Peabody Roundtable

Peabody Fire Fighter James Rice Dies in House Fire. Fund for Rice family and displaced residents established.

2011-12-25T04:40:00.001-05:00

Veteran Peabody fire fighter James Rice died tragically when he was overcome by toxic fumes fighting a house fire on Hancock Street Friday. I join my fellow Peabody residents in mourning for the loss of a great public servant.

Salem News Coverage:

Lynn Item Coverage:

http://www.itemlive.com/articles/2011/12/24/news/news01.txt

Three funds have been established to assist both the Rice family and the residents displaced by the blaze.

Firefighter James Rice Memorial Fund, North Shore Bank.
Local 925 James Rice Fund: [James Rice Fund, PO Box 4313, Peabody MA 01960]

City of Peabody Fire Victims Relief Fund, North Shore Bank.

North Shore Bank Donations are being accepted at any North Shore Bank branch office, or can be mailed to the North Shore Bank, 32 Main Street Peabody, MA 01960.

Peabody Election Results 2011

2011-11-09T00:25:00.000-05:00

Total % vote Incumbent?

Mayor

Bettencourt 8703 63.6%

Fitzgerald 4980 36.4%

At-large CC

Gould 9012 18.7%

Garabedian 7601 15.8% I

Gravel 7526 15.6% I

Liacos 7123 14.8% I

Manning-Martin 7084 14.7% I

Croce 5604 11.6%

Donovan 4227 8.8%

Ward 1

Osborne 1547 56.8% I

Forti 1177 43.2%

Ward 2

Athas 1089 I

Ward 3

Mello 1160 59.9% I

Serino 777 40.1%

Ward 4

Driscoll 2182 I

Ward 5

Gamache 1521 I

Ward 6

Sinewitz 1955 I

PMLP (6 yr)

D'Amato 7136 33.8% I

Aylward 4935 23.4%

Birmingham 4825 22.9%

Feld 4186 19.9%

PMLP (2 yr)

Bonfanti not reported I

School Committee

McGeney 8296 27.7% I

Carpenter 8144 27.2% I

Charest 7108 23.7% I

Russell 6434 21.5%

Red color indicated winner(s) in race.

Ted Bettencourt is the next Mayor of Peabody

2011-11-08T21:01:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to Ted Bettencourt. Time to fill those big shoes.

Peabody Mayor: Who will win, who should win.

2011-11-08T20:39:00.003-05:00

Well the election is finished and only the votes need to be tallied.

I decided to mostly stay out of the business of this election here at the Roundtable and occasionally jumped into the mix at the Peabody Politics blog.

So who will win and who should win... a mighty bold statement and entirely based on my personal opinion, but here it goes and we will see the results soon enough.

Mayor:

Will Win: Bettencourt

Should Win: Fitzgerald

It is plain to me... Sean has experience at running government on a day-to-day level and a broad background at multiple levels of government... and a true record of accomplishing things in his duties. Ted has been on the council, and even president, for 8 years and accomplished... well not very much indeed. Oh well... maybe he will grow into the shoes he will need to fill.

As for the other races, I think the City Council will be mostly, if not all, returning to their posts. The exception might be Liacos who I think may be given the heave-ho from Gould. Donovan and Croce have the 'old and cranky' attribute that appeals to some folks, but usually doesn't get you elected.

In the wards, I'd love to see Forte win, but I think it will be all incumbents yet again. Sadly Bob Driscoll was able to manuver Jeff Grayson OUT of his ward after last elections 1 vote victory... not the classiest move I have ever witnessed. And while I would love to see Mello ousted, he is very popular.

School committee will be all the same faces... and its too bad because the only one who seems like he should REALLY BE on the committee is Russell - a real educator who might have made a real difference to our schools. I will keep hoping that McGeney or Carpenter will falter a bit and he will be elected, but this is Peabody and the incumbents rarely lose.

As for the Light Commission... I don't really care except that I would like it if Aylward DID NOT get elected as I strongly oppose his position on the Massachusetts Go Green initiative.

Well now I will wait for the results like the rest of you...

Election Update: With Donovan In... we all lose.

2011-07-26T15:31:00.004-04:00

The Salem News and Peabody Patch report that Russ Donovan has filed papers to run for mayor in Peabody... again.

The Salem News has not published this article on-line for some reason.

The Peabody Patch article is here: Donovan Enters Peabody Mayor's Race

Now the Salem News article has a short interview and here are the main points of Mr. Donovan's reasons for running:

He doesn't think either Fitzgerald or Bettencourt will make the needed changes in Peabody
He is a non-politician
He is a fiscal conservative
He has no plans to raise money for a campaign
He wants to end bus fees for Peabody students
He wants to cut spending
He wants a 20% personal exemption for property taxes
He would slash the mayor's salary (to the avg. city worker pay)
He would not accept city health insurance (to set an example)

So in his effort to cut the cost of city government he is going to run a non campaign with no fund raising, he will (I assume) hit the pavement and be speaking to people (but not spending any money on literature, outreach, etc.) in order to explain how he will CUT SPENDING while INCREASING SERVICES!

Of course his non campaign is going to already COST THE CITY because he is forcing a CITY WIDE PRIMARY! I called the clerks office and they were unable to tell me today what the approximate cost of a city-wide primary election will be... but other I have spoken with estimated the cost to be between $15-20,000 TAX DOLLARS!

All so a non candidate can run a non campaign on the platform of saving the city money.

Russ Donovan is just as welcome as any other citizen to run for office. However... if you are going to run for office... THEN RUN FOR OFFICE! Don't make this some symbolic gesture that has no value to the city... except to cost us all $$$ for your personal ego building.

I mean... that $15,000 would actually pay for 50 Peabody students to ride the bus to school for the year. Wouldn't that be money better spent?

Fitzgerald joins Bettencourt in race for Mayor

2011-03-11T22:43:00.003-05:00

Sean Fitzgerald, the current Town Manager of Plaistow, New Hampshire, has joined the race for Mayor of Peabody.

Salem News: Ex-chief of staff is mayoral hopeful

This can only be good news for all the citizens of Peabody. I think that the public can only be better served with a healthy debate of the issues and the platforms of these two men.

I only hope that the campaigns can be kept positive and informative... instead of diving into the muck and mire that has plagued our political system as of late.

I have actually not seen Mr. Fitzgerald for some time. But I have found him to be an honest and forthright person. Don't get me wrong, he's still a politician... but he seems to have high expectations for himself and I have rarely seen him lose his cool.

