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.