Upper Crust

I'm a Nick's Pizza guy, but I do enjoy the occasional slice of Upper Crust pizza when I'm lunching downtown.  I know. I'm a yuppie.

Anyway, some news involving our local franchise in the Globe.

Bad News for News

I don't know how I missed this last week. From media blogger Dan Kennedy, citing a Boston Globe article (link to article in blog post.)

Second, the Eagle-Tribune papers north of Boston have cut 21 positions at their four daily newspapers and several related publications, writes the Boston Globe’s Todd Wallack. The dailies are the Eagle-Tribune of North Andover, the Daily News of Newburyport, the Salem News and the Gloucester Daily Times. The company is owned by CNHI, based in Montgomery, Ala..

I honestly can't see where the cuts could be, especially among the editorial staff.

Any Nominees?

Katy Ives' victory in the state senate race opens up a spot on the council, one that will be filled in the next few months, according to the Daily News. Steve Hutcheson would be an obvious choice given his finish in last year's election, but let's get some less than obvious suggestions.

Any nominees from the crowd?

Bon Voyage

Well this might help explain why the Prince of Whales wasn't pulled from the water. It's left town for good, according to the Daily News.

Still haven't taken The Boy out on a whale watch trip yet. I hope I get the chance next year.

Election Tidbits

Congratulations to all of you. Turnout was fantastic, according to the Daily News. 

Greater Newburyport voters lived up to predictions, turning out in record numbers yesterday to decide heavily fought races from the Oval Office to Beacon Hill.
Locally, turnout was as high as 87 percent in Rowley and 80 percent in Newburyport, with activity heaviest in the early morning as people lined up even before the polls had opened, causing traffic backups and logjams in parking lots.

Fishman was indeed the spoiler. From Boston.com. Difficult to believe Tisei wouldn't have scored a good deal of that support (assuming they would have voted at all if Fishman weren't on the ballot.)

With all 231 precincts reporting, the Democratic incumbent won about 48.25 percent of the vote to 47.25 for Republican Richard Tisei in the North Shore’s Sixth Congressional District, holding on in a House race ranked by Politico as one of the country’s 10 nastiest. It was also one of the country’s most expensive House races. Daniel Fishman, a Libertarian candidate, won 4.5 percent.

Congratulations to Katy Ives. I honestly didn't think she had a shot when I signed her papers a few months ago. I won't doubt her again. Here's the Daily News report here.

Another Third Wheel

I was trying to revive my blog a few weeks ago by writing a few pieces in advance so I'd get some momentum. Plan never came together, but I did write this one. Today's Tisei-Tierney race reminded me what role a spoiler could play..


---
Anyone remember Eric Elbot?

As reporter at the Haverhill Gazette in 1991-92 I got to cover a bit of the sixth congressional district race when Barbara Hildt's challenged sitting and embattled incumbent Nick Mavroules.

The race seems extraordinary now. Both were Democrats. Hildt was a state representative for Amesbury, Newburyport and Salisbury, the seat now held by Michael Costello. Mavroules had been the congressman for 14 years. This surprises me a bit. To a then 23-year-old reporter from Revere he seemed like he'd held the seat for a lifetime.

Anyway, reading back on the race reminds you how fascinating that campaign was. A Grand Jury INDICTED Mavroules on 17 counts of bribery, tax evasion, influence peddling less than a month before the September primary. INDICTED!

Yet he still beat a credible candidate like Hildt, albeit by only 681 votes. (He's eventually lose to Republican Peter Torkildsen, the man Tierney would defeat two years later to win his current seat. Mavroules eventually pled guilty to the charges and served over a year in prison. He died in 2003.)

Why? Some blamed Eric Elbot, a little known administrator from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government who also ran for the Democratic nomination.

Numerically, they're probably right. Elbot drew 6,823 votes (7%) of the votes. Given Mavroules' troubles it's realistic to think that most of those votes would have gone to Hildt, the challenger, rather than Mavroules, the embattled incumbent.

Anyway, I got to thinking about Eric Elbot when I read the Daily News article about Daniel Fishman, the independent challenger in this year's Sixth Congressional race. Once again, you've got an embattled Incumbent in John Tierney - embroiled in an ongoing scandal surrounding his family's gambling convictions - facing a credible opponent, this time a moderate Republican in Richard Tisei, and along comes the third choice, Fishman.

No one is quite sure how Fishman will impact the race but, as the article suggest, he will be a factor.

Just like Eric Elbot.

Waterfront Meeting

As you may have seen in the paper a few times now, the NRA is hosting a public meeting on Wednesday at the Firehouse to introduce the concept Union Studios Architects has devised for the two waterfront parking lots.

Anyone reading this blog knows where I stand on this (and that I sit on the NRA). I'm also quite familiar with the stance of the few people attending our meetings. What we'd like to hear is some fresh perspective on this vision for the waterfront.

The meeting starts at 7 pm. 

Congrats to Katy Ives

Outstanding bit of campaigning by Katy and Jeff Ives. They are a tireless pair.

Congratulations to Katy and Team Ives.

Take a hike IBEW.

Voting for Ives

Newburyport has a rare opportunity tomorrow. City Councilor-at-Large Kathleen O'Connor Ives is going up against some fairly entrenched competition in her campaign for the state senate seat vacated by Stephen Baddour.

Her opponents in the Democratic primary are from Methuen and Haverhill, two population heavy communities that dwarf our tiny little city. So by every political measure I'd categorize Ives as a bit of an underdog, especially against former Methuen Mayor Bill Manzi.

But this isn't Ives' first uphill race. She ran and won for a seat on the city council five years ago just months after moving to the city. I'd arrived here around the same time and thought she was nuts. That she'd never win a citywide election without a base.

She was right. I was wrong. She was right because she didn't follow convention. Instead of sitting back and letting others do the lifting she decided to roll up her sleeves and to try to help. In an age when so many of us are consumed by our private lives, public life is suffering. Kids need to be coached. City boards need to be filled. Yet so many of us sit back and let "them" take care of things, making a silent vow to ourselves that someday we'll get involved.

Everyday is someday for Katy Ives. By most account she listens, works hard and tries to come up with the most agreeable solution. I haven't agreed with every stance she's taken, but she's done a great job as councilor and she'd do a great job as state senator.

