William Wheelwright

Since the Wheelwright property has been in the news again lately, I thought I'd update the Newburyporters You Should Know column to the right with William Wheelwright's very own Wikipedia profile.

The bulk of the profile appears to be lifted from Currier's Ould Newbury.

Just one note, I agree that he might not be too happy with the carving up of his once majestic property.

But, judging by his rather capitalistic existence, I think he would have been more than happy to invest in Todd Fremont-Smith's venture if it had been someone else's property.


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Pizza Vote 2008

The Domino's are falling. The pizza giant can't seem to buy a vote in the tally to your right.

Meanwhile, Papa Gino's, Abraham's, Flatbread's and Famous are all vying for second. Polling ends Friday at 11:59 p.m.

For the record, Park Lunch hasn't scored a hit yet either. But we all know that Pizza isn't their calling card. That would be Ipswich Clams, as the Daily News noted this week.

Pizza Vote 2008

Looks like Nick's is going to McCain the nomination, but there's a brutal battle for second place. And it's far too soon to count out Papa Gino's a--gasp--chain store!

I’m speechless.

I was writing a post stating my take on the development of the Wheelwright property. In short, I really have a hard time getting worked up about it. I got called away from blog work (damn you real life!) And I come back to find out I have a pseudo-ally in Mary Baker Eaton.

Please read her post as I don’t want to represent her point of view. Mary seems to agree that this particular development isn’t actually a stake in Newburyport’s heart.

Here’s my take (and I'm not representing Mary here.) I never understood how this particular parcel earned the designation as being the heart and soul of Newburyport. To be fair, I’ve mostly viewed it from a moving car going up or down State Street. I’ve also driven or walked past the Wheelwright property on High Street.

One can’t get a real sense of the land in either case. But that is sort of my point. This land—breathtaking as Mary describes it—only steals the wind from those who are able to view it. It’s not a parcel that’s truly out there for all to embrace, behold and enjoy.

In my opinion the destruction of the Moseley Woods (I think that’s what they were calling them) at the corner of Merrimac and Spofford did much greater damage to the community. Not only did it rob the city of a graceful, natural entrance at the historic Chain Bridge but it replaced that grace with a pig pile of large homes that don’t necessarily accent the topography of the land. The homes are nice, no doubt, but the project appears left no square inch undeveloped.

In contrast, Todd Fremont-Smith appears to be leaving some significant space open. Furthermore, he kept the Wheelwright house and gardens intact—at least I believe that’s the case—and that seems to be a very good thing to do.

Finally, the Society for the Relief of Aged Women--which owned the house--now has a significant pile of money to be put toward charitable use. I concede this money would have been available if a preservationist group bought the property first, but they didn't. Still, it's worth pointing out the sale of the property is doing some good.

I certainly understand how this project didn’t sit well with neighbors who have enjoyed viewing this unspoiled land for their entire time in Newburyport. I don’t fault those favored few for opposing plans to build five houses on the property. I also hold respect for those people who hold preservation dear and appear to fight for any endangered piece of land.

I just can't get behind them in this particular fight.

High End Homogenization...

On the Web.

Retail Convergence, an operator of ecommerce sites centered around retail, announced a $25 million first round investment from several firms including New England Development.

I'm not sure if New England Development has a broader portfolio of venture-style investments. One fellow on the NED team, Gregory Sullivan, counts "non-real estate private equity activities" among his duties.

Retail Convergence operates two sites right now including smartbargains.com and ... get ready for this... RueLaLa.com.

Nothing really Port related, just interesting.

Farmer's Market

Fantastic idea. Good to see it finally happen. From Ari Herzog's blog.

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Senior Center

We're happy to see Mary Eaton back at the blogging table. Regarding her last post, I've been having similar thoughts for some time, perhaps we can just find some temporary spot for a senior center.

A while back I came up with an idea that I'm sure everyone will hate. But here goes....

Put a temporary senior center in the former future site of Chico's.

I know. It's prime retail site, but it's empty. And, unless there negotiations quietly afoot, the prime Water Street site will be empty for the summer and possibly longer if major retail business continue to suffer.

And, well, the emptiness is kind of depressing.

