Not that I'm complaining

I was sort of surprised that a Tot Lot made it onto the latest version of the NRA's plans--or not plans--for the Waterfront.

I recalled during the October meeting the idea for a playground got very little support.

The power of Newburyport Posts could be felt as only one person--that would be me--voted for a playgrounds. Meanwhile, a farmer's market didn't even make it onto the ballot. (My fault there, I didn't offer it up during the meeting.)

The drawings looking attractive enough. I'm not at all sold on the notion that an ice skating rink will draw people down to the Waterfront. I'm still holding out for the Shanley Plan. But I acknowledge the odds of that happening are bleak.

For once, Erford Fowler summed up our thoughts pretty succinctly.

First with this...

"I think it looks great on paper," said Erford Fowler, a member of the NRA.

And then with this...

"You know what I'm starting to get really nervous about," he said at the meeting, "is how the hell are we going to pay for this?"

Buying Local

I'm catching up on my Daily News articles, so bear with me.

Interesting move by the folks at Iron Moon Farm. We definitely plan on buying into one of these share programs this summer. As the article states, it sounds like a great way to get fresh produce while benefiting folks and farms you can actually see.

But this talk of local farms got me thinking--why don't we have a Farmer's Market in town.

I know there was talk of this last summer, but it seemed to die on the vine. I know one City Councilor questioned whether such an event would compete against in-city business--I think the new Woodman Stand was the one in question. I have to admit, I still don't get the rationale.

How great would it be to have all the area farms congregate their goods a few hours every Saturday? This not only would be an event to draw people downtown, but it would also serve as free marketing for those farms, particularly if the market were held at the Mall. I see stands like Tendercrop and Woodman's benefiting from such an event.

I recall this idea getting dismissed as something yuppie dream. Fine, we get resort to name calling I suppose. But for the life of me I don't see a single good reason for it not to happen, other than it hasn't been done before.

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Revenue Task Force

I came out to bury the Revenue Task Force, not to praise it.

Well, not bury it. I was just a bit underwhelmed by the principal conclusions of the task force that have been in the papers.

* Override/debt exclusion
* Sell city property
* Convince employees to join the state-sponsored health care program
* Dip into the state's rainy day fund.

Each suggestion is reasonable, but I didn't think we needed a three-month study to come up with them. So I was left underwhelmed although I appreciated the work that went into coming up with those rather obvious solutions.

But even though I never wrote that post I take it all back. Why? I actually read the actual report. Fascinating stuff. Very thorough. Very interesting.

I'll say right now newspaper reports don't do the actual report justice. There's much to think about, talk about and act on in those 55 pages.

This should be read.

I'm going to do my best to offer some insights on the report in upcoming posts.

Bossy on Ebay

A friend of the blog sent along this link. An autographed copy of Front and Center: The Legend of Bossy Gillis is up for auction on Ebay. Autographed by the author, Peter Jacobs, not Bossy.

But this is equally cool: a souvenir bank advertising Bossy's Garage.


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A New Take on Karp

I'm beginning to think we're looking at this whole Karp thing the wrong way.

Our common assumption is that Karp wants to turn Newburyport into Nantucket. Hence the catchy Nantucket North moniker, the excellent Stephen Tait series, the chain store bans, the fears of "high-end homogenization," etc. and so on and etc.

The formula used to reach that conclusion is quite simple. Karp owns most of Nantucket. Karp owns most of Newburyport. Nantucket has a charming downtown and is surrounded by water. Newburyport has a charming downtown that's on the water. Nantucket is populated by somewhat self-important, occassionally high-income egomaniacs. Newburyport is....well....well, we are.

So it's easy to make the connection.

But you don't become a billionaire making easy connection. You do so by remaining several steps ahead of the competition and several years ahead of the curve. And that's what Karp is doing here.

What the hell am I talking about? Good question.

Just finished a very interesting article in this month's The Atlantic magazine about the rapid and eventual decline of Suburbia. In "The Next Slum," author Christopher B. Leinberger--an urban planning professor and a developer--argues that homeowner preference is shifting away from the notion of owning two-acres and a McMansion and back toward the city--or communities with all the walkable, commercial qualities of a big city.

Helloooo, Newburyport.

Leinberger says the shift is driving up prices in communities capable of offering homeowners the opportunity to walk to stores, restaurants, theaters and leave the care behind. Clearly, this high demand is driving up prices in attractive urban centers, but there's a trickle down benefit as well.