An article in the Daily News on Monday only added to my belief that Ives is the best person for this job. IBEW Local 103, the electrician's union that made a general nuisance of itself for the past year or more, endorsed Manzi.

Like Ives and others, I've got no problem with unions. They've been very good to my family. My grandfather, father and I have all been in unions. But I didn't take kindly to the giant rat, the omnipresent signs and the overall besmirching of the reputation of Anna Jaques Hospital. My son was born at the AJ. We've been so thankful to have a great hospital up the street to care for our kids, and the IBEW crossed way over a line in nearly everyone's opinion - except Bill Manzi's.

Yesterday, Manzi acknowledged that IBEW Local 103’s endorsement could turn off voters here in Newburyport.
“I hope it doesn’t hurt me. But at the same time, they have been very good to me and I respect the fact they are advocating for their members,” Manzi said. “I know that there were issues that made folks uncomfortable. I don’t pass judgment on anything that was done there.”

Well I do pass judgment. All of our elected officials, including Baddour, passed judgment. And while I understand politics requires Manzi to couch his language after getting the endorsement, I don't like the couch.

Ives, to her credit, offered the following.

“I don’t want their endorsement, period. I come from a union household and the way IBEW Local 103 conducted themselves in Newburyport was a disservice to unions,” O’Connor Ives said. “The representatives from that union were disruptive and rude to the residents of Newburyport for months on end because they were unhappy with their dealing with Anna Jaques Hospital. I don’t know if Mayor Manzi is aware of that, but I am.”

So are we. Newburyporters, this election is your chance to pass judgment and vote for Katy Ives.

Someday is tomorrow.

Perspective

Serving on the Newburyport Redevelopment Authority has been enlightening. I've never served on a public board that gets this much attention. It's a tad stressful, I must admit. It's also fascinating to discover how, in the eyes of many in the public, one morphs from a healthy, reasonable adult to someone who is greedy, dimwitted or has a hand in one pocket or another.

It's been a bit chilling too. I've probably been overly cautious with my blog because frankly I don't feel like upsetting anyone right now. I've also been crazy busy at work and trying as hard as I can to enjoy my off-time with the family. You folks probably don't realize it, but blogging takes some work.

But it's been a valuable experience particularly as a writer because you get to see things from the subject's perspective.

Take today's article in the Daily News. It was a fair enough account, but even I find myself picking at how things are represented. For example, the article says "several residents" were on hand. Going by the old standby of one being one, two being a couple, three constituting few and more than three constituting several I guess that's true. There were four residents in the audience, which is the number we typically welcome at every meetings (often it's the same people at every meeting too.).

Still, several sounds different than the four (five if you include a Newbury resident) who were in attendance. (A sixth person was there, but he sat off to the side and never spoke. Another reporter?)

Then you read the comment from former Mayor Mary Carrier about her concerns that if "condominiums are part of a commercial mix on the NRA land, the new residents might complain about social activities. “We don’t want to have to give up events like Yankee Homecoming or evening concerts because of residential complaints,” she said.

I believe I replied that neither do we. In fact, our intention is to increase community activity along the waterfront, not diminish it.  And I'd love to see many repeats of the night the Bounty came to town. 

But that point didn't make the article.

Just interesting.

And then later on the article states.

Several other residents said they were concerned that new structures would block views or perhaps take existing parking places.

Again, it was the same four Newburyport residents (including Mayor Carrier) and one Newbury resident were there. (I know them all by name, but won't name them. They're all very nice and it was a good conversation.) But a "several" plus a "several other" makes it sound a bit more forceful, at least in how I'm reading it. But I've got a different perspective on things.

Anyway, I highly recommend joining a public board to anyone who thinks they have all the answers. The perspective is refreshing.

And if you're a reporter of events, trying getting written about some time.

Finally, if anyone is still reading this blog, please consider this. If you're at all in favor of seeing something done along the water please get involved. Attend the meeting at the Firehouse on Sept. 12 at the very least. (7 p.m. start.) But also start attending our regular meetings as well and listen for yourself.

You might get a new perspective on things as well.

Beer

This simply might be the greatest thing written in the Daily News ever.

Heard this was coming down the pike, but nice to see some meat to the story. Great building for a brew pub. I suspect it'll be huge.

Grrr

I just went to spend my hard earned bucks at a local place but they were closed 15 minutes earlier than they were supposed to. I just hate that.

Meals on Wheels

Last month, following the special election, we all patted ourselves vigorously on our backs for passing the debt exclusion questions to enable the city to build the new schools and, pertinent to this post, the senior center.

We told ourselves we were taking care of our more vulnerable members, and we were.

Now we have a chance to do it again.

As Ward 3 Councilor Bob Cronin reminds us....

There have been several news articles about the plight of the Meals on Wheels program run by the People's United Methodist Church.  They are in dire straits trying to keep this program going.  They service about 100 people per day five days a week.  PUMC gets $100.00 per month from the Meals on Wheels national program, yes you read that correctly… one hundred dollars total a month.  They spend about $1600.00 per month.  I have expressed my concerns in Council Chambers and am trying to grasp why there is no funding from the City coffers. If you can spare a couple dollars please make checks payable to PUMC, write MOW Program on memo line.  Donations can be mailed to PUMC, 64 Purchase St., Newburyport, MA 01950.

The Daily News first wrote of their plight a few weeks ago. I couldn't find the link to the article, but here's  the letter that likely inspired it.

Our church has been facilitating the Meals-On-Wheels program for eight or nine years now and would like to continue doing so until the new senior center, which the voters of Newburyport recently approved funds for, is completed in 2015. However, over the past several years, the finances of our church have declined considerably. In fact, we have now reached the point where we will no longer be able to offer our church as a site for the Meals-On-Wheels program if we cannot secure some outside financial assistance. This would be a tremendous loss for the elderly citizens of the Greater Newburyport community.  

-Pastor Rusty Davis, People’s United Methodist Church, Newburyport

 What I found most compelling from the article is the fact the church, which is facing a declining membership and some uncertainty, used the money it received in the sale of historic weather vane, to fund the program. But the money is nearly gone.

What outstanding generousity.


