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Review Brooks & Crowley
October 2022
781-251-0555
www.brooksandcrowley.com
439 Washington Street Dedham, MA 02026
*Services Throughout Massachusetts
WHO HAUNTS THE PRESIDENT? TRUE STORIES OF WHITE HOUSE GHOSTS
I’m glad it’s finally October, the month of haunted houses and ghost stories. That means I get to share some unique trivia with you! Is the White House haunted? The answer is, in fact, yes!
Todd Lincoln was so grief-stricken that she stayed in her room for weeks, but she only once spoke of seeing her son’s ghost at the foot of her bed. If you think there’s an afterlife in phantasmal form, then it might interest you to hear First Lady Grace Coolidge’s ghost account. After Lincoln’s assassination in 1865, Coolidge spoke in magazine accounts of seeing Lincoln looking out a window in what had been his office. Many more people have seen Lincoln’s ghost since then — even foreign royalty and politicians. One night in 1942, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands was sleeping in Lincoln’s bedroom when she heard a faint knock on her bedroom door. She opened it to see the bearded president before she fainted. She wasn’t the first foreign visitor to notice Lincoln’s presence, however. In 1940, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill stayed in the very same room. He stepped out of a hot bath with a cigar and little else and saw Lincoln by the fireplace. Famously, Churchill reportedly said, “Good evening, Mr. President. You seem to have me at a disadvantage.” In his Post interview, Broach was asked if he believed in ghosts. “For sure,” he responded. “If I said no, I’d be calling about eight different presidents liars.” As it turns out, he’d be calling our allies liars too! I remember some local ghost stories from when I was a kid that still give me goosebumps. What are your favorite ghost stories? Now is the time of year to tell them! I’m much more of a Mike Myers (“Austin Powers”) guy than a Michael Myers (“Halloween” slasher flick) person. I won’t be binge-watching the “Halloween” movie franchise (there are 13 of them!) this season. I’ll just stick with giving out candy to local trick or treaters.
Or, at least, we have recorded stories about ghosts in the White House.
In 2017, The Washington Post interviewed Jared Broach, the founder of Nightly Spirits. His company offers tours of haunted areas across the country, but upon their launch in 2012, the only tour they offered was of the White House.
According to Broach, the White House has the best ghost stories. “I’d call them the most verified,” Broach told The Post. “Honestly, we could do a 10-hour tour if we really wanted to.”
Many are verified simply due to all the preservation of documents that occurs when living in the White House. In a 1946 letter written to his wife, President Harry S. Truman describes a late-night ghost encounter on a lonely night. He went to bed at 9 p.m., then six hours later, he awoke to three knocks at the door. “I jumped up and put on my bathrobe, opened the door, and found no one there,” he wrote. “Went out and looked up and down the hall, looked in your room and Margie’s. Still no one. Went back to bed after locking the doors, and there were footsteps in your room whose door I’d left open. Jumped and looked — and no one was there! The damned place is haunted sure as shootin’. Secret Service said not even a watchman was up here at that hour. You and Margie had better come back and protect me before some of these ghosts carry me off.” Even without such detailed letters, many stories continue through common experiences and word of mouth. One of Broach’s favorite stories is about a man named David Burnes, who sold the land where the White House sits and whose voice has been reportedly heard in the Oval Office. Some ghosts were deeply personal to the president, such as Abraham Lincoln. Reportedly, Lincoln received regular visits from his son Willie, who died in the White House in 1862 at age 11, most likely due to typhoid fever. Mary
Have a happy and safe Halloween.
