Ipswich Local News

PRESRT. STD.
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
ECR WSS
IPSWICH, MA
PERMIT NO. 20

LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED • www.ipswichlocalnews.com • January 8, 2020 • VOLUME 1, ISSUE 11

Investigation of dam removal continues

Select board seeking grants to research feasibility of removing Ipswich Mills Dam
by John Muldoon
Ipswich Local News

Ipswich resident and scientist
John Wigglesworth will speak
about his recent trip to the Arctic Circle on January 15 at the
Heard House. See story, page 5.

IPSWICH — The select board has
taken another step in its investigation
into whether the Ipswich Mills Dam
should be removed.
The board voted 4-0-1 on Monday
night to send a “letter of support for
the NOAA grant application for dam
removal mitigation design plans.”
Some sort of dam has existed in
the area since the mid-17th century,
and the current structure was built
in the 19th century to provide water
power to the mills nearby.

However, the dam has been
blamed for causing both extensive
ecological damage and for exacerbating floods.
Despite the 4-0-1 vote this week,
selectperson Linda Alexson said she
was not in favor of removing the dam
at this time.
She said she wanted to see how
much the project would cost and
where it fit in the list of expensive
town projects, along with upgrades to
roads, schools, water and wastewater,
and the public safety buildings.
The letter sent to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

(NOAA) applies for a grant to explore
what kind of mitigation is needed if
the dam were to be removed.
Town manager Tony Marino said
two applications were made, for a
total of $200,000: One to NOAA and
the other to the state Department of
Environmental Protection (DEP).
The applications were structured
so that the town’s contribution to
this phase of the project would be
$25,000. There will likely be a separate warrant article at the May 12
town meeting to discuss the proposal,
Marino said.
see page 12

White sheep leads black sheep through town
by John Muldoon
Ipswich Local News
Want to learn video? For free?
ICAM is hosting three free video
workshops for Ipswich residents. For more information,
please turn to page 13.

Join Jeryl Palana for a community Hip Hop workshop at the
Ipswich Moving Company on
Saturday, January 11. Cost is $20.
Classes are 1 to 2 p.m. for ages
8 to 12 and 2:15 to 3:15 p.m. for
ages 12+. To register, email jenny@ipswichmovingco.org.

IPSWICH — Police found themselves shepherding a wayward flock
home with their cruisers on Thursday, January 2, after a group of sheep
got loose downtown.
“It was quite the sight,” said Patti
Ford, who took a number of pictures
of the breakout. One of her photos
showed 10 sheep wandering down
the street.
The call came in at around 9:45
a.m. In an update to officers, the
dispatcher radioed he had gotten
calls from “Bialek all the way down
to DJ’s.”
The herd is kept on Linebrook
Road and was recently moved there
from its last pasture on Hearbreak
Road, police said.
The first officer in the area radioed
that he found the sheep near the car
wash. “They’re going to be down-

Charming ovine or master escape artist? Detective Jimmy Perez masterminded a daring
escape last week and led his partners in crime down Washington Street.

town in about a minute,” he added.
One officer went to get in front of
them while another suggested the

dispatcher call the MBTA in case the
sheep wandered into even more
continued on page 10

 2

Ipswich Local News • Wednesday, January 8, 2020

Martial arts teacher becomes a student overseas
Mark Warner brings new fighting styles back from the Philippines and Indonesia to his Ipswich classes
by Kimberly Mavroides

Mark Warner, owner of
Mark Warner’s Professional
Martial Arts Academy in
downtown Ipswich, has
been practicing martial arts
since the age of 16. But even
after 45 of practice and more
than 20 years as a teacher
and studio owner, he still
considers himself a student.
He recently traveled overseas to deepen his connection to his practice, refine
his teaching techniques, and
bring new information back
to his students.
“All these years later, and
I’m still learning,” Warner
said. “In order to give everything I can to my students, I
have to keep learning.”
Back row (L-R): Shirley Stahlinski, Guru Rob Stahlinski, Vincent
Back in October, Warner
Larusso, Grandmaster Jerson Nene Tortal, Guru Michael Williams.
traveled to the Philippines
Front row: Justin Umal Tashi, Mark Warner, Guru May William, Guru
and Indonesia with a group Joe Bucaria, Guru John Savage (photo courtesy Mark Warner).
put together by Michael and
May Williams of the Martial train with experts. On the off they trained for eight hours
years, the experts come here. each day in Dekiti-Tirsia
Arts Research Institute in
The group first traveled
Siradas, an ancient Filipino
Salem. The group travels
to the Philippines, where
combat and survival system
abroad every other year to
indigenous to the island of
Negros. The technique is
very combative with emphasis on impact and bladed
Ipswich Local News is in the process of becoming a
weapons as well as empty
501(c)(3) or non-profit operation. It is published weekly,
hand techniques and even
and 6,800 copies are mailed to homes and businesses in
firearms. It was used in
Ipswich; 200 more are distributed locally.
combat against the Japanese
All articles in the newspaper can also be found online
Imperial invasion of the
at IpswichLocalNews.com.
Philippines during World
Editor and Publisher
War II.
John P. Muldoon
The intensive daily semi(617 410 NEWS / jm@ipswichlocalnews.com)
nars were led by the 82-year
Consulting Publisher and Ad Sales
old Grandmaster Jerson
William Wasserman
Tortal, a member of the Tor(978 500 6077 / wassyw@verizon.net)
tal Clan, which created the
Ad Sales
discipline.
Marianne Putur Burns (mariannehburns@gmail.com)
“It was almost like a
Ipswich Local News • PO Box 183 • Ipswich, MA 01938
college course in martial
Our office is at Gathr, 42 Market Street, Ipswich.
arts,” Warner said. “We were

Ipswich Local News

Mark Warner and friends in Indonesia this past October (photo
courtesy Mark Warner).

deepening what we already
know and learning new
methods of passing the art to
our own students.”
From the Philippines, the
group traveled to Indonesia,
where they trained with
Grandmaster Edward Lebe
in Baringin Sakti Silat, a
mostly open hand art, in triple-digit weather each day.
“We were all hot and
tired, but to us it felt like
vacation,” Warner said.
“Most people go on vacation
to relax, but I go on vacation
to train. I train for weeks on
end, and I once again get to
become the student.”
Warner coaches both
Dekiti-Tirsia Siradas and
Baringin Sakti Silat at his
school.
“The different styles of
martial arts can be like different culinary experiences,”
Warner said. “All chicken
is the same, but the spices
you put in it will give it the
different flavor.”
When he travels for trainings, it is with the intent to

bring back what he says are
more refined aspects of the
arts to his students.
“These arts are thousands
of years old, and they are
taught person to person,
coach to student,” Warner
said. “It is my job to pass
along the sheer essence of
these arts to my students
so that the traditions can
continue. To go back to the
country it came from, learn
from the grandmasters,
and then bring the art to
my students — that is how
real martial arts should be
taught.”
Warner said he was never
sure what he wanted to do
for his career until the day
he opened his studio.
“As soon as I opened
my school, that was that,”
Warner said. “The other
day, I saw people getting on
the highway and thought
to myself, ‘Oh, those poor
people are going to work,’
but I was going to work, too.
It just doesn’t feel like work
to me.”

