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Vol. 2, No. 29
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Friday, July 21, 2017
Tillie’s Farm to host grand reopening By Melanie Higgins
T
illie’s, the beloved community farm stand at 189 Lynn St. in South Peabody, is hosting its grand reopening this Saturday, July 22 starting at 10 a.m. The farm stand reopened this spring, but is not holding its celebration until this weekend. This reopening is special because it is the first year that the city is running the farm since it purchased it 10 years ago. A few months ago, the city appointed Billy Murphy, a Peabody resident, as its farm manager. The farm stand wanted to wait until the weather improved to share the celebration activities. And there are a lot. The celebration will have hay rides, pony rides, food and drinks, its famous corn on the cob, fun
Inside the greenhouse, where the first flowers for sale this season are grown.
and games, arts and crafts and much more. Mayor Ted Bettencourt will also be on-site to help with the ribbon-cutting. “It’s a neighborhood meeting spot … People pop in to
Peabody Institute Library receives federal grant
walk around and chat. You don’t find places like this anymore,” said Shelagh Murphy, a volunteer at Tillie’s and Billy Murphy’s mom, to the Advocate back in April. Murphy also praised the presence of the farm in the neighborhood, which she called something of a “food desert” in terms of fresh produce. Some of Tillie’s most popular items are its corn on the cob and “4th of July” tomatoes, which are not much bigger than a golf ball and are difficult
Shelagh Murphy, Earl Spurr and manager Billy Murphy in April.
to find anywhere else. Shelagh described the zeal for the tomatoes as incredible. “We can’t keep them in stock,” she said. They also sell and grow pumpkins in the fall, Christmas trees in the winter, wreaths, poinsettias, eggs, apple cider, baked goods, various fruits and more. Tillie’s also sells a wide array of flowers, such as petunias, geraniums and pansies. The flowers are some of the first items available in the spring, due to weather, and vegetables begin to be avail-
able around Father’s Day. Tillie’s was started by Tillie Spurr back in 1978. She built the current storefront in 1986, in addition to both greenhouses, although the farm itself dates back to the 1800s. Today, the city owns the property. As of last April, Peabody is the first municipality in the state with two self-operated farms. Also new are credit and debit card terminals, for the less old-fashioned. Look for updates from the farm at www.tilliesfarm.org.
All-Stars Rising
Money will benefit Peabody’s toddlers By Melanie Higgins
P
eabody is on a roll. Last week, the Peabody Institute Library was named a recipient of a grant that would improve services to preschoolers at the library. The grant for Peabody will go towards “Mind in the Making,” a program aimed at learning in preschoolers. The program will help preschoolers in the areas of development and preparation for subsequent education. New collections of books and new play spaces will be added to the library. The grant comes from the Federal Library Services and Technology Act, and is funded through the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The grant itself was awarded by the Massachu-
setts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC). Forty-two other communities received the funds, totaling $468,102. Public, school, special, and academic libraries were selected for a grant, which ranged in amounts from $4,200 to $30,000. Peabody received $9,945 for the program. Assistant Library Director Jerri Guyote called the grant “a tremendous boost for the whole concept of children, literacy and play.” The Peabody Institute Library frequently receives grants from the MBLC. Library director Melissa Robinson said she is "really excited" about this grant, which will improve the way kids learn from play. "Play is an underrated element," Robin-
INSTITUTE | SEE PAGE 14
The Peabody 11-12-year-old Little League squad poses with the championship banner after capturing this year’s District 16 title in dramatic fashion over West Peabody on Sunday. See story inside on page 7. (Courtesy Photo)