It’s crucial to note that these premiums have arisen not only in central cities, but also in suburban towns that have walkable urban centers offering a mix of residential and commercial development. For instance, luxury single-family homes in suburban Westchester County, just north of New York City, sell for $375 a square foot. A luxury condo in downtown White Plains, the county’s biggest suburban city, can cost you $750 a square foot. This same pattern can be seen in the suburbs of Detroit, or outside Seattle. People are being drawn to the convenience and culture of walkable urban neighborhoods across the country—even when those neighborhoods are small.

This is the important distinction between Newburyport and Nantucket. Nantucket will never be anything other than a tourist destination for the vast majority of its population. Newburyport, on the other hand, already is a very real community offering an attractive lifestyle to those of us who don't want to live in a town of subdivisions (which is exactly what I left when moving here.)

Karp clearly sees community with urban centers as the future. First, he shifted from building shopping malls to so-called "Lifestyle Centers" instead of shopping malls. Then, his projects evolved into those like the Pinehills and Westwood Station project where he's creating entire downtowns or even towns, in the case of Pinehills.

Rather than being modeled after Nantucket, Newburyport may be a model itelf. Karp may not be as interested in turning Newburyport into a high-end tourist destination as he is riding the wave of popular interest in communities with real downtown. That seems to be the bigger picture here. From the article:

Builders and developers tend to notice big price imbalances, and they are working to accommodate demand for urban living. New lofts and condo complexes have popped up all over many big cities. Suburban towns built in the 19th and early 20th centuries, featuring downtown street grids at their core, have seen a good deal of “in-filling” in recent years as well, with new condos and town houses, and renovated small-lot homes just outside their downtowns. And while urban construction may slow for a time because of the present housing bust, it will surely continue.

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What's this all mean? Well, like anything else we've written on Karp this is all conjecture and speculation. But perhaps we should stop worrying about what Nantucket has become and start recognizing what Newburyport is--the Future of Housing. We need to make improvemente here and there--such as public transportation--but this city sit smacks dam in the path of a demographic and socialogical tidal wave. Karp knows it, and we should work hard to make sure he doesn't mess it up.

By the way, what's the fate of the McMansions and other new developments? It isn't pretty. The article is definitely worth the 5 minutes required to read it.

Etching this one in Ether Stone

Jim Roy, addressing John Moak's parking garage proposal, in this week's Current.

For once, Newburyport, can we bury the hatchet and move forward? Can we unite and get something done, or quibble this thing to death? Can we finally solve the NRA riddle and finish the downtown? If Moak can pull this off, I’ll even vote for the guy, “from here to eternity.”

Now I'm really rooting for a parking garage.

Closing the Lobbyist Loop

I failed to post this article a week or so ago when it ran. Mayor Moak declined to ask the City Council for $18,000 to pay the lobbyist who could help Plum Islands. Sounds as if there was little or no support from councilors.

I thought the idea had merit, but I have a difficult time criticizing those who didn't see this as money that would be well spent.

Regional Actions

A regional effort is underway. Sounds like a nice start.

Wise Words

from Bill Plante on Steve Karp (and Roger W. Babson.)

What is to be marketed, and in what ways will that relate to both the present and future? Wherein lie the opportunities that will abet, and not detract, from the livability we know and cherish?

Answers to such questions need more light than heat. As for that, knowledge of what is real is not only for those who invest in opportunities, but for those living with the consequences

Well put.

Not Buying `Buy Local'

The Newburyport Current has an interesting column week discussing the languishing "Buy Local" movement. Take a look here.

The gist? The Buy Local group is tied too closely to the proposed chain store ban that's received little or no public or political support. I wrote about this extensively here, here,here,here,here and here. The ban isn't a good idea.

However, Buying Local is. First the irony, I'm writing this post from a Starbucks in Philadelphia. But I'm stuck here thanks to the storm and it's right in my hotel. Plus, I got some T-Mobile hotspot minutes to burn.

If I were back home, and man I wish I were, I wouldn't be setting foot in a Starbucks. No offense to our local outpost, but I make a point of drinking local brews. But the local love goes further than coffee. Food, gifts, hardware, we go local whenever we can because...well, it seems like the right thing to do and frankly it's easier than going to a Mall or Home Depot.

Plus it just feels good. I can't say why, but I do like the feeling I get from supporting out local stores. Can this feeling be bottled and marketed so more people support our downtown stores? It would help to get local merchants involved as well to build a bridge between our city's residents and their stores.

I look forward to reading the second installment from Stewart Stokes, who promises the discussion of a "more comprehensive planning model to support a balanced and vibrant Newburyport economy over the long term."