Last month, 3,200 people in Newburyport voted to allow the city to borrow the money necessary to build a new senior center. If we each give $1, one hundred elderly or disabled people receive hot meals for the next two months.


If we each give $10, well, you do the math.


Let's do the right thing again.

Going Downnntown....

Okay, a few observations from my recent strolls downtown.

• Beer taps at the former Fowle's look great, just like the belong. A great pile of kudos to the owners of 17 State Street. Nice addition to the downtown, and the coffee - while not fantastic - is solid. But room for improvement there.
• What's with the symmetrically placed Stonewall Kitchen bags in the empty storefront a door or two up from Ganesh? At first I thought someone left their trash in the window, but there's an apparently empty bag sitting equidistant from the center of the door. Is this a sign of things to come?
• As much as I oppose chain store bans, I'm having trouble getting behind the stores themselves.  The new frozen yogurt place on Market Square has drawn some rave reviews, but I'd still prefer going to Grams (or the Gelatto place when I'm feeling fancy.)
• The waterfront was absolutely buzzing on Saturday night. The Bounty and movie on a Market Landing Park were welcome additions.

That's it. Lame blogger, signing out....oh, and wish a Happy Birthday to Mary Baker Eaton.

Greenhead Greenhorn

I don't mean to suggest reporters these days are a bunch of sissies, but today's article in the Daily News reminds me that, when I wrote my first greenhead story in 1993, Editor Cal Killeen ordered me to head out Plum Island, interview a few folks, and allow myself to get bit.

I still remember watching the little bastard take a chomp.

I'd link to the article but, of course, we didn't have the Internet back then. Good thing too, it ran with a rather cheesy photo of me smacking imaginary bugs with my reporter's notebook.

Actually, those were good days.

Great Meeting

Just a quick note to thank everyone who came to Saturday's session at the Firehouse. The ideas were flowing; the minds open. Quite an invigorating experience.

Things that Confuse - So Called Consenus

The debate over whether to develop the open parcels of NRA land into a park or a park with some commercial structures is worthwhile land use discussion. But one of the contentions of those supporting the development of a park is the notion that the public on three different occasions indicated they preferred the former over the latter.

Yes, there were three separate surveys: 1987, 2000 and 2006. Let's look at them.

1987 - With the specter of urban renewal and the series of ill conceived projects that had been selected for the waterfront, voters - in an unbinding referendum on the ballot - did overwhelmingly favor park over development of any kind. Point conceded. But this polling took place 25 years ago. If people's opinions haven't changed over that time, the people certainly have. I'd say the majority of people in Newburyport didn't even live here.

2000 - This is actually the only time residents - in a questionnaire submitted in the census - were asked to choose between parks, park and commercial development or all commercial development. From the Daily News:

Close to 8,000 surveys were mailed, and 4,011 were returned, then-NRA Chairman Mary Lou Supple said.
Of those, 49 percent of respondents wanted a "park only" on the property. About 37 percent wanted "park and commercial" use, and 8 percent said "commercial only."
In a separate mailing to business, 43 percent of 162 respondents wanted "park and commercial" use, 42 percent said "park only," and 15 percent said "commercial only."

Forty-nine percent wanted park only. Not a majority. Certainly not a clear majority. Meanwhile 45% (37%+8%) indicated they wanted some level of development on the water.

So the vote went down 49% in favor of park to 45% accepting some level of development. Seems split down the middle.

2006 - Finally, this survey need not even apply. It merely asked if residents wanted a park or parking lot. No mention of development. Again, from the Daily News:

Results show that 398 people supported entirely parking on the lot, 1,756 support an expanded park with up to 200 parking spaces, and 1,389 support a park with up to 100 parking spaces. About 400 surveys contained no response.

Yes, the park did win out. But the census cited the park as costing $1.5 million, the least expensive of the three options which no doubt added to the appeal. Ultimately, the NRA's pursuit of building a park revealed it actually would cost upwards of $5 million to build the park.

In conclusion, the only survey to support the park proponents claims is 1987. I graduated high school in 1987. Believe me, people change. Believe what you will about the fate of the waterfront, just please don't accept the claims of popular support without considering these facts.

Things that Confuse - Historical Claims

Using the cut out piece of card board test and a Google Map (above) the two NRA lots and Market Landing Park cover roughly the same geographic area as almost the entire downtown, with the boundaries being Merrimack, Green, Pleasant and Center.

Therefore, if we were to turn all of the NRA Lots into park or paved parking lot, our geographic downtown would actually be more than half park and parking lot if you include the Green Street lot.

More than half of the downtown would be parking lot and park.

I just don't see how that's historical.....or good for the downtown.

You ARE They

Or as the kids might say, UR THEY.

Just an FYI, if YOU happen to be one of those folks who say, THEY really need to do something with the dirt parking lots along the water than this is your time.

The City of Newburyport and the Newburyport Redevelopment Authority are working together (and with the State) to craft a vision of the two lots, with the hopes of expanding our existing park and connecting our historic downtown to the waterfront.

If you agree something needs to be done with those lots, you've gotta get involved. Schedules are tight, I know. But the next few weeks and months will be critical if we're going to do something down there.

Please don't sit tight and assume your voice is being heard.

Here's a link to my letter to the editor in today's Daily News.

If you read this blog regularly you know where I stand. All or nothing approaches never work. We need to compromise.

Now let's hear where you stand, this Saturday at 10 am at the Firehouse. The NRA will have a presentation by urban planner Union Studios. A casual Q&A session will follow during a walk on the water.

Please attend Saturday, speak up, and set aside some times for future meetings. It's pretty important.

Globe Article

Nice write up on the intentions of Port Pride. Includes a reference to this blog, which is always very nice.

Important Stuff

O'CONNOR IVES CAMPAIGN KICKOFF FUNDRAISER
Saturday, June 9 at 7 p.m.
Newburyport Art Association
65 Water Street

Join the O'Connor Ives Committee at the Newburyport Art Association, 65 Water Street for the official launch of the campaign to elect Kathleen O'Connor Ives to the State Senate for the First Essex District. Enjoy food by Oregano Pizzeria & Ristorante, great art, and music by Michael Pellecchia & Dave Blakeslee. All are welcome. Contributions to the O'Connor Ives Committee are gratefully appreciated.

