The 10th Anniversary Celebration continues!
Visit the tall ship Friendship in
Newburyport on August 24-26, join us for the 5th
Annual
Trails & Sails: A Weekend of Walks and
Water on September 23-24, and feature
your favorite ENHA places in the photos you take and
submit them to the Anniversary Photo Contest before the end of
October.
Celebrate the sites, organizations, individuals
and communities that have been recognized as the
100 Milestones of the Essex National
Heritage Area. Visit
EssexHeritage.org for complete information on
ENHC programs and events.
Press Conference on the Future of Heritage Areas |
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National Park Service Director Fran Mainella joined
supporters of National Heritage Areas (NHA) at a US
Capitol press conference on July 24, celebrating the
release of Charting the Future of National Heritage
Areas: A Report by the National Park System
Advisory Board. Congressman John Tierney
attended and brought the accomplishments of the
Essex National Heritage Area to the Director’s
attention.
The report, designed by the National Geographic
Society, highlights the 27 existing congressionally
designated NHAs. The Essex National Heritage Area
was one of the areas featured in the report, for
its “work beyond park boundaries.” The article on
ENHA included two outstanding photographs
contributed by local photographer Trip Mason.
“National Heritage Areas preserve the historic
character of regions that have impacted the
American story,” said Mainella. Almost 50 million
people in 19 states live within the boundaries of a
National Heritage Area.
The report recommends that a National Heritage
Areas System be established within the Department
of the Interior to provide a legislative framework of
specific standards and criteria.
The National Park System Advisory Board is a
congressionally chartered body of 12 citizens
appointed to provide advise the Director on matters
related to the National Park Service.
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Visit our Area farms! |
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Support your local farms! The growing
season is underway, raspberries are winding down
and blueberries and corn are ripening in the summer
sun. The ENHA is home to more than 400 farms that
improve our quality of life by conserving green space
and providing delicious locally grown produce and
flowers. According to
buyfresh.org, If
just 5% of the population in Essex County spends
$7.25 a week at a local farm stand or farmers
market, net farm sales will increase by 50%, giving
farmers incentive to stay in business ensuring
that we maintain delicious locally grown food, open
space, jobs, and wildlife habitats.
From Danvers to Amesbury, Andover to Ipswich,
farms are open to pick-your-own fruits and
vegetables and participate in seasonal festivals.
Visit buyfresh.org
or
EssexHeritage.org for detailed information
and assistance finding the farms closest to you.
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Commissioner Corner: Joe Milano & The Union Oyster House |
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The ENHC would like to wish the Union Oyster House
a happy 180th birthday! ENHC Board of Trustees
member, Joe Milano, owner of the historic restaurant,
has been a committed supporter of the Essex
National Heritage Area and the Commission's
programs for many years, engaging new support and
connecting the Commission to the community. The
Union Oyster House opened in 1826, when
America was fifty years old and the Boston
waterfront was just feet away from its front door.
Now a visitor landmark along Boston’s Freedom Trail,
the restaurant has been has hosted hundreds of
historical figures, stars, and more than one million
visitors from every country in the world. In 2003,
the restaurant was designated a National Historic
Landmark.
On August 9 America’s oldest restaurant,
celebrates its 180th birthday, find out more about
festivities to help celebrate...
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Partnership Grant Spotlight On:Beverly Historical Society & Museum |
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Incorporation in 1891 the
Beverly Historical Society & Museum preserves
and cares for Beverly's past
and three historic houses, the Balch House, the
Cabot House and the Hale Farm. The Cabot House
currently features exhibitions on the American
Revolution, banking and the oldest community bank in
the nation, the Beverly Bank.
This past year, with help from an ENHC
Partnership Grant, the Society’s headquarters, the
Cabot House, went through a significant exterior
restoration. Work on the historic structure included
restoration of the slate roof, replicating and replacing
damaged pieces of ornamental woodwork, and
painting the exterior of the building. For a time, a
passerby on Cabot Street could see the entire
building encased in scaffolding. The project is now
successfully completed and looks as good as new.
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Funding to Benefit Regional Programs |
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The Essex National Heritage Commission is delighted
to announce that funding for ENHC was included in
the Massachusetts Economic Stimulus Bill recently
passed on Beacon Hill. The money will be used to
augment the Commission’s grant programs and other
regional projects including scenic byways, and
signage. "The Commission is a great thing for tourism
and a great thing for the entire area. Unfortunately
the Federal government has been cutting funding for
this program, so the State has stepped and tried to
help out," said Senator Fred Berry.
Executive Director Annie Harris credits the leadership
of Senator Berry and the Northeast Legislative
Caucus for joining together to override the
Governor’s veto. “We owe a great debt of gratitude
to our Essex County delegation,” said Harris. The
chairmen of the Caucus are Senator Tom McGee,
Senator Bruce Tarr and Representative Bob Fennell.
They were joined in this effort by state senators
Baddour, Tucker and Barrios along with
Representatives Keenan, Grant, Walsh, Speliotis,
Verga, Hill, Finegold, Costello, Dempsey, Petersen,
Falzone, Torrisi, Broadhurst, Lantigua, and L’Italien.
Representive John Keenan organized the letter
writing campaign to override the veto.
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National Heritage Area Highlight:Cane River National Heritage Area |
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Cane
River National Heritage Area in northwestern
Louisiana is a largely rural, agricultural landscape
known for its historic plantations, its distinctive
Creole architecture, and its multi-cultural legacy.
Historically this region lay at the intersection of
French and Spanish realms in the New World. Today
it is home to a unique blend of cultures, including
French, Spanish, African, American Indian, and
Creole.
The central corridor of the heritage area begins just
south of Natchitoches, the oldest permanent
settlement in the Louisiana Purchase, and extends
along both sides of Cane River Lake for approximately
35 miles. While much of the roughly 116,000-acre
heritage area is privately owned, many sites are open
to the public.
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Upcoming Explorers Events |
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Explorers! Please join us for these great
upcoming events!
Saturday, August 19, 6-8PM
Evening Bird Watching
Parker River National Wildlife Refuge,
Newburyport
Come to Plum Island and explore Parker River
National Wildlife Refuge with Sue McGrath of the
Newburyport Birders. The scenic Refuge is home to
more than 300 species of birds, and consists of
almost 5,000 acres of wetlands, dunes, marshes, and
beaches. Sue will introduce Explorers to the rich bird
life at the Refuge as we discover the different
habitats. All levels of bird enthusiasts are welcome.
Explorers: Free
Non-Explorers:$7
Gloucester Maritime Heritage Center Members:
Free. Click here for information and
directions.
Contact Sheilagh to RSVP
Did you know...?
The Italian Rose Garden at Lynch Park was originally
the site of a summer White House for President Taft?
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Images that celebrate our Heritage...
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