While I would say that Mr. Bettencourt has gotten off on the right footing... and is leading the charge at the moment, I look forward to seeing what Mr. Fitzgerald will bring to the table.

But no matter who you favor now in March... it is going to be a much more interesting election season after today!

Bonfanti to Step Away - Will Not Seek Re-election

2011-01-03T22:33:00.004-05:00

Mayor Michael Bonfanti in the State of the City address tonight has announced he will NOT be seeking re-election in the Fall.

Salem News: Bonfanti: I will not run again

So who will be the one who will fill the corner office next?

The big two expected candidates are, of course, Ted Bettencourt and Dave Gravel. But there are a few other possibilities out there. Anne Manning-Martin is very popular as is Beverly Griffin Dunne. And don't forget old Sean Fitzgerald who has always wanted to be top dog in his hometown.

Old Salem News Story: Mayor's Race in Peabody up in the Air

It will be an interesting election cycle!

How to get a FREE HOUSE in Peabody AND make $23,000 in the deal... All because of your position as a City Board Member??

2010-09-21T17:09:00.016-04:00

Well I have sat on my hands for more than a week about this. I have now heard some very disturbing information from more than 5 different sources. While I usually do not broadcast rumors, this one has too many verifiable facts to be very far from the truth.

According to people who really should know, Peabody Zoning Board Vice Chairman Paul Ruocco has been asked to resign from the Peabody Zoning Board after a rather disturbing series of events.

He purchased a property, had it subdivided based on incorrect information and ended up getting a FREE HOUSE and $23,000 - all because he was granted favors as a standing Peabody Board member.

It has also been suggested to me that other board members might be involved as well but I have not been able to verify any of these accusations.

This is what I have been able to find out:

Paul Ruocco is (was) the Vice Chairperson of the Peabody Zoning Board.

Paul and Eleftheria Ruocco purchased 98 Bartholomew St. from the estate of William Farwell on March 18, 2010 for $127,000

[Salem News]

Now here I am relying on 2nd hand information as the records are not available online (as far as I can find out.) Mr. Ruocco went to the Peabody Planning Board to request a variance to build a "pork-chop" subdivision. It is important to note here that the Planning Board has been rather reluctant to approve these types of lot-splitting schemes as it adds congestion and traffic into already crowded areas and is against the rule for required frontage for a new residence.

A pork chop subdivision is where you divide up a single property into a front and back (in a pork chop looking manner) so you can get two properties out of one lot. Here is an image of one possible layout for these two new lots as I have no access to the actual plan and the current City of Peabody GIS does not show it split yet.

It has been reported that Mr. Ruocco made a rather impassioned and moving case for himself stating (again this is 2nd hand) that he was planning on building a second home for aged relatives and additional family members to care for these relatives. I was told that while the board was reluctant to approve such an obvious violation of the code, there was a certain sympathy for the plight of the elderly relatives as well as a feeling of obligation to approve a fellow Peabody Board Members request.

The subdivision was approved and the single lot officially became two lots.

[Registry of Deeds]

Then on June 25, 2010 the new extra lot (now called 98 Bartholomew Lot 2a) was sold to Dimitra Mihalakakis, which is the former last name of Mrs. Ruocco (and perhaps the elderly relative referred to in the Planning Board meeting.) The price of this new lot was $90,000 to Mr. & Mrs. Ruocco.

HOWEVER... in the exact same transaction the property was then sold to Roger Barile, a trustee of the Roger and Avery Realty Trust. Mr. Barile appears to be a developer and he paid Ms. Mihalakakis $150,000 for this new property.

So Mr. Ruocco was able to purchase a property for $127,000 in March and then ask for special permission, based on questionable statements and his position as a City Board member, to subdivide his new property. Then 3 months later he DOES sell the property to his relative, only to then have it pass onto a developer who was never mentioned in his special requests for breaking the rules.

In all Mr Ruocco and family were able to buy low and sell high, getting a "free" house and property AND netting a $23,000 profit!

No wonder Mr. Ruocco is a Certified Financial Planner... he seems to have a special knack for making money. Even if it violates the spirit, if not the letter, of the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Sadly, I am told that this gets worse. That this may involve other people on the Zoning Board as well - however I have not yet corroborated that information and I have heard conflicting accounts.

It has been told to me that this is being HUSH-HUSHED all through City Hall. Mayor Bonfanti supposedly asked for Mr. Ruocco's resignation and received it. But this also has been shielded in secrecy. Government should act in the open and be held accountable for its errors. Hiding information is no way to run a City. This is really yet another failure on the part of this administration.

So, while Mr. Ruocco is still listed on the City of Peabody website as being a member of the Zoning Board, I have heard he has indeed resigned.

We need a higher level of integrity in our government. This City can not move forward if forces within are working this hard to pull us back down.

I can only hope that more formal news organisations will get wind of this and look into this matter thoroughly. The citizens of Peabody deserve a full airing of our dirty laundry yet again.

School fees, vacation daze, Peabody 100k Club and an interesting blog...

2010-08-26T14:38:00.007-04:00

Peabody was actually in the Boston Globe's Globe North section for something besides murder, transgender bashing or being the lowest whatever for a change.

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First, the annual listing of salaries must have made its way to the 'slow week' section of the Globe news desk. Peabody: Pay list shows 40 top $100K We are yearly given a listing of the highest paid employees - not surprisingly which are managers, several light plant senior folks, high ranking school officials and police officers who do detail work.

This is usually followed by a litany of average folks being outraged at how much money is paid for so little work being done. This isn't really true, of course - it is just that EVERYONE thinks someone else's job is simple and overpaying.

I am of the opinion that almost everyone on this list is probably deserving of their pay. Where I take exception is to the public safety officers and the use of detail pay. I have discussed this issue MANY TIMES here and on the blogs and this isn't the intent of this post. We can, of course, discuss this in the comments if folks desire.

I was actually a little surprised to see this published in the Globe. It is usually a 'higher intellectual' newspaper and this is more of a Salem News article - as they have never met a government employee worth ANYTHING.

Of course, unlike the Salem News, the Globe goes into some detail giving some reasons for this high pay - most which made sense to me.

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The next article didn't really concern itself with Peabody... which was good considering the focus. Pressure to Pay looked at North Shore communities and the fees to participate on high school sports teams. It seems that while a few decreased fees, a few more increased fees. But Peabody was not one of these. Our sports fee structure stayed the same at $150 per sport with a $300 cap.

