North Shore Community Briefs
Turning 100, without nostalgia
BEVERLY -- Clara Wilson doesn't understand the fuss.
Correction
Because of a reporter's error, an article in yesterday's paper misstated the length of Beverly School Superintendent James Hayes' contract. The pact is for two years, but the School Committee has the option to extend it to a third year.
Couple abandons baby-sitting idea
BEVERLY -- A North Beverly couple decided not to open a child-care center in a residential area after objections from neighbors.
Elmer Bernstein, renowned composer, 82
LOS ANGELES -- Film composer Elmer Bernstein, who created a brawny, big-sky theme for "The Magnificent Seven," nerve-jangling jazz for "The Man With The Golden Arm" and heart-rending grace notes for "To Kill a Mockingbird," has died.
Beverly High may close during renovations
BEVERLY -- School officials are considering closing Beverly High School during planned renovations, a move they say could cut as much as a year off the project.
OBITUARIES
Obituaries for Friday, Aug. 20, 2004
Peabody soldier meets Powell in Iraq
PEABODY -- Several Peabody families have welcomed home soldiers in recent weeks, but for Capt. Robert Govaert, the exciting encounter came in Baghdad.
Govaert, a Peabody native, has been in Baghdad since February with his unit, helping repair the city's rail network. On July 30, Secretary of State Colin Powell paid a surprise visit to the troops and found the time to get his picture taken with Govaert. "It was very cool for him," Govaert's wife, Valerie Govaert, said. "That's his hero." Govaert was a history major in college, so all this time in one of the Earth's most ancient civilizations is treating him quite well. "Except for missing his family, he's probably having the time of his life," his wife said. "He's getting to see all of these places he's always dreamed of seeing." Star power Sal Valenti got to meet a couple of his heroes on Wednesday night. Valenti, 6, of Peabody, hung out with Red Sox sluggers Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz before Wednesday night's 6-4 win over the Blue Jays. He even got to go on the field -- though he had to stay on the dirt around the edge, away from the pristine Fenway grass. Valenti very nearly didn't make it to his big night. When he was just 3 months old, he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, and his parents were told he would need a bone marrow transplant. Fortunately, the Valentis found a donor -- Sal's older sister, Celina, now 9. "She's the real hero," their father, Vinny Valenti, said. Fast forward a few years: Sal is healthy, and his father works at Tom O'Brien Hyundai in Danvers. Hyundai is a major sponsor of the Jimmy Fund, which helped the Valentis during Sal's illness. ON "They saved his life," Vinny Valenti said of the Jimmy Fund. Johnny and Mikey Mike Schulze still hasn't quite come down to earth after his experience at the Democratic National Convention, where he watched longtime friend John Kerry accept the nomination for president. After the acceptance speech and the balloon drop, Schulze said, he tried to get close to Kerry but couldn't manage to get within a few people of him. No matter. Kerry turned to Schulze, closed his hands prayerfully and called out, "Thank you, Mikey!" "I walked out of there on top of those balloons," Schulze said. "And this is the guy they say is so aloof. They don't understand him they way I do." Schulze has used up two of his three vacation weeks on the Kerry campaign. "And they might have me go to Florida for the third." Make way for ugly ducklings The winners of the contest to name the baby swans on Crystal Lake will receive their prizes at a ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 2, at 2 p.m. on the banks of the lake. The contest was sponsored by the Conservation Commission and Hannaford markets. Last week, Conservation Commission clerk Marilyn Limongiello announced four winning names for the cygnets who have survived -- Smudge, Hank, Crystal and Odette. But at the last minute, the judges decided to pick a name for the fifth little swan, who did not make it to the end of the summer. The winner is Waddles, submitted by Kathy McLaughlin. Leaving them laughing When North Shore Community Action Programs holds its "Night of Comedy" fund-raiser on Sept. 10, Gary Gulman of "Last Comic Standing 2" fame won't be there, even though one of his best friends, mayoral aide Sean Fitzgerald, is on the board at NSCAP. Gulman is booked solid, taping "Last Comic Standing 3," performing in comedy clubs around the country and making appearances to promote the television show. Even so, he's figured out a way to leave them laughing at the NSCAP benefit. One of the items to be raffled during the evening will be lunch with the lanky funnyman. Tickets are $15 in advance, $18 at the door, and are on sale at NSCAP, located at 98 Main St.. What's in a name? We got an interesting card in the mail from Edward Nevins, a Peabody native who now lives in New Jersey. Nevins, who has spent the past seven years trying to get the government to issue a postage stamp honoring George Peabody, thought we might be interested in the origin of Peabody's name. Nevins said that George Peabody -- all Peabodys, actually -- can trace his name back to one Queen Boadicea. Boadicea was queen of the Iceni, a Celtic people in eastern England. She led her subjects in rebellion against the Romans in 61 A.D. The rebellion ultimately failed but not before the Iceni had spent a couple of years pillaging Roman settlements and causing trouble. Boadicea herself drank poison and died after her defeat, but her son Boadie fled to the mountains of Wales, where his name came to mean "man of strength." Combined with the word "pea," meaning hill or mountain, Boadie's name became the name of a tribe -- the Pea-boadie, or "strong men of the mountain." Peabody, by the way, may well have known about the legend. At least, Sophia Peabody -- Nathaniel Hawthorne's wife and a distant relation of George's -- apparently knew of it. In his 1884 biography of Nathaniel and Sophia Hawthorne, Julian Hawthorne, Nathaniel's son, wrote: "After Sophia Peabody was married and had children of her own, she often used to amuse them with these and similar wondrous tales of their maternal lineage, which had just sufficient possibility of truth in them to render them captivating to a child's imagination. There was no definite reason why Boadicea should not have been their indefinitely great-grandmother."