For event details visit: http://www.voteforives.com/events

For more information or to RSVP, contact the campaign at: info@voteforives.com | 978-462-0678 | www.voteforives.com

------

Nominations are open!
The fourth annual Yankee Homecoming Youth Community Service Award will be presented to a high school senior and a high school junior who either lives in, attends school in, or volunteers in Newburyport; demonstrating a strong commitment to public service, volunteerism and dedication to a cause. One winner from each grade level (11 and 12) will receive a $250 savings bond award and a $50 Newburyport Chamber of Commerce Gift Certificate in recognition of their contribution to the community. The award winners will be introduced during the Opening Ceremonies of Yankee Homecoming on Olde Fashion Sunday, July 29, 2012. Award winners will be recognized throughout Yankee Homecomingfestivities.

Deadlines
The nomination period begins May 22, 2012.
All nominations are due June 14, 2012.

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Newburyport has been chosen as a Solarize City by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC).  Under the Solarize program, home and small business owners can contract to have a solar photovoltaic (PV) energy system installed at their home and/or business through September 30.  The more that participate, the lower the cost for everyone.  It's a tremendous deal, one likely not to be repeated anytime soon.  So if someone has ever thought about "going solar," the Solarize program may be their best opportunity.

June 12, 7 pm, City Hall: Solar 101 is the kickoff meeting where representatives of the local Solarize volunteer organization and MassCEC will explain how solar energy works, the various financial incentives that make solar PV more affordable than ever, and how Massachusetts is driving toward higher adoption of solar PV for a better environment, to create local jobs, and to help residents save energy dollars.  This meeting will not be a sales pitch, but an informational session to discuss how the program works, and will inform attendees how to proceed if they're still interested and if their property is a good candidate.

More information about the program can be found at www.SolarizeNewburyport.com and at www.SolarizeMass.com/Newburyport.  More info about Solar 101 can be found at http://bit.ly/solarflyer  Interested residents can send an email to SolarizeNewburyport@gmail.com indicating their interest so they don't miss out on information as it becomes available.

I'm Sorry

I had every intention to go to the Custom House tonight to hear the commander of the USS Constitution speak on the ship's historic role in the war of 1812. Sounds like a DYNAMITE event.

But my best bud called this morning to offer me a ticket to see a more current war - Celts vs. Heat.

This may not top the exhilaration of watching the Celts win on Tuesday night with the rest of the Port Pride revelers, but I'll manage to have a good time.

But you should totally go to the Custom House.

Holy Smokes

The Atrium mall at Chestnut Hill, built and sold by our city's principal property owner New England Development a long time ago, has been sold for a mere $50 million. It'll be converted into medial offices, according to the Boston Herald.

Very distant connection to Port, I know. But I found it interesting.

Newburyport Native ...

gone wild.

Don't worry. It's clean. Just a Boston Herald Article.

A New Day Dawning?

Earlier this week I was quite confident the debt exclusions questions would pass, at least for the two directed at funding the building projects at the Nock and Bresnahan. I wasn't as sure if enough voters wanted to build a Senior Center, but that ultimately did pass as well  with healthy but hardly overwhelming degree.

But I'm a firm believer in jinxes so I shut my mouth.

Now, with the most excellent results in hand, I can write this post with confidence. The Port Pride Community effort was, without a doubt, one of the better run political operations I'd seen. The group was passionate, very well organized, methodical and took nothing for granted even up until the closing minutes when they rallied the troops to make the final rounds of phone calls to voters who had been identified as likely yes votes.

How did it work out. The Daily News reports that 44 percent of voters turned out for a special election. This saddens me to say, but that's an astounding turn out in this day an age. Last November's election - in which we reelected Mayor Holaday, approved a charter, and elected the current council - only drew 29% of the voters.

The election prior to that pitted then Candidate Holaday against challenger James Shanley, a clash of two spirited and well-run campaigns. And that drew only 37%.  (See more details in my Newburyport Today column.)

As I said, astounding.

Even prior to knowing the success of the effort, I'd planned to write a column imploring the organizers of Port Pride to keep at it to avoid the temptation to disband and to melt back into our suburban wilderness of soccer games and school meetings. No doubt, those things are vital to our families and our community. But Newburyport will be stronger and better if the people who made last night possible keep on their political pilot lights and maintain a strong interest in community.

Then, at last night's celebration at David's Tavern, I realized such a post wasn't necessary. The Port Pride folks get it. They know what they've created, and, most important, they've tasted success.

I'll resist the urge to tap into hyperbole. I won't offer up predictions of "seismic shifts" and other potential overstatements, but I'm feeling quite confident that this town won't be exactly the same again.

And that's a great, great thing.

Port Pride, Indeed.

Go Vote!

Egads

I dreamt last night that I forgot to vote in the city's June 5 election. It was horrible. Please don't relieve my imaginary horror.

(I actually did. Honest.)

The Daily News offers a few comprehensive articles.

Speaking of Mitt Romney

Sycamore Partners, a private equity firm, is buying Talbot's for $369 million, according to a report on Boston.com.

No word on whether the soon-to-be private company will retrench and close more stores, including our store on Green Street.

But the struggling chain already had closed 90 stories since March 2011.Maybe this deal will reverse things.

Odd ending to CVS

I've generally been a proponent of the proposal to build a CVS at the intersection of Storey Ave and Low Street, but I have a difficult time arguing with the final outcome of Tuesday's council meeting.

The council was right not to suspend the rule requiring two readings, as reported in the Daily News. Any effort to circumvent the rules - no matter how good the intentions of the sympathetic councilors - would have been an unfitting end to such a controversial issue.

I hope the entire proposal can come back again to the council. Didn't sound likely.

As an aside, why is no one building on that large empty lot sitting off Storey Ave near Port Plaza?

What if...

you read my column on what ifs on Newburyport Today.

Just got an interesting phone call

I typically avoid phone calls with odd phone numbers, but I just took this call. A woman caller - with a slight Southern accent - asked me if I could take a three-question opinion poll. I said sure.

1. Are you voting for Barack or Mitt Romney?
I told her I was probably going to vote for President Obama.

2. Are you voting for Elizabeth Warren or Scott Brown?
The Barack thing pissed me off a bit, so I said Elizabeth Warren (and that may hold true.)