The list of communities with fees shows Peabody to be on the lower end of fees charged with only Dracut having lower fees (Gloucester also has a lower starting range, but goes up to $380 per sport.) I am the first to admit that I don't like fees for school activities. But when the schools are in such dire financial straits, I can not see spending precious academic funds on extra-curricular sports or activities. So I was glad to see that while still trying to recoup expenses, Peabody is trying to maintain a minimal impact on parents and student athletes.

It is only fair to also point out that 19 communities (or regional schools) in the area DO NOT have any fees for sports.

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Ah summer! The time when everyone deserves to spend a little quality time away from their jobs and spend it with family and friends! Unless you are school superintendent Milton Burnett. Seems that because of the budget cuts, staffing reductions and major turnovers of key people (think principals here) he has been playing catch-up all summer trying to get ready for the coming school year.

If you read the article in the Salem News, Superintendent's bid to carry over vacation is denied, and read the excepts from his letter to the school committee... it is hard to imagine them denying him a one-time exception to the rule concerning the number of days one can 'carry over' into the next year.

While I am not a fan or a foe of Mr. Burnett, I think he is totally correct on this one. It was the Mayor and the school committee who placed his department in the position where much more work than normal was required to be done (all without an assistant super) and this resulted in the necessity of missing one of the best perks of being employed - vacation time.

I wouldn't blame him if he simply didn't show up for the next 10 days and let the schools suffer... well actually I WOULD blame him and I wouldn't stand for it. BUT this is ultimately the "fault" of the Mayor and the school committee and they should have allowed this as being FAIR and not played the political game of denying it in the hopes of appearing to be on the side of fiscal responsibility after the Salem News has been trying to stir up trouble with the Annemarie DuBois pension "issue."

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I found this link to a blog run by the MAPC (Metropolitan Area Planning Council.) The Salem-Peabody Corridor Project is a new initiative that, I think, is focusing on the Rt. 128 - Main St. - Boston St. corridor and seeks to find improvements to facilitate improvements in traffic and community along the route. This was recently in the news when a group of planners, business people, city officials and citizens walked along the route (twice?) to get an 'on the ground' understanding of the project.

The link to the blog is Salem-Peabody Blog and the homepage of the project is Salem-Peabody Corridor Project.

Main Street Rising

2010-08-22T21:28:00.002-04:00

Call me a cockeyed optimist (no one who knows me IRL would do that, btw) but things might be looking up downtown.

That veterinary clinic next to the fire station is pretty professional-looking, and seems to be doing a good business. Next door, the old law office is being rehabbed in a substantial and attractive way. Tuscan red? - why the heck not?

Up the street, the new sushi place, Maki Sushi, is getting quite the media buzz (no, I don't mean the Salem Evening News, which is owned by a conglomerate in flyover land that thinks that sushi = bait). I would never have believed that ol' Peabody could handle sushi, but there it is. The restaurant is simple and beautiful, the staff is super-attentive (NC stopped in for a meal a couple of days ago), and the food is innovative and could attract a much wider crowd than locals, in this writer's opinion.

NC likes a beer with his nigiri though - and wishes that Maki had a beer/wine license. How sad that every dive/fight bar has got one, and hip, up-and-coming restaurants have access to none.

Nevertheless, I strongly recommend Maki. Fresh, delicious, and so good-for-you. I have no connections to the restaurant people or the industry - so this is as unbiased as it gets. Go. Eat fish.

Bettencourt wins, Niz loses, Peabody needs to be spending less time in courtrooms

2010-08-19T21:07:00.003-04:00

First of all, hello to the folks who sometimes read this blog.

I have been VERY inattentive to this space and can't promise I will do any better in the near future. All I can say is when I have something to say I will try and find the time to say it.

A few stories of late have me thinking about Peabody...

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Bettencourt winning his pension is a terrible miscarriage of justice. The idea that he was not going to be able to somehow profit from his illegal activities is really besides the point. He broke the law and he did it at work... using work computers... and knowledge he could only illegally obtain through his position as a police officer. The fact that he simply was doing it to be a giant snoop and a big-shot know-it-all is really of no concern to me. This simply smacks of one public servant helping another one. Seriously can you even begin to say that what he did has no connection to his job? And THAT is the legal stance of whether or not someone should be allowed to keep their pension after they commit such a crime.

And spare me your comments about 'his poor family' and 'all his good deeds' because I'm sure that many of the people he had arrested in his career were equally 'good citizens' who happened to also be criminals. Just like he is.

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The good news is that even when the City does some REALLY STUPID STUFF... such as having the City Solicitor advising public employees to NOT TELL THE WHOLE TRUTH IN A DEPOSITION (what the heck was he thinking?) the TRUTH of the matter comes out and an idiot like Niz loses BIG TIME.

I would say that in a normal world NOT telling the whole truth to the general public concerning the 'transition' (read FIRING) of an employee - under the thought that the employee might salvage a little of his good(?) name - I would say this was a thoughtful thing to do. It happens everyday in the private sector. Someone gets called into the bosses office and is given 2 or 3 weeks to find a new position and 'move on' in good standing... or be let go if he/she decided not to go.

So here the administration of the schools tried to protect the long storied career of a man some hold in high esteem by NOT acknowledging serious misdeeds and just saying it was time for a change.

But being the type of person he is, Coach Niz couldn't do the right thing and instead of accepting responsibility for his poor choices and bad actions... decided to blame everybody but himself. And at the trial the truth came out and it looks like his reputation will never be the same.

At least he lost. Maybe he will quit politics completely and do us all a favor.

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Is anyone else tired of the same old Salem News rant about EVERYONE WHO WORKS IN PUBLIC SERVICE IS PAID TOO MUCH AND DOES NOTHING!!! The latest "outrage" is a woman who has been working for the teachers union for many years and yet is allowed to maintain her standing as a public school teacher (since she is representing them.) The idea is that she can still log the time as if she was working AS a teacher when it comes to her pension. The Salem News is typically in a giant snit about how unfair this is to the public.

Except that this is part of a contract that was agreed to by both the union and the administration (representing the public) many years ago. The idea that people today are not happy with it is, frankly, too bad. I can't sign a contract with someone and then change the rules after the fact.

Suppose I signed a year long lease for $1000/month. But after the first month the landlord calls and tells me he isn't making enough profit and wants me to pay $2000... SORRY MAC! A contract is a contract. I don't know why it was scene as a good idea to allow this 20+ years ago, but both sides felt it was good and they agreed to it.

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I will try and be a little more active on the blog. I may or may not be successful. Leave a comment or not. If you have an idea, add it as a comment and I'll try to get to it.

The future of Downtown: Medical Hub?

