From the Streets of Salem; Sometimes the clothes DO make the man

Salem, MA - I remember the day I had one of the most important job interviews probably in my life and the life of my family.

It was in 2006 when I was living in a family shelter with my husband and my youngest daughter. I had the opportunity to put my skills to work and financially to help my family get ahead. What I also remember is the concern I had because my wardrobe was definitely not appropriate to go on a job interview or to go to work each day.

I was blessed with a caseworker who was familiar with the ordeal of homeless people who do attempt to aspire, yet with no clothing and no money to look good they do not have the self esteem to move forward and to better their lives. Several appointments were set up for me to not only give me a makeover on the outside, but to also give me a makeover on the inside too; when someone feels good about themselves then they tend to achieve much more than what even they thought possible.

My first appointment scheduled was at the Dress for Success program (dressforsuccess.org), which helps disadvantaged women gain economic independence by providing attire to help thrive within the workplace and then within their lives. During my initial visit I felt like a queen. 
I was given a choice of high quality donated outfits and accessories.

Once the interview was completed and if I was hired, I would be invited back to choose more donated clothing, accessories and shoes to wear to my new job — until I could afford to purchase my own clothing once I started receiving paychecks.

The next dilemma was my hair. As a potential candidate I needed to look my best and to sell myself. Looking your best is something that even the ancients believed in; grooming and cutting hair is one of the oldest art forms in mankind’s history.

One establishment that works with their clientele in Salem is Wicked Hair Design (wickedhair.net), founded in 2010 and owned by Jen Lubas Robito.

One day I walked into the salon feeling drab and in definite need of a lift. I walked out feeling like a new person — a new look on the outside and a new person on the inside. Though Jen does certainly have her overhead to meet with running a business and the need to care for her own family, she worked with me as an individual concerning my finances to ensure that I could afford to get my hair done.

Another local business that helps those in need is Radiance Aveda, owned and operated by Trish Grzela, with locations in Marblehead and in Salem. This salon (radianceaveda.com) offers specialized consultations and discounts that are posted on their Facebook page. These discounts add up to great savings for those who, like me, are currently counting their change.

 Back in 2006 I did get the job I needed and I was able to move my family back to our hometown of Salem — back to our friends, back to our family, back to my roots where I was born and raised. I often do reflect on the people I have met and though there are days when it seems that the world is dark, I have seen the best in people and the darkness will dissipate. After all, if one person feels good about themselves then they can in turn make someone else feel good as well. 

Read More:

http://www.wickedlocal.com/salem/news/lifestyle/columnists/x1495154965/Tammy-Callanan-Sometimes-the-clothes-DO-make-the-man#axzz1N0SOr2NW

Mother's Day Tribute to My Mom and ALL MOMS - Reflections from the Past

.

Ruth Eleanor Shattuck Eldridge Callahan

 

My sisters 6 weeks old AND 3 months old

Deceased Guy, Mark, Wayne
Alive Me, Billy(in the crib)
Christopher was not born yet.

The familiar scent of fresh print and glossy pictures of Natalie Jacobson and Chet Curtis attending an event at the French-inspired castle Carcassonne built by Lydia Pinkham in 1929 adorn the pages of old in the Boston Magazine. Pages of old mixed with nostalgic memories of old when as a young girl I devoured the pages of my mother’s magazine. Pages that were worn and pages that were dog-eared. However, they were pages that contained writing and photos that informed, entertained, and allowed my mother an escape, if only brief, from her world of raising 6 children basically on her own. A world that contained the reality of a woman who barely had time for herself, yet occasionally would curl up in bed late at night and relax with her companion the Boston Magazine.

The content was not just glamor and certainly not just glitz, but well-written articles that informed its readers about medical issues, political issues, and even issues that allowed my mom to become a more informed person. As a young girl I honestly did not always understand what I was reading, but when my mother was at work as I held the magazine in my hands it allowed me to be with my “rugged cross” - my mom; a parent that was barely home due to the necessity of needing to support her children. A woman who married my father and over the years I witnessed her love and dreams dissipate, yet I also witnessed her strength getting stronger. Strength gained through the many “empty promises” my dad made to her and to his family, yet the “field of empty promises grew with each passing year.” My mom soon became my greatest role model and she instilled within me that same strength like the cross that stands erect on the hill in the George Bennard’s hymn The Old Rugged Cross.

