History – Page 12 – Salem Main Streets

Stand Up & Be Counted in Support of Veterans

Nov 112015

Veterans we support you in Salem MA. In word & deed. Businesses and residents alike.

St Mary’s cemetery will be conducting its first “Blessing of the Flags” and “Salute to our Veterans” on November 11th at 10am outside of the veterans section at Saint Mary Cemetery in Salem.

Kim F. Emerling, Director of Veteran Services, Salem MA (Army Reserve Command Sergeant Major) explains “This 20 minute long ceremony will feature an opening prayer, a word of thanks to our attending veterans, a moment of prayer for those who are currently serving, the playing of taps for those veterans who have passed on before us and will finish with the blessing of flags and the unveiling of our new Veterans Memorial.”

Then at 11am on behalf of the Salem Veterans Council, you are invited to attend the 2015 Veterans Day ceremony at the Salem High School auditorium.

Consider that. It takes place on the eleventh day of the eleventh month at the eleventh hour.

Veterans Day was formerly known as Armistice Day; it was originally designed as a U.S. legal holiday to honor the end of World War I (which officially took place on November 11, 1918). In legislation that was passed in 1938, November 11 was “dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be hereafter celebrated and known as Armistice Day.”

But in 1954, the Act of 1938 was amended to honor vets of WWII and Korea by striking out “Armistice” and inserting “Veterans.” It now applies to all our veterans.

CSM Emerling adds, “Once again the city will be presenting the Salem Wartime Service Medal to all eligible Salem veterans. If you recall, these current medals are a replica of a medal the city presented to returning WWI ‘Doughboys’ as a token of gratitude for their service.

(If you have a family member, neighbor, or friend that might be eligible to receive this recognition from the city next year, please contact Emerling.)

Things to do/see in Salem MA on Veterans Day

PEM – open
House of the Seven Gables, open from 10am – 5pm with a 50% discount for admission with military id
Flying Saucer is open, offering a free slice of pizza to anyone with active military or veteran’s id
Wicked Good Books is open, 10am – 7pm
Jodi Bee Bakes is open 10am – 7pm!
Lobster Shanty offering a 10% discount for veterans and active duty members
The Ugly Mug offering a 10% discount for veterans and active duty members
Maitland Financial Group is open – note that the market is open BUT bond market is not.
Salem Spice, and most everyone on Pickering Wharf, are open
Ocean Chic – Open! 20% off with a military ID
Longboards is open. $5 off lobster rolls all day long. This is available to everyone.
Laura Lanes Skin Care is open and offering $10 off any 1 hour Facial or Massage

And if you want to do more, consider visiting a veterans’ hospital. The time you spend speaking with and listening to elderly or injured veterans is a great way to brighten their day.

Come Sail Away, Sail Away with Me

History, Salem Event, Salem Festivals No Responses »

Nov 072015

Expect to see today a different Salem than you saw last month as we harken back to our “other” historical claim to fame as a maritime power. You are invited to join the Essex county sailing community as it marks the end of the sailing season with Salem’s second annual Downrigging Festival today beginning at 10am.

The day-long event features four public sails, an assortment of maritime talks, live demonstrations, wooded boats, ship tours aboard FRIENDSHIP and more! Public sails require a reservation and fee, but all other activities are free to the public.

A better day could not have been selected. Visibility is expected to be 10 miles with one foot waves, good breezes and temperatures in comfortable low 60s.

All vessels will be docked at Salem Maritime National Historic Site (173 Derby Street) or Pickering Wharf Marina (23 Congress Street).

Participants include Schooner FAME, Schooner ARDELLE, Schooner ADVENTURE, Essex National Heritage Area, and Salem Maritime National Historic Site.

Schedule of Events

10am – Friendship opens for public visitation
10:30am – A Presentation on Baker’s Island and Essex National Heritage Area with Greg Guckenburg and Mary Hillery and Captain Ed Wolfe. 160 Derby Street, 2nd Floor.
11am – Open ship and demonstrations (each half hour) aboard FRIENDSHIP12:00PM – FAME Public Sail (90 minutes)
12pm – An illustrated talk on the current downrigging of FRIENDSHIP
12:30pm – A conversation with maritime photographer Leighton O’Conner. 160 Derby Street, 2nd Floor.
1pm – ARDELLE Public Sail (90 minutes)
2pm – FAME Public Sail (90 minutes)
2pm – An illustrated talk on the current downrigging of FRIENDSHIP
2:30pm – Steve and Jenny Sail for a Cancer Cure, a Conversation with S/V Ahava. 160 Derby Street, 2nd Floor.
3pm – ARDELLE Public Sail (90 minutes)
4:30pm – A Presentation by Captain Stefan Edick, Schooner ADVENTURE. 160 Derby Street, 2nd Floor.

