Tom Duggan’s Notebook – Part 2 (Nov-2017) – LOCAL EVENTS

WHISTLER HOUSE “HOLIDAY” ART AUCTION & PARTY

In what is their biggest fundraising event of the year, the Whistler House Museum of Art will host their annual Whistler Holiday Party on Friday, December 1 starting at 6:30 p.m. The festivities will be held at the historic house on 243 Worthen Street in Lowell.

The live art auction will be led once again by “auctioneer extraordinaire” State Representative Tom Golden Jr., and will feature beautiful original works of art from local artists. The evening will also include the return of the ever popular Trinity Triple Treat Raffle, for which club seat tickets to Bruins, Red Sox and Celtics games will be given away. Silent auction items include artwork, designer handbags, jewelry, children’s toys, vineyard tours, and horseback riding lessons. There will be live music and entertainment.

Ticket prices are $95 for non-members and $85 for members. Proceeds from the event will help fund children’s art programs, continued restoration of the historic house, and operating expenses. All are welcome.

For additional information or to make a reservation, contact Rae Easter at 978-452-7641 or reaster@whistlerhouse.org.

244th ANNIVERSARY OF THE BOSTON TEA PARTY – ANNUAL REENACTMENT ON DEC. 16, 2017
The Boston Tea Party comes alive in December! Taking place at Boston’s Old South Meeting House and the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, the 244th Boston Tea Party Anniversary & Annual Reenactment offers the public to experience one of America’s most iconic public protests at one of the largest moving historical reenactments in the U.S. More than 100 reenactors tell the story of The Boston Tea Party and theatrically recreate the evening of December 16, 1773 which sparked the American Revolution. It begins with a fiery tea tax debate at Old South Meeting House, the historic hall where the colonists gathered 244 years ago. Then, the public joins a procession led by fife & drummers to the waterfront and witnesses the Sons of Liberty destroy actual loose [expired] tea from London’s East India Company! NEW IN 2017: Inviting one and all to send loose tea to be thrown into Boston Harbor as part of this year’s reenactment.

HOW TO SEND TEA: Send dried loose leaf tea (NO used tea bags) to: Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, ATTN: ‘Toss That Tea’, 306 Congress St, Boston, MA 02210. Include name, address, e-mail & phone number. An official certificate of participation will be sent to each partaker sending tea.Deadline to send tea: December 1, 2017.

EVENT DATE: Sat. December 16, 2017 – Actual Boston Tea Party Anniversary
6:30pm. – 8:30pm. From 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. The Meeting of the Body of the People -Ticketed Portion (Ticket includes admission to Old South Meeting House plus reserved seating at Boston’s waterfront for the Destruction of the Tea). FREE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC OUTSIDE
Old South Meeting House – 310 Washington Street, Boston
Inside Old South Meeting House, ticket holders join an authentic, spirited and theatrical colonial debate to protest the tax on tea and demand liberty from the British crown. Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Paul Revere and other Patriot leaders join in a heated debate with crown-loving Loyalists in this final attempt to peaceably resolve the crisis before the midnight deadline. Visitors are encouraged to join the debate, letting their voices be heard in the very place where Boston’s most famous act of rebellion began. A town crier calls out all the details to the crowds and women reenactors gathered outside.
7:30 – 8pm. – Huzzah for Griffin’s Wharf! – FREE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC
Procession from Old South Meeting House to the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum -Milk St to Congress Street to Pearl Street.

Led by fife & drums and accompanied by colonial reenactors, the public marches from Old South Meeting House to Boston historic waterfront where Griffin’s Wharf once stood along the same route the Sons of Liberty took to Boston Harbor to destroy the tea in 1773. 8 – 8:30pm.
Boston Harbor, a Tea Pot Tonight! – FREE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC (Ticketholders have access to a reserved viewing area on the Harborwalk)
Destruction of the Tea at the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum- 306 Congress St.

The public is invited to join reenactors to line the shores of Boston Harbor and watch as the Sons of Liberty storm aboard the Brig Beaver and destroy chest after chest of East India tea. In this fully narrated program, the Sons of Liberty board the ship, opening the hold and hoisting tea chests on deck. Tea chests are broken open and actual tea from the East India Tea Company (still in existence) and tea from those who sent tea their loose tea is spilled into Boston’s historic waters. Viewers are encouraged to cheer “Huzzah!” during this dramatic conclusion of the single most important event leading up to the American Revolution.

TICKETS: General Admission pricing – $30/per person
To purchase tickets go to: http://gottea2017.bpt.me or visit Old South Meeting House at310 Washington St.
Tickets include admission to the Meeting of the Body of the People at Old South Meeting House and access to an exclusive reserved viewing area on Boston’s Harborwalk for the Destruction of the Tea. All ticket proceeds help support Old South Meeting House, a non-profit National Historic Landmark. This event takes place rain, sleet, snow or shine.
NOTE: Both Old South Meeting House and Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum will be free and open to the public on Sat., December 16, 2017 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

WHITTIER TECH IMPROVES
Whittier Tech has attained Level 1 school status from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) following the release of MCAS results yesterday. Since nobody ever explains what a level one school means, … that’s good news, not bad.
MCAS scores for Whittier Tech’s Class of 2019:
• English: 100 percent passed – 30 percent advanced, 65 percent proficient, 5 percent needs improvement.
• Math: 98 percent passed — 46 percent advanced, 39 percent proficient, 13 percent needs improvement, 2 percent failing.
• Science and Technology: 94 percent passed – 28 percent proficient, 51 percent proficient, 15 percent needs improvement, 6 percent failing.
On the English test, there was a 2 percent increase from last year in the advanced and proficient categories. In math, there was a 5 percent increase; while science and technology saw a 3 percent increase.