Many tragic losses have since happened within my family. I look at my now elderly mother in awe and wonder how she copes with the loss of two daughters as infants, the loss of my three oldest brothers; one murdered in 1991, one found alone and dead in his apartment in 2004, and one who committed suicide in 2007. How can a person especially a mother endure what my own mom has endured, yet continue to walk forward? This question resonates in my mind when I look over at my ageing mother with admiration and love.

My Maternal Great-Grand-Parents

Mabel and Leroy Grams and Gramps

An admiration that has taught me as her daughter determination. I am blessed to have all my children with me as well as two handsome grandsons. I may have been homeless several times over the years, I may have had to file bankruptcy twice over the years, I may have survived an abusive first marriage, I may have had to live each day frugally due to financial instability, I may have even lost my three oldest brothers and feel their loss and pain each day, but now as the oldest child instead of the middle child living with two younger brothers each day I, like my mother, move forward and through my writing attempt to not only advocate for others, attempt to use my words to let others know they are never alone. Though at times I felt so alone as a little girl; I was at least comforted falling asleep waiting for my mother to arrive home from work clinging to the images and the words within the dog-eared pages of my mom’s Boston Magazine.

The Future

From the Streets of Salem; Cancer fight hits home

Often when I walk through Salem I am inundated with so many, many memories no matter where I go. The ghosts of the past frequent my life and most of my memories are nostalgic. Just like Scrooge in Charles Dickens’ “Christmas Carol,” everyday I am visited by spirits from the past, the present, and the future when I can at times envision myself as a Salem resident aging over the years.
However, hauntings are certainly a part of my memories; hauntings of loved ones lost, gone at least from our physical realm. Loved ones that are taken from us in many ways and one of the second leading ways is through cancer. The state Health and Human Services estimates, through data that takes more than two to three years to be released, from 2001-2005 there were 67,638 cancer related deaths in Massachusetts. So many losses for families and friends. Losses that are reflected in memorials, tributes, benefits and the heart when we as humans naturally come together for each other during times of sadness and grief.
Uniting is evident in the NSMC Walk for Cancer, which will take place on Sunday morning, June 26. Since 1991 this walk has raised more than $16 million for cancer attracting more than 5,000 participants each year. Funding ensures quality care to North Shore patients and families. Participating in any form either through donating, volunteering, or walking ensures unity of a community with purpose. After the loss of my father to cancer I walked in his memory and was uplifted within my soul. The 2011 walk will include a team that recently lost a wife, a mom, a sister, a niece, a cousin and to many of us in Salem a dear friend — Roseann Grocki.

Read More:

http://www.wickedlocal.com/salem/news/lifestyle/columnists/x242751171/Tammy-Callanan-Cancer-fight-hits-home#axzz1LYvbjzrj

The Eagle Will Soar Again

In Memory of September 11, 2001

A black void, emptiness,
as wings of demons descend,
brittle glass shatters innocence
now, hidden concealed revenge.
An eagle in flight sailing
like a mighty god of the sky
a serpent within its talons
the struggle between dark and light.
A Nation's blood splattered, red
pain slices at every soul,
sorrow transcends our reality
amongst the soot and the smoke.
Brothers and Sisters that traveled
into The Valley of Death
may be physically lost, but
their memories are now etched
from the heart of one
into the hearts of two
into the hearts of everyone,
America, God Bless you.
A flag wavers in the breeze,
yet erect like the Rugged Cross
its stars the eyes of this night
crying for a Nation's loss.
White our stolen purity,
Red our mighty valor,
Blue our vigilant Chief
watching the eagle soar.
Wounded the godlike eagle
attempts to once again fly
struggling to reach the Heavens
through the darkness of this night
towards an everlasting communion
a eulogy in red, white, and blue
a spiritual state of unity
America, God Bless you.

http://www.wherewereyou.org/view/index.php?start=2475



http://www.thepedestalmagazine.com/gallery.php?item=277

http://makehistory.national911memorial.org/stories/1173004/?q=submission%3A1212002