 Wednesday, January 8, 2020 • Ipswich Local News

3

Group protests Trump’s military escalation against Iran

Threat of retaliation in response to killing of Iranian general prompts small demonstration on Town Hill
cans to stand up to Trump,
saying he was making it more
dangerous for Americans
around the world.
“We need Republicans to
care,” Sirois agreed. “Republicans are going to be killed
just as much as Democrats
are going to be killed.”

Protesting the escalation of tension in the Middle East this past weekend were Blaine Hebbel, Wendy Dabovich, Lakshmi Sirois, Barbara
Smith, and John Schuchardt.

by John Muldoon
Ipswich Local News

IPSWICH — Unhappy
with the president’s escalation of tension in the Middle
East, a small group staged a
protest on Saturday morning
at the base of Town Hill.
Lakshmi Sirois of Ipswich
Community Action said the
demonstration was in response to the assassination
of Iranian General Qasem
Soleimani “and the threat of
retaliation.”
Protester Barbara Smith

“We don’t need war. We
can solve problems in a better
way,” Dabcovich said.
She also called on Republicans to exercise fiscal
restraint. War is profitable for
a few people, but the money
could be better spent elsewhere, she argued.

Dabcovich noted oil stocks
and defense company stocks
have soared since the assassination.
Also present was poet
Blaine Hebbel. He recited
one of his works that said of
Trump, “Putin’s playing you
like Nero’s fiddle.”

Happy New Year!

said, “An impeached criminal
in the White House should
not have the power to create
so much chaos and danger in
the world.”
“And unilaterally,” Wendy
Dabcovich added. “That’s
the biggest problem we have:
We are losing our democracy
here.”
President Donald Trump’s
order to kill the Iranian
general on Friday, January 3,
caused international shock
and promises of reprisals
from Iran.
Smith called on Republi-

114 County Road, Ipswich • (978) 312-2100
Monday - Friday: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. • Saturday: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. • Sunday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

 4

Ipswich Local News • Wednesday, January 8, 2020

COMMENTARY
Ipswich farmers and gardeners come together to find common ground
from the town to Samuel
Appleton to grow vegetables,
corn, and hay.
Farming has long been
Centuries later, Appleton
part of life on this marshy,
Farm is still producing, joined
hilly coast. Attracted by the
today by Marini’s Farm, Rusarea’s abundant nuts, bersell Orchards, Three Sisters
ries, shellfish, and fish, early
Farm, Northern Lights Farm,
inhabitants cultivated corn
numerous hay farms, horse
here more than a thousand
years ago, supplemented later and cattle operations, and
nearby Alprilla Farm, Green
by beans and squash — the
Meadows Farm, Iron Ox
mutually beneficial “three
Farm, and Tendercrop Farm.
sisters” of Native American
Together, these farms
agriculture.
anchor the region’s pastoral
Felled by disease brought
by European traders to which identity and offer a rare meathey had no immunity in the sure of regional food security.
A $10 million Open Space
early 1600s, the decimated
native population reluctantly Bond passed by Ipswich
Town Meeting in 2000 helped
relinquished much of their
purchase farmland for future
communal farmland to Engenerations, but farmland
glish settlers.
remains at risk — competing
Founded in 1634, Ipswich
with development, stressed
contains one of America’s
oldest continuously operated by droughts that limit irrifarms, Appleton Farm, estab- gation, and undermined by
lished in 1638 by a land grant arguably unnecessary regulaby Charlotte Kahn

tions and plans that weigh on
farmers’ slim profit margins.
In recent years, for example, farmers found themselves at odds with the Ipswich Department of Health
over uniquely rigorous
interpretations of state law at
the Ipswich Farmers’ Market,
compared to more lenient
interpretations at markets in
Newburyport, Newbury, and
Salem, effectively shutting it
down.
Last year, the Board of
Health almost issued a ruling
that would prevent Marini from fertilizing a leased
field — the back acreage of
the new Linebrook Road/
Mile Lane development — by
restricting the farm’s use of
nitrogen to compensate for
nitrogen use in the development.
And now the Ipswich Water Department is considering

a new public well that could
suck dry Marini’s strawberry
fields and more. If Ipswich
wants to retain its working
farms, a little more understanding of farmers’ challenges would go a long way.
Historically, farmers and
gardeners have not seen their
efforts as two sides of one
coin.
That changed last year,
when the Ipswich Garden
Club invited Jay Stanbury,
head of the Ipswich Agricultural Commission, as a
speaker.
Clearly Ipswich’s gardeners face many of the same
challenges as its farmers: a
growing concern about the
vagaries of the weather as
climate change takes hold; a
greater understanding of the
hazards of herbicides, pesticides, and excess fertilizer;
the need to reduce outdoor

watering during droughts;
the decline of pollinators
and pest-controlling birds as
invasive species encroach and
natural habitats retreat.
Stanbury made it clear
that he is committed to finding common ground with
those whose work and lives
dovetail with the interests of
farmers. “I try hard to be conciliatory and cooperative and
to find common ground,” he
said in a recent interview.
To that end, the Agricultural Commission voted to
use part of its annual budget
to bring together farmers,
gardeners, public officials,
and interested residents to
explore common ground
through a series of talks and
workshops.
The first Common Ground
program will be held at Gathr
on Wednesday, January 22,
from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. (snow
date: January 29). Featuring
Caro Roszwell, Education
Director of the Northeast
Organic Farmers Association
(NOFA), the program will
focus on “Soil Health.”
Space is limited, so please
register at www.eventbrite.
com/e/common-ground-farmers-gardeners-together-tickets-88169271665.
There is no charge, but
contributions are welcome.
The event includes a light
buffet supper. Please bring
your own beverage. Water
will be available.

This space could be
yours for only $10!
Contact John at
jm@ipswichlocalnews.
com.

