Looking for that perfect perennial or need some expert garden advice? Have you driven by the Stevens-Coolidge Place on Andover Street and wondered what the historic 91-acre property is all about?
The Stevens-Coolidge Place is known for its gardens, and much of what is planted there was taken from historical records of the estate. On May 10, the estate's 26th annual plant sale will allow gardeners to buy plants — some actually grown on the estate — which, in turn, will help support the place.

In February 2007, North Andover resident Goodloe Suttler traveled to Louisiana, capturing the desolation and desertion of post-Katrina New Orleans through his camera lens. Now, one year later — and nearly three years after Hurricane Katrina made landfall on Aug. 29, 2005 — Suttler is showcasing some of his photographs from the trip in a local gallery.

"Over the river and through the woods" cannot begin to describe a road trip with family. The most meticulous planning flies in the face of unanticipated frustrations and follies during a long drive to Nana's house. One small blessing: in the confines of the auto, there are relatively few spectators to the less-than-perfect behavior that inevitably ensues (adults and children alike), and even those few are strangers flying by at 65 mph.

An estimated 1,000 mourners packed St. Michael Church on Saturday, April 26, for the funeral of 17-year-old Alex Farese.
The high school senior died April 21, a week after collapsing on the high school track. Doctors believe his heart stopped because of a defect no one knew he had, according to the family.

My daughter recently stopped sucking her thumb. This triumph was preceded by an ugly six-year battle filled with begging, pleading, bribing, and threatening that finally came to an abrupt and peaceful resolution when the orthodontist sat her down and said, "You need to stop sucking your thumb."

North Andover
Transportation is the No. 1 unmet need for elders in North Andover. The North Andover Senior Center is working to help make a difference in the lives of seniors in the community.
The Supper Club is a group of seniors who go out to dinner at different area restaurants once a month. The cost of dinner, tax, and gratuity is usually between $15.99 and $21, depending on the restaurant that is chosen. An additional $2 is charged for round-trip transportation.

Full cast of "Beauty and the Beast," performed by North Andover High School:
Colette Berube as Belle
Jake Palatine as the Beast
Benjamin Rafalli as Gaston
Joseph Lafond as Lumiere

North Andover teen Paul DiBlasi was recently elected governor of Massachusetts, but he won't be working on his Mitt Romney hairdo or installing new drapes in his Statehouse office anytime soon.
DiBlasi is governor-elect of the YMCA's Youth and Government program, a mock-government club in which high-schoolers write bills, lobby, and participate in what goes on every day at the Statehouse.

Jonathan T. Manning, a resident of North Andover and a member of the class of 2011, was named to the Lasell College dean's list for the fall 2007 semester. Lasell College is a four-year, coeducational, professional liberal arts college that prepares graduates for the worlds of business, education and the health sciences.

Like most parents, my time here on Earth is pretty clearly divided into life before kids and life after kids. The world had endless possibilities before I had kids. My choices after kids are more limited, and in most cases are made with the kids in mind.

My husband and I are the meanest parents on the planet.
Just ask my 8-year-old, who is the only third-grader in her school who doesn't own an iPod. Or ask my 10-year-old, who is the only fourth-grader who has yet to win permission to get her ears pierced. She is, by her account, the only child in history to be so maliciously stripped of what is certainly her Constitutional right. Forget freedom of speech; freedom to get your ears pierced when everyone else is doing it is the reason people choose to live in this great country, isn't it?

Wanted: a loving home for Hamlet, an all black 7-year old male cat. He is available for adoption at a reduced rate at the North Andover PetCo.
Hamlet has double front paws that make it look like he has mittens. He can have bursts of energy and is very curious. He is also very playful, and will be affectionate once he gets to know you. He'll jump into your lap and enjoy having his chin rubbed. He also does like to sleep on the bed or sleep next to you on the sofa.

I seem to be on a roll lately, taking on new endeavors. My good friend in New York just laughs into the phone and proclaims it a midlife crisis. Ouch. I never thought of myself to be "that age." My vision of a midlife crisis is a leather-jacketed man well into his 50s who starts life anew one morning with the purchase of a box of hair dye for men, Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses, and a red convertible. Apparently I am wrong.

We are happy to introduce commenting as the newest feature on our Web site. At the end of every story is an area for you to leave your thoughts and opinions.

On April 21, North Andover natives Maggie Wittbold and Lindsey Dionne will run 26.2 miles — more than 50,000 steps — in the Boston Marathon. With each stride, they'll be raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, funding research that's coming closer and closer to finding a cure for cancer.