But one thing that might help is a little more discussion. If I'm interpreting Stokes' article currectly the Buy Local folks declined to comment for the article.

Buy Local and the FBO appear to be treading water at the moment. Does this concern the downtown retailing community? It doesn’t seem to concern the Buy Local team, given their choice not to comment.

I'll admit I was a little disappointed in the lack of dialogue when I came out against the proposed ordinance. Perhaps I was considered a lost cause. Perhaps the posts were considered irrelevant. But I know I've got a few readers who would have benefited from hearing a full airing of the pro-ordinance side; arguments that go beyond stats and statements taken from national studies.

But the Current is everywhere. It'd be nice to hear why Buying Local isn't something we should do but rather something we should want to do. Perhaps I misinterpreted the sentence.

Incidentally, the opening to Stokes' column sounded like every set of interviews I ever did while I was writing post-shopping season wrap ups for the News.

Parking Politics

I think one of the more unfortunate aspects of community--any community--politics is the division between newcomers and old-timers.

It's not unique to Newburport. Hell, it's pretty much the way things go down in most communities that I've covered (although not every community I've lived in thank goodness.)

So I'd like to say that when I suggest parking is a wise and necessary for downtown I don't speak for newcomers. I speak for paid parking proponents. I speak for myself and others who see a city in dire fiscal need and a resource--our parking lots and streets--that are being squandered or, worse, abused. (Check out some of the links presented by a commenter in the below post.)

I'm sure there are some long-time residents who see some wisdom in paid parking. Heck, Mayor Moak has lived here a good 30 years. I know it's not is life-time, but it's a lot of people's lifetimes so I suspect he's plugged in pretty well

I also know there are short-timers hate the idea of paying for parking downtown.

In short, I hope this discussion doesn't devolve into a townie vs. newbie issue when there are so many more real and important matters related to parking that need to be hashed out: commercial development, the economy of our downtown, the environment and our financial problems.

So I welcome upcoming blogalogues with Mary Eaton and Ms./Mr./Mrs. X on this issue and others as well. Bottomline is we've all got the city's best interest in heart. There's just may be some disagreement over what those best interests are.

Just as I did with Mr. Karp earlier on (I haven't updated the list of articles in some time but they're still along the right), I'll try to find and post as much info on parking issues as I can so I can speak a bit more from the head in coming posts.

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The Polls

Apologies for the wise a** poll to the right. I got a little loopy last night.

Interesting results to the parking poll below. This good idea is gaining some traction.


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Another new blog

We welcome yet another new local blog to the blog roll. I think we're up to seven?

Newburyport According to X. The blogger says s/he is a Newburyport native but is choosing to remain anonymous for reasons of his or her own choosing.

I see some healthy disagreement ahead. But that's a good thing. (Thanks to Newburyport Blog for steering us.)

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Regional Thoughts

I wanted to post this last week but didn't have the time. Curt Gerrish of Rochester Electronics adds some important thoughts to the regionalization question raised by many including myself here.

To that point, I realize we're supposed to view the loaning of the Salisbury truck as some sort of failure on our part. But am I wrong to see it as a positive? Can this be seen as a sign that the regionalization of some fire department resources has merit?

I think so.

By teh Way

Google's preoccupation with taking over the World has cost me my spell check function. It ain't working. And if I copy and paste my final draft into a word document to spell check I'll lose all my coding. So bear with me.

Senior Services

In a bit of news related to the senior center discussion, Stephen Tait's notebook on Monday had a small item that might provide some hope for snowed in seniors.

Moak and the Council on Aging reached an agreement last week that will provide assistance for the cost of snow shoveling to Newburyport senior citizens.
The Howard Benevolent Society Inc. has agreed to help pay to provide snow shovelers for the elderly in the city.
At the same time, the Council on Aging is requesting those who are willing to put their names on a list of available shovelers. Those willing should be able to shovel snow from sidewalks, driveways and steps.
The Council on Aging says it will try to match shovelers with seniors in their neighborhoods.
Those who need assistance or can offer assistance may call 978-463-8650.

Great idea. As I suggested in my earlier post, so many of the services we're hoping a senior center might provide could be delivered through other means. Clearly, shoveling has little to do with a senior center, but the idea of establishing a network of volunteers who can help out their elderly neighbors would go a little ways toward filling the needs our seniors currently have. (Before you ask, I threw out my back in the last snowstorm so I'm not volunteering.)