So let's a bring a little life downtown while we give the seniors some place to be right now. They can park in the NRA's East Lot during the weekend when traffic is thin. (It's suggested that no one uses the lot anyway.)

As for the price, well, perhaps Mr. Karp and the NED posse might be willing to offer up the space temporarily for the low, low price of....on the house.

I told you you'd hate it. But hey, it's Friday.

No Salad for You

A few weeks into my return from self-exile, I called Nick's Pizza to order a large pepperoni.

I never had tried Nick's when I was with the Daily News. Frankly, that stretch of Merrimack was simply a drive-by zone for me. I never really thought I was missing much until I returned and tried Nick's for the first time at the urging of a Port friend.

He promised the best pizza in the city, and Nick's delivered (well, not actually delivered, but I wish they would)

Still, I was new at this. I called to order the pepperoni and thought, what the hell, I'll pretend to be health conscious by ordering a salad as well. I asked the fellow on the phone if they had greek salad (because piles of feta cheese help clear plaque from the arteries. don't know if you knew that)and he quickly snapped.

"No salad. Just pizza."

I was a bit surprised. A pizza place that doesn't serve salad. But then I immediately grew to respect the single-mindedness of Nick's, a true pizza place.

Why am I telling you this? To help explain why I picked Nick's as my favorite pizza place. The pizza simply rocks. Now it's time to vote.

Here's the criteria for the poll. Imagine for a moment you're a death row inmate or some similarly doomed character. You've got one meal left and it has to be pizza. What local establishment will get the call?

I'm going with Nick's.

I recognize neither Flatbread's or Angelina's are in Newburyport. But they're part of my general pizza experience so I threw them in there.

Postscript: I saw a sign on the door of Nick's yesterday announcing they're now serving Garden Salad to Go. I have no doubt that they won't let this interfere with the quality of the pizza.

And while some long-time Newburyporters might see this as yet another sign of some yuppie-inspired aPortcalypse, I'm pretty sure it's just a salad. Who knows, maybe someday I'll get some feta cheese on that.

FYI: I won't be publishing any comments that slam any of the pizza places. It's hard enough to make a buck. I wouldn't want to have someone use my blog to malign someone's business.
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A Worthy Idea

This may cut into my Tuesday Night Drifting Club, but I'll give it a shot.

Pulled this off the SEED email.

Dear Family and Friends,

My son, Will (age 8) and I would like to invite all of you to
participate in what we hope will become a tradition here and perhaps
your town. Starting next Tuesday, April 29th and every Tuesday thru
the summer until October, we will be trying to use bikes instead of
cars for the whole day! Here in Newburyport, we have a unique
opportunity because of the pedestrian scale of the city to reduce our
dependence on oil, improve our health, and have some fun! We will be
biking to and from school and we hope all members of our community
will consider biking instead of driving each Tuesday. If that isn't
feasible, please help by being aware of what we hope will be an
increased amount of bike traffic and exercise extra caution.

Please help us by passing on this message to your friends and we hope
to see you out on the roads!

Happy Earth Day!
Thank you,
Andrew M. Sidford, AIA, LEED AP

Ps. In the event of bad weather, we will bike on Wednesday that week.

I just need to fix my front tire.

Hope for the best.

For all our railing about secret meetings, it's shocking to me that the city isn't in on these negotiations.

The Department of Environmental Protection, the attorney general and New Ventures are close to reaching a settlement over citations and a preliminary injunction issued against the Crow Lane Landfill owner in 2006.

But city officials remain in the dark about what that agreement may be and will remain on the outside looking in until the settlement is signed and officially approved by a judge.

Amy Breton, spokeswoman for the Attorney General's Office, said the agreement is still pending and could offer no other comment.

Unsettling too. Gillian Swart has more on this here.

UPDATE: An emailer points out the city really has no formal role in these negotiations since it doesn't own the landfill site. Fair point, I get that. But still it's worrisome.

Son of a Gun

A chain store is coming to Newburyport. Why hasn't someone done something about this?

All kidding aside, I'm referring, of course, to the Daily News today about the Upper Crust pizzeria coming to downtown. I really have no issue with the business opening on State Street other than we do seem to have an over abundance of pizza places downtown, a situation the article lays out nicely.