Whittier moved from a Level 1 to a Level 2 school in 2015 and 2016 due to not meeting target growth standards set by the state for high needs, disabled and Hispanic students in English, math and science.

Today, Whittier has met all of the performance benchmarks set by DESE, and is one of only 70 districts out of 383 in the state to achieve Level 1 status. Beginning with the spring 2012 results, districts and schools are measured with the Progress and Performance Index. Whittier has met the PPI target for all of its students, earning it the Level 1 rating.

Whittier students have made noteworthy improvements from their seventh grade MCAS scores. The average growth rate from their English MCAS scores from seventh to 10th grade was 51 percent. In math, the growth rate was 56 percent.`

SINGING A WONDERFUL MUSICAL TRIBUTE
IN CELEBRATION OF THIS SPECIAL SEASON.
The mastermind behind Bova Productions, Tony Bova is a resident of Metheun. His roots began in Malden and then resided in Wakefield and Wilmington. For over 25 years, he has been presenting music showcases throughout New England including many benefit performances for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children raising thousands of dollars. Maria Anderson, of Ipswich, Ma. is Tony’s daughter. She is a leading vocalist and will captivate the audience with dynamic songs of the season. Her rendition of “How Great Thou Art” is amazing.
Peggy Ryan of Somerville is a tried and true belter with an incredible dynamic range delivering with zest such classics as “Oh Holy Night” and “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”.

Beverly resident, Tom Edmonds, possesses a booming voice while immersing himself in songs such as “When a Child is Born” as well as pop classics.
Many classics of the holiday season will be presented with a tribute to Santa and our Veterans.

Let “Because It’s Christmas” fill your hearts with love, peace and joy.
If you’d like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Tony Bova, please call Tony Bova at 978-884-4400 or e-mail Tony at Bovapro@aol.com

DNC CASH INFUSION IN NH
Last month, the Democratic National Committee announced a five-figure investment in the New Hampshire Democratic Party. This investment will assist Democrats running up and down the ticket in the state. The DNC will be working in partnership with the New Hampshire Democratic Party to help mobilize organizers and engage voters across the Granite State. New Hampshire has several critical elections happening in just 12 days, including the Manchester mayoral race, where Democrat Joyce Craig would be elected as the first woman mayor in the Queen City’s history.

“The DNC is committed to electing Democratic candidates in every zip code from the school board to the Oval Office. We are making significant investments in state parties that will help lift Democrats up and down the ticket to victory,” said DNC Chair Tom Perez. “The new DNC is about winning elections and organizing around electoral opportunities up and down the ballot, and this latest investment in the New Hampshire Democratic Party is just another example of how we’re working hand in hand with state parties to make it happen.”

METHUEN SPECIAL-ED HOLIDAY CRAFT FAIR
Methuen Spec Ed Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) Assoc. is once again having their Holiday Craft Fair. It is on Saturday, Nov 25th in the Great Hall at the Nevins Library. It is from 10 AM to 3 PM and we have 20+ vendors coming. We do a bake table, a 50/50 cash raffle and Ms Kathy in the Children’s Dept will be doing a really fun LEGO building challenge and activity for the kids from 10 – Noon while the adults shop.

PHOTO EXHIBIT IN HAVERHILL
On November 16, 2017
We are Haverhill: Changing Faces of Haverhill’s Neighborhoods opens at the HC Media Studio in Haverhill is a photographic exhibition that highlights the changing faces and stories of Haverhill’s Acre and Mt. Washington neighborhoods with emphasis on the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.
We are Haverhill: Changing Faces of Haverhill’s Neighborhoods is on display November 16, 20017 – February 16, 2018 at HC Media Studio 101, 2 Merrimack Street. On Tuesdays from 10:00 a.m. to noon, Thursdays from 5 to 8pm., and Saturdays from 9am to noon.
There is an opening reception on Thursday November 16, from 5:30 to 8pm. with refreshments from neighborhoods vendors and a story telling booth where you can record your Haverhill story.

TECH SCHOOL REDEDICATES FOOTBALL FIELD
The Greater Lawrence Technical School held a rededication ceremony for the Louis E. Gleason Football Field last month.

On Friday, Oct. 6, at 5:45 p.m., student athletes, faculty, staff and honored members of the Gleason family gathered on the field for the ceremony. The field was first named after the late Louis Gleason in 1991, and following a $2 million renovation to the space, the GLTS community wanted to rededicate the space to one of the school’s greatest Reggies.

The new football field is part of an approximately $6 million project to create a state-of-the-art athletic facility for GLTS. Broken down into three phases, the Gleason field was part of phase one and included resurfacing the existing track, installing synthetic turf, widening the football/soccer field, building a new concession stand, upgrading the visitor side bleachers, bringing in a new scoreboard, purchasing a new sound system and installing LED lighting for night games.

One of the first three football coaches to start at GLTS in 1965, Gleason formerly served as Superintendent-Director before retiring in 1991. In 2015, he was inducted into the GLTS Athletic Hall of Fame.

“Louis E. Gleason formed the Greater Lawrence Regional Vocational Technical School into one of the finest vocational schools in the commonwealth,” Superintendent Lavoie said.

“He set the bar for excellence in academic, vocational and athletic achievement that we continue to meet today…tonight I’m sure Lou is looking down on this field with both excitement and pride. It is a field our students and community deserve.”

Coach Gleason’s eldest son, Joseph Gleason, who was joined by his mother Bridget Gleason, his wife Charlene, and their son Matthew Gleason, Louis Gleason III and his wife Ann Margaret and their children Louis IV and Anthony, along with Rose Fabrizio, also spoke to the GLTS community. He reminded guests of his father’s love for football and the Reggies, and that the memories made on the field will be forever cherished.