So I'm thinking this is some kind of National GOP poll. Then came ....

3. In Newburyport are you in favor of the proposed Local Historic District.?

I said I was.

Then I asked, who was funding the question. She claimed she only knew it came from "Voter Research."

Finally (and yes, this is a fourth question) ...

4. Do you support the debt exclusion question for the schools and senior center? (I'm paraphrasing here.)

I said I did.


Anyone else get a call? Any insights on the source?

Exit, Stage Left

A bit of research keeps bringing me back to old posts on this blog. I do miss the vitality we once had here. I keep trying to bring it back, but I've got too much going on right now.

Anyway, we'll keep trying.

Happened upon this little ditty about high end Boston jeweler Shreve, Crump & Lowe. The Boston Globe article details some labor charges facing the company, but the interesting element for me centered around our "Billionaire Steve Karp's" investment in the company.

He apparently had a stake in the jewelry store before exiting last year.

Karp, who along with his partners invested an undisclosed sum in Shreve’s, said he had no involvement in operations and was unaware of the federal investigation.

“It hadn’t been financially successful,” he said. “We didn’t want to keep putting more capital in the business. We were happy to get out of it.”

Says to me that Karp isn't afraid of pulling out of a deal if the numbers don't swing in his favor. Doubt that will ever happen here, but who knows. He acquired most of the downtown seven years ago (2005). That's a long time to a dog and to an investor.

One has to think his firm, Newburyport Development, is making money from the shops, restaurants and marinas. But is operational revenue enough?

Did I miss this?

Item on Boston.com

Amesbury, Chelsea, and Newburyport have adopted union-backed changes to their employee health insurance plans that they say will bring much-needed savings.

Port Pride Coffee

A very nice woman, Michelle Piotrowski, sent a very complimentary email.

I respond positively to compliments.

I am writing to let you know that I am hosting a coffee on Friday May 25th at 10AM. Someone (TBD) from the city and Port Pride folks will be here as well to answer any questions people have.

I am doing the coffee then, to take advantage of the window of time that the preschool crowd has, but littler kids are welcome.

I live on Bartlett Dr, which is off Turkey hill Rd, and  I can be reached by email michellepiotrowski@me.com or at 978-255-2179.

Would you mind posting this on your blog? I'd love to get a good turn out.

 There you go.

For a complete list of events, go here.

Port Pride

Nice letter in the paper today about the need to vote on June 5.

In fact, it leaves me wondering...why isn't every parent of school aged kids carrying signs and pushing for this question.

I understand some people oppose the project, and I respect their various reasons even if I don't agree with them.

But if I can send my kid to a new school for $30 a month tops, I'm finding a way to pay for that.

Meet the New Brez

I thought the dogs and ponies performed well last night at Mayor Holaday's school forum.

For those who haven't seen a picture of the proposed Bresnahan School, here you go...

For those without any sense of humor (or sense at all), that's actually the Garfield School, where I spent grades 5-8.

A fine place to attend school; a GREAT place to play stickball.

Anyway, no real revelations. As I noted in the comments to the previous post, the Solar Panels on the Nock will be used again. In fact, since the school's heat will be converted from electric (!!!) to gas (I think) the solar panels will be able to produce a great deal of the school's electricity.

Other revelations...
* Murphy Road, which will serve as an access point to the new school, will be upgraded with sidewalks and new sewer pipes, all part of the costs.
* The city, according to the reimbursement formula used by the state, has done a nice job of maintaining the buildings it currently has. In the eyes of the state, this isn't an issue of neglect.
* The fields behind the middle school will be upgraded to compensate somewhat for the loss of the fields at the Bres. (The new school will be built on the playing fields; the senior community center will stand where the current school does.)
* People seemed concerned about the bathrooms. The youngest kids will have a bathroom in their classroom. The older kids will not.
* The amountless ballot questions are required by the state.
* The Nock estimate went up from $17m to $27m because the city couldn't have a solid estimate done until the state gave a green light for reimbursement.
* Both schools will be highly energy efficent.

Let me know if I missed something. I attended the first part of the meeting, but The Boy was hungry (swimming lessons followed soccer practice followed by sign holding will do that to you) so I watched the rest from home. It's probably on cable if you're interested.

All in all, it's a good presentation. The one killer piece of info would be the anticipated cost of repairing, maintaining these buildings as they are for the next 20 years. Roofs, electrical systems, windows, skylights and many other things will need to be replaced or repaired. How much would that cost?

If we had that info, we could say, "We're going to be spending XX million anyway. So why don't we spend a little more and get two entirely new school buildings that will serve the community well for the next several decades." That seems like a winning argument.

Here's the actual picture, btw.

What's Wrong with Some Division?

Look, Newburyport folks don't agree on everything.

Yes, we love our town. Yes, we think it's the best place in the world to live. We have each other's back if someone needs help.

We care for each other. We really do.

But we don't agree on everything.

An outsider looking in might snicker at our hot button issues.

• Should we have a big park on the waterfront or a REALLY big park.
• Should we have protections for our huge inventory of beautiful historic homes or shouldn't we?
• Should union electricians have been hired to do the work on the expansion of our excellent community hospital?
• Should residents pay $5 a year - or visitors 50 cents an hour - to park downtown?
• Should we change zoning to accommodate the development of land that's adjacent to our commercial sector while preserving 20 or so acres of open space.

The answer to each question involves several shades of gray, but the above give succinct summaries of our larger controversies.

All in all, if those are our major disagreements. I think we're in pretty good shape.*

So let's put up our yard signs. Have spirited discussions. As long as we're respectful and peaceful I see nothing wrong with a little divisiveness.

At the end of the day, this will still be the best place in the world to live. I think we can all agree upon that.

*The one issue seems fairly black-and-white to me - the sorry state of our public school buildings. I'm a full support of the debt exclusion questions and I'll post more on this after I've toured the schools. To me, this falls under "having each other's back if someone needs help."

NRA Meeting

We interrupt this nonsense for a public service announcement.

The Newburyport Redevelopment Authority, upon which I sit, is meeting TOMORROW night, not Wednesday night.

We'll be hosting Jamie Fay from Fort Point Associates. He's reviewed all the legal entanglements that rund up down and all around the two NRA lots, and he'll present his findings tomorrow.