A Saving Grace in Salem, MA Part II

December of 2009 is etched in my mind because my family finally moved into an apartment. At that same time my oldest daughter and her two little boys had also moved into their own place. Though we were excited, I remember our new landlord thinking that for a family to move into an almost 7-room unit with no furniture or household supplies such as plates, utensils, pans, and just a few blankets was rather strange. To us the word strange did not exist. We were all too ecstatic to be together in our own place again, as a family, and sleeping on the floors was something we certainly could manage. Right before Christmas arrived that year, I was not even sure we would be able to have a Christmas dinner, never mind a tree with presents. We did forgo the decorations, the tree, and the presents that year, but I had gone to a food pantry the weekend before and was blessed to receive a Butterball turkey with some trimmings for our holiday dinner. On Christmas day, the smell of turkey filled the air as we pulled patio chairs into our over-sized kitchen. We also got an old table from the basement where my family sat to enjoy our dinner and our holiday blessing.
A place where clothing, household items, jewelry, furniture, and even used books get a second chance is at the thrift store staffed by community volunteers and shelter residents at Lifebridge in Salem, MA. Bargain hunters, collectors, and even families that could not afford the prices at most furniture stores can find things that make where they live more like home. With more than $125,000 in funding provided each year to house and feed shelter residents, any type of purchase saves money for the buyer and for the homeless shelter. When I had a temporary office job I didn’t think I could afford to buy clothing for the office until I walked into the thrift store one day and left with enough outfits to dress me up for work. No one that I worked with even suspected that my clothes were second hand, and I felt good going to work as well.
As I sit in my newest place, a studio with just my cats and my husband, since our children have moved on during the past few years, I still have remnants of the donations my family received. My oldest children also have items that we passed along to them as they moved out and got their own apartments. Recycled items passed on with our recycled life, a life that has included blessings from places that help families and places that have been a saving grace for us.

 http://www.sparechangenews.net/news/saving-grace-salem-ma-part-ii

Ode to my Friend

Farewell once again my dear friend
Winter’s mighty strength has puttered out
Our time as one approach an end
Our time as one dwindles without a doubt
You were each day a part of me
Holding warmth caressing my body
Now as the warm winds begin to blow
Memories of you I shall forever hold
Rapture, Joy, I gently hang you away
Replaced now by longer brighter days
Until next season when we shall meet
Lovingly, I shall drape you about me.

From the Streets of Salem; Children with hearing loss deserve support

Salem, Mass. —

I can still remember placing a book upon my rising pregnant belly with each of my children and reading whatever I could find to my unborn babies.
Statistics state that 26 percent of children who were read to three or four times in the last week by a family member recognized all letters of the alphabet, compared to 14 percent of children who were read to less frequently. Also, cognitive ability such as letter recognition and the ability to write your name and to count are milestones too that reading enforces. How, then, does a parent ensure that a child who is hard of hearing or deaf has the same opportunities and abilities?
The 2000 data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that 8.6 percent of the population ages 3 and older are deaf or hard of hearing. In 1998, Massachusetts passed a law mandating hearing screening for all newborns born before leaving a hospital or birth center. Once hearing loss is diagnosed and hearing aids are prescribed, parents or caregivers must pay out-of-pocket for hearing aids for their children, which cost upwards of $2,000 each and must be replaced.
One agency that is attempting to alleviate costs and help children to hear is the Massachusetts Hearing Aids for Children Coalition (MassHAFCC) which is a statewide network of families and professionals working together to maximize a child’s lifetime potential through educational, medical, social and emotional support.

I was blessed with many wonderful days of reading with my children and I know I have many years ahead of me reading books with my grandsons. Marsha, too, has always read to her granddaughter, utilizing both the traditional method and sign language since Madison has a hearing aid — a hearing aid provided by MassHealth because Madison is being raised by her grandparents.
Too many families do not qualify for MassHealth: They are the borderline families who are considered too wealthy for state-funded insurance yet are living paycheck to paycheck.
One of the biggest events that Marsha and her family experienced was when 5-year-old Madison mastered a new developmental stepping stone by saying her first word.
As Nana Marsha and Papa Larry summed it up, “That was over-the-moon awesome!” An over-the-moon awesome too many families may never experience without House Bill 52 being passed.