 LETTER
Demand answers at budget meetings

Local adventurer explores
‘surprisingly warm’ Arctic

Capt.
Part of
John Wigthe Ipswich
To the editor:
should be doing, as they are
glesworth
Museum’s
Yes, this is the time for
the stewards of the taxpayer
of Ipswich
Wednesday
you, the voter, to speak up.
dollars.
recently
Evening LecThat is, if you are allowed to,
Now back to the $3,000
voyaged
ture series,
although it is your right —
issue: You never know where beyond the
the event
and, of course, your duty —
a question will lead you.
Arctic Circle
takes place on
as a citizen.
Seems one staff member
to investigate
Jan. 15 at 7:30
Watch it when you go
was taking a special class on
the surprisp.m. at the
to town meeting and try to
the town’s dime and time.
ingly warm
Heard House,
speak but are told by the
Later they added a little salt
waters north
54 South
moderator you should have
into the answer when they
of Alaska.
Main Street.
John Wigglesworth of Ipswich will
gone to budget meetings to
told us the staff member was
In Ipswich tell of his research trip to the Arctic.
Free
ask questions.
getting a $2,500 stipend, too.
on January
admission
When you go to a budget
So, taxpayers are busting
15, he will give an illustrated for members; non-members
meeting and listen to depart- their tails working harder
talk about his adventure: “Po- pay $10. The venue is handiment staff tell all the great
than ever to get by for their
lar Bears, Walruses, and the
capped accessible. For more
Beaufort Sea.”
information, call 978-356-2811
wonderful results of their
families and homes.
Wigglesworth, a science
or visit ipswichmuseum.org.
past year and how they will
So now the town pays
need more money, and no
“stipends” for staff to do their and math teacher at Beverly’s
Waring School, was joined by
official questions or challeng- jobs. What say you?
a team of scientists aboard
es them, that’s when citizens
So now it’s budget time.
should speak up.
Show up at budget meetings, the research vessel Sikuliaq in
August 2018.
Just like you do at your
especially experienced numThe Arctic is one of the
home, office, or favorite wabers people. Be prepared to
fastest-warming
regions in
tering hole.
ask questions, take notes, and
the
world.
As an example, last year
don’t take interruptions from
The National Science
I questioned several departthe very officials who should
ment heads and asked why
be looking out for your hard- Foundation backed the voyage to help resolve questions
they couldn’t get by with the earned paycheck.
about the interplay of climate,
same budget and not increase
Remember when the
ocean water, and planetary
their budget.
moderator tells you at town
health.
Of course, they all said
meeting you should have
they “had” to have an inasked questions at budget
crease. Wouldn’t you like to
meetings ... but at budget
tell your employer you had to meetings officials won’t let
have a raise?
you get to ask.
Example: Last year I asked
Is this why folks are relucif a department couldn’t do
tant to participate?
without a $3,000 increase. A
Folks in town keep telling
defensive reaction followed,
me that town has already deincluding reasons of how
cided beforehand, could this
good and how hard the staff
be the reason a quorum (200
worked.
voters) is hard to get.
Isn’t that what they get
Communications and real
Capt. Richard Rogers House
58 North Main Street (rear)
paid for?
transparency of complete
Ipswich, MA
Two select board members expenditures is badly needed.
•
chimed in, saying that I was
After all, they are your tax
401K: best investment
asking department heads the dollars.
+ optimum yields
same questions. Yes, I was
Ask questions and expect
•
— because that’s why I was
candid answers.
there.
Phil Goguen
Call for schedule:
978.471.9750 (call/text)
I was asking questions
Kingfisher Road
ingridmiles@yoga401k.com
that the town officials could/
Ipswich

Patrick J. McNally
-Attorney at Law-

ESTATE PLANNING
WILLS AND TRUSTS
REAL ESTATE
ELDER LAW
PROBATE
Call today: (978) 337-8914
lawtrick@yahoo.com

ipswich photo
your complete
film and digital lab

instant passport photos
photo and slide restoration
and printing
color and black-and-white
copy service

Yoga401K
Well Being

custom greeting cards
fax: receive and send
video and reel transfers
38 essex road
(next door to Zenobia)

978.356.7972
fax: 978 356 7955

 Three Sisters gets new boss
them very, very soon, because the season starts way
sooner than anyone knows.”
IPSWICH — There’s a
The farm also attracts lots
small farm where the new
of volunteers who help in all
boss has big plans to get betaspects of the work. “We’re
ter known around town.
always looking for helping
In the job for just over a
hands,” Redmond said.
month, Pilar Redmond is the
Meanwhile, Three Sisters
new executive director of the
also acts as a training and
Three Sisters Garden Project
education center for students
on Jeffrey’s Neck Road.
and young farmers learning
Redmond said not everythe trade.
one in town knows about
Redmond grew up in a ruthe farm, and she wants to
ral area of upstate New York
spread the word about what
and has always been drawn
it does. “I’m excited to get
back to agriculture, she said.
out and have people know
That, and her interest in
who we are.”
education, form the basis of
With strong ties to the
her work in Three Sisters.
Cuvilly Preschool and Kin“I know how important it
dergarten and links to other
is to make a difference in our
schools in the area, Redmond
food system, because withsaid she wants to expand
out a strong food system, we
Three Sisters’ education prodon’t have much else that’s
gram to “not only the school
strong,” Redmond said.
kids but the public.”
From there, she plans
“Whether they’re
to connect with the land
around a pig or a plant,
and local communities.
not everybody has that
Although not certified
opportunity,” she noted.
organic, the farm uses
With a background
organic practices, stays
in environmental educaaway from genetically
tion, Redmond brings her
modified material, and
experience at Appleton
doesn’t use pesticides or
Farms to her new role.
herbicides, Redmond said.
While working for
“We want our food to be
Appleton’s owners, The
as safe and healthy as
Trustees of Reservations,
possible.”
she spent four years as
Meanwhile, Three
their education manager,
Sisters will continue its
Pilar Redmond takes the role of executive
running summer camps
shared programming
director of Three Sisters Garden Project.
and other programs and
with Cuvilly, where the
the engagement team.
Located on an old 170kids enjoy programs such as
“I learned a lot over there. acre dairy farm, Three Sisters “Farm Friday.”
It was a great place to work,
uses the farm’s four acres for
As part of the organizagreat experience,” she said.
vegetables and keeps some
tion’s public outreach, it is
But Redmond left in the
animals.
hosting a fundraising dinner
dead of winter to take over at
It and Cuvilly share prop- on January 16 at Ascension
Three Sisters, saying it is the
erty leased from the Sisters of Church.
best time to start on a farm.
Notre Dame, whose mission
Remond also encourag“I’m super-excited for the
includes education and help- es the public to drop by to
new season and seeing every- ing people in poverty.
Three Sisters’ seedling sale
thing come back to life.”
Redmond works with a
in spring. “I’m just looking
Three Sisters’ mission
small staff that includes a
forward to doing more things
is to “create and grow an
full-time farmer and seasonlike that and having people
agricultural program that
al help. “We’ll be hiring for
connect with us.”
by John Muldoon
Ipswich Local News

•

•

Happy New Year!
from

a nonprofit organization committed to feeding
the North Shore — Salem to Salisbury

We warmly invite you to a meal
of soup, salad, and sweets prepared
by us for a special evening of
celebration and gratitude.

Thursday, January 16, 2020
6 to 8 p.m.
Ascension Memorial Church/Boone Hall
31 County Street, Ipswich

Information and tickets available online:
www.threesistersgarden.org

Nourish. Engage. Educate.

integrates sustainable farmland stewardship, food-based
community engagement, and
education,” according to its
website.
The organization has 150
farm-share customers in its
community-supported agriculture program (CSA).
It also grows food specifically to donate to local
charities. “A big part of our
mission is food access — donating a lot of our food to
local food pantries,” Redmond said.
Three Sisters also offers
subsidized food shares to
local families who need help
getting by, she added.
“It’s really important to
get real food into people.,”
Redmond said. “I feel people
have a right to that, and not
everybody has the accessibility to it.”