I know this will reveal my shameful yuppie roots, but would it kills us to get a place that serves a variety of hearty salads? Could someone get Pluto's on the horn and tell them to open an East Coast location. Or at least copy a page or two from their business plan.

If we are going to get a chain, Upper Crust seems like the kind of chain store folks would prefer: a niche, Massachusetts-based company with locations in a number somewhat upscale locations. Newburyport does seem like a nice fit.

I just wonder how much pizza we can eat.

I'm slapping a poll up for Best Pizza in the Newburyport area. I'll be taking nominations. So far I've got Nick's, Pizza Factory, Leo's, Famous, Angelina's, Flatbreads, Abraham's. I'm not sure if I'll add the chains. I'm also on the fence about Park Lunch since they do so much more.

Any suggestions?

For you folks stuck at work

but eager to enjoy the outdoors. We're happy to introduce: Bloggercycling, the Next New Craze

I don't know who did this, but I love it. The weak bellied may want to keep some Dramamine on hand, but it's a good time.

Cue the Benny Hill theme song in your head...

Bike Ride through Newburyport, Newbury, Byfield

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I Live For This*

What a day. Nothing a big, fat slap in the face reminder of what Newburyport is like in the summer. Simply special.

Downtown was humming as folks rushed to soak in this early splash of summer. And, I might add, as I was walking back from my lunch along the river I noticed there were no, repeat, no available parking spots on the West NRA lot or Central Parking.

On a Wednesday.

In April.

And we don't need a parking garage??

Hmmm.



*yes Major League Baseball I stole your slogan. What are you going to do about it?


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Too bad

I suspect if they had included Bloggers in this study Newburyport would have been number one.

Mess is too kind

I've tried posting an item on the whole water bill issue, but the number of questions, conflicts is moving parts is staggering. Yet I keep coming back to one undeniable truth.

This is a giant shitstorm.

Pardon the vulgarity, I won't make it a habit. But no term comes close to matching the conditions.

Today, the Daily News was kind enough to lay out most of the pertinent issues and questions in its editorial, so I'm going to step aside. Here you go.

Our view: What a mess

Where do you begin when describing the problems with Newburyport's water billing fiasco?

Water bills as high as $18,000, which is more than 35 times the norm. Faulty meters, misread for years. Angry taxpayers. A meter reader who wasn't doing his job — and was disciplined — then promptly retired on a taxpayer-funded pension.

Accusations of mismanagement flung by a city councilor whose daughter works for the Water Department. Accusations flung back at the councilor that he's trying to get a favor for his daughter.

The end result is this — the Board of Water Commissioners wants to wash the problem away by forgiving $670,000 in bills, including a bill owed by one of the commissioners.

Now the decision is in Mayor John Moak's hands.

It's such a murky mess we may never know exactly who caused it, or even if there is a single "who" at whom to point. But that doesn't mean the city shouldn't continue to look.

Anything less would be unfair to the two groups who should matter most — the few hundred people who are facing these outrageously large bills, and the majority of residents who have been apparently paying their fair share for years, and unknowingly subsidizing those who haven't been paying their fair share.

There are many questions that ought to be answered. For example:

Who was managing the employees who gathered the data and compiled the bills?

Is it true that some people called in their meter readings, yet they were not properly recorded? If so, whose responsibility was that?

Why does an employee who admitted to not doing his job get to earn a pension?

Why is a commissioner voting to dismiss his own water bill? Aren't there ethics laws in play here?

Were thousands of people overpaying, for years?

What controls are in place now to prevent it from happening again? And are the Water Department employees qualified to make sure it doesn't happen again?

This is arguably the biggest case of mismanagement the city has experienced in several years. Washing away $670,000 and calling it a "lesson learned" is irresponsible.

The mayor has said that he'll examine the water commissioners' recommendation, and aptly points out that "it is not just a money issue; it is also the methodology issue we have to look into."

It's also a management issue. Can Newburyporters feel confident in their water department? The mayor needs to make sure they can.

I've got some concerns. I received one of those phantom notes on our door after being home all day and wondered how the hell we didn't hear someone at the door when my dog barks at anything that comes close to knocking.