Read More:

http://www.wickedlocal.com/salem/news/lifestyle/columnists/x2022724205/Tammy-Callanan-Children-with-hearing-loss-deserve-support#axzz1JapLGlxa

A Saving Grace in Salem, MA: Part I

When my husband and I would feel our stomachs stir with hunger we would walk down to the Lifebridge Shelter in Salem, MA to eat both our lunch as well as our supper. Many times, no matter what time of the day it was, the lines were long — over 300 meals were served daily. In between our “dates” at the shelter, we usually went our separate ways. My husband went to work. I went hunting for a job, or to apply for assistance to move into an apartment, or visit with my elderly mother and help her with what she needed with our limited resources. I would also help our daughter, who is a single mother with two small children. At the end of a long day we would saunter back to our room, whether it was in a rooming house or at the Lafayette Hotel, and make plans to conquer the next day. However, at least we were not without food to keep us moving forward. It was a true blessing that the shelter had a program called “Break Bread Together” — which is a community meal program not just for the residents of the homeless shelter, but for anyone in Salem who is hungry.

According to the USDA, food insecurity is when “an individual or a family is lacking in nutritional, safe foods as well as the ability to acquire food and no access or barely any access to availability of food at all times.” Honestly, I know there have been many times for my family, and for other families, when the pantry and the cupboards are basically bare (which makes them easier to clean). However, when I did visit the Break Bread Together Community Program, I had neither pantry nor refrigerator to clean. Though my husband and I were not technically considered homeless at that point in our lives, we really were. We had no home of our own and though we previously had raised our children, who resided with us at all times, our youngest daughter was staying at her older sister’s house. Occasionally we would sneak our daughter into our room for the night just so we could feel like a family, even if temporarily. One thing was for certain: my husband and I had a place to go to eat a nutritious meal. Back then, we were allowed to bring some food back with us. We shared it with my elderly mother and our daughters.

Hunger is an epidemic within the United States whether people are homeless or not. Community eating programs such as the “Break Bread Together” at Lifebridge serves a group that does not know where their next meal may come from. This program does cost money, and according to a 2009 report of Lifebridge’s food budget of $155,000 dollars, the government only covered 1/3 of the actual expenses. With donations of either food or money this program has thrived, and a thriving program allows individuals and families like mine to thrive as well. Thanks, Lifebridge.

Read More:
http://www.sparechangenews.net/news/saving-grace-salem-ma-part-i

http://www.lifebridgesalem.org/

On Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001955612023&ref=ts

From the Streets of Salem; Working Together to end Domestic Violence

Salem, Mass. —

“The field of empty promises grows with each passing year.”
Empty promises were made to me during my first marriage as a young woman in my early 20s. I promise to never verbally attack you again, I promise to never hit you again, I promise we will be a real family again, I promise your daughter will never be in fear of being left alone with me again.
Promises, promises and more promises that became empty and grew more and more frequent as I held to the belief of trying to keep my marriage and my family intact. A belief that eventually would subside as the promises made to me developed into just words that had no meaning to them at all. Promises and words with no meaning have had an impact upon woman throughout history; a history with a long track record.
Victims stay in an abusive relationship because they blame themselves for the abuse, they are afraid to make any type of change in their life, they may not have the financial means or resources to leave the abuser, there is a mixture of good times and hope that things will change, and the victim believes it is a way of life since they themselves witnessed a parent being abused in their own childhood. Also, children of abused parents can also become the future abusers themselves.
On May 1, more than 1,000 people will walk a five-mile trek in order to raise money or awareness for domestic violence in the 19th annual Walk for HAWC. The organization’s name was changed from Help for Abused Woman and Children to Healing Abuse Working for Change. I like the new name and I believe it is a reflection of a society of violence that carries no gender.
As a woman who witnessed abuse as a growing girl, as a sister who had five brothers and witnessed falsification, as a wife who was abused, as a mother who finally left my first husband when his abuse spilled over to my daughter and then to our son — and it is court documented — I pray the “field of empty promises” does not continue to grow for anyone. I pray the possibility of a new life is knowledge that others will achieve through programs such as HAWC.