 OPINION
After a slow start, the Ipswich YMCA is now a key center in town
by Bill Wasserman

It was on December 31, 1999, according to folks
with a better memory than I, exactly 20 years ago
last Tuesday when a dedication ceremony for the
new building of the Ipswich YMCA was held. That
day was remembered last this December 31 at a
breakfast celebration.
Lucia Greenough remembers
the 1999 event … and also that the
facility actually opened for use
two days later on January 2. You
can still catch Lucia, with her hair
all wet in the morning after a lap
swim, at the Y. She is among the
many who get to the Y one way or
another to keep their movement
going and to say hello to their
friends.
The Y didn’t come easily to
Ipswich. In the mid-nineties, Jack
Meany, then-director of the Northshore YMCA, had wanted to build
a facility in Ipswich for several years. He was persuaded that the Y had to become an Ipswich presence before it could seek the couple of millions of
dollars in donations necessary to erect a building.
So Jack opted for a modest rental at Boone Hall
at Ascension Memorial Church. And there, over
several years, led by Darlene Moulton, now head
of human services at Northshore YMCA, the Ipswich Y took shape and generated enough interest
so that the fundraising solicitations, when they
came about, fell on fertile ground.
If you look at the list of the donors, it’s clear the
Y won across-the-board support. The Ipswich Cooperative Bank, a predecessor of the Institution for
Savings, lead the field, followed by the First National Bank of Ipswich, whose largest sharehold-

ers then were the Ted Raymond family. Ipswich
Shellfish Company, owned by the Pappas family,
was up there, too. And the list, which started with
contributions in the thousands, went all the way
down to individual contributions of 10 dollars,
mindfully watched over by the treasurer, the late
Cub Morgan.
The deal would not have been
possible, however, without the
cooperation of the VFW, whose
building was the basis for the new
structure. The Y and the officers of
the VFW worked through a deal
which continues to this day.
And after that opening, what
happened?
The start was slow. There were
years before the Y started to break
even and cease to be a drag on
the rest of the Northshore YMCA.
Then things began to move. It
was probably a question of time
and of able leadership. For more
than a decade, the Ipswich Y was led by the late
Jerry Beauchamp, a diligent runner and greatly
respected person in town. He set the Ipswich Y
on a course towards today’s membership of just
under 7,000. Now the Ipswich Y is led by Chris
Bevilacqua, who has broadened its mission: it is
not just a gym — it is a place where cancer victims
have a place, where community gatherings include
families concerned with addiction, where exercise
class after class is peopled with women, and where
little kids get childcare.
The Ipswich Y has become a key center in town.
It is a place to meet, a place where community has
a meaning.
Congratulations, Y. You’ve had a fine 20-year
beginning. Keep up the good work.

Wednesday, January 8, 2020 • Ipswich Local News

7

LETTER
Grants support arts in Ipswich
To the editor:
The Ipswich Cultural Council is pleased to
announce that its grants will once again support
artists and organizations for 2020. With a record
number of 22 applications, the council ultimately
funded 13 applicants most beneficial to Ipswich for
a total of $7,400.
Appointed by the select board, our ICC consists
of ten members with various arts backgrounds.
It is one of 350 volunteer councils across the state
that funds thousands of arts and humanities programs that enhance the state’s cultural life.
The Massachusetts Cultural Council, as a state
funding agency, allocates funds based upon population, and this year the allocation to Ipswich was
$6,000. The additional funds raised for Ipswich
grants came from our annual Art Show and Sale
and the Arts and Illumination weekend.
The funded grants include support for Chorus
Northshore Messiah; Ipswich River Watershed
“Oceans of Rivers” program; The Musary, a musical instrument lending program; Ipswich Museum’s “Sally’s Butterfly Meadow Program” and
Jenny Slew History Alive play; Council on Aging’s
“Jazzin’ the Blues” music program; “Americans
who tell the Truth II”; the Ipswich Community
Band concert series; “Koukla Teaching Greek
Dancing” for youth; “Verse/Visual” poetry and
photography; NMYO youth orchestra concerts; Ipswich Public Library’s “Tanglewood Marionettes”;
and Ipswich Moving Company’s “Air Meets Water
III.”
We look forward to continuing the Annual Art
Show and Sale and supporting in a collaborative
way the community-wide Arts and Illumination
weekend.
Applications for the 2021 grants will be accepted in the fall of 2020. Information on that process
and funding guidelines is available online at
mass-culture.org/Ipswich or through our email
listed below.
We will be asking for community input on a
survey we are requested to do every three years
and would love your input to help us serve the
community in the best possible way. Survey
forms will be at the Ipswich Library in February
and March and on social media. Please contact us
with any questions or comments on our Facebook
page: www.facebook.com/Ipswich-Cultural-Council-179736442086660/ or ipswichculturalcouncil@
gmail.com.
Michael McGrath
Ipswich Cultural Council

 8

Ipswich Local News • Wednesday, January 8, 2020

50+ job networking group open to Essex Co. residents
A networking group that
addresses the issues of age
bias in hiring, workforce
re-entry, and career redirection for job seekers age 50 and
over will begin meeting soon.
Under the direction of the
Ipswich Senior Center, the
program is for residents of
Essex County and will meet
at Ipswich Town Hall on a
bi-monthly basis beginning
Monday, Jan. 13, at 4:30 p.m.
“This is a perfect opportu-

nity for anyone who has lost
a job, is re-entering the workforce, or is looking for a new
career experience,” Sheila
Taylor, the center’s director,
said in a press release.
The topic for the first
meeting is self-assessment
and transferable skills.
Future topics include
interviewing techniques,
résumés and cover letters,
networking, utilizing local
career centers, and LinkedIn

and other social media platforms.
Subsequent meetings
will be held on the second
and fourth Mondays of each
month from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Doors open at 4 p.m. for
informal networking.
While this program is
being held in Ipswich, people age 50+ from all over the
region are welcome to attend.
There are similar workshops held in North Andover

on the second and fourth
Tuesdays of every month
at 4:30 p.m. and in Danvers
on the second and fourth
Wednesdays of every month

at 9:30 a.m.
The program is free
and preregistration is required at www.mocoonline.
com/50plusregistration.

