By Tom Dalton and Stacie N. Galang
Staff writers
—
SALEM — It has been a big two weeks for Mary Margaret Moore.
The executive director of the Independent Living Center of the North Shore and Cape Ann, the regional disabilities agency based in Salem, was in Washington, D.C., for national conferences and for the celebration Monday of the 20th anniversary of the passage of the landmark civil rights legislation, the Americans With Disabilities Act.
Riding in a scooter, Moore took part in a march last week to the reflecting pool by the Lincoln Memorial. On Monday, she was one of the invited guests on the White House lawn for a ceremony presided over by President Barack Obama.
At one point, the president waded into the crowd and shook a few hands, including Moore's.
"He came down our aisle," she said. "I was right across from the podium. ... I think he saw my smile because I was beaming ..."
Even though the temperature was around 100 degrees, Moore said she enjoyed every moment of the day — the military band, the entertainers, the public officials.
"It was an honor, and I was humbled," she said. "There was about 500 of us from across the country, almost all of us having or living with disabilities, or family members of people with disabilities or longtime advocates. It was phenomenal."
How's she doing now, four days after shaking hands with the president and taking part in the ADA celebration?
"I am just on Cloud Nine and still floating," she said.
The Independent Living Center, by the way, holds its own ADA celebration and cookout today at Winter Island.
The right stuff
Joe O'Keefe, our favorite councilor in Ward 7, thought he was scoring a few points when he suggested the proper route the trucks should take during the demolition of the Salem State College ... er, University library, a project that will start this fall.
"We want them to turn right (on Lafayette Street) ... and go to Marblehead," O'Keefe said Monday night during a public meeting at the school's Enterprise Center.
O'Keefe got a few laughs and maybe even a few votes from the South Salem crowd, most of whom live to the left of that construction site.
But not everyone. There are a few Salem residents who live along Lafayette Street on the way to Marblehead. One even rose to his feet to say just that.
"We live to the right," Lou Johnson said. "I don't want (the trucks) to go to the right."
After the meeting, O'Keefe was seen huddling with the Johnsons, presumably engaged in a good-natured chat about the virtues of left vs. right.
Ole, ole
Mexican food aficionados have much to fiesta about. Howling Wolf Taqueria has plans to open tomorrow at its 76 Lafayette St. location, according to its website.
A second Mexican food eatery, Comida Mexican Taqueria, has its sign up, too, at 131 Essex St. While it has yet to open, its buzz on Twitter says it pledges to use as much local fare as possible.
The two latest restaurants join upscale Cilantro on Derby Street and bring the number of downtown restaurants with south-of-the-border menus to three.
Star pooch
By day, Star is the 2-year-old cocker spaniel greeting customers in The Goddess' Treasure Chest, the downtown shop of psychic Sylvia Martinez.
On the weekends, Star is a canine competitor.
In early July, Star was the highest-scoring cocker spaniel novice in agility at the 34th American Spaniel Club's Cocker Spaniel National in Richmond, Va. She even has the blue ribbon to prove it.
Martinez went all the way to Brazil to get her prize dog after the sudden death of a young predecessor, Sky, who was just starting agility training.
Being a psychic, Martinez must have known that Star was the pick of the litter.
"I had the choice of two dogs," she said. "I picked the one that I thought would be the best one for (agility training), and apparently she is."
Eagle 4
Pioneer Village is being renovated stick by stick, and scout by scout.
Peter Story is the latest Boy Scout to do his Eagle project in Pioneer Village, the reproduction of the 1630 Salem settlement.
In recent years, the property in Forest River Park has fallen on hard times. But through the efforts of local preservationist John Goff, Gordon College and many others, it is making a comeback.
Story, 17, has been reconstructing one of the dugouts, or early houses, with the help of other scouts and family members. This is the fourth Eagle project at Pioneer Village by a member of Troop 83.
Let's hear it for Troop 83.
Art heist
It was only a matter of time, it seems, before somebody vandalized the public art project in Leslie's Retreat Park.
Salem State art students put up nine sculptures in the narrow park along the North River. They weren't all masterpieces. In fact, a few were rather inscrutable, but they brought smiles to the faces of visitors and a little life to the park.
A few even made environmental statements, like the three fishing poles catching trash in the river. That was one of the works that was torn down by vandals last weekend.
"They were very discouraged," Salem State art professor Ken Reker said of the students who made the sculptures.
One of the students wanted to take her work down, but Reker convinced her it had to stay and that it was just one of the risks of public art.
"I've gotten random e-mails from people who appreciated (the art) and who apologized for what happened," he said.
The show, or what's left of it, closes on Tuesday.
Like father ...
Attorney John Carr spent more than two years fighting the proposed apartment project at the St. Joseph Church site. Now that the legal battle has been lost, his son has picked up the sword.
A group opposing the demolition of St. Joseph Church has posted a video on YouTube. The young man in the video standing in front of the church and spouting its virtues is none other than Andrew Carr.
Sound off
There are only a few hours left to fill out the second annual online resident survey. The city wants to know how you rate Salem in a variety of areas and promises to pay attention to your answers. So take five minutes and fill it out.
To take part, go to the city website at www.salem.com.
International affair
Students from Salem's sister city Ota, Japan, visited Mayor Kim Driscoll this week.
"What an impressive group!" she tweeted yesterday of her guests.
There's been quite the international crowd in the Witch City lately. Earlier this month, the mayor welcomed to City Hall a band of Aussies — students from the University of Melbourne, Australia.
