynthia Garb Like clockwork, every Monday at 12:30 p.m., a clever group of artisans gather at the Peter A. Torigian Community Life Center in Peabody to build model ships. And the ships these craftsmen turn out are nothing short of superior. Marc "Marcy" Consalvo, 69, of Peabody, the unofficial head of the group, said he is not new to shipbuilding. In fact, Consalvo has been building model ships for more than half a century. "My mother and father bought me a ship model kit when I was 12 years old and I failed miserably the first time I tried back then," said the grandfather of two, who is a retired General Electric engineer. "But I've always known that the only thing that works in life is persistence. So I kept at it. And now that I'm retired, I have the time to work at it. That's because building these models takes a long time - I would say each model takes between 1,200 and 2,200 hours." Consalvo, who is also an accomplished artist, said he has probably built a dozen models since he began coming to the center about 1990. "I've kept some of my models and I've sold some of them," he said. "My wife allows me to keep a couple of models on display at home and the rest I keep in mothballs, then I take them out and show them from time to time." Peabody's Bert Cressey, a 60-year-old retired airline mechanic, comes by model shipbuilding naturally. His father was a sea captain for 50 years. "I always worked on models with him but I didn't know that this group even existed until my wife, who does Meals on Wheels, told me about it," he said. "These people have made a big difference in my life. I've been coming here now for about a year and a half and it's been wonderful, not only because of doing the boats but these gentlemen have such wonderful stories to tell and such colorful histories to share." Cressey's current project is a boat that will actually go into the water. "My dad retired from Boston Towing and I'm making this boat for a gentleman who actually owns Boston Towing. It's a model of a brand-new boat that is 965 feet in real life. But this will be three-eighths scale and will be radio controlled," he said. "I've been working on it for about 2<1/2> months here and at home as well. It should be done in about four months. But the beauty of this place is that there are plenty of guys to help you if you need help." John Vdoviak, 77, said he makes models of just about everything that moves - planes, trains, cars and ships. The retired GE engineering manager hails from Marblehead but said that coming to the group is more than worth the ride even with the high cost of gas. He enjoys the opportunity to spend time with other like-minded modelers. "This is a three-season, mostly wintertime activity for me. I live near the water so in the summer I sail boats and in the winter I make models of them," he said. "This group is a great thing for everybody. It doesn't cost anything and anyone who is interested is invited to come and join us, both men and women, and if they don't know how to do it, we will teach them." And, that's just why Bruce Bateman of Danvers decided to join the group. The 70-year-old historian, who calls himself a "neophyte" when it comes to model shipbuilding, spent a recent afternoon working on what he describes as a "Mickey Mouse dory." "I've built models all my life but these guys can really build them and I wanted to learn. Since one of the stories I talk about in my lectures is the story of Howard Blackburn, the fingerless navigator of Gloucester, and his dory, I wanted to make a model dory of my own and that's what I'm doing," he said. "This is good therapy and coming here I've met a great bunch of knowledgeable guys." George Sipple, 78, a retired loss control manager for West Lynn Creamery, is a prime mover in the formation of the group and has been very much involved with the model shipbuilders for more than a decade. Sipple said he began building ship models about 1972. "What happened was that my sister-in-law bought me a kit. But I put it aside for a year or two until one day, I had nothing to do, so I started building," Sipple recalled, adding that that particular model was not the place to start. "It was complicated and it took me seven years before I finally finished the job. But I've been building them ever since. In fact, my wife once said that the only thing I care about is boats and grandchildren," Sipple said with a grin. One day, Sipple, said, he saw a notice about the center's shipbuilding group in The Salem News so he decided to give it a try. He ended up mentoring the class, which has grown to become one of the most popular groups meeting at the center. "We're funded by the Peabody Cultural Council and the Friends of the Peabody Council on Aging," Sipple said. "They supply the funds so we don't charge for the lessons or the lumber; it's all free. All you have to do is come and bring your body with you and we'll tell you how to do it. We've even had women in the class and we encourage more women to join. We have plenty of guys here to help even people who have never built a model before." The group is now preparing for a model ship exposition that will take place at the Torigian Senior Center, 79 Central St., Peabody, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 6 and 7. Handcrafted miniature ship models on display will range from Colonial schooners to World War II warships. And, if you would like to meet some very friendly and interesting people and learn more about model ship building at the same time, then consider coming to the Torigian Center any Monday at 12:30 p.m. where the model shipbuilders assure you of a warm welcome. * * * Though the more than 50-year-old Peabody Lions Club has long been involved in eye research, the club reaches out to the community in many other ways as well. The club welcomes new members, both men and women. Meetings, which include dinner and a program, are held the second and fourth Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at Angelica's Restaurant, Route 114, Middleton. Anyone interested in membership is invited to attend a meeting. For information, contact club President Barry Feinstein at (978) 531-7450; fax (978) 531-7123 or e-mail: Barry@BarryFeinstein.com. * * * And don't forget to circle the date of Sept. 28 and the time of 1 p.m. - that's when the first meeting of the season of the Peabody AARP Chapter 4806 will be held at the Torigian Center. And in the meantime, check out the local cable TV Channel 22 at 5 p.m. on the first Wednesday of every month when the chapter's "Senior Corner" program airs with co-hosts Bill Toomey and Ray Stoey. If you miss the live broadcast, don't despair - the program is repeated at 5 p.m. on subsequent Wednesdays. The Club News column appears every other Friday in Arts & Leisure. If your club or organization has news to share, call Cynthia Garber at (978) 531-5863; e-mail: cgarber@star.net or fax: (978) 531-5863. r
|
| |||||||
| ||||||||