For more information, visit hawcdv.org or search the state’s website, mass.gov. Details about the Walk for HAWC are also on Facebook at facebook.com/event.php?eid=130104153724430&ref=ts.

Read more:

http://www.wickedlocal.com/salem/news/lifestyle/columnists/x337039212/Tammy-Callanan-Working-together-to-end-domestic-abuse#axzz1HhPAv050

Home is where the Heart is

The opening lines of John Howard Payne’s 1823 opera Clari, Maid of Milan begins with, “Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam/Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home.” According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness 41% of today’s homeless are families; it is these families that are no longer familiar with the word home and with today’s economy there are more and more families on the edge due to foreclosures, evictions, job loss, and depleted affordable housing. Disruption of the American family is devastating and with the help of a shelter a family’s lives can be put back together; yet home sweet home is really what is needed in order to secure other things such as jobs and education in order to help a family succeed.

In 2006 my own family was living on the financial edge. With no safety net and existing week to week the rent we owed was increasing dramatically due to lack of funds and affordable housing for us. Finally, in February of that year we were evicted and we were forced to leave our home and the city I grew up in. Abandoning everything we had accumulated over a 17 year period we packed one bag per family member and shell shocked walked out the door to a new city and a new life. We were blessed not to be catapulted into the streets like some families, however we hesitantly ventured through the doors of a family shelter. A place that sheltered us, yet it was not our home; our refuge where we contributed domesticated affection to our household and our family. In time we did manage to move back to Salem, MA,  and  I recall my husband painting our daughter’s bedroom her favorite color - pink. It became a place when after a long day we could rest our tired bodies and tired souls, a place where we could sleep at night feeling safe and secure, a place where we could have meals together and with our pets that we loved, and most importantly it was a place we could call ours to decorate with the personal items of our lives; it was home.

Throughout the years we have encountered the bangs and the bumps that life gives to us all. Most of our hardship was caused by financial burden and having our rent at times be one of our main stressors. With no Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program available for us we did manage, yet it was an uphill battle that to this day I wonder how we have survived. My children are now grown and on their own and my husband and I are currently empty nesters that still live on one income, but at least we are housed in an affordable studio; a place that we feel and a place that we still call home. Home is a place both physically and emotionally, yet having a home also creates self actualization through jobs, education, and health services which helps all of us as individuals reach our potential.

Potential that is necessary for adults and especially for children to grow into adults that will benefit both themselves and society. Physiological needs such as air, water, and food, clothing, and shelter are literal needs for human survival, but until all these physical needs are met including safety, security, financial, and personal which is the next level then and only then will everything else fall into place such as friendship, intimacy, family, and then motivation which is the aspiration for employment, furthering an education, and empowerment. Aspiration that I personally witnessed in my daughter as she grew into a young woman who dreamed of working as a hair stylist. I remember her daily trips from Revere, MA to Salem, MA via the MBTA bus and then from Salem, MA to Middleton, MA via the school bus to attend school at the North Shore Technical High School; somehow my daughter kept the pace of these daily travels for almost a year until we moved back to Salem, MA permanently. It was in her own room that was painted pink with her personal items decorating her shelves and her walls where I know my young daughter developed motivation and succeeded in her dream of working at a salon and attaining her Massachusetts State License because her potential was fulfilled in a place called home.

American families need a place to call home, a permanent place to live so everything else like jobs, education, and health services will follow. When an individuals needs are met then and only then are they able to meet the needs of others. Most importantly, their needs being met leads to success for themselves and for us all. True success will be achieved when homeless families have housing that is affordable and a real home where their hearts reside.

Read More:

http://www.sparechangenews.net/news/home-where-heart

http://www.homesforfamilies.org/
http://www.headinghomeinc.org/

From the Streets of Salem ; Breast Cancer Awareness and Miss Pink Pageant

Salem, Mass. —

According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, each year approximately 200,000 women are diagnosed with this disease, which is second to lung cancer as a cause of death to women.

My maternal grandmother was one of these women back in the 1960s. I never had the joy of having a grandmother because breast cancer stole her from me when I was just a toddler. I have often wondered how different things may have been for me if my Grammy was a part of my life. However, I am left to do just that wonder.

