FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2021
VOL. 134, NO. 17
PRICE: $1.25
BRIEFLY
Local BOH Update for COVID Cases: September 15 Report Local Boards of Health reported this week that the town of Manchester has 270 residents who tested positive for COVID-19, with five categorized by the town as “active.” In Essex, Health Administrator Erin Kirchner reports a similar picture of the town’s COVID numbers. They stand at 220 overall total, 132 so far year to date, and ten currently active cases. Kirchner attributes this to a high overall town vaccine rate, with more than 72 percent of Essex residents age 12+ who are fully vaccinated. In Manchester, 79 percent of eligible residents have been fully vaccinated. Masks are mandated by order of the MBTS Board Of Selectmen for all buildings with public access (businesses, government buildings, schools). In Essex, masks are highly recommended in businesses, and required in all government buildings (Town Hall, Post Office, schools, etc.) Stay vigilant.
Manchester Masonic Lodge and American Legion Post 113 Host 375th Anniversary Post Parade Cookout The Manchester Masonic Lodge and Manchester Legion, Post 113 gratefully extend an invitation to members of our community to attend the 375th Celebration Post Parade Cookout on Saturday, September 25 for fine food, music, and company. The event will begin immediately after the post parade festivities at Coach Field Playground. The cookout will be hosted at the Manchester Legion Hall, 14 Church St, Manchester-by-the-Sea and the menu will include a choice of lobster, steak or chicken, corn on the cob, salad, rolls, and beverages. (Oh my!) Tickets $30/person and are available online at https://bit. ly/3nEjAnU, and at 4 Beach Gifts & Goodies at 4 Beach Street, Manchester. Proceeds from the dinner go directly to the Manchester Masonic Angel Fund, which has been benefitting children and students in our community for the past 30 years.
Manchester Golden Agers Club Some good news for Manchester Golden Agers members. The club is planning a fall foliage trip on Wednesday, Sept. 29 to Hart’s Turkey Farm in New Hampshire. The bus will leave from behind Town Hall at exactly 9:30 a.m., so come early and park in the town’s public lot. You’ll also need proof of vaccination. Info at (978) 526-1919.
ME Regional High School students of social studies teacher John Mullady at the Masconomo Park bench Friday. The class honored Manchester’s Ralph Kershaw for the 20th Anniversary of 9/11. Kershaw was a victim on United Flight 175 on that fateful day. A photo gallery of local 9/11 remembrance ceremonies is on Page 5.
The Central Street Culvert/ Central Pond Project By Gregory T. Federspiel
F
or the past few years, a considerable amount of study and analysis has been conducted of the dam/culvert that crosses over Sawmill Brook as it empties into the inner harbor and the upstream dynamics, including the tidal pond behind the Fire Station. The brook has caused considerable flood damage in past storms and the old dam and stone culvert (last reconstructed in 1900), which restricts water flow, is in poor condition. MADOT’s most recent inspections of the culvert in November 2018 and 2019 further classified it as having a “Severe/major deficiency” that should be addressed ASAP. The dam and culvert on Central Street are critical pieces of infrastructure. We cannot afford an unplanned collapse or for MADOT to shut down the culvert for vehicular traffic. Emergency repairs were done four years ago but this was a temporary fix that has only gained us a few more years of use until a complete rebuild of the structures can be accomplished. Engineering for the reconstruction is nearly done. A larger culvert with removal of the constricting tide gate (which only restricted flow out, not in
Lower Sawmill Brook is where the tide gate and culvert connect to Manchester Harbor, and is surrounded by downtown density, and critical town services like Fire Dept., Police, and the town’s Water Treatment Plant.