The good news is I've only lived here a year and a half, so any overcharge would be slight. Or would it? What about the two owners who owned the house for the previous 25 years? How religious were they about calling in their numbers or checking their bills to make sure they're right. I have no idea.

Rightly or wrongly, it'll be difficult for voters to separate this issue from other city financial matters (re: override) until many of those questions are answered. So, I return to my initial point.

This is a Category 3 Shitstorm, and it's probably going to hit 4 or 5 before it's all over.

Those Tiny Trees

In your journeys around town, you may have noticed a couple of hundred young trees neatly buried into the city-owned green strips along High Street, Federal Street and many, many others.

Those trees didn't get there themselves.

Those strapping saplings are the end-result of several months of planning by the city's volunteer Tree Committee. Add to that several days of hard work of hauling, digging and planting by committee volunteers (including someone close to this blog), DPW workers and kids and parents from the River Valley Charter School.

Haven't seen anything in the local papers, but it's a praiseworthy campaign that definitely deserves attention and will benefit all of us.

So here's a hearty thanks to those folks.

(UPDATE) Those lucky folks who got trees should water them regularly, about two gallons per week. Perhaps the Daily News could help out with an Around The Town item.

Farmer's Market

Unfortunately, my Earth Day weekend did not include a trip to the Farmer's Market. (We did help clean up Cashman Park.)

As noted in the past, I love the idea of having farmer's market on the Mall during the summer. So let me second Gillian Swart's post here.

Question. I heard from one attendee that this was less veggie and more flowers/herbs? True? If so, what gives.

Frankly, any decent farmer's market should offer a wide offering of foods. I'd like to think there would be a safe and viable way for that to happen.


p.s. Grand Trunk is our favorite shop as well. The Boy likes good cheese, what can I say.


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Clam Shack, Baby

Look.

I like secret meeting talking as much as the next guy, maybe even more, but I have a hard time coming down on the mayor for meeting with the Clam Shack owner. And I certainly can't buy into the "secret meeting" charge put forth by Larry McCavitt in Today's Daily News.

McCavitt says the new hearings are the result of a "secret" meeting in which Mayor John Moak and a city solicitor met with Roland and his attorney. He said the meeting was designed to find a way to get the matter back before the board.

McCavitt said that the meeting was at the least inappropriate, and could also be illegal under the state's conflict of interest law.

"There is something stinky about this and it is not right," McCavitt said. "And that is what gets my Irish blood boiling."

The city councilor says for a city solicitor to "intervene" in such a matter is "highly extraordinary." He said it is not a right applied to other applicants — or even himself in this case. He said, for example, why he does not have the right to also solicit the city's attorney for an opinion.

But Moak — who has previously butted heads with McCavitt on other issues and questioned his tactics — said the councilor's claim "is again one of Mr. McCavitt's interpretation of the laws."

Moak said a taxpayer came to him who didn't believe he received a fair shake at the hearing because of filing errors. The mayor said since he is not an attorney and stays neutral in such cases, he called in the city solicitor to help make a determination, which was to have new hearings.

"It is extremely appropriate," the mayor said. "It would be extremely inappropriate not to listen to that. If somebody feels aggrieved, it is my responsibility to listen to that.

"That comment about unethical, ... it is Mr. McCavitt's style of trying to put a point across without all issues being reviewed," Moak said. "My job was to make sure that if (Roland) had a problem with the procedure, that the procedure was followed."

First off, let admit I know next to diddly about this clam shack issue. I know where it is. I know what it is. I understand the pros, cons and the stuff in between. But as far as behind the scenes machinations, well, I've got no clue.

Amazingly enough, I still have opinions. The primary one being this: McCavitt is way off tossing around a "conflict of interest" charge unless he's got some dirt tying the mayor or ZBA members to this particular piece of property or this particular property owner. That's a pretty big charge and it's one that implies that there's something untoward or even illegal going on, and, of course, that's exactly what he said.