2010-06-03T15:30:00.009-04:00

I have been trying to find out more information about the plan for a "Medical Hub" for Downtown Peabody that Councilor Bettencourt brought to the City Council several weeks back. I was not at that meeting and I do not have cable so I, like so very many Peabody residents, did not get the opportunity to see this plan as presented.

I do not like to critique plans I have never seem, nor would I wish to point out flaws that might have been addressed in some fashion during the presentation by Councilor Bettencourt. And so I asked (via facebook email) if he would share a copy of this powerpoint presentation either with me, or in some online venue, so that everyone might have the opportunity to see this much talked about plan for Peabody's future.

Sadly, but not unexpectedly, I received no response, nor did any such public presentation become available (to my knowledge - and I have been looking for it).

So I am going to give my response to this plan based entirely on the reports of the presentation made to the City Council which appeared in local media.

In general... bringing new businesses into the downtown area is a good idea for Peabody. We should be looking for a wide array of activities to populate our downtown.

We have some very old and decrepit industrial areas that are mostly underused and in some cases abandoned as this type of activity is not going to be done in places like Peabody for the foreseeable future (despite what many of the previous Ward 3 councilors have hoped and wished for... it ain't coming back.)

We have some areas that have been newly renovated - for better or worse - mostly in the southern area of downtown. We have a rather eclectic (bizarre?) mix of uses along the real Main St. area - some that seem to be serving limited populations (specialty toy train stores, fofo's, Brazillian fashions) while others are serving the community at large (drug stores, grocery stores, restaurants, services, etc.).

In general the more consumer oriented enterprises occur on Main Street and in the Square, while the more business oriented activities are on the Walnut Street side. This might have worked well in the days of bustling industry here in Peabody... but those days are gone, and good riddance to them in my opinion. It is time to stop looking to the PAST to try and find some hope for Peabody's future. But that is a rant for a different time and place.

So this brings us to the idea put forth by Councilor Bettencourt. My take on this is that he would like to see downtown become a 'medical hub' of businesses that are ancillary to the more comprehensive and brand new or newly renovated facilities that surround our area.

New facilities at Centennial Park and MGH North and mostly renovated facilities at Lahey Clinic, North Shore Medical Center and more. Councilor Bettencourt is correct that we have already become a medical hub of sorts for the North Shore region.

But lets examine why these places are where they are... and specifically NOT in downtown Peabody. All these new or renovated facilities are located where there is excellent access via the highway for patient, and business, convenience as well as tons of free parking . They are not locating in downtown Salem or Peabody precisely because access into and out of these areas is very difficult, if not impossible, at certain times of the day and space (thus parking) is at a premium.

So if I am a Doctor or an HMO and I am looking to locate my offices/out patient service centers... I am NOT looking to move into a decrepit, industry waste strewn, impossible to access, flood prone area in Peabody with little to no parking and no real connection to the facilities I am currently visiting (NSMC, MGH, Lahey, etc.) Why in the world would these types of higher end medical facilities look to move into downtown Peabody when much better locations adjacent to these main facilities already exists? They wouldn't.

So if the primary (hospitals) and the secondary (Doctor offices and HMO Centers - think MRI, CAT Scan, etc.) are not really going to be interested in Peabody as it is today... what medical uses might be of interest? Frankly, the only businesses that I can think of that would be interested in a location which is equidistant from these major hospitals is medical warehousing and medical reclamation (waste disposal). This seems like the most logical usage for the area if we are going to focus on 'medical hub' services.

And of course that would be a HORRIBLE IDEA for Peabody and the future of Downtown.

You know what... I actually LIKE people who are willing to think outside the box on issues. They often throw out outlandish ideas that may contain a little nugget of a great ideas at times! They also might be completely full of it! Councilor Bettencourt has made two of these VERY PUBLIC, very outlandish and very self promoting pronouncements in the recent past. I recall the idea that the Dearborn affordable housing funds be used to pay for low income folks energy bills as one of these ideas, and this is yet another.

Here is the RIGHT WAY to serve the People of Peabody when you get a GREAT IDEA but have no real clue if it is actually worth anything...

Step 1: Go to the City's Experts on these subjects
We are paying planners, engineers, assessors, lawyers, construction professionals, etc. to be part of the City's management team! Why would you a) work without consultation with these expert people and 2) in some cases work against their recommendations?

Step 2: Seek other inputs from outside City Hall
Arthur Gordon is (was?) the largest landowner in the Downtown area, but he is not the only owner who would need to "buy into" this idea in order to a) get it passed and ultimately to b) make it actually happen.

Step 3: Talk about your ideas to the people most affected by them to gauge their opinions, input and ideas
This is so important. People really do not like to see a brand new idea brought out in a venue like the City Council meeting as a Final and Complete Deal! It makes people nervous that deals were made and that few were considered in the thought process. I am not saying this is actually happening, but it is the perception. And in reality, it is the people who live and work and own businesses and drive through and visit and shop and eat, etc. in Downtown who will be the ones who will make this ultimately become a thriving community again... or just have this be yet another failed 'gee whiz' idea with no real foresight or long term plan.

Step 4: Present your ideas to the government body most appropriate to look into the matter and seek to begin the process of thoughtful public discussion

And this is why I was hoping that Councilor Bettencourt would release his plan... so we could all see it and think about the consequences of his ideas and then allow each of us to make our judgement of the idea on the merits, and not the rhetoric we will be sure to hear in the local media.

So, I for one, think this is NOT a good idea for the future of Downtown Peabody.

Flooding Fan or Foe?? We need to get this fix STARTED NOW!

2010-05-18T13:16:00.013-04:00

Note: I have emailed Councilor Bettencourt and requested a copy of his Downtown Medical Hub presentation. I have not yet heard back (3 days) and will make a post (without having seen it) in 2 more if I don't hear back from him. I also requested that he publish this presentation online for everyone to see and offered to post it here if need be.

FLOODING!

Love it or hate it - it simply makes sense to start this project as soon as humanly possible to relieve the number one issue that is impacting both the people who live, work and travel through Peabody Square

and is holding up the discussions and actions needed to remake Downtown Peabody into a place we can all be (more?) proud to have as our own!

Salem News: City seeks input on flood plan

I can't really think of a good reason to delay this project from being undertaken. This is not a brand new area where work was never done before - so one would expect few, if any, surprises to be uncovered. In fact, this area has been worked on repeatedly for the past 20+ years all in an attempt to try and find CHEAP solutions to the flooding problem. This is NOT a cheap solution, but instead is probably the best chance we have (in the current economic/political environment) to get a project of this magnitude underway here in Peabody.