What’s on in Ipswich?
Wednesday, January 8
Meditation for Fundamental Wellbeing. Free/donation.
Town Hall, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, January 9
Pasta Making Workshop.
Appleton Farms, 6 p.m.
Music at The Brewer’s
Table: Headlands, John Rockwell, Eric Wilson, and Amy
Rich. 8 p.m.
Friday, January 10
Dunes by the Light of the
Wolf Moon. Castle Hill, 4:30
p.m.
Farm-to-Kitchen Cooking
Class: Comfort Food. Appleton Farms, 6 p.m.
Music at The Brewer’s
Table: The Surnames. Ipswich
Ale, 8 p.m.
Friday Night Flights.
Cocktails and tastings at Privateer Rum. 11 Brady Drive, 4
to 7 p.m.
Saturday, January 11
Ipswich Democratic Town
Committee meeting. Ipswich
Public Library. 9:30 a.m.
Guest of the Cranes. Castle
Hill, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tours
leave every hour.
Hip Hop Workshops.
Ipswich Moving Company,

Cogswell St. 1 and 2:15 p.m.
Crane Beach Photo Safari.
Castle Hill, 3:30 p.m.
Sunday, January 12
Crane Beach Birding Safari, Castle Hill, 8:30 a.m.
Guest of the Cranes. Castle
Hill, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tours
leave every hour.
Mindful Winter Hike.
Castle Hill, 10 a.m.
Fundamentals of Cheesemaking with Luca. Appleton
Farms, 10 a.m.
Baking School: Essential
Breads. Appleton Farms, 1
p.m.
Ipswich River Watershed
Directors’ Walk and Talk.
Mass Audubon, 1 p.m.
Farm-to-Kitchen Cooking
Classes: Spices and Flavors
of India. Appleton Farms, 4
p.m.
Monday, January 13
Dinner Bell community
meal. Masonic Lodge, Topsfield Road, 5 p.m.
Tuesday, January 14
Jazz at The May Flower.
Depot Square, 7-10 p.m.
To find out more about these
events, visit the online calendar
at bit.ly/iln-events

45 North Main Street, Ipswich

978.356.2422

www.morrisfh.com
John Morris, Owner

 Y celebrates 20 years on County Rd.

Wednesday, January 8, 2020 • Ipswich Local News

Nails etc.
c’est la vie

•

•

COFFEE, CULTURE,
COMMUNITY …
(Photo via Ipswich YMCA’s Facebook page.)

They heard from Executive
Director Chris Bevilacqua
and board president Denald
Twenty years ago, on December 31, 1999, the Ipswich Down tell how the Y was,
and is, “supported generousFamily Y first opened its
doors at its facility off County ly” by the community and
how the Y has broadened its
Road.
That day was marked this programs for all ages and a
variety of needs.
past week — on December
Bevilacqua told of the
31, 2019 — with a continental
critical part that the Ipswich
breakfast celebration.
unit of the Veterans of ForAbout 30 members, ineign Wars, which shares the
cluding many board memproperty, has played in the
bers, gathered.
by Bill Wasserman

Jerry and Kat Kenney
121 Argilla Road, Ipswich
978.729.9959

Y’s history.
He recognized both the
present commander, Frank
Lindquist, and Jake Burrage,
now 102, who was instrumental in arranging the
agreement with the Y in 1999.
Bevilacqua noted that
membership at the Ipswich
YMCA is now approaching
7,000.

That opens a lot of territory.
And that’s what we hope happens.
We want you to settle down with
your favorite cup and share your
thoughts about culture and
community. That’s part of the way
culture and community get built.

40 Market Street, Ipswich, MA 01938
(978) 356-1988 • www.zumis.com
twitter.com/zumis_espresso • facebook.com/zumisespresso

9

 10

Ipswich Local News • Wednesday, January 8, 2020

Sheep on the lam knew exactly what they were doing
IPSWICH — Described as “an escape mastermind,” Detective Jimmy
Perez is the one who keeps leading
the rest astray. He also likes a neck
rub and will wag his tail when you’re
nice to him.
He’s not a cop or even a police
K-9. He’s a Shetland sheep with a
mind and a personality all of his own.
And he was behind last week’s breakout down Washington Street.
Not even one of the two black
sheep, Jimmy and nine others were
eventually coralled and herded back
home by police in their cruisers,
much to the delight of many local
residents.
A smart and curious animal, Jimmy approaches humans and will sniff
them to check them out.
A primitive breed from remote
islands 110 miles off the coast of Scotland, the 10 Shetland sheep, who live
on Linebrook Rd. not far from Bialek
Park, were just trying to get “home,”
said owner Deanna Gallagher.
She and her family moved into
their new house just last week from
Heartbreak Road, she said.
And Jimmy, with his intelligence
and knack for opening gates, exhibited instinctual behavior called “hefting,” she explained.
This is where a flock will try to
return to the pasture they are familiar
with. As the sheep are new to Linebrook Road, Gallagher said she knew
immediately they were making a
“beeline” for Heartbreak Road.
And, looking at the route on a
map, it makes sense. There’s a river
in the way, of course, but the sheep
were definitely on the right track.
The sheep were trucked in on Saturday and had broken out by Thursday. To help them get familiar with

She also thought it would be a
good idea for her five-year-old so he
could learn about farming, animals,
and food.
The sheep also continue the town’s
agricultural heritage that has been
largely lost, Gallagher said, noting
that much of the New England landscape was formed by early settlers
and their vast sheep flocks.
But people have lost that connection, Gallagher says. “They’re
completely divorced from the food
that they eat and the clothes that they
wear.”
“I would rather have a hair in my
soup that the Polartec that’s going
into the ocean,” she added.
“I knew about Shetlands, and I
decided on Shetlands because of their
size,” she said.
“You can’t make money off of
Det. Jimmy Perez and pals escaped from their new home on Linebrook road to return to
sheep unless you’re willing to eat
their old pasture on Heartbreak Road via Washington Street (photo courtesy Karl Kastorf).
them. But you can have a cottage
their new surroundings, Gallagher is got all the wild genius in him still,”
industry that pays for itself, eventunow feeding them cider doughnuts
she said.
ally,” Gallagher said. But given the
for breakfast, petting them a lot, and
Gallagher has had the sheep for 30 work involved, it is something she
trying to get them as comfortable as
months. Interested in permaculture,
does for the love of it, she said.
possible in their new abode.
she used them to get rid of “masses of
Sheep improve the land and
“These sheep have a bit of a crim- poison ivy” on Heartbreak Road.
carbon-sequester, which means they
inal history,” Gallagher said. They
“They eat everything. They’re
take more carbon out of the atmohave broken out before on Heartlike goats,” Gallagher said. The key
sphere than they put into it, Gallabreak Road, where they have indifference is that the Shetlands have a gher said. “They deposit much more
dulged in some of the neighbors’ “in- nice personality, she added.
[carbon] than they emit,”
vestment plantings,” she explained.
“They’re quite photogenic. They
She plans to have kids come in
This time around, her 15-year-old smile, they love having their pictures this spring to learn about sheep, how
son hosted a sleepover. One of the
taken. and they are fabulously friend- fleeces work, and help give them
visitors went to see the sheep in the
ly. They’re smart as anything because “haircuts.”
pasture behind the house and inadthey were never homogenized,” she
“These guys are friendly enough
vertently left the gate open.
said.
to let that happen,” she noted.
That presented no challenge for
“They were big favorites of runAn educator in her day job, Galthe ringleader, Detective Jimmy Peners and hikers along Heartbreak
lagher said she will welcome people
rez, Gallagher said.
Road,” Gallagher said.
to her new farm, where they interact
“He knows when a storm is comAsked why she had the flock, Gal- with the sheep and learn more about
ing. He knows how to avoid traffic.
lagher said she always wanted sheep their role in farming and food proHe knows how to open gates ... he’s
when she was young.
duction.

from page 1
harm’s way.
However, another update noted
the sheep didn’t make it onto the
tracks and that they had stopped in
the middle of the road, near the intersection with Mineral Street.