Perhaps my Italian-Iberian blood just has a higher boiling point, but I really don't have an issue with the mayor meeting with an aggrieved property owner, particularly if he or she may be aggrieved enough to threaten legal action. Let's be clear. I'm not sure if that's what happened, but the fact that the ZBA--in the words of Chairman Ed Ramsdell--has to "reset" the hearing to "make sure that the i's are dotted and t's are crossed" suggest the proponent might have a case.

"It is us doing it to make sure it is being handled properly."

Good for them for making sure this is done right.

As usual, Gillian Swart raises some good points in her post today.

Since she's been involved in this directly, I concede she has a closer feel for the situation. But it seems to me her point about the legal opinion misses the mark. From my reading of the News, the question isn't with the decision the ZBA took but rather whether or not the ZBA took every necessary step before reaching that decision.



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Play Ball Indeed

It's safe to say this Daily News video of the Pioneer League Opening Day ceremonies did superior job of presenting the day as any article or Page 1 photo ever has done.

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Also, an excellent job with the National anthem.

Mike's Sub

A crew was out there this weekend giving the building's brick exterior a good scrubbing. I wonder if something is afoot?

Are we on our own?

I couldn't help think about the wrangling over Plum Island when I read this piece from Metropolis Magazine. The premise of the article is both exciting and scary. America's cities--and we're talking about our larger Metropolitan centers--are on their own.

The federal government cannot and will not offer any solutions to the long-term problems facing our nation. From energy conservation to global warming to anti-terrorism measures, we are largely on our own. The inept federal response to Katrina made that abundantly clear on a national scale. Are we seeing as similar dyanamic here on a local level with the severely lacking Federal response to the problems on Plum Island?

From the article:

What struck me while listening to [Maryland Governor and former Baltimore Mayor Martin] O’Malley was the extent to which America’s cities are on their own, taking a leadership role on issues that used to be the job of the federal government. New York City, for example, now has a crack antiterrorism agency within the police department, one that I instinctively trust more than the FBI. And it’s not just in preparation for cataclysmic events like 9/11 or Katrina; cities have stepped up to address issues such as global warming and the decay of our infrastructure.


Last year I interviewed Mayor Gavin Newsom about San Francisco’s ambitious plans for reducing its carbon footprint. He spoke at great length about projects big and small, mentioning a proposal to build “large wave platforms, about a mile off the coast, the size of a football field, that will harness the energy created by the waves.” He talked about “self-contained energy districts,” a setup whereby neighborhoods would collectively generate their own solar power. Some of the strategies he discussed were monumental (and expensive), others were about streamlining the city’s bureaucracy so that alternative -energy projects could move with ease through the permit process.


At one point I interrupted Newsom to ask whether it wasn’t unusual for a mayor—particularly one of a modest-size city—to be taking on global issues, and he told me about the United Nations’ World Environment Day, held in San Francisco in 2005. “When you’re going to get serious about addressing the issues of global climate change, it will be happening, by definition, in urban cores,” he said. “One hundred mayors have now signed up, including the mayor of Tehran. The fact is that we’ve all agreed to these environmental ­principles—twenty-one core principles on waste reduction. We’re basically following these UN environmental accords and doing it in the absence of leadership from our states and respective federal governments.”

Are we at the same point with Plum Island, the dredging of the river and--I hate to say it--any repairs to the jetty that seem to be the cause of the problems. I'm not sure how we could afford such undertakings, but if we are on our own, it's better we acknowledge this fact sooner rather than later.

Great Read

Working on a few other posts, but I did want to recommend a piece by Ron Martino. Nicely done.


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The Booths

Good News from the comments section:

Hi Tom,

I called to get the scoop. New booths with padding have been installed. Now you can get all romantic AND be comfy.

James S

And I don't even live in his ward. That's a public servant right there.

And yes, for the record, I do feel just a bit silly.

The Booths

Still no official confirmation but I've got a third source telling me the booths are gone.

This will never make sense to me.

Retail Reeling

Well, this is getting downright ugly.

New York Times today had an article on the reeling retail market. Things look bleak as major retailers like Levitz, Sharper Image and maybe Linens `n Things file for bankruptcy.

I'm not sure how this will play out. If you go by numbers, national chains aren't projected to close as many stores as they did in 2004 or 2001. And the number of store closings dropped in the following years.