These restrictions - some are based on court-defined historical "ways" to the waterfront or existing state waterfront regulations - could significantly impact any development on the waterfront.

Please attend. 7 pm at the Library's Program Room.

Visit to Flagstaff

Here's my latest on Newburyport Today. A little bit of travel writing with a Newburyport twist.

Wasn't them

This is a fairly decisive response to one of the oddest letters of the LHD debate.

Please note the original letter drew 10 comments, all from people assigning their names to their words.

Ah, the end of Anontyranny. Anonymousity?

Still working on it....

Give it Time

I've steered clear of the Local Historic District discussion for three reasons.

First, Mary Baker Eaton and Jerry Mullins are pushing my position quite well on their blogs, so I really had little to add to make the discussion any more constructive.

Second, I also am listening to the opponents. I can't accurately project their numbers, but clearly a number of people along High Street have an issue with the current LHD proposal. Their voices should be heard.

Third, as folks like Ari Herzog have pointed out, there really isn't a proposal yet. It's hard to argue over a concept when the meat will be in the final details.

But this morning's Daily News presented a new point of view worth highlighting. In this letter to the editor, Jared Eigerman, who says he represents the Citizens for Historic Newburyport, makes a good case for toning down the rhetoric a bit now that both sides have made themselves known.

We regret the distraction caused by a battle of lawn signs, but it would have been foolish for our group not to distribute "yes" signs in response to the "no" signs. Both groups have now shown that they have support in the community. Our hope is that the councilors can cut through the noise and emotion and debate the pros and cons of the LHD concept rationally.

For our part, while our group supports the concept of an LHD, by no means do we believe that it is ready for a vote "as-is." Although the study committee was formed years ago, the electorate wasn't really engaged until recently, and their elected legislators still have nothing in front of them to consider.

Fair point. I know opponents to the LHD like to suggest the plan was drawn up in secret, but that's far from the truth. The committee operated in the open. The public just didn't notice.

But they've noticed now. Many have offered their feedback, and there's still much to talk about. But we definitely need to see this process through to the end.

I'd like to let the LHD Commission complete their work before deciding just as we gave the Charter Review Commission the opportunity to submit their proposed changes to the city's charter.

Let's allow the commission to finish up an actual proposal that can be dissected and analyzed.

Let's allow the Council to make a decision based on all the facts at hand, not just a foggy notion of what a LHD actually means.

At the end of the day, we may find that the argument may be binary with no shades of gray. People may be for or against an LHD of any kind, but I don't think the day is over yet.

Rumble Rumble

Local guy in the know Bill Harris made an appearance before the NRA last week, advising them (including me) of some progress in the discussions of having the US Parks Service taking on a role downtown. (See the post on the NRA blog here.)

In his comments, he suggested that the city had been hoping to get some grants from New England Development to aid the process, but NED only provides such monies for active projects, of which we haven't been.

But Harris suggested - rather off the cuff - that the status could change later this year.

It didn't sound like he knew of anything in particular, just piqued my interest is all. Stay tuned.

Speaking of NED, I had the chance to visit Pinehills in Plymouth this past weekend. I just did a quick drive through and stopped at the market for some snacks to enjoy on the way home from the Cape. I have to say it's not at all reminiscent of Newburyport, a very different project.

North End Yard Sale

Hey Folks,
The neighborhood is teaming up to hold our annual Yard Sale Extravaganza tomorrow, Saturday, from 8:30-2:30 on many streets including Oakland, Walnut, Jackson, Carlton, Collins, Broad, California and Tyng.

Hope to see you there.

From Katie O'Connor Ives

Please note that on Tuesday, April 17th at 7:00 pm in City Council Chambers, the Planning & Development Committee of the City Council will be holding a public hearing on the request to rezone two parcels on Storey Ave. from residential to business zones.  A representative from Tropic Star development who is proposing a CVS at the rezoned area will be available at this hearing to answer questions.

What the what?

Well, we're coming up on two months since my appointment to the Newburyport Redevelopment Authority, and I have to admit,it's been an interesting experience.

Things look a bit different from the other side of the table, when you've got a bit of yourself vested in the outcome.

Today's Globe story on the waterfront lots is Exhibit A.

The article gives a fairly standard overview over the disagreements on what to do with the lot. No real complaints there, but the picture that ran alongside the article. 

What the heck were they thinking?

I typically defend mistakes in newspapers as just part of an imperfect - but important -process. But this picture is difficult to explain.

Boggles the mind.

Anyway, let me take this opportunity to introduce you to the newest blog on the rol1 - the NRA Today. We'll be using it to keep people informed about what's going on downtown. 

Please visit often.

Brown Sugar

Well, a query on Facebook by Councillor-at-Large Ari Herzog about the fate of Andaman Thai restaurant led to a ramble of comments that revealed a new restaurant is coming to town - Brown Sugar. Sounds very promising.

Speedy Recovery

to Barry Connell who apparently suffered a minor stroke.

Walk Your City

I love this concept for Newburyport.

Above is a pitch for money at Kickstarter.com.

When one door closes

While many will miss Fowle's newsstand, it's worth noting that its demise might benefit two other local institutions - Jabberwocky Books and the Book Rack. Jabberwocky posted this on Facebook today.

Jabberwocky Books Already missing Fowle's? Come in and check out our eclectic selection of magazines. If you're looking for something you don't see, ask Paul about it. If we don't carry it yet we may be able to pick up your favorite title.

Book Rack is undergoing serious renovation. I've heard it may add a magazine rack as well. I hope so, it's a smart idea.

Belated Bravo, Daily News

The best advice I ever got as a young reporter came during an internship at the Statehouse. I was sitting across from the Associated Press reporter one day. He asked if I was enjoying myself. I was a BU kid covering John Silber's bid for governor so I was enjoying the hell out of it.

While he was glad to hear it, he told me the best place to start off a journalism career is a small town. His rationale: You want to start writing in a community where you'll see the subject of your article the next day on the street, a place where you know you'll need to answer for whatever your wrote so you'd work extra hard to be fair and accurate (In his words, "a place where the Mayor might punch you in the mouth for what you wrote in the paper.")

