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Vol. 2, No. 30
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Friday, July 28, 2017
Painting themselves out of a corner Programs at Middleton HOC help communities and prisoners alike By Melanie Higgins
O
n a rainy day last week, the prisoners of the Middleton House of Corrections (HOC) paint a room in the Hogan Regional Center in Danvers. Clad in white shirts, the industrious crew take rollers and brushes and rigorously apply white paint to the walls of one of the rooms. Among them, Middleton Correction Officer Anthony Mallia stands, briskly chatting with the inmates. The day trip is part of a program that allows low-level offenders who have gone through a vetting process to leave the building and complete community service projects around Massachusetts. “It’s a big incentive” to be able to leave the building; “otherwise, they just sit inside,” said the Public Information Officer at Middleton, William Raynard,
who accompanied the Advocate on-site at Hogan. The Middleton prisoners, like many in Massachusetts, perform community service work regularly as a means to get out of the prison and ease back into society. Prisoners and officers alike said it is also a key part in their morale as they serve out their sentences. “It makes you feel better, helping people,” Joe, whose real name has been withheld for confidentiality, told the Advocate. Without the program, Joe The historic Nathaniel Felton, Sr. House, the latest house said, “[it] would make it a little painted by the inmates of the Middleton HOC in June. harder to transition.” Like these prisoners, a simi- three years: the old fire house, Society contacted the Middlelar cohort visited Peabody later the Smith Barn, the Nathaniel ton HOC and asked if there was last month to repaint a number Felton, Jr. house, and this June, any work the prisoners would of historical homes at Brooksby the Nathaniel Felton, Sr. house. be interested in doing, and the The buildings, which were rest is history. This June, a simiFarm (54 Felton St.). Peabody owns 10 historical houses, four some of the first in Peabody, lar group came to the Nathanof which Middleton prison- require regular maintenance. iel Felton, Sr. House (located at ers have painted over the past A few years ago, the Historical Brooksby Farm) and repainted
Council green lights Black Box Theater By Melanie Higgins
urday. Construction hours will be Monday through Friday, 7 t the City Council meet- a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, 9 ing on Tuesday, July 18, a.m. to 6 p.m. The space would the city approved a permit be not just a theatre, but an that would allow the rudi- all-encompassing entertainmentary “Black Box Theatre” ment venue, hosting comedy, at ArcWorks (22 Foster St.) dance, music, film, poetry and to become a bona fide per- other special events. The attorney for ArcWorks, formance space. The council unanimously approved the David Ankeles, speaking on the organization’s behalf, said permit. “A huge thank you to the that the space would be home City Council for not only ap- to an “improv-based social proving the permit – but for skills program for youth on speaking so highly of this plan the autism spectrum.” On the technical and neighand the recognition of Northeast Arc for the work we do,” borhood side, Ankeles said reads a Facebook post from that any noise coming from Northeast Arc after the vote. the ventilation would be limNortheast Arc, a regional ser- ited, and that the space would vice for people with develop- be soundproofed. The A/C mental disabilities, operates system would not be close ArcWorks, which offers art to any abutting residents and performance programs and “properly blocked and among other services to its screened.” The theatre would hold clientele. The post added that there is around 128 seats. Any food a 30-day waiting period that served would be by licensed must be adhered to until the caterers approved by the space can undergo further Board of Health. Any alcohol served would likewise require construction. In the future, the space a license. Some additional “indirect would be open until 10:30 p.m., Sunday through Wednes- lighting” on stairways would day, and close at midnight need to be added, but Ankefrom Thursday through Sat- les said it would not reflect on
A
abutting or adjoining properties. The space is still undergoing renovations. In the meanwhile, it has been used to host a series of events aimed at raising funds for the project. One of those was a stage performance of the play “Love Letters.” Just last month, the theatre held a benefit concert featuring graduates from PVMHS’s Stage One Drama Club and the Performing Arts Department. The project has been widely hailed as being a potential boon to the city, especially downtown. Councillor-at-Large Tom Gould and Mayor Ted Bettencourt are notable proponents of the project. Numerous supporters of the project went to the podium to speak in favor of the theatre. “One thing I constantly hear from performers in the area is that there’s not a good space to perform,” said Joseph Nicotero of 23 Downing Rd., who runs a theatrical and event company. “Having this in downtown Peabody would certainly be a boon to the ar-
BLACK BOX | SEE PAGE 10
the outside of the old house, which dates to 1644. Nathaniel Felton and his son were important figures in Peabody's history, involved in the Salem Witch Trials. According to the Historical Society, the houses are painted according to what they might have looked like when they were built. For the most recent project, the prisoners painted the Senior House in a dark tan sheen. Raynard said that although prisoners do a lot of painting, they complete many other kinds of community service, from mowing parks to trash collection to replanting bushes, and removing graffiti. “They do really good work,” Raynard said. And “[they] save taxpayers thousands and thousands
PAINTING | SEE PAGE 10
Great Effort
Head coach Justin Powers consoles starter Carson Browne after the Peabody 11-12 Little League team’s mercy loss to Gloucester in the fourth inning of the Section 4 finals at Reinfuss Field in Lynn last Saturday. The defeat ended a memorable post-season run for Peabody, which won its first District championship since 1997. See story and photos on page 6. (Advocate photo by Greg Phipps)