News

Town Talk: Gasoline not included

By Patrick Anderson
Staff writer
Published: May 17, 2008

ESSEX — Power boat captains may want to steer clear of the Essex River this morning as the waterway will be churning under the effort of nearly 100 rowers and paddlers in the Cape Ann Rowing Club's annual Essex River Race.

The event, a 5.5-mile jaunt down the river, around Cross Island, and back, is open to any seaworthy human-powered vessel and in recent years has gone beyond rowing shells, kayaks and canoes to include stand-up paddle surfboards and plastic dinghies.

"It has to be human-powered, that is the only rule," Cape Ann Rowing Club President Rich Klajnscek said yesterday. "The event started out as an informal thing and has been getting bigger and bigger. We get dories, rowing gigs, boats coming up from Martha's Vineyard. Who knows what will show up?"

Klajnscek, who will be participating in a sliding seat rowing shell, said this year 75 contestants had pre-registered for the race as of yesterday, a larger number than usual, and he expected around 90 boats altogether would take to the water today.

Growth in the event in recent years has been spurred by an expanding number of people entering with kayaks and surf skis (open cockpit, wave-riding kayaks), which are now the largest class of vessels.

The race begins at the former Conomo Cafe and, to avoid gridlock, groups vessels together by class in a staggered start. Registration begins at 8 a.m., a pre-race meeting among contestants is at 9 a.m. and boats hit the water by 9:30 a.m. The speed of the vessels differ, but most boats are usually out of the water by noon.

"We have had some people get lost," Klajnscek said. "They are facing backwards rowing and end up going down some creek somewhere."

Medals will be given out after the race at the Essex Shipbuilding Museum, where chowder, chile and beverages will be available.

Biology class

Manchester Essex Regional High School students received a detailed and comprehensive lesson in the reproductive habits of water fowl this week when a female duck became trapped in the school's enclosed courtyard and gave birth to 14 baby ducklings.

The duck must have flown in through an open door sometime in April, gotten stuck in the courtyard, and laid the eggs, Assistant Principal Paul Murphy said yesterday. Ducks incubate their eggs anywhere from 23 day to a little over a month, depending on the species. School members believe the ducklings hatched Monday night.

By Tuesday morning, students and teachers were gathering around the courtyard to get a glimpse of the bird and spotted empty egg shells near a bush.

"It was becoming a distraction, because both students and teachers wanted to watch the ducklings," Murphy said.

Realizing the courtyard would not make a good permanent home for the new family, the school called the town animal control officer, who removed the birds and released them in Dexter Pond.

Smith woods

This December, George Smith of Masconomo Street agreed to place 13 acres of his West Manchester land under conservation restriction with the Manchester Essex Conservation Trust, preserving the land from development and opening access to hikers and nature lovers.

Today, Smith will introduce the land to the public with a guided tour and hike starting at the end of pavement on Crooked Lane at 10 a.m.

During the hike, Smith will share details of the land's history, which includes a period in the early 1900s when wood from the two adjoining parcels was a primary source of energy for the area during a major coal embargo and shortage.

"Some of the wood piles date back to the early 1900s, when there was 23 inches of ice in the harbor and the whole East Coast was without coal," Smith said this week.

The land links the Conservation Trust's Wyman Hill and Great Hill conservation areas and includes the second and third largest hills in Manchester, all surrounded by other pieces of conservation land.

The tour will follow an old logging trail that passes through a well-preserved section of the colonial-era Manchester Commons wall and by several examples of old stone construction. The land also features several caves.

Senior Night

The 38th annual gathering of Essex's graduating high school seniors at the Lions Club Senior Night was a family affair as former Essex graduate, Boston Herald sportswriter Rob Bradford, the former sports editor of the Times, was the keynote speaker, joining his father, the long-time chairman and organizer of the event, Bill Bradford.

Twenty-eight scholarships were awarded by several organizations at the Tuesday event at Hamilton Legion Hall to the seniors of various high schools who all got their start at Essex Elementary School.

The elder Bradford said this week that one of the messages of the event was to give seniors heading off to college an idea of how much those that had gone off before them appreciated growing up in the town when they returned later in life.

"For the last 25 years, it has gotten to be such a popular event with parents. We try to round up all of the students, whether they live in Essex anymore or not," Bradford said. "My son gave a speech that started by asking them whether they were looking forward to leaving, but said how much they would want to come back."

Over the years. Essex students — even those that don't go to private or vocational school — have been shifted to Gloucester, Hamilton-Wenham and now Manchester for high school, a history Bill Bradford relayed at the event in detail.

Clean up at the Grove

Just in time for warm weather, the Essex Youth Commission is leading a cleanup of the Centennial Grove grounds and buildings today.

The cleanup will involve everything from raking old leaves and clearing litter, to painting, sweeping and power washing the pavilion.

Gloves, trash bags and equipment will be provided, along with orange juice, coffee and snacks. Both groups and individuals are encouraged to come.

The cleaning begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Grove.

><p>

Patrick Anderson can be reached at panderson@gloucestertimes.com.