“One of them’s named Brunehilde,
if you need a reference,” an officer
said.
“They have fabulous personalities.
They used to talk to me all the time
as I ran by” on Heartbreak Road,
Sue Markos said on a Facebook post

about the incident.
One commenter, Meaghan Rygiel,
recorded a video and said three teenagers tried to help corral the herd,
“and the sheep were NOT having it!!”
However, the animals were later
spotted following a woman with a

bowl of food. That woman turned
out to be the flock’s owner, Deanna
Gallagher.
Ultimately, police helped usher the sheep back to their pasture.
“They were ‘herding’ them with the
cruisers!” Anne Bonazoli said.

 Get cooking with artisan workshops at Appleton Farms
Expanded culinary and
artisan offerings at Appleton
Farms to usher in new decade
Appleton Farms has
announced a series of artisan workshops to raise your
bread, chocolate, pasta, and
cocktail-making to the next
level.
“The farm is pleased to
announce that starting in
January we will be expanding our culinary and artisan
program offerings with new
seasonal cooking classes and
workshops every day of the
week,” organizers said.
“Like the seasons, our
classes, events, and workshops transition throughout
the year to stay in lock-step
with the freshest ingredients delivered daily from
our farm, other North Shore
farmers, and local food artisans,” they added.
For January, February, and
March, organizers said they
“have something for everyone: hands-on cooking classes
with international flavors,
baking and pasta-making
workshops, and mixology
classes for the season.”
Artisan workshops
“We’ve tapped our celebrated local artisan community to lead our hands-on
culinary workshops,” organizers said.
• Bread-making workshops with A&J King Artisan
Bakers
• Pasta and cheese-making workshops with Luca
Mignogna of Wolf Meadow
Farm
• Chocolate-making
classes with Ovedia Artisan
Chocolates
• Mixology classes with
Privateer Rum
• Wine tasting and pairing
workshops with The Urban
Chef
Farm-to-kitchen cooking

classes
“Learn new flavor profiles
and culinary skills with our
hands-on cooking classes that
feature a three-course seasonal menu,” organizers said.
“Our talented chefs guide
our visitors through each
recipe, and guests work
together to make each course,
enjoying a full meal at the
end. All classes are BYOB,”
they added.
This winter, classes focus

on flavors from Italy and
India; a class dedicated to
warming soups, stews, and
chowders; a dedicated New
England comfort foods class;
and a show-stopping vegetable class.
A complete listing of programs can be found at www.
thetrustees.org/things-to-do/
events.html.
Members of The Trustees
qualify for discounts between
20% and 50%.

Career opportunities here in Ipswich!
EEC-licensed
childcare center
with a family
feel
•
certification
preferred
•
come join our
team!
Little cow yearns to join the herd at Appleton Farms (photo by Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism).

126 County Road, Ipswich • firstclassipswich@gmail.com

Empowerment
through the Martial Arts

WHITTIER-PORTER FUNERAL HOME
Robert B. Porter
Director

We carry a full
line of medical
supplies, including
Golden Lift chairs,
America’s #1 selling
brand!

Six High Street
P.O. Box 142
Ipswich, MA 01938

(978) 356-3442
whittierporter@comcast.net
www.whittier-porter.com

146 High Street, Ipswich • 978-356-2121

 12

Ipswich Local News • Wednesday, January 8, 2020

Select board newslets

Staff changes, board changes,
road repairs, and warrant open
Staff changes
Just wrapping up his first
day on the job, Jay Wassouf
was introduced to the select
board on Monday as the
town’s new IT director.
He said he has 22 years
in technology and comes to
Ipswich with experience as a
network administrator in the
Andover and Masconomet
school systems.
He noted the last IT director, Greg Parachojuk, was almost 20 years in the job before
he retired. “I hope to be here
that long as well,” Wassouf
said.
Meanwhile, in the fire
department, Pat Dingle has
been promoted to the position
of lieutenant. He was one of
three finalists for the role,
town manager Tony Marino
told the board.
Dingle will now take over
fire prevention responsibilities, which is normal for
newly promoted lieutenants,
Marino said.
Terry Anderson has retired
as housing coordinator and
his part-time job has been
posted.
Board changes
Peter Soffron was appointed as a new member of the
shellfish advisory board.
Antigone Simmons and
Kristen Seashore were appointed to the board of registrars, while Kathie Eliopoulos
stepped down from that
board.
There were seven applicants for two empty seats on
the Council on Aging board,
Marino reported.
Two were chosen as full
members, two others as
alternates, and the other three
agreed to serve on the Friends

of the Council on Aging
board, he added.
Marino said he was glad
roles were found for all,
because he didn’t like to turn
volunteers away.
There are still openings on
the agricultural commission
(three alternates), conservation commission, Ipswich
Housing Partnership, audit
committee, cultural council, recreation committee,
Bay Circuit Trail committee,
design review board, shellfish
advisory subcommitee, Bialek
Park planning committee,
Eight Towns and The Great
Marsh Coalition, shade tree
and beautification, climate
resiliency committee, government study, wastewater
subcommittee,cemetery and
parks commission, historical
commission, and the water
advisory committee.
Application forms can be
found online.
More road repairs
A healthy state budget
means municipalities will get
extra to help maintain their
roads. Marino said Ipswich
can expect a $44,034 boost this
year.
Town meeting warrant
open
The select board voted
to open the warrant for this
spring’s town meeting, which
is set for May 12.
The warrant will stay open
until noon on Feb. 24.
Selectperson Linda Alexson asked about the task force
set up by the fall town meeting to recommend changes to
warrant-opening timetables.
Marino said it has yet to
meet. He expects the finance
committee will appoint its
representative next week.

Ipswich’s Charlie Henderson tries to intercept a ball between Amesbury’s Kyle Donovan (#5) and Camden
Keliher. Playing at home last Friday, the Tigers lost to Amesbury 64-37.

from page 1
Clams flattened?
Alexson said she heard
concerns from shellfish harvesters about the effects on
clam flats downstream.
Selectperson Kerry
Mackin said the feasibility
study showed that sediment
trapped behind the dam was
“relatively clean.”
The release of the sediment would actually improve
the marsh, since it is being
eroded, she added.
Returning to costs, Marino
said the total removal cost
could reach between $400,000
and $500,000.
However, mitigation is
typically more expensive, he
noted.