Yet, this economy has a decidedly different feel to it. In fact, from another NYT article:

Indeed, on Friday, consumer confidence as measured by the University of Michigan plummeted to its lowest level since 1982. The drop was attributed mostly to higher fuel and food costs, but consumers’ views on their current and expected personal financial situations dropped to their lowest readings since November 1982 and April 1980, respectively.

Why do we care? Or, I should say, what the hell does this have to do with Newburyport?

Well, first we already lost Chico's. (Boo hoo to some folks I know.) Now I wonder how a sagging real estate market affects New England Development's plans on the water. Do they wait and see or build now in anticipation of a rebound?

Second, if the retail market is this soft I wonder what kind of summer our local stores might have. Might be a good idea to spend your pennies downtown if that's at all possible.

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Start Your Engines

Well, I don't even know a tiny bit about this fellow blogger. Just stumbled on him today.

However, I do know he has some unkind things to say about Community Newspaper Holdings Inc., the owner of our beloved Daily News.

I also know that earning the reputation of "Chainsaw Al" in the merciless newspaper business takes some serious doing...or undoing.

For those unfamiliar with the original Chainsaw.

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Did they really..

take the booths out of the downstairs of 10 Center Street? I hope not.

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Ryan Hops Down Memory Lane

Check out the Tom and Atticus Blog to your right.

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Worth Noting

Stephen Tait's notebook also offered a little more detail on Patrick's visit to Newburyport, which we discussed below.

Patrick's visit was in part to meet with supporters in a closed-door meeting at the Plum Island Roasters and to meet with Costello at his Green Street office.

It also came with a few laughs.

At one point during a tour of downtown when crossing Merrimack Street, Patrick's State Police security detail went into the road to stop busy afternoon traffic and allow the governor and his group — which included Mayor John Moak and Council President James Shanley — to cross unfettered.

"I could get used to this," Moak said. "Usually I have to check four times before crossing

I'm not trying to read too much into this grouping. But it's worth noting that Mayor Moak may nominate James Shanley to an opening seat on the NRA. Gov. Patrick needs to accept the appointment.(I think I have that right. I can't find the original article in the News.)

So it's agreat that Shanley--an unenrolled voter who therefore isn't on any of the "Nice" lists in the Democratic party machine--got some decent face time with the Governor.

And...Action!

From Stephen Tait's account of the recent Democratic Party Breakfast, which included a speech from John Kerry:

Kerry also mentioned the need for the money to help fix the Plum Island erosion problem, a subject that he knows about from a recent visit from Mayor John Moak and Vincent Russo, the chairman of Newbury's Board of Selectmen.

So, Plum Island warranted a mention. That's a good sign. Now let's turn those words into actions.

What kind of freakin day is this?

Rain. Sun. Hot. Cold. Clouds.

Jeez.

Governor's Visit

I'm glad the Governor stopped by for a visit. I'm largely a fan of him if not all his policies. For example, I'm glad his casino proposal is dead, but I appreciate that he's at least trying something.

But if I'm a resident of Plum Island--or just someone concerned--I can't take too much comfort in his answer to the question about the island's erosion problem. From today's Daily News:

Patrick also said he didn't have an intimate knowledge about the erosion on Plum Island. He did say, however, that both the state and the country need to work on global warming initiatives, which some say is helping to erode the barrier island's dunes.

"I'm not satisfied that as a nation we have taken global warming seriously as we need to," he said.

To be fair, the governor apparently came to town to discuss the plans to redevelopment Newburyport's waterfront, an important issue no doubt. But that concern seems a little misplaced when you've got a headline screaming, "Officials put up Jersey barriers, stockpile sand on island," running along the top of the front page. (Note: The online headline is different.)

Also, since I wasn't there I concede there may have been discussions on the issue throughout the day that weren't covered. Frankly, I'm not sure who asked the question about Plum Island. It looks to have been Stephen Tait.

So I'm not here bashing the governor or his vist. Glad he came. But if I'm Plum Islander I might want a bit more.

Here's hoping the question put the issue a little closer to the center of his radar screen.

Brilliant

Weirdly enough my wife and I were just talking about how we might keep our new bike paths from eventually getting crappy.

