Essex National Heritage Area
Tom Leonard, President, ENHC

Tom Leonard,
President Emeritus, ENHC

Tom Leonard writes a monthly column for the community newspapers in the Essex National Heritage Area. This is a reprint of this month's column.
tleonard
at essexheritage.org.

Columns
Essex Heritage Announces Changes, Communications and Recognitions

Good-bye & Thank You to Patty Trap
We bid a fond farewell to Patty Trap,the superintendent of Salem Maritime and Saugus Iron Works National Historic Sites. Patty is leaving to become the deputy regional director for the National Park Service's (NPS) Midwest Region starting in mid-July.

Patty has been an inspiration to us all. She brought new ideas to this region, provided more services to our residents and greatly expanded the partnership between Essex Heritage and the NPS. She was dedicated to making maritime history come alive by sailing the Friendship of Salem to ports near and far providing our residents and visitors with a first-hand glimpse into maritime history.

Patty has also shown a tremendous commitment to the youth of our region by developing new, hands-on education opportunities at Salem and Saugus, and providing job corps training for our urban youth - giving them unique opportunities and experiences within the heritage area.

NPS Names interim Superintendent for Essex Region
We have been advised that the National Park Service has named Ms. Rita Hennessey interim Superintendent of the Salem and Saugus sites. Ms. Hennessy has recently been serving as the Assistant Park Manager of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail that stretches from Georgia to Maine. She will serve the two parks in the region, the Essex National Heritage Area and The Essex Heritage Commission until a new Superintendent is named later this year. As ENHC continues to develop the Essex Heritage Coastal Scenic Byway through its 85-mile length. Ms. Hennessey’s previous experience could prove to be most helpful to the region even in the short term.

Salem Maritime Festival
Join the National Park Service at Derby Wharf in Salem on Saturday, August 6, 2011 from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm for their annual Maritime Festival, celebrating, ships, sawdust, sailors and song. The annual Maritime Festival is a community-sponsored celebration of four centuries of Salem Maritime History and tradition. Enjoy lots of family fun with activities and music. For more information visit www.nps.gov/sama.

Amesbury Chamber of Commerce Recognizes Essex National Heritage Commission's Executive Director
On May 18, at their Good News Business Salute Breakfast the Amesbury Chamber of Commerce recognized three local organizations: Good Gracious, Essex Heritage and Kramer Scientific/Merrimac Tool Co., Ink. Annie C. Harris, Essex National Heritage Area Executive Director, was recognized for her contributions and efforts in the Merrimack Valley. Ms. Harris has been active for many years in civic and community organizations around the Merrimack Valley. She was a leader in starting a collaborative effort between the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and the Commission to bring the Heritage Landscape Inventory program to communities in Essex County.

Essex Heritage Web Site
One of the most informative and easiest to navigate web sites on the internet is the Essex Heritage web site found at www.essexheritage.org. I would encourage all of you to periodically visit this site that provides timely information about events happening in the region and it provides reports on the activities of the Commission. If you are expecting family or friends as visitors to this region, please visit the web site as specific excursions that may be of interest to them and you, can be found on the site complete with itenaries and directions. You would be well served to visit the site on a regular basis, as we post information regularly that you might find informative and interesting.

Thomas M. Leonard is President Emeritus of the Essex National Heritage Commission, Inc., the nonprofit management entity of the Essex National Heritage Area, and can be reached by clicking here.