as it is overtopped every high tide) will help prevent flooding upstream during significant rain events. The new culvert will be built to today’s engineering and construction standards. A stone façade will replicate the look of the original structure. The construction of the new structures will be challenging given the small space to work in and the utility lines that cross at this same location. The major electrical feed for all of Cape Ann crosses at this point as does a water main, NGRID gas pipeline, and Comcast/Verizon ducts; the sewer main fortunately passes below Sawmill Brook and will not be impacted. Flow from Sawmill brook must be always maintained during construction, along with any increased
flow from rain events and storm surges. The tides will also affect the project and may limit the contractor for some aspects of work during high tides. The contractor will need to have large pieces of equipment and materials onsite which further restricts the limited project area. Many of the necessary permits place restrictions on when and how the work can be performed. For example, the DEP 401 WQC permit stipulates we are not allowed to perform “in water work” (which is necessary for most of the project) between March 1 and June 30 due to rainbow smelt migration in Sawmill brook. These complicating factors prevent the project from being done while maintaining one
Weekly Weather Chart Saturday 18 Sept
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Sunday 19 Sept
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Monday 20 Sept
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Tuesday 21 Sept
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Wednesday 22 Sept
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Thursday 23 Sept
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Friday 24 Sept
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Gavel to Gavel
Farms And Food: A Love Story
This Week’s Town Meetings Manchester Town Hall is Open to the Public: Masks and social distancing are required. Public hours are 9 a.m. - 4:45 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and 9 a.m. - 6:15 p.m. on Thursday. The Board of Health is requiring employees and the public to wear masks in Town of Essex municipal facilities. All board and committee meetings continue to be conducted virtually. Details on thecricket.com
Kris McGinn met up with Frank McClellan, storied chef, Essex resident, and owner of FRANK, the restaurant and market that is part of the utter transformation of Rantoul Street in Beverly. Read it, Page 7.
Last Call! Happy As Little Clammers
Every year the Essex PTO’s “Happy as a Clam” 5K walk and run race is a big comer, drawing big crowds of families ready to give all the exuberant energy of their youngsters something to focus on and just go, go, go! Well this year it’s back. The 13th Annual Happy As A Clam Race, Walk & Fun Dash will begin at 5 p.m. Friday, Sept, 17 at the Essex Elementary School, in the back off the basketball courts and playground. All proceeds benefit the Friends of Essex Elementary School, and enrichment programs at Essex Elementary. The PTO is looking for adult and high school volunteers, so register for the race and volunteer at essex5K.org.
lane of traffic. Thus, during a six-month period there will be significant stretches of time when all vehicles will have to detour around the site. We hope to be able to maintain pedestrian access across the brook, however there are very limited locations out of the work zone for safe passage that could accommodate a pedestrian bridge and will require securing temporary easements from private landowners. Our current projection is for the construction to begin a year from now. We are a contender for a large FEMA “BRIC” (Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities) grant of approximately $4.5 million to pay for the nearly $6 million project. We will know about the grant award by the first of the year. The project also includes work upstream. The retaining walls along the east side
of Central Pond are in poor condition with stretches of the old wall having fallen into the brook. These walls will be rebuilt, and the brook restored to its natural state with salt marsh grasses reestablished in the current mudflats. The banks on the west side will be fortified with “living shorelines” to protect it from further erosion while maintaining the natural look. Other options for treating this stretch of the brook were the subject of workshops and presentations before the Board of Selectmen. The brook serves as spawning habitat for endangered rainbow smelt and American eel. Removing the tide gate and restoring the brook to its natural state will have the added benefit of improving this habitat. As the actual reconstruction start date gets closer, more details about project timing, how detours will be managed, and what communication strategies deployed will be further developed. The project, while very necessary, unfortunately will impose temporary hardships given its central location.
Essex Strategic Planning Comm Monday, September 20 7 p.m. MERSD SC Meeting Tuesday, September 21 6- 8 p.m. Essex ConComm Tuesday, September 21 7:30 p.m. Essex Board of Health Thursday, September 23 10 a.m. to Noon
IN THIS ISSUE Briefs...........................................................................1 Obituaries...................................................................2 Town News..................................................................3 Library & Letters.......................................................5 Out & About...............................................................7 WHAT SERVICE! Ginny Antell retired as Essex Town Accountant after 25 years of service to the town, first as regisrar, then treasurer and finally, as Town Accountant. Jeff Soulard (left) will fill Antell’s shoes. Brook Friedrich (right) is Essex Treasurer. (Photo: Dawn Burnham)
Essex Echo..................................................................9 Real Estate............................................................6, 14