–Neil Crowley
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IS REMOTE WORK THE FUTURE? ‘THE NOWHERE OFFICE’ EXPLORES THIS IDEA
Think about your current work environment for a second. Is it the same as it was three years ago? Likely not, as the traditional workplace was overhauled due to the COVID-19
workplaces can be more flexible for employers and employees alike while still allowing work to be completed on time. But if remote work is the future, what will happen to the workplaces owned by businesses? Are they unnecessary? Not exactly, explains Hobsbawm. She believes that businesses still need physical workspaces, but how they are used will change. They will no longer be a place where employees spend their entire days. Instead, they will be designated for networking, training, and development. Hobsbawm also tackles the idea of how much employees should be working. She informs business owners that it’s okay to have employees work less, as it can lead to more productivity. She states that “work can and should be not only a source of raw income but also a purposeful life itself.” While your employees need to earn a livable wage, they should also find passion in their work, or they will quickly burn out and feel resentment toward their job. If your business has switched over to a remote or hybrid environment and you’re still trying to figure out how to successfully manage your team, “The Nowhere Office” will help you develop a plan.
pandemic, and now, many employees across various industries are working remotely. But can work return to the offices full time? Should it? Julia Hobsbawm answers these questions and more in her book “The Nowhere Office: Reinventing Work and the Workplace of the Future.” Now that pandemic lockdowns have been lifted, many business owners have attempted to push employees to return to the office full time. Hobsbawm believes that’s the wrong approach, as forcing employees back into an office could kill productivity, and writes that remote or hybrid
It’s World Teachers’ Day! 3 Ways to Show Gratitude
Write thank-you letters. If you had a teacher who impacted your life, or if your child has a favorite teacher, write them a thank- you note. Handwritten notes are more meaningful than ones you buy at the store. It shows you put in time and effort to create something specifically for them. You can write about a favorite memory you had with them or the ways they’ve
Teachers have impacted you and your children’s lives in more ways than one. Maybe they inspired you to take a certain career path, always understood you, or were there for you or your child when it was needed. Teachers have a demanding job, so in honor of World Teachers’ Day on Oct. 5, let’s take some time to appreciate them. Here are three ways to show your gratitude this month. Donate school supplies. Some teachers spend personal funds to purchase school supplies for their classrooms. This expense can become costly, especially if they provide for multiple students. Donate unused notebooks, pencils, pens, or other school supplies to a teacher. Some teachers even have wish lists available if you want to purchase new items for their classrooms. They will appreciate your kindness, and the children who need these supplies will also be grateful.
inspired you. If you’re feeling extra generous, add a gift card to the note! A small message can go a long way in turning someone’s day around. Volunteer when you can. In addition to teaching in the classroom, teachers need to chaperone students during field trips, recess, lunch, and standardized tests. Contact your child’s school and see when they need volunteers to help with these activities. Teachers will greatly appreciate it because they
will have a chance to take a break or organize their materials for the next class. Even if it’s just for the day or a few hours, teachers will appreciate the extra assistance. Teachers play a vital role in preparing our children for the real world. They teach them vital social skills and problem-solving strategies that will assist them as they age. So, let’s take some time to show appreciation for their dedication to our children.
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Remembering the World’s Greatest Magician
And His Untimely Demise
Have a Laugh! Although Houdini repeatedly defied death in his shows for a number of years, it finally caught up to him in 1926. During a show in Albany, New York, Houdini shattered his ankle while performing his famous Chinese water torture cell trick. He finished the show and continued his tour which took him to Canada where he gave a lecture in Montreal, Quebec. He spoke with some of the students after, and someone asked about his alleged ability to withstand hard punches to the abdomen. According to a witness, Sam Smilovitz, when Houdini confirmed that the rumors were true, a student named J. Gordon Whitehead abruptly delivered “four or five terribly forcible, deliberate, well-directed blows” to Houdini’s The idea of magic has captivated audiences for generations. Their tricks and illusions defy not only common reasoning but sometimes even death itself. While we’ve had the opportunity to watch some great magicians on television or at live performances in Las Vegas, few have left a greater impact on spectators than Harry Houdini. Houdini got his first taste of the spotlight when he was only 9 years old as a trapeze artist. Before long, he moved on to card tricks and then even started experimenting with escape tricks using handcuffs — which proved to be a big hit. He continued to advance his escape artist skills until he ended up touring across America and Europe.
stomach. According to reports, he’d been sitting — probably because of his recently injured ankle — and had no time to prepare for the punches.
