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Vol. 2, No. 40
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978-777-6397
Friday, October 6, 2017
Local Girl Scouts open Little Free Library By Christopher Roberson
Troop leaders Sara Addesa and Betsy Nunes said the ith money raised from idea for a Little Free Library cookie sales, the 17 surfaced when the troop was girls of Girl Scout Troop 76125 studying the lifestyles and were able to build a Little Free cultures of girls in other parts Library, which was recently in- of the world. Some of the books available stalled at Emerson Park. During the Sept. 29 dedica- in the library’s initial stock intion, Mayor Edward Betten- clude “The Monogram Murcourt said he was thrilled to ders” by Sophie Hannah, “Persee the project come to frui- fect Piggies” by Sandra Boyntion after the troop brought it ton, “The Very Silly Shark” by to his attention back in May. Jack Tickle and “Mama’s Right “I’ve been looking forward Here” by Liza Baker. Addesa to this day for a long time,” and Nunes said adult books will be available as well. he said. They also said that a second Bettencourt also said the new library will get plenty of Little Free Library has been use in Emerson Park. “This is constructed and will be inthe central park of the city,” he stalled at a location to be desaid, adding that a dog park, termined in West Peabody. According to LittleFreeLiskating rink and splash pad are also planned for the park. brary.org, the nonprofit orga-
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nization operates on the honor system in which residents can take a book and replace it with a book of their own that they would like to donate. The website also states that in 2012, Little Free Library was hailed as “a global sensation” by the Associated Press. In October 2015, the organization received the Library of Congress’s Literacy Award. During the past eight years, Little Free Libraries have popped up in every state and in 70 countries. Including the new location at Emerson Park, there are now 49 Little Free Libraries in Massachusetts. There are also 250 Facebook pages featuring Little Free Libraries, as well as 30,000 photos on Instagram, Flickr and Pinterest.
Shown during Girl Scout Troop 76125’s September 29 dedication of the new Little Free Library at Emerson Park are, from left to right, troop leaders Sara Addesa, Melody Roy and Betsy Nunes. See page 4. (Advocate photo by Christopher Roberson)
Peabody responds to hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico By Christopher Roberson
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long with other North Shore communities, Peabody has answered the desperate cry for help from a place 1,700 miles away: Puerto Rico. On Sept. 20, the island was
decimated by punishing winds of up to 155 miles per hour from Category 4 Hurricane Maria, according to the National Hurricane Center. Before Maria, Puerto Rico had caught a glancing blow from Hurricane Irma on Sept. 6, which at the time was an even
stronger Category 5 monster. In addition to 34 deaths and the immense level of destruction, Maria knocked out power to all 3.4 million residents. The current outlook remains bleak, as electricity is not expected to be restored for the next six to 12 months.
Meet the 2017 PHS Field Hockey Captains
The Peabody field hockey captains, shown from left, are Mallory LeBlanc, Sofia Rodriguez, and Nicole Ferrante. See the team photo and more inside on page 9. (Advocate photo by Greg Phipps)
“We have dribbles of communications telling us about the conditions … The island is unrecognizable; many people are going to spend the holidays homeless,” said Georgianna Melendez, a member of the new Facebook group North Shore Mass. for Puerto Rico, during a community meeting on Oct. 3. Melendez has a number of family members who live on the island. Mayor Edward Bettencourt said he recently received an email from San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz asking for money. “The money request was to rebuild and restructure,” he said. “It’s painful to watch, it’s painful to see.” Therefore, Bettencourt said, the city will set up a PayPal donation link on its website. Melendez said some of the items that will run out the quickest include toothpaste, shampoo, razors and condoms. “People still have sex even if they don’t have electricity,” she said. Other items that can be donated include batteries, car inverter outlets, solar chargers for cellphones and flashlights. Melendez said clothing and bottled water are not being collected, as other communities have been sending those items. “It costs too much for us to ship; let some-
one else take care of that,” she said. Melendez said the City of Lawrence has made tremendous progress in collecting donations. “They have a warehouse with pallets piled high,” she said. Yet, Melendez said one of her greatest concerns is that the crisis in Puerto Rico could eventually be forgotten. “My fear with disaster relief is once it’s not in the news anymore, people forget about it,” she said. Melendez said another challenge is transporting items from Peabody to Puerto Rico. “If someone has a private plane, please tell me,” she said. In response, one resident said she would speak with officials at Beverly Airport about the possibility of making such arrangements. Residents also suggested sending letters to local businesses asking for donations and making robocalls. In addition, Scott Sternberg of Salem suggested sending aid to cities elsewhere on the island so as not to get it lost in the bottleneck at San Juan. Melendez also urged residents to attend a relief drive, which will be held at Immaculate Conception Parish at 15 Hawthorne Blvd. in Salem from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Oct. 7.