A Rising Pride

Nearly a year ago, the Port Pride organization successfully pushed through a temporary tax increase to fund the construction of a new Bresnahan School, a new Senior Center and the refurbishment of the Nock/Molin School.

The day after the June 6 election I penned a blog piece praising their efforts and imploring the principals of the effort to remain engaged in our city. 

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.

This week's news that City Council hopefuls include new faces like Meghan Kinsey and Sean Reardon show the Port Pride movement is still alive and active. This is great news for our community. I hope we see more political newcomers rise to the challenge.

Aww Shaw's

Growing up I was a  Cerratani's guy. Now I'm a Shaw's guy, but I admit I'm concerned about the lack of customers going in and out the doors at Port Plaza. I'll be even more concerned when the Whole Foods opens in Lynnfield.

And this article in the Globe doesn't make me feel one bit better.

Vanguard Not Budging

I was a bit surprised to see the item about Steve Karp's hotel plans last week. I'd heard the rumor a loooong time ago that he had designs on the former Fitness Factory site as a hotel. The idea has merit, given the proximity to downtown and his own waterfront properties.

But the current occupant, Vanguard Key Clubs, says such talk is very premature. Owner Tim Barnes sent out an email to members (including yours truly) this morning:

Karp has been trying for years to develop the waterfront properties and the club site is something he has been interested in trying to get rezoned for development. I want to assure you that there are no plans to move the club from this location now or in the near future.

With this being said I want each of you to know that we are doing well and have a new tenant who just signed a 3 year lease in the building.

The tenant of whom owner Barnes speaks is Urban Elements, the furniture place on Pleasant Street. I noticed a sign there yesterday, after my workout, that identified the Merrimac Street fronted space as Urban Elements Warehouse. (Fuel, the fitness business, already occupies the third floor.)

So my guess would be nothing is pending on the hotel. But I am biased. I'd hate to lose my gym.

UPDATE

I asked Tim about the terms of the lease.

The lease has a BUYOUT clause with 6 months advanced notice, after a minimum of 3 years which is not until spring 2014, so there will be notice to everybody and no surprises.

So don't expect anything to happen this year if ever.

Congrats to Katie Ives

Sworn in as a State Senator today.

Daily News

Community Newspaper Holdings, the company that owns the Daily News and several other local papers, sold off the San Marcos Daily Record to a local newspaper group near that Texas town. Makes you wonder what CNH's long-term plans area. Also raises the question, could a group of locals ever muster the means to buy the Daily News. 

Interesting idea.

Yeah, I'm going to try blogging more. No grand announcements though because I've failed to deliver in the past. We'll see.

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.