To purchase tickets for public sails ($10 for adults, $5 for children 13 and under) aboard FAME or ARDELLE online go to www.zerve.com/SchoonerFame/Downrig or call the Schooner FAME at (978) 729-7600.

Visit www.nps.gov/sama for the complete schedule and updated information.

Come see the Salem of the sea!

Hamlet, Contemporary As Ever, To Be Staged in Salem

History, Salem Event No Responses »

Nov 042015

Murder, betrayal, grief, political intrigue, revenge. Sounds like any number of series currently on TV. In fact these are the powerful elements of William Shakespeare’s tragic piece Hamlet, being staged by the Salem Theatre, Nov. 5-21 – the final performance in the black box theatre at 90 Lafayette Street before the company moves to a shiny new space in February.

Directed by Caroline Watson-Felt, Salem Theatre describes Hamlet as “one of Shakespeare’s most beautiful, thoughtful, and sad tragedies. It is the story of a young man who discovers and loses himself all at the same time. We are our own worst enemies when we cannot reconcile loss, love, anger, and the dark corners of our own mind.”

Hamlet as a play is also interesting in that the obsession that will darken Hamlet’s life when we meet him actually takes place before the play even starts. His father the King of Denmark has passed away, his mother has rather quickly remarried to his father’s brother, and as you can well guess “something is rotten in the state of Denmark.”

This plot line is furthered along by the appearance of a ghost claiming to be the father, further claiming that his brother did indeed kill him. A ghost? Perfect for post-Halloween Salem MA audiences.

Speaking of audiences, this will be the last production mounted for audiences at the 90 Lafayette Street locale. Salem Theatre will be setting up stage at a new space in Shetland Park in 2016.

But for now performances will take place on Nov. 5-7, 12-14, and 19-21 at 7:30pm, with additional shows at 3pm on Nov 8 and 15.

Student Night performance of Hamlet will be Sunday, Nov. 15 at 3pm, with all student tickets reduced down to $5 with student ID.

LGBT Night will be Tuesday Nov. 20 at 7:30pm. Get $5 off the price of tickets for that performance by using the discount code LGBTHAMLET.

Tickets are otherwise $12-25 online and $15-30 at the door. Purchase online through www.salemtheatre.com.

To be or not to be… obsessed with revenge — if you were in Hamlet’s shoes, would you make the same choices?

(Hamlet Artwork /Photo courtesy of Dan DeRosato)

Nevermore? Not So. Poe Returns to Salem

History, Salem Event, Salem Festivals No Responses »

Oct 152015

Why didn’t someone think of this before? Transporting noted master of the macabre, Edgar Allan Poe and his chilling stories to Salem for an interactive event during Haunted Happenings. Makes perfect sense! Actually we did, or rather The Scarlet Letter Press & Gallery did last year and has opted for a return engagement Oct. 17.

Rebecca DeVries of Scarlet Letter Press reveals, “So many folks enjoyed the show that I was asked to repeat it this year. I actually booked the actor at the conclusion of last year’s event because it was so well received.”

The Scarlet Letter Press was participating in a national month of recognition to support the city of Boston’s installation of its life-sized Poe bronze in Oct. 2014. The Edgar Allan Poe Foundation of Boston had sought to honor Poe in the city where he was born on January 19, 1809.  The installation was in Poe Square (intersection of Boylston Street and Charles Street South) which had been dedicated to the author in 2009.

“This year we are hosting two smaller seatings (5:45pm and 7:45pm) at the event room in Wynott’s Wands retail store on Essex Street in Salem,” she explains.

Campbell Harmon returns as Mr. Poe to perform dramatic readings of The Raven and A Tell-Tale Heart. The latter of which was reported to have been based upon a true tale of horror from Salem’s past– and little to do with witchcraft.

Last year’s presentation garnered rave reviews.