This should help. Riverside Cycle will give a small percentage of revenue from bike sales and repairs to a maintenance account.

Great idea coming from--or at least being promoted by--Geordie Vining. I've never met the guy but I've heard nothing but great things.

Geordie Vining, the city's senior project manager, said he suggested the idea of being a sponsor of the rail trail to Millet because he has been a strong supporter of bicycle-related improvements in the city.

"I think it's hugely important (to receive private sponsorships like this)," said Vining, who noted Riverside Cycle as the only current sponsor of the trail. "The main point is that one can find grants for capital improvement much more readily than grants for taking care of public facilities. In this case, the idea is that there is going to be this regular, dedicated, reliable revenue stream coming from our sponsoring partner."

I can't understand why other businesses downtown wouldn't want to hope on this goodwill bandwagon, particularly if the bike path brings new visitor traffic downtown.

Town Boards

I'm surprised by this, and I've been surprised from the start.

I didn't think the Conservation Commission, one of the more important environmental protective boards in town, would need to have an item posted in the Daily News about an opening.

I thought in a town like where folks bleed green and sputter endlessly about Earth Day, Sand Dunes, Buying Local, Windmills and Carbon Footprints that there would be a deep bench of folks willing--and more importantly able--to fill any vacancies on the board.

But nothing. Another item ran, then another but the vacancies exists. And then today the Daily News runs this article about volunteerism.

So what gives? I think the article paints a pretty clear picture. Folks are busy. I get that. But I just thought that there would be an abundance of interested and capable folks out there who would want a chance to serve.

I also agree with Doug Locy, former Planning Board chairman, who said serving is an immensely rewarding experience. He's right. I miss my old planning board days.

I may or may not be opening myself up for a "why don't you volunteeer comment." So here's the answer. I will eventually. But I'm not sure I'd be very good at this gig. Plus I'm not eager to serve on the Conservation Commission. One should be eager.

So where are the best, brightest and eager in our seaside city of Green?


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Pultizers are in.

Nothing for the Daily News. (No shame. Most Newspapers don't even win one.) But alumn Beth Daley was a finalist in the explanatory writing category.

Awarded to Amy Harmon of The New York Times for her striking examination of the dilemmas and ethical issues that accompany DNA testing, using human stories to sharpen her reports.
Also nominated as finalists in this category were: Beth Daley of The Boston Globe for her evocative exploration of how global warming affects New Englanders, from ice fishermen to blueberry farmers, and the Staff of the Oregonian, Portland, for its richly illustrated reports on a breakthrough in producing the microprocessors that are a technological cornerstone of modern life.

Living Local

For those who see buying local as some bit of snobbery, we offer this eye-opening offering from Metroplis Magazine.

Here's the question. What will life be like when oil goes scarce. The writer, James Howard Kunstler, provides an extremely plausible answer.

I admit it, I'm a sucker for Doomsday scenarios. I'd be interested in hearing from our resident skeptics on the picture Kunstler paints.

There may be one ray of hope for locals:

In my opinion the overall trend will benefit the smaller cities and towns, but only those that can maintain a relationship with productive farming hinterlands or trade via water. The implications for land-use regulation are obviously huge.

Unfortunately, I don't think we've got enough local farmland left. Perhaps Mr. Karp should go Green Acres and erect a farm along the river. Ultimately, that might be where the money is.

Nicely Worded Award of the Day Goes to...

Stephen Tait, for his "City eyes Water Street Site" article.

O'Regan said it is important to separate those two buildings since one is dirty and the other must remain clean for safety, sample testing and for customers who visit the site.

"It is not the best environment for them to go walking into," he said of the current plant, which often smells of the product it treats.

The idea make a lot of sense. The obvious questions are, how will we pay for this? I assume it would be part of any bonding that's done to repair the site. Still, it's a lot of coin.

I also wonder if it's wise to take such a valuable piece of property off the tax rolls. But I suspect the proximity of a wastewater treatment plant diminished the value just a bit.

Adios Chico's

First Chico's was coming. Then it wasn't. Then it was. Then Gillian Swart wrote about the sign we all saw.

Now it turns out it's not coming.

Daily News reports today that twas the economy that killed the formula-store. Chico's will not be coming to town afterall.