Wondering is something that we as humans had done for centuries. The word cancer originated with the father of medicine the Greek physician Hippocrates who initially called cancer “karkinos”; a term used to describe a crab that Hippocrates believed tumors resembled.

One of the most ancient cases of tumors occurring on the breast dates back to Egypt in 1500 BC, when eight cases of tumors were documented on a papyrus. Evidence is also shown through inscriptions by this ancient culture that they knew the difference between malignant and benign tumors. Though centuries ago the ancients were aware of cancer and tumors, it was not until the end of the 19th century that survival rates started to rise.

The mastectomy, which was promoted by William Stewart Halsted, brought long-term subsistence of survival from 10 percent to 50 percent. Attempting to defeat breast cancer in 1882, Dr. Halsted was the first to remove a breast.

This procedure also implemented a campaign geared toward education and early detection. One of the first campaigns was the conception of the American Society for the Control of Cancer during the 1930s and the 1940s called the “Women’s Field Army.” Utilizing a military metaphor, prompt detection and prompt medical intervention was every woman’s duty in the war on cancer.

Feeling beautiful is the message that the Miss Pink Pageant evokes. Originally organized by Ashley Herron Shultz the first Miss Pink Pageant was held last year in Salem. Shultz herself has competed in pageants and believed that survivors of breast cancer have been through so much that a pageant would make them feel bewitching. The pageant provided an outlet for the women to share their stories while also increasing awareness of this disease and raising money to benefit breast cancer research and patient support programs.

The first crowned Miss Pink is Trisha Grzela, owner of Radiance Aveda, a non-tipping hair salon in Salem and Marblehead. Grzela’s story is a story of determination to survive.As Grzela said, “I wasn’t going to choose cancer over a breast,” and it is this type of perseverance that will allow her to pass the title of Miss Pink on to a successor in the 2011 Miss Pink Pageant. which will be held on April 16 at the Danversport Yacht Club. Trish Grzela is a “pink warrior” and she is also among the increasing group of breast cancer survivors due to modern research and public awareness.

Read More:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Miss-Pink-Pageant/125222957501197?v=wa

misspinkpageant.com 

http://www.wickedlocal.com/salem/news/lifestyle/columnists/x1174969413/Tammy-Callanan-Fighting-breast-cancer-in-Salem-and-beyond#axzz1Fd7h5BBx 

From the Streets of Salem ; Guard Support and Salem's Armory

Salem, Mass. —

On a cold day in February 1982 I was holding my firstborn daughter in my arms as I watched with great sadness on the news images of the Salem Armory burning — a building that was a symbol and a home to the Second Corps of Cadets and Company H Salem’s Eighth Infantry since it was built between 1890 and 1908.

Too many lives and too many families that lost forever sons, daughters, husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, friends and neighbors who will no longer come home. So it is fitting that we stay united and either attend this benefit or donate to the benefit to assist Guard Support’s Emergency Financial Relief program that helps Guard members and their families facing financial difficulties which are often caused by deployment.

The great hall of the armory also hosted charity balls, graduations, political events, Chamber of Commerce dinners and even allowed the former Drum and Bugle Corp “The Arbellas” to practice their music and their drills under the great roof.

I remember being a young girl and practicing over and over with my big bass drum, which was almost as big as me, in that same huge hall. A gem in our city destroyed by the hunger of the fire that cold February day. However, though an edifice was destroyed the spirit of our Massachusetts National Guard lived on and still lives on to this day; a spirit that has survived since the days of the militia in 1636.

In August 2010 Gov. Deval Patrick officially designated Salem as the birthplace of the National Guard. So it is fitting that our city will host a charity for National Guardsmen and their families that face deployment on Saturday, Feb. 12, from 5-10 p.m., at Murphy’s Restaurant & Pub.

The price of freedom is a sacrificial price for the families left behind because their loved ones have been deployed; a deployment that has evolved from stateside to overseas since post-911. In his February 2010 report, according to the adjutant general of the Massachusetts National Guard, Major General Joseph C. Carter: There has been deployment of over 7,500 soldiers and airmen to Iraq, Afghanistan, and many other locations worldwide to support the president’s global war on terror; a global terror that has certainly taken many of our soldiers over the years.