Protecting EBSCO, in
particular, could be between
one and two million dollars,
he added.
Marino noted EBSCO has
also written a letter of support as long as work does
not impact its facility or its
operations.
“We’re not supporting
removal of the dam by doing
this?” Alexson asked.
“We’re not committing to
removing the dam by doing this,” chairman William
Whitmore said.
He described the application as an expression of interest in pursuing the project.
Mackin said it is “one of
the most ecologically damaging dams on the Atlantic

coast north of Virginia.”
“The town owns it, and
it is our responsibility,” she
added.
“There are costs to removing it, but there are known
costs to keeping it. We know
there’s increased flooding”
with the dam in place, Whitmore noted.
When the vote came, selectperson Nishan Mootafian
abstained, citing a relative
who works at EBSCO.
Whitmore asked that the
board discuss the matter at
its two meetings in February.
He also suggested a presentation and update from
the Ipswich River Watershed
Association (IRWA), followed
by questions and answers.

 Wednesday, January 8, 2020 • Ipswich Local News

Prank or fundraiser? Nancy Soucy of High Street woke up to a ‘heart attack’ last week.

‘Heart attack’ on High Street
An overnight prank has
left a resident confused, but
charmed, on High Street.
Nancy Soucy woke up yesterday to find several dozen
handmade hearts adorning
the front yard of her home
and business, Ipswich Pottery.

“I cannot imagine who
did this in the middle of the
night,” she said.
Some hearts were attached
to cars and the garage doors.
Others, with hand-drawn
faces and decorations, were
glued to tongue depressors
and stuck in the ground.

There was also a red balloon.
Soucy didn’t know if it
was an early Valentine’s Day
prank, high school hijinks,
or maybe even some kind of
fundraiser.
She did note, however,
that the hearts were better
than flamingos.

ICAM to offer free video workshops
ICAM (Ipswich Community Access Media) is hosting
free video production workshops for individuals who
live, work, and/or attend
school in Ipswich.
Residents interested in creating, producing, or starring
in their own video production are welcome to sign up
for this workshop.
There are three classes
total to complete one full
workshop, and they will meet
on consecutive following
Mondays starting in the new
year.
Session 1 will meet January 27 and February 3 and

10. This class is offered in the
afternoon only from 3 to 4:30
p.m.
Session 2 will meet February 24 and March 2 and 9.
Afternoon class will run from
3 to 4:30 and an evening class
will run from 6:30 to 8.
These workshops teach
video basics, including cameras and lighting techniques,
along with basic audio/microphone training. Instructor
Beth Meyer, ICAM executive
director, and Alex Derderian,
ICAM production coordinator, will guide participants
through the equipment
training and introduce basic

TV show pre-production,
production, and post-production skills.
Participants who complete
a full workshop will be automatically qualified to receive
further one-to-one training
for video editing, special
effects, and graphics.
All equipment is provided
free of charge from the ICAM
station.
Register via email:
icamipswichVideo@gmail.
com or call 978-356-0353.
Space is limited.
The ICAM Studio is
located at 127 High Street in
Ipswich.

13

 14

Ipswich Local News • Wednesday, January 8, 2020

Obituaries
Robert H. Cronin
Robert H. Cronin Sr., 95, husband of the late Jennie M. (Ross)
Cronin of Hamilton, died on Monday, December 23, 2019, in the Kaplan Family Hospice House following his sudden illness.
Born in Ipswich on December
7, 1924, he was the son of the late
Frederick Sr. and Catherine (Matheson) Cronin.
He was
raised in Ipswich and was
a graduate of
Ipswich High
School.
He enlisted in the U.S.
Navy during
World War II
and proudly
served two
tours of duty:
in the European
Theater on a
minesweeper off
of Normandy
during the invasion, and then in
the Pacific as a
motor machinist’s mate.
Following his honorable discharge, the Cronins married and
lived in Asbury Grove in Hamilton
before moving to Beech Street.
He was employed as a portrait
photographer by the House of Hinlin, formerly in Ipswich, and later
as a master tech with the Brunning
Corporation.
After retiring, along with his
wife, he owned and operated Antiques and Elderly Things in Essex
for many years.
He was founder and former president of the Hamilton Rod and Gun
Club, a long-time member of the AP
Gardner Post, and a member of the
Hamilton Conservation committee.

He also enjoyed fishing in the
local waters.
Along the way he found the time
to write two books, How A Toothpick Sailor Survived Normandy,
a story about his time on a Navy
minesweeper during WW II, and
Behind the Red Door, a story of experiences of an antique shop owner.
He was a member of the First
United Methodist Church in
Hamilton.
He is survived by his
son, Donald M.
Cronin, of Danvers; his daughter, Rebecca
Ann Wingate, of
Hawaii; and a
grandson, Daniel Cronin, of
Deerfield, N.H.
He was the
father of the late
Robert H. Cronin Jr., formerly
of Lynn; and
the brother of
the late Frederick Cronin Jr.,
formerly of Connecticut; Richard
Cronin, formerly of Harvard, Mass.;
Jeannette Wood, formerly of Kansas; and Grace Sahovey, formerly of
Beverly.
His funeral service will be held
graveside at the Hamilton Cemetery, South Hamilton on Saturday,
January 11, 2020, at 11 a.m.
A gathering will follow at the AP
Gardner Post 194, 37 School Street,
South Hamilton.
In lieu of flowers, donations may
be made to A.P. Gardner Post 194,
37 School Street, South Hamilton,
MA 01982.
Arrangements are by the Whittier-Porter Funeral Home of Ipswich.

William Henry Smith
William Henry Smith, 96, of
North Fort Myers, Fla., and Belchertown, formerly of Rowley, passed
away peacefully on December 28,
2019.
He was born in Rowley on August 11, 1923. His is predeceased by
his parents Henry Smith and Florence Kneeland.
Bill married his best
friend and
loving wife
Beth (Smith)
Fuller on
September
12, 1943, in
Ipswich, and
shared over
71 years of
marriage.
Both Bill
and Beth
were graduates of
Ipswich High
School. Bill
was a WWII veteran proudly serving
in the Merchant Marines.
Bill was an avid sports enthusiast
his entire life. He excelled in baseball
and football at Ipswich High School
and was inducted into the IHS Athletic Hall of Fame.
He was also a longtime member
of the Rowley Rams baseball team
and played for the team during the
1938 Championship season.
He was inducted into the Intertown Twilight League Baseball Hall
of Fame.
Bowling was a favorite pastime,
and for many years Bill was a member of the Rowley men’s and couples’ leagues.
He also was an avid fisherman
who enjoyed the sport with family
and friends in the estuaries of Plum
Island Sound and Ipswich Bay.
Bill was also an ardent Patriots

and Red Sox fan, even from afar.
In his younger years, Bill was a
clam digger extraordinaire, who,
with his wife, Beth, built a successful seafood business, Smith
Seafoods, in Rowley with extended
operations from Maine to Maryland.
Bill was a lifelong learner who
embraced new technologies and
instilled a
passion for
life in all
members of
his family.
He closely
followed all
his children’s
and grandchildren’s
many activities and
accomplishments until
his final days.
Bill and
Beth enjoyed
retirement
and friendship at Six Lakes Country
Club in North Fort Myers.
His greatest passions there were
golfing and playing pool, where
he achieved numerous tournament
championships and holes-in-one.
He enjoyed coming north every
summer to visit family and friends.
In addition to his parents, Bill
was preceded in death by his loving
wife, Beth, and his sister, Pauline
DiLeo.
He is survived by his sons, William (“Butch”) and his wife, Diane,
and Robert and his wife, Charlene;
his daughters, Jody McLeod and
her husband, Virgil, and Beth Terry.
He has six grandchildren: Michael,
Jennifer, Christine, Sam, Briana, and
Jeremy, eight great-grandchildren;
and five great-great grandchildren.
Services will be private, followed
by burial in the Rowley Cemetery.