There is precedence for such a support group--the Newburyport Mother's Club as a social group. While that's largely its mission, the club does provide ongoing support for those mothers or mothers with newborns who need the help. Wouldn't it be nice if seniors and non-seniors in town banded together to provide similar level of support for our elderly residents who need a bit of help?

Regarding the senior center, Mary Eaton chimed in on my earlier suggestion. I concede that in a best case scenario we'd have a senior center with all the services necessary for our seniors. I just hope we emphasize the latter over the former when weighing what we can or cannot afford.

Meanwhile, Ed Cameron tacked a couple of points to the collective local blogosphere IQ with a triumphant return.

New Blog

Taking the day off to honor most of our presidents. But let me refer you to yet another blog in town by the aforementioned Kate Yeomans. She writes on the weekend's ceremony honoring the lost crew of the Lady Luck. No doubt she'll be providing an eloquent voice to the folks who do business on the other side of the waterfront.

More than a Garage

Stephen Tait has a nice piece on the possibility of placing a parking garage on Prince Place, the charming little nook right behind Pleasant Street.

I first endorsed the idea, but then I realized the size and scope of a structure would block my view of the Jewel in the Crown restaurant and potentially cut into my precious sunlight.

Therefore, I must conclude this is a bad, bad idea.

Putting my faux NIMBYism aside for a moment, I agree with the Mayor. This site makes a great deal of sense for a number of reasons. I question whether Mr. Karp--who is actually QUOTED in an article!!--would find much value in the spot since it's a long walk from the Waterside East site. (It isn't really, but a tourist might think so.) But I do think it's a great place for a parking garage.

But let's not stop there.

We have a great need for many things in this town, among them is a senior center and taxable commercial property. So I'd ask the interested parties to see this site as more than just an out of the way place to dump a parking garage. It's an opportunity to expand our downtown and create a senior center that works.

Imagine if you will we built a building that combined a parking garage with commercial businesses. If your imagination can't hack that, take a look at Page 3 of Friday's Daily News. There's an artist's vision of the parking garage that could--and probably should--grace the corner of Green and Merrimack Street right now. It's a very attractive package that included retail space and pleasant exterior architecture.

Can a similar structure grace the parking lot at the Prince Place lot? I can't see why not. Think for a moment. This would extend the retail stretch of stores up Hale Court from Pleasant Street, providing new commerical tax base. It could have the similar--but probably lesser--effect on Prince Place as it runs off State Street near the library.

Perhaps even more intriguing, this first floor stretch could serve as a site of the senior center.

Think of the benefits of the location.

* Plenty of parking. I'm sure the garage could be built with an elevator to aid those seniors who couldn't manage the stairs.

* Access to downtown business including the library, Angie's and other stores.

* Places to sit at Tracy Court or Inn Street.

* A first floor entrance with a single-floor design

* A central and visible location

I'm already anticipating the complaints. A senior center can't share a building with an ugly parking garage, the looks, the fumes, etc. Or the Prince Place location isn't central enough.

Frankly, if done well, and parking garages can be done very well, I don't see any aesthetic conflicts. As for any environmental concenrs, I'd say any structure would be designed to vent fumes up and away from a first floor unit be it a restaurant, store, etc. (The Transportation Building in Boston comes to mind but there are plenty others.)

Finally, the location.

I see this site being more central, not less, than the Cushing Park location. To be frank. I do have concerns about the Cushing Park site. I don't live in the immediate area, but folks who do don't like the idea and really could create problems that drag out the construction of the building.

I'll be honest, I wrote but never published an item asking whether we could afford a center. (Jim Roy wrote about this in the Current. ) I never published it because I had to think the issue through some more. Obviously, I sympathize with those that want a center. But I have to ask can we really afford one when we don't have the money to buy a new fire truck or we can't afford new police cars without diverting state grant money. (I know it's allowed but are police cars really part of a community policing program?)

Mary Eaton writes extensively about the Senior Center on her blog. (Here, here, here and here.) In doing so she lays out the need for the services that would be provided by a senior center. But, with the exception of creating a central meeting place, couldn't all those services--hot meals and assistance be provided without a building? In fact, one her posts refers to a New York City-based program that coordinates volunteers to help the elderly while utilizing churches as their physicial locations. Couldn't we do that here?

I recognize this post is veering off track a bit. But I do wonder what sort of reception a City Councilor might receive if he or she proposed beefing up the council on aging's budget so it could provide all the services a senior center might offer. I suspect we'd hear the city can't afford such a program right now. Yet, when we talk about building a senior center the concerns about budget and finances are muted.

