Senate Budget Includes Funds for Annual Safety Forum in Honor of Slain Caseworker

Peabody Sen. Fred Berry has filed a budget amendment to pay for an annual symposium held by the Department of Mental Health to discuss safety standards.

Not only did state Sen. Fred Berry nominate Stephanie Moulton's mother Kimberly Flynn for an award as an "Unsung Heroine," he also filed a budget amendment to create an annual forum in Moulton's name for state mental health workers to discuss safety on the job. Berry's office announced Wednesday that the amendment adds $100,000 to the Senate's version of the state budget for Fiscal 2013 to establish the Stephanie Moulton Safety Symposium, which will be held annually by the Department of Mental Health for its employees to talk about topics such as best safety practices, policies and risk management. Moulton, a mental health counselor from Peabody, was allegedly murdered on the job on Jan. 20, 2011 by a male patient Deshawn Chappell. …

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VIDEO: St. Patrick's Day Breakfast — the Lighter Side of Politics

There were plenty of jokes and kind words for Peabody native and retiring state Sen. Fred Berry at state Rep. John Keenan's St. Patrick's Day Breakfast in Salem.

The jokes were all in good fun at state Rep. John Keenan's annual St. Patrick's Day Breakfast in Salem on Friday morning. And Peabody Sen. Fred Berry, who is retiring this year, was the subject of much of the good-natured ribbing and kind words. Berry, who has spent 30 years in the Senate, dropped a few zingers himself, at times cracking jokes at his own expense. Berry has cerebral palsy and is confined to a wheelchair. The breakfast, which attracted officials from various North Shore communities, was held at George Carey's FINZ on Pickering Wharf. Be sure to check out our video for some of the humor from the morning.

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You Ask...Patch Answers

Who Was There Before Fred?

State Sen. Fred Berry has represented his hometown of Peabody and the rest of the 2nd Essex District for nearly three decades. Do you know who held that seat before him?

Every week we set out to answer a question submitted by one of our readers as part of our You Ask...Patch Answers column. This question is all about time. Have you been paying attention long enough to know the answer? It feels like Peabody native Fred Berry, who is retiring after this year, has been in the state Senate since time began...although we know that can't be true. So who was it that represented Peabody and the rest of the Second Essex District before Berry was first elected way back in 1982? The answer is John King of Danvers, a fellow Democrat who served two terms from 1979-1982. King also served in the state House from 1971-1978 before ascending to the Senate. And prior to King, the district was represented by late Salem native…

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PHOTOS: 'Thanks Giving...A Berry Special Event'

Local heavyweights came out to support Senator Fred Berry Tuesday night in a new effort to support local food pantries.

State Sen. Fred Berry hosted a night of “Thanks Giving” at the Peabody Marriott on Nov. 17 to bring in seed money to get a new Web-based donation system up and running for local food pantries. Berry's goal is to help struggling pantries get regular funding all year round. Berry also took the opportunity Thursday night to publicly announce that he was retiring from office and would not seek re-election in 2012.

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Berry Launches Effort to Support Local Pantries Year Round

A "Berry Special Event" Thursday night at the Peabody Marriott to raise seed money for a new initiative to keep local food pantries sustained all year long.

For the past three decades, Peabody native and state Sen. Fred Berry has championed many causes and engaged in countless charitable efforts, more recently narrowing his focus as the economy has tanked to support local food pantries facing the greater challenge of serving more people with fewer resources. “As a lifelong resident of Peabody, and the state senator for this region I cannot accept that some of our neighbors; including veterans, children and seniors don’t know where there next meal will come from,” Berry says. For the past two years, he has called on his constituents in Peabody, Salem, Beverly, Danvers and Topsfield to donate thousands of packaged and canned goods to local pantries during an annual one-day food drive. But this …

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Northeast ARC Wine Tasting Draws Strong Support

Kernwood Country Club event in Salem attracted 300 people who helped non-profit raise thousands of dollars for people with disabilities.

People who live with physical or developmental disabilities matter and deserve to be supported so they can lead independent lives and contribute to society. That was the message that several members of Northeast ARC delivered during the non-profit group's 16th annual Wine Tasting and Auction event at the Kernwood Country Club in Salem on Friday evening. For $75, as many as 300 guests enjoyed as much fine wine, hors d'oeuvres, and cheeses as they wanted along with each other's company. They had also had the chance to bid on several items which ranged from a week at the Hilton Head resort in South Carolina valued at nearly $3,000 to a water color painting titled "Together" by Howard Kline, valued at $5,200, and tickets to Boston Red Sox, …

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