 Wednesday, January 8, 2020 • Ipswich Local News

15

Family rebuilding nearly a year after devastating fire
by John Muldoon
Ipswich Local News

IPSWICH — Almost a year
after a devastating fire leveled her house, Renee Moses
decided to take out an ad to
thank the town.
“The whole community
came together [after the fire].
I was at my mother’s house,
and people just kept coming
and coming,” she said recently of the ad she placed in the
paper before Christmas.
The Moses family lost their
Town Farm Road home, furniture, and clothing on February
12, 2019, after fire broke out in
the early morning hours.
After losing most — but
not all — of their possessions,
and living in a camper and
other people’s houses, the
family is now in the process of
rebuilding.
Although frustrated with
the length of time it is taking, lifelong Ipswich resident
Renee Moses said, “I love my
property. I like where I live.”
The fire left little of the
house, apart from a pile of
charred wood.
The blaze started at around
1:10 a.m. outside the building.
The time and location gave
the fire a strong head start
before it was discovered.
“There was nothing left.
The house was completely
right down to the ground,”
Renee said.
The other two people in
the house at the time were
her husband, Wayne, and her
niece, Alicia Thereault.
At the time, she had a cast
on her foot and was sleeping
on first floor. Wayne’s pickup
was lost in the blaze, but he
put Renee in her truck and
parked it up the street, facing
away from the fire.
She said she was glad
he parked it that direction.

The Moses family: Wayne, Garrett, Renee, Cassandra, and her son, Allan
(courtesy photo)

“That way I didn’t have to
look at everything happening. I couldn’t be one of those
people standing out there
crying,” she said.
But despite the destruction,
the family made some interesting finds in the wreckage,
Renee said.
One was pocketbook found
by firefighters that contained
a necklace. “There are three
hearts on it, and there were
three of us were in the fire,”

Renee said of the coincidence.
Another find was of the
family’s treasured photographs. Renee had kept stacks
of pictures in boxes, which
turned up among the ruins.
“Isn’t that crazy? We just
kept finding them in clumps,”
she said.
Renee said they peeled
the photos apart and cleaned
them off, but there was still
an odor of smoke off them. So
she sent them off to have the

smell removed. By the time
that project was over, 2,000
pictures had been saved, she
said.
Another curious find
was her wedding ring. She
thought she had stored her
wedding ring and other
jewelry in a safe upstairs with
important family documents.
The safe was found after
the fire, but the ring was
nowhere to be seen. Wayne
later stumbled upon it while
poking through the wreckage,
Renee said. “How does that
happen?”
But the family lost vehicles,
their clothes, and furniture —
and, most importantly, a place
to live.
They got an RV for their
backyard, but “that’s only a
two/three season camper,”
Renee said.
Once cold weather began
to close in, the family had to
shut the doors and windows
for winter, which gave Renee
cabin fever. “Ugh, I got to get
out of here,” she laughed.
Renee went to live with her
daughter; Wayne is with her
mother; Alicia went to Flori-

Come to work.
Stay to GATHR.
The North Shore’s premier coworking and
events space, where local thought leaders
and culture-makers converge.
Elegant, sophisticated. Book a day or half
day, monthly office, or Flex Desk™,
conference room, or private event.

Enter promo code MULDOON when
booking your first day pass and it’s on us!
42 Market Street, Ipswich.

www.gathr.work

da, and her son, Garrett, is in
Haverhill.
Her daughter, Cassandra,
and her then three-year-old,
Allan, were “in between” at
the time, but “most of her
stuff was in my house,” Renee
said.
An additional problem
with RV living at this point
is that heavy excavation and
construction work is underway, making the site a difficult place be around.
Asked if there were any
lessons, Moses advised checking that fire extinguishers are
adequately sized. “And don’t
be a pack rat,” she quipped.
In a touch of grim humor,
she added, “I cleaned out
my attic, and I’ll get my new
kitchen. You gotta laugh.”

LEGAL NOTICE
ZONING BOARD
OF APPEALS
The Ipswich Zoning Board of
Appeals will hold a public hearing
on Thursday, January 23, 2020, at
7:30 p.m. in Room A of the Town
Hall, 25 Green Street, to act on the
following petitions pursuant to the
Ipswich Protective Zoning Bylaw:

3 Bay View Road, Kathy and
Thomas Stringer request a variance
pursuant to, but not limited to,
sections IX.K and VI Table of
Dimensional and Density F.21 for a
second story addition (700 square
feet) exceeding the 30% allowable
floor area by 4% at 3 Bay View
Road (Assessor’s Map 24A, Lot
111)
Paula and Charles Reggio request a
special permit pursuant to, but not
limited to sections XI.J – V. D Table
of Use Regulations for a private
guest house in the same footprint as
the existing pool house at 43 Plover
Hill Road (Assessor’s Map 23B, Lot
002A)
Petitions may be viewed during
regular business hours at the Town
Clerk’s Office, Town Hall, 25 Green
Street.
Robert Gambale, Chairman
Ipswich Zoning Board of Appeals

 Winter/spring technology classes at library
The Ipswich Public Library
will offer the following winter/
spring lineup of technology
classes:
• Your New Gadget (January 25)
• Planning For Your Website (February 22)
• WordPress 101 (March 28)
• Writing Well for the Web

(April 25)
• Cloud Storage (May 16)
• Google Drive and Office
Suites (June 13)
All classes are free and open
to the general public at the Ipswich Public Library, 25 North
Main Street. Registration is not
required.
All classes are held on Sat-

urdays and run from 10 a.m. to
noon.
Detailed class descriptions
can be found on the library’s
website.
For more information, contact assistant library director
Genevieve Picard at gpicard@
ipswichlibrary.org or 978-3566648, ext. 3017.

A deposit here is an
INVESTMENT here.

•

For a limited time only!

2

20-Month Certificate of Deposit

Visit our website at institutionforsavings.com for more CD rates.

.25%
APY*

Stop by our 2 Depot Square or 112 County Road offices or call us at 978-356-3600 for information on this and other CD rates.

978-462-3106 • institutionforsavings.com
Amesbury • Beverly • Boxford • Gloucester • Hamilton • Ipswich • Middleton • Newburyport • Rockport • Rowley • Salem • Salisbury • Topsfield
*Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is effective 1/6/2020. Term deposit rates and APYs are fixed for the duration of the term. Minimum balance to open an account and obtain the Annual Percentage Yield shown is $500; maximum is $2 Million.
A penalty will be imposed for early withdrawal. Rates are subject to change. Deposits insured in full. Account holder must be present to open. Member FDIC • Member DIF