I'm not sure why. I suppose we want to be seen as caring folks. But I fear the center, without proper support, could merely serve as a monument to our supposed caring. "See how much we care about our needy senior centers. We built a center. We're a caring community." But can we afford to run it? Can we provide the services that seniors actually need? I'm not convinced we can. I wonder if our seniors would benefit more from a beefed up set of programs.

If we do go forward with a center, I still favor the idea of setting up a regional center with Newbury. If we can't accomplish that, then what building one with a new parking garge on Prince Place, Hale's Court or even Tracy Place which would make a grand entrance? The area seems to offer considerably more than Cushing Park. Plus, it would help provide life to a currently dormant part of downtown and help us spread our commercial base. Perhaps it could also double as a community place on nights and weekends when the senior center isn't in use. The space could be used on weekends to sell crafts by local artists and craftsfolks who can't afford space downtown but want to sell to tourists.

I'm learning that the byproduct of living in a town where we do a lot of talking is that almost every idea I can come up with has been discussed in the past so I look forward to an education. If the senior center idea doesn't fly, that's fine. But we should really consider this proposal as much more than a parking garage.


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Sweet Christmas!!!

In today's Daily News

In an interview with The Daily News, Karp said ...

Bravo, the curtain is lifting.



More substantial comments are on the way.

Ooo, big time.

Karp meeting makes the Globe.

Couldn't Hurt

Watching our Congressman John Tierney take part in the Clemens interrogation. I'm not sure he's going to be able to get to the truth about the Clemens steroid claim, but I'm holding out hope that he'll ask the Rocket to foot the bill for repairing the jetty.

Fingers crossed.....

Nice to hear

I'm a member of a writers' group that gathers every other month or so talk about the craft. Well, actually I've only attended one dinner so far, but I diligently read every email that the group sends out.

The next meeting was supposed to be March 13. However, the group is rescheduling because many members want to attend Karp's visit to Newburyport.

This should be interesting.

Sobering Assessment

I don't have a lot of time to comment on this today, but Gillian Swart at the Current has an interview with someone at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers about Plum Island.

The Gist

“We don’t do beach nourishment projects anymore,” said Ed O’Donnell, New England chief of navigation for the Army Corps of Engineers, except on a cost-sharing basis, he added.
In a 1976 feasibility report the Army Corps of Engineers concluded that “engineering costs prohibit federal participation in any projects” on the 4.7 miles of shoreline at “Plum Island National Wildlife Refuge and surrounding area” in Newburyport-Newbury.
The report recommended that Newburyport and Newbury look for other sources of funding.

This doesn't sound like good news to me. But I need a better understanding of the big picture here.

I can hear you now.

Audio on the City Council broadcast seemed much, much better. Also, it was also great to actually see the PowerPoint presentation Councilors Cameron, Holaday and Jones made last night.

Thanks for clearing up those technical difficulties.

Exciting New Poll

I'm excited, aren't you? Just keeping it simple yes and no this time, no shades of gray.

Parking to Parkland

This sounds like a good idea. From the Current's article on Mayor Moak's speech.

The mayor added he is developing a five-to-eight-year plan to provide additional parking as the bulk of the NRA lots are absorbed into parkland.

The concept, as I understand it, is to start the NRA lots as parking lots and then gradually convert them into park as more parking becomes available in other spots downtown (presumably because of the construction of a parking structure.)

Now what I'm not sure is if we're talking about leveling and paving the current dirt lots into actual parking lots. If that is the case we'd be ripping up freshly paved lots, and that wouldn't make a great deal of sense. It'd be a waste of time and materials.

So I'm guessing that isn't the case.

Still, the whole conversion notion bothers me a bit. It seems as if parking fees might become a steady stream of revenue that any entity--be the NRA or the city--could get used to having. It might be hard to give up that money, even bit-by-bit, especially if it's being replaced with expensive parking land.

Of course you know where I stand on the waterfront issue. If you don't go here, here, here, here and here.

A Great Start

Mayor Moak gave an interesting annual address to the Chamber of Commerce last week, promising everything from paid parking to an open water front.

Who is this guy?

I mean word on the street was that the Mayor saw the wisdom in establishing a system of paid parking downtown, but he'd done little to further the idea in his first term. In fairness, he has always maintained that he had to focus his attention and time to fixing the budget. But I always hoped for a wee bit of multi-tasking since the budget may never be fixed, not completely at least. (He did provide some encouraging words on the money side as well. Read more here in Gillian Swart's Current article.)