So as a teenager I sat in my warm home in February 1982 with my baby girl watching the Salem Armory burning out of control and I never realized how the security of our nation and our lives would also rage out of control when the term “terror” developed a new meaning with the conception of terrorists and terrorism; a word that will continue to have far reaching consequences not only for our nation, but for the world.

Read More:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNuS2XXZm_w  Salem Armory Fire, 1982 via YouTube

http://www.wickedlocal.com/salem/news/lifestyle/columnists/x1864249986/Tammy-Callanan-The-price-of-freedom#axzz1FpOdwZJC

http://guardsupport.org/

Abandoned Property Abandoned Souls

I remember growing up and always loved the crucifix with our savior that overlooks the entrance to the church. It has been a comfort to me as well as others over the years. I remember my two nephews being christened as infants within the walls of the church and also when my brother renewed his vows with his bride there. Now, I enjoy the same comfort that I felt as a young girl when I look out my window and watch the sun rise and the sun set upon the structure. It is a building that should be renovated instead of torn down so the sun may continue to shine upon it.

I remember growing up and always loved the crucifix with our savior that overlooks the entrance to the church. It has been a comfort to me as well as others over the years. I remember my two nephews being christened as infants within the walls of the church and also when my brother renewed his vows with his bride there. Now, I enjoy the same comfort that I felt as a young girl when I look out my window and watch the sun rise and the sun set upon the structure. It is a building that should be renovated instead of torn down so the sun may continue to shine upon it. Even the Committee on Divine Worship through the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2000 agrees that church architecture does embody the Gospel and if razing an old church is to take place then special care is needed in the treatment of the building which is “dignified and beautiful.” My question is then if Catholic bishops believe a church building to house the embodiment of the Gospel then why would a church that has been on the same property for over a 100 years be destroyed? My perception which I am sure is shared by many others can be defined in one word - sacrilegious.

Renovation of churches into living spaces is something that would be a perfect solution. Retaining most of the original architecture while at the same time utilizing the abandoned building into a place where people can reside is the answer, yet it is an answer that needs to be viewed with respect to the building. Renovations happen globally of former churches and having the artistry to convert a church into a home takes someone who is creative. Perhaps the planning board, the architects, and the developers that are designing the renovations for lower Lafayette Street need some ingenuity added to the ingredients to improve an entrance to downtown which is considered a key entrance. And the key to handling St. Joseph’s Church is to have a new outlook on the building instead of just tearing it down.

The Historical Commission will begin a review next month concerning the church building and attempting to offset its total loss. A local lawyer John Carr is working pro bono as well as Emily Udy, preservation project manager for Historical Salem to save the architectural integrity of the building. Since 2004, St. Joseph’s Church has been on a list of the city’s most endangered historical places; a list that should be taken notice of by those involved in this project such as the politicians, architects, developers, and the Planning Office for Urban Affairs. Decisions need to made based on the people who live in the area and though the church building is abandoned, the souls of constituents should not be abandoned. The souls of Salemites should be considered and together we can make the destiny of the building that use to house St. Joseph’s Church remain intact.

 

Read More:

http://www.wickedlocal.com/salem/news/opinions/letters/x698057765/Letter-St-Joseph-s-is-too-good-for-the-wrecking-ball#axzz1HhPAv050


http://www.wickedlocal.com/salem/news/opinions/x1797065632/Letter-Preserving-artifacts-of-St-Joseph-s-Church#axzz1SBPIk8kj