This month, Boxford author Kathleen Benner Duble shared the sentiments of "Quest," the first line of her latest book, which reads: "At last, we are off!"
The exclamation is made by the 17-year-old character John Hudson in Duble's sixth book, released on March 25.

They say one man's trash is another man's treasure, and if that's true, my family could make half the population of our city very rich indeed. We have so many "treasures" they are overflowing out of several trash cans every week. Ironically, no one seems to be scrambling to uncover the riches that may be disguised as run-of-the-mill garbage.

Timra Carlson, Amy Stern Dauphin and Donna Lagana Silva, close friends and members of the North Andover High School Class of 1984, laughingly describe their high school experience in two words: "big hair."

North Andover photographer Ed Pedi is known for his family portraits — polished, serene shots of families posing on lush, green lawns or glowing new mothers holding their infants.
But it was a chance shot he snapped on vacation in Norway that won for him the Fuji Masterpiece Award at the recent Professional Photographers Association of Massachusetts convention and print competition.

Fifth-graders in North Andover learned about trains, planes and automobiles — and hot air balloons, rockets and hovercraft, too, then put their lessons to good use by building model cars.
Tom Wahle, an educator from Techsplorationahis N.H.-based science and engineering school enrichment program, visited every elementary school in town. After an assembly at which he demonstrated engineering principles and a little history of modes of transportation, he worked with classrooms on a car-designing project.

When I think back on my experience taking the SATs, I swear I can actually feel the frenzied state I was in as I was contemplating the potential answers for the definition of the Pythagorean Theorem. The multiple choice approach always mystified me with its intentional ambiguity. Was the answer A? Was it B? Was it A & B but never D? Was it all of the above? None of the above? Some of the above, but only sometimes?

Prom queen avoids 1st elimination
North Andover's Ashley Arillotta survived the first elimination round on Monday, March 17, of the ABC Family reality show, "America's Prom Queen."
The judges, who include "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" style guru Jai Rodriguez and pop culture icon Brooke Hogan seemed charmed by the bubbly brunette.

Have you ever watched rowers in the Head of the Charles regatta and said to yourself, "I could do that," or "That looks like fun"? Saturday is your chance to give it a try.

Like so many other families, my husband travels frequently for work. His passport has additional volumes; mine is slim in comparison. I've noticed how the mention of travel draws different reactions, depending on the circumstances, and who is doing the traveling. His are often extended trips, and by "extended" I mean weeks, not months like those honorable folks in the military. This tidbit draws different reactions depending to whom I am talking. Some moms, accustomed to a regular schedule, offer pained, sympathetic support: "Oh! How are you doing? That must be so tough." This response leads me to believe that there are those among us who are married to men who are home all day, helping with laundry, cooking, cleaning and child taxiing. Yes, that would be a terrible hardship. More often than not, however, the information elicits an opposite reaction: "Oh! You are so lucky. What I wouldn't do for a break from cooking and watching sports. Hey, what's it feel like to have the remote in your hand?"

The halls at North Andover Middle School were filled with sounds of cool tunes by the jazz band and the smell of chocolate chip cookies baking at the North Andover Middle School Parent Teacher Advisory Council-sponsored open house and ice cream social on Wednesday night, March 5.

Folks stopping by the regular Wednesday night stargazing session at the Merrimack College astronomy observatory on Feb. 20 were treated to a special sight — a full lunar eclipse, in perfect view through the clear night sky — the likes of which won't happen again until at least 2010.

A photo caption in the story "Together, they can," about the ANA Synchers synchronized swim team, which ran in the Feb. 21 edition of Town Crossings, incorrectly identified Svetlana Malinovskaya as th

Thursday, March 6
Author reading: Sabina Murray will read from her novel, "Forgery," at 7 p.m. at the Andover Bookstore, 89 Rear Main St. This is event is free to the public. For information, call 978-475-0143 or visit www.andoverbookstore.com.

Girl Scout councils merge
NORTH ANDOVER — It's not only Fortune 500 firms merging these days. It's Daisys, Brownies and Cadettes, too.
On Feb. 1, three Girl Scout councils representing different parts of the state merged into one large council called Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts. The local council, Spar and Spindle in North Andover, merged with the Patriots' Trail Council of Boston and the Girl Scouts of Southern Massachusetts.

Remember how it felt when you finally — finally! — got your license and slid behind the wheel for your first "grown-up" drive? Here's how to help your kids remember the day with the same sense of joy.

Regardless of whether March comes in like a lion or a lamb, the March entertainment calendar in Boxford and North Andover starts with a bang. From a formal, black tie dinner to a comedy night, the events will benefit various causes.