All images from Life.com

Return to the Roundtable

2010-05-07T23:49:00.002-04:00

Dear Readers:

I would like to easily explain my absence by claiming some major catastrophe prevented my blogging, but it did not. Instead, it was more the case of many smaller important issues that needed addressing (work, family, health, computer) which conspired to keep me away from here.

But that is not entirely true either.

Truly, it as all of these things, but it was also the disillusionment of watching the Peabody blogs, and the political climate in general, descend into baseless accusations and childish name calling.

Unless you have tried your hand at starting and operating a blog, you really don't understand that it takes quite a lot of time. And during the past 4 months I have had many important demands on my time. Especially considering these troubling economic times - a devotion to work related matters was essential.

I am certainly NOT complaining... but it was both frustrating and sad to see well reasoned discussions being overtaken by bluster, blather and bad manners. It simply became to easy to put off a post for a day... then a week... then a month.

I had hoped some of the other posters here might fill in some slack, but only Needham Corner rose to the occasion. My thanks go to NC.

So why am I back? Well I have been reading the other blogs and was at least satisfied that there was somewhere to carry on the Peabody discussions. But then they both stopped posting as well.

I had decided to begin some limited posts on May 1st... and then both the Twisted Tanner and Peabody Elections also posted right around that time.

The conspiracy minded (and you know you're out there) might conclude that we are all in this together... or we are all the same person... but we certainly are NOT.

I will continue reading the Salem News, the Item and the Peabody Weekly News and trying to offer both opinions and a place to discuss the important articles of the week.

I do not promise to post more than about twice a week, but I will try to increase this if something important needs to be said.

I said that this would be a LAME explanation for my absence, and it is. But it is honest and I felt I owed it to you.

Bottom line is I felt like I was accomplishing little to nothing here… and all the time and effort required to continue this blog became too burdensome as I felt I was not making a difference. And I want to make a difference.

Peabody is a pretty good place.

Peabody can be a better place.

And I would like to help make it better.

That's why I'm back.

Major Water Break for MWRA does NOT appear to be affecting Peabody

2010-05-02T18:02:00.004-04:00

There was a catastrophic water main break in the pipe from the Quabbin Reservoir new the Rt.128/Mass Pike interchange Saturday.

IMPORTANT INFO FROM MWRA

They are NOT listing Peabody as an affected area and so Peabody does NOT have a water emergency related to this event.

I do know that several parts of South Peabody do, AT TIMES, connect to the MWRA, but this does not seem to be the case at this moment.

Once a tidal marsh, always a tidal marsh

2010-03-30T23:24:00.002-04:00

Spent the early evening strolling around downtown (encountering several family groups enjoying the natural disaster scene) and taking photos of flooding (and the abandoned cars of the morons who thought - "oh, that police warning doesn't apply to ME; I can get through it!" Ha, ha, joke's on you, suckah. I hold photos of numerous abandoned cars, water to the engine block, as evidence.)

But seriously folks. The political scientist Halford Mackinder wrote in 1904, "Man initiates, but nature controls." He was thinking of Eurasia, but the same idea applies locally: we have natural watercourses, and they will prevail - and if humans have tried to manipulate them, well, then let's hope they REALLY understand what's going on.

For example: I stood on Sawyer St and watched the WAVES of water cascade over the st. It looked like the man-made granite-block channel of Proctor Brook wasn't even full, but the water found its way, over the street and through the Leather City Park.

(Which suggests: wouldn't it be smart to create other relief valves or bowls of topography in which the water could pool, without harm to traffic or business? The proposed park on Walnut St could be such a relief valve, and a much more "natural" approach to our flooding problem.) Or, we could just trust the engineers. Yeah, that'll work.

Any human solution is a manmade solution by definition, but some are more respectful of natural processes than others.

reduce re-use recycle

2010-03-28T22:10:00.003-04:00

Now that spring is in the air, this blogger is trying to lose the pounds gained over the winter while pounding the QUERTY keys instead of the pavements or the treadmill. (In short, I've been walking in the 'hood again.)

What I've noticed: people in my (downtown) neighborhood do not recycle in large numbers. Estimating, I'd say that one in 5 houses has a bin out on recycling day.

What is up with that? Are people trying to make a philosophical statement about the inefficiency of reuse (and its markets), when reduction of waste ought to be the main solution? Or are they just not convinced that a quick separation of wastes will be worthwhile for our community? Or what?

I am, as always, interested in your thoughts...

Jeeves, bring me my fishnets and eyeliner. Stat!

2010-02-11T22:06:00.005-05:00

So the civil rights of transgendered folks may well be tested in Peabody. At the Roundtable, we have been following this story underground for a week or so, waiting to see if it surfaced in the mainstream media, which it finally has.

Salem News: Transgender club alleges discrimination
Salem News: Transgender group, restaurant agree to mediation
Peabody Weekly News: Transgender club, Capone's enter talks

Predictably, there's the usual round of redneck misogynistic commentary at the local rag. So sad: we like to think we live in a more enlightened Commonwealth, but of course (as the recent senate elections tell us) some of us live in a Roundtable fantasy world. The symbolism of "mah gud ol' pick-up truck" trumps high-end college degrees any day of the week. Apparently we prefer (collectively) to be governed by the less-educated.

Nevertheless: Do people have the right to enter and buy food/beverages at public establishments, regardless of their dress? That is, to what degree is dress (as a means of establishing conformance with gender norms) a criterion for admittance?

Discuss amongst yourselves. I'll check back...

Govt for the 21st century

2010-02-04T22:14:00.002-05:00

Thanks for all the great comments in the last post! It's terrific to see some serious discussion of downtown issues.

PI is still around town, but as I understand, he's pretty busy with work stuff. I hope he'll be back on the keyboards soon.

I've been scratching my head over here, trying to figure out what the heck has been going on all these years with the Essex Retirement Board. (And all the city retirement boards, for that matter.) Would it not make sense for all the cities and towns to band together and manage their funds cooperatively?

As I see it, there is some clerical/accounting work to be done to take applications, issue checks, keep records and the like. Then, at a higher level, there are investment decisions to make about how to balance reasonable returns with moderate risk. Peabody has a retirement board (volunteer?) and a couple of bookkeeper-types (paid staff). I don't think investment decisions are made locally, although I may be incorrect. Then, there's a whole administrative apparatus in Boston (state-level) that oversees all the local stuff to some degree too.