As for the Waterfront, if you read some of the earlier criticisms written of the then-new Mayor he couldn't pave over the waterfront fast enough. Hell, it sounds as if he had steamroller idling in front of city hall and trucks full of asphalt on the way, with each vehicle being driven by a representative of the so-called "conservative" block. (That means folks who have lived here a very long-time.)

But none of this is consistent with his speech.

First the parking. The mayor predicted that the city will have a paid parking system in municipal lots by the end of the year. Furthermore, according to the article, the mayor suggested the city will need a parking [structure] "at some point."

So paid parking AND a lukewarm pledge for a parking garage? Hmm, smells like progress to me. I've gone over my feelings on paid parking before. See here and here. We, as a city, are leaving money on the table by not charging for parking downtown. Not only are we missing out on the revenue generated by parking fees, but the current free-for-all downtown encourages abuse as folks, including myself, roll the dice hoping to sneak a few extra hours over a three hour limit.

(Note to parking enforcement officers. I drive a ... high-end, luxury ... um...sports car. Yeah that's the ticket. A convertible. Yeah, yeah..um...a BMW. No wait, a Jaguar. Yes, a black one. So be on the look out.)

A comprehensive paid parking system not only would tap our many visitors for a wee bit of walking around (and fixing our roads) money, but it also would free up parking spaces by putting loiterers like me (and you, let's be honest) on notice. There are a myriad of other benefits as well

Do you agree, Mayor Moak?

“We believe that we need to implement paid parking,” Moak said, adding that it will not only raise revenue for the city but will discourage people from parking too long in spots with time limits. “We are two percent below the budget level we need to sustain good services. We as a community will have to step up to close the gap.”

Apparently, he does. I didn't think we were always in agreement. Back during the campaign, I recall a question about a parking garage being asked during the debate at the Middle School. In fact, I wrote about it then.

Does the city need a parking garage?
John Moak: No. The Waterside group must build the infrastructure to handle all the parking generated by their project. Talked about partnering with Waterside on a public private garage if necessary. Also identified Prince Place as a possible site of a parking garage if we did need one.

Now, this is my synopsis of his answer. Were there nuances that I missed? I don't think so but if someone disagrees with my summary give a shout. In the answer the Mayor does talk about partnering with the Waterside Group. He also leaves the door open for a parking garage at Prince Place, which is a location that I favor (and I'd been told he favors as well.) However, I've been told building a garage back there would be a logistical nightmare.

Bottomline, the answer didn't give me a lot of hope that we'd see talk of a garage and paid parking this early in the next term. But here we are.

That's not to say I'm 100 percent on board with his plan. As someone pointed out to me, a system that only charges people to parking in the Green Street lot will only encourage cruising around the city streets for free parking, thereby adding congestion.

Seems to me a more comprehensive plan is necessary. We need to charge for street parking as well. Plus, we may have to deal with a system to handle any overflow spilling out into residential neighborhoods and the Tannery.

But all this certainly sounds like a step in the right direction. Good stuff!

I'll address the Waterfront in the next post.

South End Blend

And while I'm steering blog business elsewhere...

When I started this blog I was hoping to bring a fresh eye to some of the long-standing issues facing Newburyport. Unfortunately for you, I'm forced to present my perspective and opinions through clumsily constructed connections of words that occasionally are spelled correctly.

But if you're looking for an actual fresh visual perspective to Newburyport check out South End Blend. The site is put together by newbies like me who have an impressive command of their camera and a really fun perspective on things.

Just a free recommendation, no coffee was promised. I swear.

Karp

Oh and here's the Daily News' take on the Karp visit. Mark you calenders.

Aaargh

Work is killing me today. I've got no time to blog and much to blog about. (The mayor promises paid parking! It's like Christmas morning!!)

So look for more on that soon. Until then, please click over to Mary Eaton's blog for a guest blogger.

Warning. The post isn't Newburyport-centric yet it's still important. Go figure.

And no, there will be no guest blogging here, even during deadline week.

Will the NHS Stadium Be Done in Time?

Save the date, Steve Karp's coming to Newburyport on March 13, according to Gillian Swart at the Current.

The article:

Stephen Karp will be in town to meet with anxious citizens at a public forum Thursday, March 13, Mayor John Moak confirmed Thursday.

Ever since New England Development, Karp’s real estate development company, bought up most of the waterfront/downtown properties two years ago, Karp has been a no-show in the city. He also has consistently refused to speak to the media about his development plans for Newburyport.