Winter sports leaders at Austin Prep
Austin Preparatory School senior Anne Jasinski of Boxford was named captain of the co-ed winter track team this season. Jasinski, a shot-putter, is the school record-holder for the event. The team finished strong this season, including a third place finish at the League Championship meet earlier this month. Jasinski is the daughter of Paul and Amy Jasinski of Boxford.

North Andover, get to know your candidates
On Thursday, Feb. 28 ay 7 p.m., the Andover/North Andover League of Women Voters will sponsor the North Andover Candidates' Forum in the selectmen's meeting room in the North Andover Town Hall. The event will showcase candidates for the positions of selectman and school committee in the March town elections. The public is invited to attend. Written questions will be taken from the audience during the forum.

More of veteran's flag plans unfurled
BOXFORD — A Guadalcanal veteran's plan to greet people entering Boxford with a big American flag is again gaining steam now that a half-dozen groups endorsed the concept and many of the details.

I figured out a sure-fire way you can determine whether you have crossed over to middle age. Simply look at the photo on your driver's licence; if you think you look pretty good, you are old. It's really that simple. The adage that no one looks good in their license photo is only a half truth. No one young looks good in that photo. If you are older, you believe it worthy of a Vanity Fair cover, or, at the very least, the J. Jill catalog.

People will have a chance to hear tales of life in Alaska, learn how Lawrence began and enjoy a heartwarming children's story at Annie's Book Stop this month. It's all part of the store's meet the authors series, which owner Judy Normandin said lets people "see what's behind the writing of a book."

North Andover
This year, the North Andover Senior Center was awarded $250,000 through the Capital Improvement Fund to update and improve the existing space. The Friends of the North Andover Senior Center have embarked on an 8-week Capital Improvement fundraiser. Their goal is to raise $80,000 in eight weeks. These money is necessary to complete the proposed renovation project. Improvements to the senior center are as follows:

Inspired by these local snow creations? Get outside, get creative and send us your photos!
Winter in New England is still going strong, and Town Crossings will still accept photos of your family's snowy handiwork for a future issue.

On Stephanie Chase Wilson's first day as rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, she officiated a funeral. It was a sad occasion and a tough way to start a new job, but she knew then her new church home was a friendly, welcoming place.

Andover Women's Club meeting
Andover Women's Club February meeting will take place on Feb. 25 at 6:30 p.m. in the North Andover High School Cafeteria. This meeting is the National Honor Society Recognition Night. For more information, call 978-689-4172.

North Andover
Beacon of Hope and Healing presents a six-week bereavement support group. This will provide a safe environment for sharing thoughts and feelings. The group will meet on consecutive Fridays from 1 to 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 23. For registration or more information, call the Senior Center. There is no charge for this group discussion.

I'm not outdoorsy. I like the kind of outside I can enjoy from the lawn chair in my yard. I like a nice brisk walk. I live in New England because of the seasons, but my preferences are spring and fall. I'll take "sweater weather" over either extreme.

Twice a week, dozens of girls dive into the Andover/North Andover YMCA pool, sporting matching bathing suits and rubber swim caps. They spend hours training to make every movement, every gesture — many of them underwater — match one another in their swim routines.

Thomson Elementary School students raised a total of $3,449.25 for the Joey Middlemiss Fund through the Jump for Joey fundraiser, said Thomson PTO official Laurie Burzlaff.
A story about the event and the Middlemiss family was featured on the front page of Town Crossings last week.

School open house
Boxford Academy will hold an open house today, Feb. 14 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. for families interested in enrolling in the 2008-09 school year. The academy is a pre-kindergarten through grade 5 Christian school that has been serving North Shore and Merrimack Valley families in the rural setting in Boxford Village for more than a decade. For more information, call 978-887-8390 or visit www.boxfordacademy.org.

Music and romance will be in the air at North Parish Church on Saturday, as tenor John Middleton-Cox and soprano Tina McVey-Cody perform a Valentine-themed concert of love songs.
Organizers say the concert will bring some tender loving care to the North Andover church's historic pipe organ, which needs $30,000 worth of repairs and upkeep.

North Andover native Andy Addivinola, 22, describes the five short months he's worked for City Year, an urban service program, in two words: life changing.
"It's probably the hardest thing I've done in my life. Not only is the work rewarding, but [so is] seeing the stuff we do, and seeing how much I've grown as an individual in the five months," said Addivinola. "I'm definitely not the person I was. It's shown me a new way to live."

A tarantula, praying mantis, Madagascar hissing cockroaches and other creepy crawlies visited the children's room at the Boxford Village Library last week — much to the delight of a circle of youngsters attending a presentation by bug expert Andrea Kozol.