From the Streets of Salem ; Social Security Failing Seniors

Salem, Mass. — I remember as a young girl growing up in Salem my mother working and at times even working two jobs if necessary to take care of her family. The clothes my brothers and I wore, the food we ate, the heat that kept us warm during the cold winter months and even the presents under the tree on Christmas morning were there because I had a parent that came from a generation of hardworking Americans. These are Americans or even non-Americans who are being taught that working hard is not the way to achieve anything. Typically it is also the working class who is denied any assistance that they may need such as healthcare, fuel assistance, housing, and even food stamps because the government claims they make too much money while living week to week. They were a generation that witnessed wars such as WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War; a generation that stood in the Depression-era soup lines; a generation that was raised by parents that believed if you worked hard then you were able to achieve anything. Unfortunately, this same generation that should be recognized for their hard work, sacrifices and helping to shape our country into what it is today including who we are as individuals are now the retirees who have been denied a cost of living increase due to low inflation. Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue stated that, “Social Security is doing its job helping Americans maintain their standard of living.” Well, I have witnessed an elderly mother, friends and neighbors who make choices between both eating and buying their much-needed medicine. I have actually spoken to some seniors who admitted to me that they purchase pet food yet they have no pets at all. I heard my mother tell me not to call an ambulance during an emergency situation because she owes the ambulance company too much money. And it is not only owing money for healthcare it is also not being eligible for food stamps or hardly any food stamps at all because you are an older American that makes too much money with your Social Security benefits. I have even gone to a food pantry with my mother and when she asked if the quarts of milk were available for everyone, she was told only if you have a child who lives in your household. I guess that our seniors do not need to drink something as nutritional as milk. Most importantly, 50 million retirees who have for the first time since 1975 gone without a cost of living raise because of low inflation deserve to be taken care of financially. It is the generation that has gone without enough in order to sacrifice for their families and their country and it is the generation that should no longer go without. Read More:  http://www.wickedlocal.com/salem/news/lifestyle/columnists/x1996686166/Tammy-Callanan-Social-Security-is-failing-seniors#axzz1FpOdwZJC

From the Streets of Salem ; Winter Blues Can Take a Toll

Salem, Mass. —

“So this is Christmas” as I am composing this column. Christmas morning with music playing, the tree bursting with lights, my cats curled under the tree and my husband and I looking forward to the holiday feast that awaits us at my younger brother’s house in Ipswich.

Yet, mixed in with my joy is a pain that only gains strength during the Christmas season; a pain that I endure daily, yet it is a pain that my family struggles with due to our losses. We’ve lost our sons, brothers, husbands, uncles, fathers and friends, who are dearly missed each day.

I, who was once the middle child, am now the oldest child with only two out of my five brothers left. However, my family is not the only one that has endured the loss of a loved one by suicide.

The word suicide is formed like homicide, the prefix sui- is from the Latin for oneself. To some suicide and homicide may just be words, yet to my family they have a meaning that I pray nobody ever experiences.

The experience started for my family in 1991 when one of my oldest brothers was murdered. The shock of a 28-year-old son, brother, uncle, husband and new dad being stabbed and thrown onto a cold sidewalk to die just left us all devastated.

Then the nightmare of losing another family member occurred in 2004 when my brother Guy was found dead, we assume by natural causes, and alone in his apartment by my brother Mark and my mother.

Well, the nightmare was to haunt us once again when in 2007 my “Irish twin” Mark decided that life was too much to handle and took his own life while looking at a picture of his daughter and son. I, who was once the middle child, am now the oldest child with only two out of my five brothers left. However, my family is not the only one that has endured the loss of a loved one by suicide.

John L. McIntosh, PhD, conducted a study for the American Association of Suicidology and concluded that suicide is the 11th cause of death nationally with the average of one person every 15.2 minutes killed themselves in 2007.

It’s a loss that is caused by too many reasons to list, yet here are a few: Feeling that things will never get “better,” divorce or breakup, losing custody of a child or children, a serious or terminal illness, chronic physical or emotional pain, being victimized in any way, legal issues either civil or criminal, a mental disorder such as bipolar or depression, feeling trapped in a situation that is perceived as negative, or even the loss of a loved one.

These, as I mentioned, are just some of the whys pertaining to suicide, yet as a survivor you are left many times with unanswered questions and grief.

As to signs of impending suicide, here also are just a few: Appearing sad or depressed, talking or writing about death, withdrawal from family and friends, extreme mood swings, losing interest in daily activities, changes in sleeping and eating habits, drug or alcohol abuse, or even poor school or work performance.

So as the “winter blues” mix in with the joy of the holidays I hope that 2011 is a healthy, happy and good year for everyone; as Tiny Tim exclaimed, “God bless us, every one!”

Read More: 

http://www.wickedlocal.com/salem/news/lifestyle/columnists/x315800007/Tammy-Callanan-Winter-blues-can-take-a-toll#axzz1FpOdwZJC