Moak said in his inaugural address in early January that the fears around development of Waterfront West had to be quelled. Planning Director Nancy Colbert and Moak have apparently convinced Karp he needs to come to Newburyport.

“We think it’s a good idea,” said Colbert. “I think it will be a good night.”

Colbert said during the forum the city will introduce the New England Development team and both sides will talk about the planning process. There will be no discussion of specifics but Colbert said, “I would expect them to talk about considerations they’re thinking about for their property.”

The location of the forum has yet to be determined due to the expected large number of attendees, Moak said, but Colbert said they are looking at the auditorium at Rupert A. Nock Middle School. The time is also yet to be determined.

From my quick reading of this I can't tell whether or not the presentation will allow for audience questions. God, I hope so or else this might not sit well with the general populace.

The structure of the hearing sounds a bit limited to me, and I still think Karp needs to mingle a bit with the masses including the unscrubbed folks like myself who have no financial or political stake in the actual outcome.

But I give Karp credit for coming as well as Moak and Colbert kudos if they truly convinced him to come up here.

March 13 is a Thursday night so I'll be home watching Survivor. But tell me how things go. I'm kidding. I wouldn't miss this for the world. (Survivor is usually bumped to Wednesday by the NCAA tournament anyway.)

If there is no opportunity for questions, we'll take some more here as we did a way back.

I'll print out a copy of the blog and mail them to his office before the meeting.

Nice bit of detail by the Current.

Kerry, Kennedy: Where Are You?

Here's another solid editorial from the Daily News today calling for Sens. Kennedy and Kerry to get involved in Plum Island's fight to survive.

The editorial is right. This isn't John Tierney's fight alone. This situation warrants the attention of our two Senators.

I can only assume they've been contacted by someone representing the island. The folks there seemingly have left no grain of sand unturned in getting the word out.

If calls have been made I hope we see some real results. A high profile visit would be nice, but it isn't necessary; a little muscle and legislative elbow grease will do.

If the Senators ignore the problem I can only wonder why. This has federal-level disaster written all over it. Well, at least it did prior to Katrina. But even if the Feds take a back seat in the intial response, isn't the Federal government or an affiliated program still the primary insurer for homes on the island?

Someone provide details if they can.

I do wonder how this problem is perceived from the outside. Is there any political appetite or will for rebuilding a developed barrier beach that's succumbing to overpowering natural forces? Or is this simply seen by environmentalist as nature taking its course?

I have no idea. But if the call goes out and no one answers then Plum Islanders might want to spend an hour or two painting "Thanks for Nothing, Senators Kerry and Kennedy" on a bed sheet. These should be stored in a dry place and whipped out if and when they show up with TV cameras to review the damage wrought by the next Storm of the Century.

News from Newton

This doesn't relate specifically to New England Development. However, this blogger does mention some vacancies at the "high end" Mall at Chestnut Hill in Steve Karp's back yard.

I wonder if this speaks to the larger slowdown in retail.

Oh and click here for some accounts of New England Development's dealings with Newton.

Nice stuff.

Fire Truck.....Fire Truck

Fire and financial officials in West Newbury are trying to figure out the best way to purchase a new aerial ladder truck for the town. You can check out the details in today's Daily News.

The timing of the campaign coincides with Newburyport's own fire truck dilemma, as in we need a fire truck (or two) right now but we can't afford one.

Hmmm. Is there any way we can pool our resources?

Before I get blasted, I do recognize the West Newbury and Newburyport are pursuing different types of truck. West Newbury needs a ladder truck. (A neophyte like me might ask how badly given the lack of height in most of the town's buildings. But I suppose their used frequently in house fires?)

Newburyport needs an engine. I'm not sure of the particulars. I'm just going by what I read in the papers.

But Newburyport has a ladder truck. I know this because we've been providing support to West Newbury along with Byfield and Georgetown. I don't know how many calls there has been for a ladder truck in West Newbury since their truck apparently went down. I'm guessing not a lot.

My basic question is this. Does regionalization make sense here? Can our ladder truck provide West Newbury the service it needs in exchange for an annual payment that could help us build out own fleet of engines back up. Could this arrangement be expanded so our fire departments better coordinate their needs and assets?

There may be 10 million valid reasons why this won't work. If so, I'd like to hear them.

But right now, this seems like a prime example of how municipal governments could operate more efficiently and, I think, just as effectively.

Port Officially Withdraws from ADL program

Looks like Newburyport officially with drew from the No Place for Hate Program.