We've lost a lot of that in today's culture where anonymity supposedly fosters "courage" and vitriol is offered up as "truth."

That's why I'm thrilled the Daily News finally pulled the plug on the ability for readers to post comments anonymously.

The online comments section had become a stewing pool of bile and venom. I didn't see any constructive coming out of name calling, accusations and manipulation. It didn't serve as an honest exchange of ideas. At best, it offered people a place to dump their garbage and go. At worst, it was twisted competition in rancor and attitude.

No doubt, the decision has diminished the volume of comments on Daily News articles. A study by Disqus, which sells the comment management system used by the Daily News and others, declared that "Pseudonyms Drive Communities," suggesting that posters using fake names generated the highest quantity and quality posts (as measured by likes and replies.)
Those armed with pseudonyms contributed more heavily to discussion boards than those who posted using the Facebook IDs or even those who signed on as anonymous.
Despite the Disqus report, I'm confident the value of the comments will skyrocket. I doubt we'll all be holding hands and singing hymnals at the end of the day, but at least we'll know where other people stand - and we'll know those people actually do exist.

For those who are crying about your freedom of speech, this does nothing to hamper that. You still have every right to say what you feel on the Daily News site, just own your opinions.

Or start a newspaper. Then you can understand how easy it is to put out a paper on a regular basis.

You can also go the anonymous blog route, there is an opening. My counterpart, the P. Preservationist, renamed his blog Brick and Tree. And while he's not declaring his name on the site he is now out in the open as a blogger.

His name is Jerry Mullins.

Everyone say, "Hi Jerry."

Do we know what's going there?

This tidbit is interesting. In the Daily News' building permits list:

253 Low Street Redevelopment LLC/Great Woods Post & Beam, 255 Low St., install a foundation for a new office building, $23,000 

Just behind the lot lies the Woodman property that may or may not be part of a CVS deal. This lot, which I believe had been up for sale for some time, could have served as a point of entry (or second point of entry) for any CVS project.

Welcome Baack

Glad to read the confirmation of a rumor in today's Globe. Cathy's Kitchen is coming north to take over Fowle's.

And the sign is staying.

Win-win.

Speaking as a patron to many downtown eateries and a semi-frequent visitor to Cathy's I offer this bit of advice ...

 Look hard at your coffee, make sure it measures up. It could make all the difference in the world.

Good luck.

Cathy's Kitchen at Fowle's

For a blogger, I actually don't hear many rumors. I hadn't heard this one until Friday, and by then it was supposedly "all over town."

Anyway, we're big fans of Cathy's and it would be make a great addition to the downtown.

I just hope Newburyport Development's plans call for keeping the iconic Fowle's sign, which gives our 18th/19th Century recreation a bit of legitimacy by layering on distinct 20th Century focal point.

Plus, we'd have to change all those post cards.

Blogify Wall Street

Noted editor and writer Katie Bolick puts Newburyport, her dad Doug, and Angie's on the map with an article in Saturday's Wall Street Journal.

BTW, Norma, if you're reading, DON'T BUY! RENT! 

Newburyport Today Column

My column today on Newburyport Today. I do hope we have a fair, rationale discourse over the LHD.  It's a huge issue, no doubt, and one that rightly elicits strong feelings from both sides..

Great Insights

Great blog post by Mary Baker today. Not pushing it as a Pro-LHD tome but rather something that presents  the resentment many folks still feel out there.

Unfortunately, the anger or resentment seems to be aimed at newbies like myself. But I did nothing to cause their pain so it's a bit misdirected.

Bottom line though, urban renewal destroyed as well as created. That's something that doesn't get a lot of play in blogs like this, and it should.

FYI - Open Space Meeting

In Other News...

the HMS Bounty might be coming to Newburyport in July.

First Sign of Spring

Haley's opens in eight weeks.

Thanks

Wow, 11-0. No questions from the city council or audience.

I'm honored.

Thank you all for your support.

Let's do this.

Common Ground

For someone who so easily opines on others, I have a difficult time writing about myself. Classic introvert stuff, I know, but I wasn't quite sure how to handle the developments of the past couple of weeks.

Let me rewind for a moment.

Mayor Donna Holaday honored me a few weeks ago by nominating me to the Newburyport Redevelopment Authority. The City Council still needs to give its thumbs up or down on the appointment, and tonight is the night when the so-called second reading occurs.

This is a new role for me in Newburyport. The blogging thing has been great, and I have no plans to stop. It's given me an opportunity to contribute to the city dialogue for the past four or five years even though I've never really had to get my hands dirty.

Voters thankfully left me off the Charter Review Commission, so I didn't need to attend their multitude of meetings. I'll help out with food drives, clean ups, and events at my son's school. But I haven't had a "full-time" volunteer job, not yet.

I hope that changes tonight.

I'm eager to help shape what happens down on the waterfront lots. I realize that I'm the hundreth or so person to utter such sentiments while accepting a post on the NRA. That much-maligned body has been working hard to make something happen for 40-plus years with no success on the waterfront lots.

But I feel this group and this Mayor is generating some genuine momentum. I just hope I can help.

I know this appointment will worry some. The P. Preservationist chimed in yesterday. To be honest, I was a bit surprised by two things: one, that it took this long for him to write such a column; and two, his sense of alarm that the final meeting was tonight. See, the P. Preservationist was at the first meeting two weeks ago, even wrote about my being there, so I assumed he would have heard me stand up before the council during public session to offer myself for questions as an appointee to the NRA. Perhaps he'd stepped out of the room at that point, and I mistook his silence for tacit approval.

But all that doesn't matter. I'm glad he posted, and I actually found his post encouraging, specifically this part.

If the citizens of Newburyport show clearly what they wish, then the NRA will have to re-shape if they want to proceed.      Some compromise would allow all parties to get what they want and the leaders of the NRA will be hailed as heroes! 

Not being a member of the NRA yet, I can only speak for myself. (I haven't even had the pleasure of meeting the other members, except for Chairman James Shanley.) But I truly believe compromise is a great idea. The gridlock on Capital Hill shows us what happens when hardened idealogues refuse to surrender a little in exchange for a lot. Frankly, I don't think that approach benefits us here.

If the council confirms my appointment tonight - or even if it doesn't -I believe we'll all find that there's a great deal of common ground along the Merrimack if we just started looking for it.