Not that everything is always better if centralized (my experience with state bureaucrats hasn't been too impressive), but still....Shouldn't we be looking for ways to consolidate and share services wherever possible? A lot of our government structure is "because it's always been that way." Now might be a good time to take a fresh look at what is truly necessary in the 21st century.

New leaf? Or the same old leaf litter? (ie compost)

2010-01-27T22:20:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow night, Jan 28, the new director of Comm Devt (she's damned impressive; don't believe the usual carping over at always-good-for-the-cheap-shot TwistedTanners (sorry, TT, your commentship is pretty lame) until you check her out for yourselves) has been invited to talk about the update to the zoning ordinance that has languished several years in City Council committees. (fyi: if you are just now joining the party, the CC doesn't have much of a track record in proactive legislation; they prefer to shoot down other people's ideas rather than standing behind and enacting any of their own. Naysaying being easier than doing real work, as so many bloggers know...)

I don't know what the substance is of the proposed zoning for downtown Peabody. I don't see a lot of chat about zoning substance on Peabody blogs. Here's what this downtowner would be looking for:

Will the zoning create lively, attractive, exciting streets, with commercial land uses that generate pedestrian traffic and SALES?
Will it be possible to create streets that are pleasant to walk along, instead of 4-lane "car sewers" that are just carrying through traffic to Salem and M'head? (oh, hi, GP, didn't see you there!)

Tell me why, in these economic "tough times," the downtowns of Salem and Beverly (for example) are chock-full of upscale restaurant patrons and shoppers, while Peabody (which has much better roadway access) has dollar stores, check-cashing establishments, Bingo, and insurance office storefronts (hello? don't we all buy insurance online now??). We have every advantage - wide streets, good access, reasonably atttractive buildings, plenty of parking.

Here's what we do NOT have: interesting restaurants; crowd-drawing cultural events (sorry, Peabody Institute Library); art galleries; one-of-a-kind shops; coffee shops with wifi (hey, bloggers!); did I already say interesting restaurants? C'mon City Council - stop hiding behind boring special permits and MAKE IT HAPPEN!

Happy New Year Everyone!

2009-12-30T18:05:00.003-05:00

This past year has been one of the tough ones. So many people having difficulties; some because they were playing it a little too close for comfort, but many others who have been suffering due to no fault of their own.

Some are saying nothing good has come from this past year, but I disagree. There are many who have left us and others who have risen to high places. Times are hard, but they are not hopeless.
I look forward to closing the book on this first decade of the 21st century - not because it was only filled with sorrow and trouble because it was not. No, I look forward to the great potential that a new decade might bring... to new triumphs and new opportunities, to new ideas and new possibilities.

I know that this City, this State, this Country and our World can be a better place when each of us is willing to consider other points of view and to seek consensus with sound reason for all our mutual benefit. After all, we are ALL in this together... no matter what any one of us may think.

I wish you peace and joy, good health
and good fortune this coming year.

Changes in the Blog World yet again...

2009-12-12T16:50:00.006-05:00

*** UPDATED ***
The Peabody Patriot has returned. Maybe they were
just experiencing a glitch? Who knows.
But I would rather see MORE blogs, and
points of view, rather than fewer.

It seems that the Peabody Patriot blog (aka Peabody Elections) has left the scene (again.) I am basing this on the fact that it has been several days and all you get is... "The blog you were looking for was not found."

Now that blog was originally titled Peabody Politics and politics was the main focus, so maybe it will re-emerge when the political realm kicks up again.

Now sadly it seems that the new blog, the Twisted Tanner, is more interested in being the National Enquirer of Peabody, rather than a place for adults to meet and discuss issues in an intelligent manner. I had held out hopes... and was certainly impressed with the amount of posts - and comments - even in the very first few days.

And while the posts keep coming, they are lowering any sense of standards each day. Name calling, insulting nicknames, blatant favoritism and rumor presented as fact are becoming more and more prevalent.

This all seems very deliberate and it is obviously the work of one of the previous Patriots (or more than one I believe) and has lost both a Peabody focus and all semblance of credibility.

That is sad and unfortunate for us all.

I was asked if I planned on "Closing Shop" or "Throwing in the Towel." Well, no actually. If I were to decide that bloging wasn't for me any longer, I would write a post saying so and then stop. I certainly wouldn't just disappear... I frankly find that incredibly insulting to the people who read and participate.

And as for "Throwing in the Towel," that sounds like a contest with winners and losers. I certainly do not see this as a contest and I absolutely don't consider blogging, or not, winning or losing.

When this very busy season is done, I will have many things to discuss with you I am sure. We live in a City that seems to breed nothing but controversy and everyone has an opinion on these things. I look forward to hearing your and sharing mine.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T10:57:00.004-05:00

We are often over burdened in our hectic and harried lives ,
especially during these difficult economic times.
Today, Thanksgiving Day, is a very special time when we
can stop the roller coaster, if for just one hour, and
concentrate on the people and situations that make
our daily existence worthwhile and even joyous.

Please have a safe and joyous day of thanks.

Congratulations Bob Driscoll

2009-11-21T11:40:00.007-05:00

The recount is over and the winner of the Ward 4 race is Bob Driscoll... or is it? Well while there were some "issues" (two ballots missing per the Salem News, 10 missing per the bloggers), all involved have come to accept the new results as final.

Councilor Bob Driscoll has been
re-elected Ward 4 Councilor

The process may have had a few glitches in it, but in the end, I believe, the voters were fairly represented.

The Salem News: Peabody's Driscoll wins recount by 2

This was a very good example of real democracy in action. I was so pleased to see that BOTH candidates had decided to ask for a recount in order to ensure that the will of the people was being fairly represented.

I think that as far as City Council races in Peabody go, this was a very respectful and collegial race - two qualities that should be well heeded in many of the other races around this City.

I think Councilor Driscoll should be considering this coming term as his swansong and make sure to get done what he would like to see as his legacy on the City Council. I think it will soon be Mr. Grayson's turn to lead this Ward and to help steer the City.

My congratulation to both gentlemen for a well fought battle and for showing us how to act in both victory and defeat.

Ward 4 Recount Saturday

2009-11-16T19:45:00.002-05:00

2,299 people came to the polls in Ward 4 back on November 3rd to cast votes for Ward 4 Councilor. And, as it turns out... only 1 vote really mattered!

Incumbent City Councilor Bob Driscoll received 1,150 votes while challenger, and political newcomer, Jeff Grayson received 1,149 votes.

The next time someone tells you that their vote doesn't matter in this world... send them to Ward 4.

