SALEM — Here's something to think about on Sunday when you're watching the Super Bowl on a giant-screen TV, holding a kielbasa in one hand and a huge tortilla chip smothered in bean dip and hot cheese in the other.
On Saturday, eight Salem firefighters and three of their wives are running up 82 flights of stairs — that's 789 steps — at One Boston Place in the 2012 "Fight for Air Climb," which is sponsored by the American Lung Association.
To add to the challenge, the firefighters will be wearing heavy turnout gear.
Competing in this good cause are firefighters Peter Schaeublin, Chris Palamara, Justin Henderson, Rich Thomas, Aaron Bingham, Joe Jurasek, Jamie Koen and Dennis Levasseur. And running right with them will be wives Patty Levasseur, Tracii Schaeublin and Nicole Bingham.
Pass the stuffed mushrooms.
Miss Boston
Angela Christoforos, 21, a Salem resident, will compete in the Miss Boston Pageant on Feb. 19 at the Omni Parker House in Boston.
The broadcast journalism major at Suffolk University will compete with 13 other young women in talent, physical fitness, evening gown and on-stage interview.
The winner of Miss Boston will get a chance to compete for Miss Massachusetts.
Happy birthday
If you see Jason Silva today, wish him well.
The youthful Mr. Silva turns 35 today, which almost makes him middle-aged. Or, put another way, he's halfway to 70.
For anyone who doesn't know Silva, he is the ageless and tireless chief aide to Mayor Kim Driscoll, And, as of a few weeks ago, he is a Beverly city councilor.
Happy birthday, Jason.
Happy birthday II
There was excitement yesterday in North Salem. Jeannette Masse, a longtime resident, turned 100.
Neighbors inundated her with cards and put a "Happy Birthday" flag and balloons on the front lawn.
Mrs. Masse's granddaughter came all the way from Singapore for the celebration. Another partygoer is her husband.
That would be Leon Masse, who turns 99 in a few weeks.
Three chairs!
We forgot to mention last week that Dan Monroe, the executive director of the Peabody Essex Museum, was honored by two of the museum's biggest benefactors.
The executive director's position at the PEM has been endowed by Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo of Marblehead. If you recall, their magnificent collection of Dutch and Flemish paintings was the subject of a recent smash museum show.
If anyone deserves an endowed chair, it is Monroe, who has raised $570 million for the museum in its current drive ... and counting.
Political fever
The political season is on fire nationally, and heating up locally.
There was a local organizing meeting for U.S. Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren on Tuesday night at Cafe Polonia, and City Councilor Joan Lovely announced this week that she will be kicking off her state Senate campaign March 11 at the Hawthorne Hotel.
Final service
Sunday is the last service for the Rev. Paul Bresnahan, who has been the priest-in-charge at St. Peter's/San Pedro Episcopal Church for the past five years.
He will turn over the keys — literally — to the Rev. Silvestre Romero, who will take over the bilingual, multicultural ministry.
Sold out
If you want to buy a ticket for Salem's So Sweet's wine and chocolate tasting next Friday, forget it. It's sold out.
It's amazing how popular the annual choc-athon at Hamilton Hall has become. All 250 tickets went just like that.
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