According to the blog "No Place for Denial," Mayor Moak officially sent a letter to the Anti-Defamation League announcing the pull out.

From the No Place for Denial Blog:

In a February 1 letter to the New England ADL, Newburyport mayor John Moak stated that “in wake of … the [ADL’s] failure to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide between 1915 and 1923 as anything other than “tantamount to genocide,” … the Commission has decided to end its relationship with the No Place for Hate program.

Newburyport joins Watertown, Belmont, Newton, Needham, Arlington, Medford, Lexington, Bedford, Westwood and Northampton in ending ties with the ADL’s No Place for Hate program due to the ADL’s failure to unambiguously acknowledge the Armenian Genocide and continued active opposition to Congressional legislation affirming the Armenian Genocide.

It looks like the Daily News last reported on this in November:

NEWBURYPORT - The Committee for Diversity and Tolerance voted 4-1 yesterday, with one abstention, to drop the No Place for Hate program and its sponsor, the Anti-Defamation League, in response to the ADL's refusal at its national meeting last week to amend its policy regarding the Armenian genocide.

Members said they had appreciated No Place For Hate, but the ADL's lack of action was too much. With approval from the mayor, the city would become the eighth in Massachusetts to break ties with the group.

Apparently, the mayor approved of the move since it's being reported that he sent a letter.

I was going to provide more of the Daily News article, but it suggested I needed a Plus Edition, which supposedly no longer exists.

Just a few bugs to work out on the Web site, I suppose.

Home Stretch on Poll

Not a lot of time today so I'll just remind those who haven't voted to vote. Also I wanted to draw your attention to a comment made in the previous post by runswithscissors.

If the city decides it's not the right move politically - that's fine - but claiming we can't afford it is just code for "we don't care"

This comment makes me wish I'd framed the question a bit differently. I should have given people a choice of "No, we can't afford it" or "No, this isn't right." If people are voting for the latter, I can see their point more clearly.

If it's the former I do think Scissors has a point given what's at stake.

The Island does appear to be in danger. I can't say whether or not the fixes being sought will ultimately solve the problem. I fear it won't. But I just wonder if non-islanders do recognize what's at stake.

I still see the $18,000 as a wise investment. I know we're short on money in the city, but the concept of being pennywise and pound foolish comes to mind.

Gotta go. Congrats to the Giants, btw. Pitchers and catchers are only two weeks away!

Cause and Effect

With all the talk of Plum Island, I didn't get a chance to write about the green energy initiative put together by Mayor Moak.

The Newburyport Energy Advisory Committee met on Wednesday to, in the words of the press release, "study, evaluate, and make recommendations to the Mayor regarding energy conservation, energy efficiency and/or conversion to greener energy sources. This mission is consistent with an August 2006 resolution passed by the City Council in support of the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions."

Ari Herzog from the Mayor's office has a report in his blog here. He also links to an article in this week's Current.

No doubt, this is a good move by the mayor. The plight of Plum Island focuses our immediate attention on the effect of global warming, and it should. Did you see the Page 1 photo in today's Daily News? But it's wise to pursue a long-term strategy to cut energy use while saving money as well.

Read the articles if you need more, but I did want to point out one noteworthy item that didn't hit me until I read Gilliant Swart's piece.

Former Mayoral Candidate Jim Stiles sits on the committee. Now I know I'm new to town and therefore chock full of political naivete, so perhaps there's some deeper machination that I'm missing.

But my first and lasting impression, until someone convinces me otherwise, is it's a classy move by Mayor Moak to appoint his former political rival to the committee. And it's equally classy for Stiles to serve.

This Isn't Going to Help

I can't say for sure whether Congressman Tierney has voted on the above poll, but if he has I suspect he'd be voting no.

From Victor Tine's excellent article in today's Daily News:

But Tierney earlier in the day had raised doubts about whether Marlowe's services were needed. He said the full $1.4 million originally requested for the dredging had been approved by the House without any outside assistance.

"Where is the value added of this person?" Tierney said.

That's a very good question.

According to the article, John Moak is taking a measured approach toward the lobbyists fee. He wants to talk to councilors before he decides whether or not to submit a request for $18,000. This is a wise approach, and I think a great start toward warmer Council-Mayor relations.

A handful of councilors did attend last night's meeting, according to the article.

Five of the 11 members of the City Council attended last evening's session: Councilors-at-Large Barry Connell, Donna Holaday, Steven Hutcheson and Kathleen O'Connor Ives, and Ward 5 Councilor Brian Derrivan.