In a race this close it is almost a requirement to have a recount of the ballots to assure that the will of the people is accurately carried out. I was quite glad to see BOTH candidates step up to ask for an official recount of this election. And while it was certainly expected of Mr. Grayson, it was quite the classy move by longtime Councilor Driscoll.

The recount will be done by hand and it will have witnesses (and lawyers) from both sides present. I can only predict with absolute certainty that City Clerk Tim Spanos will continue to do the excellent job that is his trademark for his many years at City Hall.

The Salem News: Recount in Ward 4 Councilor race scheduled for Saturday
Peabody News: Despite thin margin in Ward 4, lackluster turnout at the polls

Now for my opinion.

I absolutely hope that when the votes are rechecked that Mr. Grayson emerges as the winner of the election. This is not because I dislike Councilor Driscoll, because I do not. I just feel that Councilor Driscoll has had his time at the helm, and while he has never really done anything to harm Ward 4, he has not been the tireless and PRO-ACTIVE advocate for Ward 4 that I believe Mr. Grayson will be.

I spoke with both candidates during the election season and I must say that I was wholeheartedly impressed by Mr. Grayson and his energy for Ward 4 AND the rest of the City. He has a vision and new ideas and a huge desire to get to work and try and solve some of these lingering problems faced by the City of Peabody.

Now, Councilor Driscoll has been trying to deal with these same (and evolving) problems the City faces for 22 years. He has needed to come to terms with the knowledge that many times there is just NOTHING that can be done because of the situation, politics, money, connections - you name it! Something always gets in the way of true progress.

Mr. Grayson has not yet been forced to face these (perhaps insurmountable?) problems. And he may indeed find that when confronted with them, he too will eventually find no way to solve them and can only do his best to more for small incremental improvements - all the while desiring great changes.

But he is not yet jaded by the fight or cowed by the enormity of the job. For these reasons I would like to see his new spirit unleashed on the City Council in the hopes that he might be the spark to reinvigorate this flagging body... as well as the community they serve.

A new Peabody Blog?

2009-11-11T19:04:00.006-05:00

A new Peabody Blog has apparently sprung up right after the recent election.

The Twisted Tanner

http://twistedtanner.blogspot.com/
or
http://www.twistedtanner.com/

I see that the owner has chosen not to list an email address or other contact information so far, so I could not contact this person to get permission to post a link to this new site.

However, as he/she has already posted at the Peabody Patriot, and has a link to the site from their name... and the Patriot has already linked to it... I feel that it is not inappropriate to point you all towards this new blog in a post.

To the Twisted Tanner, Welcome! I have not yet delved into your blog (I've just read some of the headlines) but I welcome additional voices to the discussion.

Please email me and let me know if I may add a link to your blog. And while I see you already have linked to this one - please understand that I am fine with it.

Again, welcome!

Election Results (From Salem News)

2009-11-03T22:39:00.002-05:00

MAYOR
7,468 - Bonfanti
2,712 - Donovan

AT-LARGE
7,363 - Bettencourt
5,952 - Gravel
5,729 - Manning
5,725 - Garabedian
5,315 - Liacos
---------------
4,376 - Moutsoulas
4,238 - Aylward

WARD 1
1,083 - Osborne
0,993 - Forti

WARD 4 - RECOUNT?
1,150 - Driscoll
1,149 - Grayson

WARD 6
1,366 - Sinewitz
0,993 - Sheehan

SCHOOL COMMITTEE
6,297 - Dunne
5,655 - Rossignoll
4,936 - Hochman
-------------------------
4,167 - Nizwantowski
4,088 - Olimpio

MUNICIPAL LIGHT COMM
7,183 - Paras
3,914 - Wheatley
----------------
3,387 - Bonfanti
2,153 - Chancey

LIBRARY... all will get in

Peabody Patriot reporting election results live tonight

2009-11-03T21:20:00.001-05:00

The Peabody Patriot is reporting election results live.

http://peabodyelections.blogspot.com/

City Election, Tuesday, November 3, 2009

2009-11-02T19:41:00.008-05:00

POLLS OPEN TUESDAY MORNING
AT 7:00 AM AND CLOSE AT 8:00 PM

Please vote. It is what countless American's before you have fought and died for... so that you can have the opportunity to express your right to have the government of your choosing. Not voting is both unpatriotic and a damning indictment of our system of government. It also means that you choose not to matter... and you do matter.

Where to vote: Massachusetts Voting Information

Voting location in Peabody by Ward and Precinct.

Ward 1 - 1: St. Ann’s Church Hall, 140 Lynn Street
Ward 1 - 2: Woodbridge Assisted Living, 240 Lynnfield St
Ward 1 - 3: St. Ann’s Church Hall, 140 Lynn Street
Ward 2 - 1: Welch School Gym, end of Swampscott Ave
Ward 2 - 2: Welch School Gym, end of Swampscott Ave
Ward 2 - 3: South Memorial School Gym, 16 Maple St Ext
Ward 3 - 1: Our Lady of Fatima Church, Rear Lower Lvl, 50 Walsh Ave
Ward 3 - 2: Our Lady of Fatima Church, Rear Lower Lvl, 50 Walsh Ave
Ward 3 - 3: Wilson Terrace Community Hall, 15 Wilson Terrace
Ward 4 - 1: Higgins Middle School Gym, 1 King Street Extension
Ward 4 - 2: Higgins Middle School Gym, 1 King Street Extension
Ward 4 - 3: Peabody Veterans Memorial High School Gym, 485 Lowell St
Ward 4 - 3A: 300 Brooksby Village Drive, MacIntosh Clubhouse
Ward 5 - 1: Kiley School Gymnasium, 21 Johnson Street
Ward 5 - 2: Kiley School Gymnasium, 21 Johnson Street
Ward 5 - 3: McCarthy School Gymnasium, 76 Lake Street
Ward 6 - 1: West Memorial School Gymnasium, 15 Bow Street
Ward 6 - 2: Burke School Gymnasium, 127 Birch Street
Ward 6 - 3: Burke School Gymnasium, 127 Birch Street

City Council At-Large Predictions and Endorsements

2009-11-02T19:07:00.005-05:00

At-Large City Council

These are the people we must rely on to help keep Peabody a vibrant and active community for all its residents and businesses. Sadly, this group spends most of its time bemoaning minor disturbances and rarely can see beyond the malaise and mediocrity that they have helped create here in Peabody.

I yearn for some vision and leadership amongst this important elected body... but instead I am ever disappointed by the nudge-nudge-wink-wink of back room shenanigans and petty turf wars.