Houdini didn’t think twice about the incident, but later that night he reported
Creamy Baked Pumpkin Risotto Houdini’s memory still lives on almost a century after his death. We’ll likely never see another magician who can amaze and bewitch a global audience in the same manner — he was surely one of a kind. discomfort in his abdomen. Despite worsening symptoms, he pressed on to Detroit, Michigan, and got a fever of 104 degrees F, cold sweats, and even fatigue. During the opening night of his show in Detroit, Houdini promptly collapsed. He was taken to the hospital where doctors removed his appendix which they confirmed had ruptured a few days prior. Unfortunately, he passed away from peritonitis shortly after this on Halloween. Some people believe his appendix might have ruptured with or without the blows from J. Gordon Whitehead, but many historians still believe that this is what caused Houdini’s ultimate demise.
Inspired by FoodNetwork.com
Nothing highlights fall quite like pumpkin-inspired dishes. Grab your blankets, turn on your favorite movie, and enjoy a delicious meal.
Ingredients
• 5 cups of low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth • 2 cups Arborio rice • 2 cups of pumpkin, diced • 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin purée • 1/2 yellow onion, minced
• Salt, to taste • Pepper, to taste • 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese • 2 tbsp mascarpone cheese • 2 tbsp olive oil
1. Heat the oven to 400 F and arrange a rack in the middle. 2. In a 3-quart baking dish, combine broth, rice, diced and puréed pumpkin, and onion. 3. Season with salt and pepper, then stir until evenly combined. 4. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake until water has been absorbed and rice granules are puffed. 5. Remove from the oven and stir in basil, grated Parmesan cheese, mascarpone cheese, and olive oil. directions
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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
439 Washington St. • Dedham, MA 02026 Inside THIS ISSUE
1 Ghost Stories From the Oval Office
2 Become an Expert on Remote Work
It’s World Teachers’ Day!
3 How Did Harry Houdini Pass Away?
Creamy Baked Pumpkin Risotto
4 Get Into the Halloween Spirit This Month!
What’s Going On, Boston? 3 Spooky Halloween Events
You know it’s fall when we hit October. The leaves are turning, the weather is cooler, and it’s the start of the spooky season! Many Halloween events are taking place this month, and there is a little something for everyone to enjoy. So, get into the Halloween spirit with some of our favorites! Ghosts and Gravestones Tour Oct. 1–31 Marriott Long Wharf Hotel 200 Atlantic Avenue GhostsAndGravestones.com As you walk around some of Boston’s historic and haunted areas during the Ghosts and Gravestones Tour, you’ll hear stories about the people buried on the land and the horrifying practices that took place. You can also explore Boston’s most haunted hotel, The Omni Parker House, and hear stories about the bizarre and permanent tenants. So, book
your tour today to learn more about our city’s frightening and historical past! Trick or Drink: Boston Halloween Bar Crawl Oct. 28–29, 31 Bay Back Social 867 Boylston St. BostonUSA.com/Event/Trick-Or-Drink%3A- Boston-Halloween-Bar-Crawl/72772 Barcrawlerz is taking over Boston! So, grab some friends and spend Halloween weekend in some of Boston’s best bars. To participate, you must meet at Bay Back Social on Friday,
have any questions about the crawl, send an email to EmailInfo@barcrawlerz.com. Children’s Halloween Costume Ball Oct. 22 Salem Waterfront Hotel 225 Derby St. SalemWaterfrontHotel.com/Hotel-Events/ Childrens-Costume-Ball One of the best ways to celebrate Halloween is to go to the Halloween capital of the world: Salem, Massachusetts! This is Salem’s first children’s costume ball, and you don’t want to miss it! Children of all ages can participate,
Saturday, or Monday and register for the crawl. Once you register and get your wristband, you will be able to enter the participating bars without paying a cover fee and receive drink specials. If you
and there will be ghoulish games, photo booths, crafts, and other surprises in store. After the ball, your family can travel around Salem and see what else the city has in store for the holiday!
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