Rebecca says “The audience was inspired by the actor’s large wealth of Poe knowledge in addition to his theatrical story telling abilities. He spent a good portion of the after show last year discussing the mysterious circumstances of Poe’s death and gave perhaps the best theory I have heard to date. The audience was thrilled to participate with their own theories!”

Also note that Scarlet Letter Press & Gallery is offering a $5 online coupon code which makes tickets only $20 each. Code is: OCT15.

For more info or tickets go to TSLPress.com or call 978-741-1850.

Get Drawn Into “The Big Draw” Mash-Up

Salem Event, Salem Festivals No Responses »

Oct 082015

How often can you be drawn into an international good-will event by merely stepping into your downtown area? At least once a year if you live in Salem MA; this year, The Big Draw takes place Oct. 10 from 10am to 4pm at the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM).

What is The Big Draw?

The Big Draw, billed as the world’s biggest drawing festival, is for anyone who loves to draw— as well as for those who think they can’t. It began in 2000; this is PEM’s third year producing the festival in Salem. In 2014, The Big Draw involved 26 countries, with 414,000 people attending more than 1,800 events by more than 1,000 organizers.

In other words, a lot of fun and creativity!

According to the international organizers at TheBigDraw.org, “Our key message has always been that everybody can draw given the opportunity, and that drawing can bring excitement and fresh thinking to any context. Our aim is to encourage people of all ages to explore ideas and express their creativity.”

Almost as if taking a cue or challenge from that statement, PEM has gone one step further. The Peabody Essex Museum will be combining (the mash-up) this annual Big Draw Festival with— the opening of the museum’s newest exhibition, Sizing It Up: Scale in Nature and Art, for a very lively day of art and investigation.

Joel Robison, Little Wonders, 2014. Photo courtesy of the artist

If you aren’t aware of the new exhibition, Sizing It Up: Scale in Nature and Art features 35 works by contemporary artists, who are either investigating scale in nature, or manipulating scale as a deliberate device to prompt new ways of looking.

Through out the day you will enjoy interactive events designed to showcase the importance of magnitude, visual scale and perspective in unique ways that will inspire a new outlook on the world. Guests can doodle in 3-D, tinker with special tools to make drawings big and small and explore the unseen world of marine microbes. Artist demonstrations and screenings of the film Mysteries of the Unseen World are also among the activities planned.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

10 AM-4 PM | Collaborative Art Making | Mega Heart Meets Mini Heartbeats | Atrium
Explore a giant abstract heart created by sculptor Marilu Swett, a featured artist in Sizing It Up. Then add your own drawing of a heartbeat to the inside of the sculpture, where it will join drawings by people from around the world who have participated in Swett’s “Heartbeats Project.” The artist’s global initiative to collect 1.5 billion drawings is her attempt to come to grips with the astounding number of times a mammal’s heart beats over its lifetime, regardless of size.

10 AM-4 PM | Studio Discovery | Tiny Giants: Marine Microbes at a Grand Scale | Create Space
Discover why marine microbes are called tiny giants as you investigate live organisms and create your own scale-warping art. A scientist from Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences and artists from the ART + BIO Collaborative are on hand to share ideas, answer questions and help with your artistic creation.

10 AM-12:30 PM and 1-3:15 PM | Artist Demonstration | Nail Scale Art | Atrium
Pick a nail for master nail artist Nina Park to use as the canvas for one of her mini-scenes. Or just watch her in action. Animal face nail stickers are available for younger guests.

10 AM-2 PM | Outdoor Art Making | Temporary Canvas | Axelrod Walkway
Create a larger-than-life hummingbird with artist Emily Larsen. Experiment with CelloGraff, a new type of temporary street art that combines stretched cellophane and paint. Weather permitting.

10 AM-4 PM | Drop-in Making | Tinkering with Scale | Maker Lounge
Doodle in 3-D, make a pattern with a pantograph and tinker with tools and techniques for making drawings big and small!

11 AM-4 PM, runs hourly | Film| Mysteries of the Unseen World | Morse Auditorium
Discover events in nature that are not visible to the human eye. From microscopic creatures to actions that occur in only a millisecond, this film gives us a peek into the unseen. 39 minutes, 2013.

Whether you ever thought you had any artistic skill or not, the Peabody Essex Museum is offering you an opportunity to connect and feel connected with people across the world and across the room through the expression of art. Take advantage of this free event. PEM is located at 161 Essex Street, Salem MA.

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