Fowle's

Nice write up by Joel Brown. Let's hope it isn't ultimately an obit.

Oh, and the Globe did a write up on the LHD.

Ah Bummer

Things looked pretty bleak in there when I grabbed my spicy tuna sandwich. Guess I know why.

Storey Ave Traffic

I understand residents in and around Storey Ave aren't happy with the current traffic situation. But one consideration I haven't seen in the papers is a great deal of the current traffic problem can be pinpointed on the closing of the Chain Bridge.

Wouldn't the situation clear up considerably once that is up and running again? And wouldn't it go even more smoothly if the proposed CVS project led to a reconfiguration of the intersection of Low Street and Storey Ave?

Probably a moot question. I'm wondering if the proposal has a chance with Ward 6 Councilor Tom O'Brien apparently switching his vote from yes to no. The measure needs eight votes to pass, so three former no votes will need to shift over to the yes column.

UPDATE: Councillor-at-Large Ari Herzog paints a telling picture of the Storey Ave issue.

Number one thing I didn't know: A CVS could be built in the area with or without the Council's approval, albeit on different lots.

I'm now even less sure I understand the no votes.

Holy Moly

This is cool.

The highlighted area is about Newburyport.

Shame on Me

I've largely ignored the arguments over renewing the license of the Seabrook Power Plant. It wasn't an conscious decision; I guess apathy never is. I must have just assumed the complaints were coming from some leftover opponents of the construction of Seabrook in the 1970s and 1980s.

I'm paying closer attention from now on.

About a dozen opponents to the relicensing spoke eloquently before the City Council last night, raising what struck me as legitimate concerns about the state of the plant, specifically the degrading concrete in some of the tunnels that come into contact with sea water.

I didn't take notes but you should take some time to listen to their testimony. The meeting should be available on the council's Web site sometime soon.

The sentiments expressed by the opponents were strong enough to convince City Councilors to unanimously approve a resolution demanding a halt to the relicensing process until further studies can be done on the safety of the plant. Their comments are worth listening to as well with Councilors Tom Jones, Barry Connell and Katy Ives speaking to the issue.

Ives says she hoped the concerns and the resolution would shake the apathy off the the majority of voters who simply aren't paying close enough attention.

Well, you woke me up.

Yum

Why I signed the Pro-LHD Petition

Interesting bit of juxtaposition in today's blogs by Mary Baker Eaton and the P. Preservationist.

Mary writes of the successful campaign she and others helped waged a decade ago to stave off the gutting of High Street. (I still shudder at the thought.) And tells how difficult it was to get people behind a cause as EPIC as that one.

Meanwhile, the P. Preservationist reveals what appears to be the loss of another historic home.

The timing of the two posts is telling. Arguments against the idea of a Local Historic District seem to be settling around two points

• Private home owners can do as good or better job of preserving our cities inventory of homes without the restrictions provided in an LHD.
• The "people" will rise up again to oppose significant historical affronts as they did with High Street.

To the first point, the argument of property rights is easy to understand. However, I feel those rights end when they begin to impact the community as a whole. And I could see that happening here. If you look at communities with tonier ZIP codes than our's - like Wellesley - builders preferred to tear down older homes to make space for newer ones.

This means the fight to save Newburyport's historic character won't be one epic battle that we can all rally behind and summarize on a bumper sticker. Instead, it'll be a series of draining skirmishes fought house-by-house, neighborhood by neighborhood. I'm not sure we have the will to win such a fight.

In short, I support the concept of a LHD. Here's why ...

If I look 20 years into the future and imagine each nightmare scenario with either an LHD or Developers run amuck, I find the former - a strong LHD - more appealing. Historic homes will still be in place. The city's character will be intact. 

Furthermore, I know residents will be able to keep the LHD from becoming the monster some folks fear. I see no way of preventing developers from buying and bulldozing old homes in favor of new.

I invite you to sign the petition here.  

If it ain't broke

This article in the Nantucket Inquirer and Mirror got me thinking about Fowle's on State Street, which Newburyport Development owns and may change if it can find a different tenant.

(Jan. 26, 2012 ) Turnover in the island restaurant industry happens nearly every year, but in the span of a few short months, three downtown Nantucket eateries have recently closed and face uncertain futures.
Following Marshall Thompson’s decision not to renew his lease for the Even Keel Cafe on Main Street last September, Chris Morris, the tenant at Arno’s at 41 Main Street similarly decided not to renew his lease for 2012, and Cy’s restaurant on South Water Street closed down earlier this month.
Steve Karp’s Nantucket Island Resorts owns both the former Even Keel building on Main Street and the Cy’s restaurant space on South Water Street, both considered downtown real estate anchors. With the impending opening of the Dreamland Theater this spring, just steps away from the South Water Street restaurant space, NIR is feeling the urgency to find a tenant there, as well as the Main Street property which had been a year-round gathering spot for decades as a bowling alley, a five and dime, a candy shop and a modestly-priced cafe and restaurant known as the Espresso Cafe before it became the Even Keel.

To be clear, I don't know all the particulars. The Evan Keel Cafe appeared to be fairly modest itself, according to its web site. But the paper's description of the space just reminded me of Fowle's, a local, year-round gather spot that locals knew and mostly loved.

It'd be a shame to lose that.

Charter Commission, Part II?

This one's in Pepperell where former mayor John Moak is now Town Administrator.

Oh Dear

Mary Baker Eaton is talking to George again. I guess it's high time I start blogging again.

Apologies for the extended absence. I don't have any one good reason for not blogging other than life's been crazy hectic with travel (San Francisco, the North Pole by train - took only an hour), the holidays (got not two but THREE books on Newburyport history for Christmas), and, oh yeah, work. You know, the place the pays me to put words to computer.

I suppose the principal reason for my silence is this: I didn't really feel it. And when I don't feel it, I don't force it.

But I'm feeling it again, especially after today's troubling account of the fate of 1 Little's Lane in Newbury. My fellow bloggers have it covered.

I also wanted to alert you all to tonight's meeting of the Council's Planning and Development Committee where the zoning change of Storey Avenue will be discussed. Starts at 6:30 pm.

Anyway, a belated Happy New Year.