Man indicted in coke trafficking
SALEM -- A Salem man is facing a 15-year mandatory minimum prison sentence following his indictment Wednesday on cocaine trafficking charges.
Salem porn mishap hits MSNBC
SALEM -- Salem's porn flap has gone national.
ZBA approves carriage house condo plan
SALEM -- A historic carriage house at 324 Essex St. was given the go-ahead for a major renovation and conversion into a single-family condominium Wednesday night.
Chase leads to drug arrest
SALEM -- A Beverly man who ran a stop sign last night and then tried to give police the slip in Peabody was picked up a short time later and arrested on cocaine trafficking and a host of other charges.
Small deer killed; uncertain if same animal that struck tourist
SALEM -- A small deer was hit by a motor vehicle on Essex Street near the public library yesterday morning, breaking its rear legs and forcing animal control officials to euthanize the animal after it hobbled into a back yard.
Police chief: Traffic light wasn't working at time of crash
SWAMPSCOTT -- As investigators continue to investigate a fatal crash in Vinnin Square, police said a broken pedestrian walk light that may have contributed to the accident was repaired. The walk light, which operates on a push button system, is located at the intersection where two teenagers were hit by a car Saturday night.
Beverly calendar
Friday, Aug. 20
Beverly news in brief
BUS SAFETY: The Beverly Public Schools Transportation Dept. will hold a School Bus Safety Open House Friday, Aug. 20, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 25 Sohier Road. All Beverly students up to grade five are welcome to meet drivers and enjoy refreshments, free gifts, balloons, bus rides and guest appearances.
Danvers calendar
Friday, Aug. 20
Danvers news in brief
Here's a look at community events in Danvers
Hamilton-Wenham calendar
Saturday, Aug. 21
Hamilton-Wenham briefs
Hamilton-Wenham briefs
Ipswich calendar
Friday, Aug. 20
Ipswich news in brief
LECTURE SERIES: The Castle Hill Architectural Lecture Series will be held on the following Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. The Great House will be open for self-guided tours at 5:30 p.m.
Manchester calendar
Monday, Aug. 23
Manchester-by-the-Sea news in brief
FALL SPORTS: The Manchester Parks and Recreation Department will offer a fencing clinic session and a tennis program for youths and adults. Tennis classes will begin Aug. 23, and fencing will begin Sept. 8. Spaces are limited. For information, call (978) 526-2019.
Marblehead/Swampscott calendar
Saturday, Aug. 21
Marblehead/Swampscott news in brief
FUND-RAISER: A benefit dance to raise money for the Multiple Sclerosis Challenge Walk will be held Saturday, Aug. 21, from 8 p.m. to midnight at the VFW Hall on West Shore Drive, Marblehead. Music by the 12:01 Band. Tickets are $20.
Peabody calendar
Friday, Aug. 20
Peabody news in brief
GOLF TOURNEY: The Peabody Lions Club will hold its annual golf tournament Monday, Aug. 23, at noon at the Thompson Country Club in North Reading. Tickets cost $145, which includes lunch, golf, cart and dinner at Angelica's in Middleton. Donations are needed. Call (978) 531-1410.
Salem calendar
Friday, Aug. 20
Salem news in brief
SENIOR LUNCH: Students in Salem High School culinary arts program will prepare a buffet lunch for senior citizens every Wednesday from 10:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. beginning Sept. 15 in the school's new Black Cat Cafe. Cost is $3.95. Parking available in the back of the building.
Tri-Town calendar
Friday, Aug. 20
Tri-Town news in brief
TOWN MEETING: Topsfield residents are invited to attend a public meeting Tuesday, Aug. 31, at 7:30 p.m. at the Topsfield Library. Chris Siccardi from the Community Preservation Act (CPA) organization will be present to discuss how the CPA can help fund Town Hall upgrades.
Clue in Boxford burglaries found
BOXFORD -- A Lynn drug raid uncovered a high-end camera reported stolen from one of about a dozen homes burglarized in town this year.
BENEFIT CONCERT
What: Benefit concert for Partners in Development
Helen comes home to Holten House
DANVERS -- Before people toured it and the Daughters of the American Revolution held meetings in it, Helen Porter Philbrick called the Holten House home.
Nonprofit work in Haiti gets boost from community
IPSWICH -- Gale Hull heads a small organization that requires her to work a second job and find her own office space. For Hull, it's perfect. She likes to work -- and she likes working outdoors.
Meet the neighbors down on the farm
IPSWICH -- Appleton Farms wants to introduce you to its newest members.
Decline of homeless families in motels
Time period Statewide Danvers/Peabody
Homework center to open next month
MANCHESTER -- The Manchester Public Library will open an after-school homework center beginning Sept. 13.
Public gets chance to comment on recreation plan
PEABODY -- City planners will present the new recreation and open space plan that is being developed at a public meeting Monday, Aug. 23, at 7 p.m., at the Department of Public Services, 50 Farm Ave.
DSS investigating shaken-baby case
ROCKPORT -- The state Department of Social Services is investigating two Rockport residents for allegations they physically abused their 12-week-old daughter.
WHY THEY'RE LEAVING
Here is a sampling of Salem High School teachers who won't be returning this fall.
Jean Killian: 'always doing for other people'
TOPSFIELD -- Jean Killian's friends would sometimes find a cake, a casserole or a neatly tied bunch of fresh-picked rhubarb waiting for them on their front steps. There was usually no accompanying note, but they always knew that it came from their vigorous, yet unassuming, friend.
Boards battle over Town Hall's fate
WENHAM -- After getting their first look at a proposal to tear down Town Hall and replace it with a new building, several Historic District Commission members said last night they are not convinced it's a good idea.
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