I won't got into my Chain Store-ban schpiel. It's evident enough that Newburyport isn't the first, second or third place that volume-hungry chain stores want to be.

What the?

I really don't know what to make of the news that the new Plum Island Foundation had, in just a few weeks, raised the money necessary to hire the Washington Lobbyist.

I mean, bully for them. I'm happy they're getting this guy on the case. And I'm glad it came so easily.

But I've got to wonder. Why didn't they just do this in the first place?

I recognize it would have been a great deal cheaper to have Newbury and Newburyport cover most of the cost. But didn't the campaign to convince Newbury and Newburyport officials take a few months of valuable time. Wouldn't it have been more prudent to raise as much as they could before approaching our cash-strapped towns.

Once they were rebuffed I figured we'd be looking at a summer of fund-raising. But lo and behold they are nearly done, and they could have raised more.

The fledgling Plum Island Foundation held its first official fundraiser last night, with about 150 people gathered at the Plum Island Grille to nibble appetizers and sip beverages. Foundation board member Robert Connors of Annapolis Way said organizers had stopped selling the $100 tickets to the event after 135 were purchased.

Again, I commend these folks for stepping up. I really do. I just think it might have been more politically prudent to have tried to raise the money privately before approaching the city and town.

Or perhaps the foundation needed the rejection as a rallying cry to get more islanders involved.

In any case, I'm glad they're going to get the help they want.

An Excellent Idea

From yesterday's "Around the Town" News:

City's new Web site ready to launch

Newburyport: Welcome to 2008. In a month or so, paying parking tickets and property taxes will get easier with an upgrade to the city's Web site.

Mark Kavanagh, the city's IT director, said he's been working on a new city site since January, and once it is put online in mid-May, residents will for the first time be able to pay tickets and tax bills online — with bill-paying ability for utilities coming soon after.

The payments will go through a third party, Metropolitan Communications, that specializes in such municipal payments systems.

It is part of an overall effort to modernize the city's "clunky" site, Kavanagh said. The site hasn't been updated since 2003, which, in tech terms, makes the city's site archaic. Beyond paying bills, Kavanagh said the site will be easier to navigate, offer more services and be formatted better.

"It's going to be clear cut, clean," he said. "It's going to be night and day."

Also, coming soon, Kavanagh said: a service that will allow residents to write in complaints — things like potholes — that will be sent along to the appropriate people and departments.

I'm predictably excited by the idea. I want to say it's about time, but I don't think Newburyport is exactly behind the times on this.

Perhaps Kavanagh could work on the Daily News' Web Site next.

I'm officially submitting my application for the position of City Web Site Blogger.

I could use a pension.

References upon request.


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Water Woes Make the Globe

Here's the regional giant's take on the Water Bill problem. $18,000? For real? How the hell does that happen.

I've got a few questions about all of this, but here's one of them.

Is the city required to underestimate usage if people aren't providing usage? Seems like people would have been more likely to remember to call in their numbers if they were presented with higher than typical bills, or at least an amount that fell in the same neighborhood as a bill that wasn't estimated.

I suppose it's a moot question now.

Please take a moment to register your thoughts in the poll to the right.

Journalism Stuff

Just something for news junkies. A somewhat interesting American Journalism Review article about Community Newspaper Holdings Inc.'s and how they free up reporters to do in-depth series.

I haven't seen any of these series in the locals(CNHI owns the Daily News,) but perhaps I missed something.

Of course, I'm not quite sure how much I'd read about America's crumbling highways, so maybe I haven't missed a thing.

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Bike Lane

The vote was closer than I thought. I still don't get why folks would be opposed except for those losing parking places in front of their house. But I think Mary Eaton makes a nice case for why bike lanes and other calming measures are necessary.

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The Secret Plan?

Nope, just a late April Fool's day joke. This actual structure can be found in Columbus, Ohio. But I do think something of this ilk--albeit a tad smaller--would look fine along our river. It would really connect the waterfront to the downtown.

But we've been here before.

Been a bit busy lately, so something had to give. I'll pick up the posting. Meanwhile, there's not shortage of Newburyport-oriented blogs to choose from along the right column.

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