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Dinner Date: A night out in Salem I ran into Jen Roketenetz, the Salisbury Parks and Recreation administrator, at Stop & Shop while buying pizza ingredients, I was looking for a “dinner date.”I was hoping for company that week at Salem Willows Park in Salem. Jen, with her typical wisdom, suggested I invite Salisbury Town…

Ghosted in Ipswich Dinner Date CJ Fitzwater I find the word “jaded” too elegant sounding for the harsh meaning it carries – tired, bored or lacking enthusiasm. Is there a word that could sound less beautiful than jaded to describe something as unattractive as that definition? At some point in our careers, hobbies or marriages,…

“Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high, there’s a land that I heard of once in a lullaby.“ With our usual Tuesday auction canceled due to the timing of the Christmas holiday (my primary job is running an auto auction in Kittery, Maine), I took the opportunity for an impromptu adventure. My wife, Nina, stayed…

Curious Traveler C.J. Fitzwater Stevie Wonder wrote a song called ”Isn’t She Lovely” for his newborn baby girl, Aisha. “Isn’t she lovely, Isn’t she wonderful, isn’t she precious, less than one minute old. I never thought through love we’d be making one as lovely as she, but isn’t she lovely, made from love.” The moment I…

Originally published May 16th 2024 “The purest form of democratic governing is practiced in a Town Meeting. In use for over 300 years and still today, it has proven to be a valuable means for many Massachusetts taxpayers to voice their opinions and directly affect change in their communities. Here in this ancient American assembly,…

Originally published May 23rd 2024 “Persistence is what makes the impossible possible, the possible likely, and the likely definite.” — Robert Half In my column last week, I talked about Salisbury’s Colonial-style form of government and how open Town Meeting plays a pivotal role in governance. Every registered voter has the opportunity to cast a…

Originally Published on April 25th 2024 “Traveler, as you labor on your journey along the swift Powwow, with the summer sun beating down upon your brow, take a moment to heed the tranquility that surrounds you, to the gentle stream flowing from the hill.” This opening stanza from John Greenleaf Whittier’s poem “The Fountain’’ paints…

Curious Traveler | C.J. Fitzwater  Feb 29, 2024  Last week was winter break for most Massachusetts schools. I feel it’s my duty to create lasting memories for my child, offer learning experiences and expand his horizons. Due to work commitments, the chance for slightly cheaper flights, and an opportunity to stretch our vacation to a full…

Originally Published on April 4th 2024 I have the privilege of joining my friend Jim Pollard for breakfast a few times a week at Connie’s Stagecoach. Alongside his coffee, Jim is given a shaker of cinnamon – an old-school approach to adding flavor without resorting to sugar. Did he learn that from his mother, Helen,…

Curious Traveler | C.J. Fitzwater  Feb 21, 2024  On Sunday, Aug. 15, 1938, a service at the East Parish marked the beginning of Salisbury’s 300-year celebrations. The venue was so packed that additional seating had to be arranged on the sidewalk outside the church. This event kicked off a week full of festivities, including a massive…