Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/60293
HELP Italian Cooking Lessons Head to Salem to learn the ropes of authentic Italian cooking with Licia Bester, a.k.a. Mamma Licia. "I intro- duce clients to what is authen- tic Italian food rather than an American interpretation of the cuisine," says Bester, who hails from Milan. Providing private lessons and classes through- out the city of Salem, Bester teaches students about the fla- vors of Italy, from seasonings to handmade pasta and ricotta to fresh tomato sauce. Best of all? Students do as much eat- ing as they do cooking. MAMMA LICIA, SALEM, 978-219-9211, MAMMALICIA.COM Community Gardens If you've got a green thumb, but not a lot of green space, don't despair. Many cit- ies and towns on the North Shore have their own com- munity gardens that residents can use to grow their own veggies, herbs, and flowers. "We haven't put a limit on what people grow," says Lisa Spence, a member of the board of directors of Salem Community Gardens. Other community gardens exist in Haverhill, Lawrence, Beverly, and Danvers. Find one—or start one—in your own town. BOSTONNATURAL.ORG/CGFIND.HTM Art Classes at Montserrat College of Art Drawing from film, silkscreen, and digi- tal photography are among the many classes and workshops offered for adults are Montserrat College of Art in Beverly. Classes are offered on evenings and weekends. For inspiration, also check out the art galleries and artist talks avail- able to the public on campus. 23 ESSEX ST., BEVERLY, 978-921-4242, MONTSERRAT.EDU Horizons for Homeless Children Homeless shelters can be bleak places to live, especially for kids. That's why Horizons for Homeless Children has spent the past 20 years building playspaces just for kids in family homeless shelters throughout Mas- sachusetts, including about 24 shelters in the Northeast Region, which includes the North Shore. The playspaces are staffed with PALs—playspace activity leaders—who volunteer to play with the kids who live in the shelters. "It's given me an additional way to make a difference and be a positive role mod- el," says Kurt Mittelstaedt, a PAL from North Andover who volunteers in Lawrence. 60 ISLAND ST., LAWRENCE, 978-557-2182, HORIZONSFORHOMELESSCHILDREN.ORG Merrimack River Watershed Council The Merrimack River Water- shed Council protects one of the North Shore's most defining rivers. Water resources manag- er Tracie Sales says that indoor and outdoor volunteer opportu- nities are available, and because water quality testing happens on the open water, there's a special call for people who'd be willing to take volunteers out on their boats. "We can always use more volunteers who actually own boats," says Sales. 60 ISLAND ST. # 2, LAWRENCE, 978-655-4742, MERRIMACK.ORG/VOLUNTEER/ The Witch House Not many people get a chance to work in a more than 300-year- old house that has connections to the famous Salem Witch Trials, but that's exactly what's in store for people who choose to volunteer at the Witch House in Salem. The Witch House's di- rector, Elizabeth Peterson, says that volunteer opportunities can range from greeting patrons and answering questions about the home's history to dressing up in full-on Colonial garb to provide historical interpretations. 310 ESSEX ST., SALEM, 978-744-8815, WITCHHOUSE.INFO 135