Happy Halloween!
In Essex, the Youth Commission will hold its annual Halloween celebration today. The event will start at 4:30 p.m. with a costume parade starting at Essex Elementary School and ending at the Fire Station. From 5 to 6 p.m., before trick-or-treating, there will be many family-friendly events including hayrides and games at the Fire Station. Pizza slices will be available for $1.50 and all drinks will be $1.
In Manchester, all trick-or-treaters are invited to the annual Halloween party today from 5 to 7 p.m at Memorial Park. Mo the Clown will be providing entertainment, children can get their faces painted and food will available.
This is the 65th year the town has hosted this event thanks to the Manchester Fire Department and generous donations. The party is free, but donations will be accepted.
Chayet to speak at Rotary Breakfast
Manchester resident Neil Chayet will be speaking at the Manchester-Essex Rotary Breakfast on Wednesday at 7:15 a.m. at the American Legion Hall on Church Street in Manchester. While he is best known for his nationally-syndicated WBZ radio program, "Looking at the Law," Chayet will be speaking about the restoration he and his wife, Martha, undertook to the historic Federal-period Joseph Story House in Salem. His talk is called: "The Story of the Story House: Loving Conversion of an Important National Treasure".
Story built this home in 1811 on the Commons in Salem. That same year he was appointed to the Supreme Court by James Madison, the fourth president of the United States. He was the youngest man ever to be so appointed and is also largely credited with founding Harvard Law School, according to information given by the Rotary.
The Chayets bought Story House in 2006 and spent many hours renovating it and making it eco-friendly. They were able to add new windows and create a true geo-thermal energy system. Since the home was designated as a landmark in the National Register Of Historic Properties, all of this work required not only time, energy and money but also the blessing of the Salem Historical Society.
This home is the only historic landmark to have receive the Leadership in Engineering and Environmental Design (LEED) award.
The public is invited to join the Rotarians for breakfast to hear Chayet talk about this challenging renovation project. For more information, call Dave Peterson at 508-843-8420, Randy Gregory at 617-953-5710 or Lex Towle at 978-869-2424.
Exceptional students
Six students from Manchester Essex Regional High School have been named commended students in the 2010 National Merit Scholarship competition. These students — Charles Dalton, Jake Douglas, Lisa Goddard, Sarah Goddard, Caroline Moore, and Caleb Pearce — will be receiving letters of commendation from both the school and the National Merit Scholarship Corp. that will be presented by Principal James Lee.
Although these seniors will not continue in the 2010 competition for National Merit Scholarships, they have placed among the top 5 percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2010 competition and may qualify for special scholarships sponsored by corporations and businesses.
Quick Hits
On Monday, Ambiance Hair design in Rockport will host a cut-a-thon fundraiser from 3 to 8 p.m. to benefit Essex firefighter Kevin Sousa and his family during his fight against leukemia. Cost is $35 for a hair cut and blow dry. Cash and checks will be accepted but credit cards cannot be used for this event. For details, call 978-546-3653.
Teachers at the Essex Elementary School will be hosting their version of Fox's popular game show "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth-Grader" on Friday to raise money for the Teachers Scholarship award given to several high school seniors each year. Since its inception in 1973, the scholarship has been awarded to 168 students.
The event will start at 5 p.m. with dinner for purchase and the game show itself will start shortly after at 5:30 p.m. Admission is free but donations will be accepted. At 6:30 p.m., there will a raffle for a homemade 3-foot tall Raggedy Ann doll. Tickets are one for $1 or six for $5 and can be purchased in advance at the school's library or from any Essex Elementary School teacher.
International teen thriller author James Heneghan will be at Manchester Public Library on Wednesday. Extra copies of Hengehan's books about World War II, the Irish Famine, and "Flood," set in contemporary Canada, and more are all available at the library.
The Manchester library's ongoing health programming continues. Local acupuncturist Eli Jacobe will give a talk on Chinese medicine and acupuncture at 3 p.m. next Saturday.
Jonathan Phelps compiles information about events, services and programs in Manchester and Essex for the weekly Town Talk column. If you have a news tip or submission for this column, you can reach him at gt_reporter@gloucestertimes.com or at 978-283-7000, extension 3447.