Ladies and gentlemen... who ever wins PLEASE PUT THE GOOD OF THE CITY BEFORE YOUR OWN PETTY DIFFERENCES!

My Endorsements:

Edward A. Bettencourt Jr.
Anne M. Manning
David C. Gravel

And because he is at least smart (while I disagree with his demeanor and positions all too often): James K. Liacos

I have no 5th candidate I can support.

Michael Garabedian is really stupid. I have absolutely no idea why ANYONE voted for this man. He is an embarrassment to the City and yet (see predictions) he will be reelected. William Aylward is running on the ridiculous ideas of cutting taxes and improving the schools and city services (which can only be done in a campaign promise and not in real life) and James Moutsoulas was the Ward 3 crack pot before the CURRENT Ward 3 crackpot got into power. None of these people deserve to be on the City Council.

SADLY......

My Predictions:

Edward A. Bettencourt Jr.
Michael V. Garabedian
James K. Liacos
Anne M. Manning
David C. Gravel

Same old, same old.

Please feel free to leave your own predictions and endorsements as well.

School Committee Predictions and Endorsements

2009-11-02T18:56:00.004-05:00

School Committee

This is the one race where the people of Peabody, and not just the parents of Peabody, can really have an impact on the future of our City.

The current crop of committee members was all too ready to stand by and allow the Mayor to disassemble the school system to balance the budget... while not bring a single job cut to the rest of the City. However, he was not alone in this action and the members of the School Committee need to face their poor choices and actions.

I would actually like to see both the incumbents out of their positions on the school committee. I am usually NOT a "Vote Out All The Bums... And They're ALL BUMS" kind of person, but this year, after the actions and antics - of these two members especially - I am more than willing to see what these new faces can bring to the School Committee and our school system.

I endorse:

Jarrod M. Hochman
John C. Olimpio
Thomas J. Rossignoll

SADLY.........

I predict:

Beverley A. Griffin Dunne
Edward M. Nizwantowski
Jarrod M. Hochman

Please feel free to leave your own predictions and endorsements as well.

Bonfanti for Mayor... and why Russ Donovan is a poor choice

2009-11-01T11:21:00.006-05:00

I have been accused of being a toady for Mayor Bonfanti. That's fine, but those who actually pay any attention will see I often disagree and sometimes seriously rebuke our current mayor.

That being said,

I ENDORSE MIKE BONFANTI FOR MAYOR

I also believe he will win in a landslide.

Now, I also do NOT support Mr. Russ Donovan.

I think a recent exchange on The Peabody Patriot might be more illustrative than any new post here.

To begin, the Peabody Patriot (which I do not believe is being run by KD - at least not at the moment) did endorse Mr. Donovan for mayor. I strongly disagreed. Then had some back and forth which culminated in a personal message on the PP from Mr. Donovan... and finally my response.

I post these for your edification.

PI

Please note that Mr. Donovan has made quite a list of "campaign issues" at the Peabody Patriot blog (link above) in response to my statements.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Endorsements.
Posted by Vote Em Out at 12:25 AM

Mayor:
Russell Donovan

---------------------------------------------
Friday, October 30, 2009
No Peabody mayor defeated since 1951 - SalemNews.com, Salem, MA
Posted by Vote Em Out at 9:48 AM

We all know what Peabody is, we are not Dark City as OG likes to say. We are not La La Land like some other like to say. We are incumbent land a sitting Mayor has not lost since 1951. How may Mayors were defeated during the time of the great depression? That really is the level where at right now, minus the breadlines.

We need a change in this city, why not make it now and if it is not working in two years make a change. Trust me you will have many candidates in 2 years if Mike was defeated, people could not stand someone sitting in that office that was not hand picked

-------------------------------------------
October 30, 2009 7:51 PM
Peabody_Insider said...

If you really think that Mr. Donovan is a real candidate for Mayor then I simply can not take anything you have to say seriously.
He has not campaigned, does not have any real platform or experience or, frankly, any coherent grasp of how a city works.
He is a 'screw-you' candidate who enjoys seeing his name in the (very short lived) spotlight and deservedly so.
The one issue he blathers on and on about is WATER where he spouts half truths and mostly innuendo and wink-wink conspiracy allegations.
My favorite thing is his talking about how he respected former Mayor Torigian when he NEVER IN HIS LIFE had a good thing to say about him.
This man and his candidacy - any anyone who supports him - are all jokes.
I noticed you couldn't even come up with reasons to vote for him... only one's to vote against Mayor Bonfanti.
The current Mayor is certainly not perfect - far from it - and is actually quite annoying at times and has created many problems for this City over the years... but to ask people to vote him out so you can vote in a joke is frankly the worst thing to come out of the Peabody Patriot since the original jerk left.
And yes... this is indeed an angry letter. Because you have now proven yourself to be AN ANTI-PEABODY BLOG - one that would rather see this City thrown in the garbage rather than admit that Bonfanti IS the better choice among no choice at all.

--------------------------------
October 31, 2009 9:16 AM
Anonymous said...

WOW ! again you talk like you acually know something about how this city is run ! you must be the smartest guy in Peabody. I think your just the most arrogant. what makes anything you say the fact or even beleivable. you should really get out more often.

--------------------------------------
October 31, 2009 12:37 PM
Peabody_Insider said...

One thing.
Name one thing that Mr. Donovan has said he will do for this City... AND HOW HE WILL DO IT.
Just one.
Besides the fact that HE ISN'T BONFANTI.
Seriously.
I'm sorry that many people here don't like Mayor Bonfanti... and that is fine. There are plenty of reasons to not like him.
But to say that this City and all its people and businesses would be IN BETTER HANDS if we allow this unprepared and ill-informed citizen to take control is plain and simply STUPID.
Mr. Donovan is one of those ANTI people. He has NEVER met a politician he likes and is only only AGAINST EVERYTHING... never offering better ways.
He has been like this for years and years. And you know what? That's FINE if he just wants to be a crank crackpot citizen making noise when he feels like it.
It is an entirely different matter when he is asking people to vote him into power so he can ruin this City.
And it is wholly irresponsible of The Peabody Patriot to put the hatred of Mayor Bonfanti ahead of the Needs of the Citizens of Peabody.

-------------------------------------------------
November 1, 2009 8:46 AM
Anonymous said...

WOW! PI are you off your meds again?
I don't think I ever demeaned you the way you have me.
The one thing I would do for the City is: (Sorry Mike)
Get Mike OUT OF THE Corner OFFICE!
How I will do it? Simple.
With the peabody voters support. Win the Election.
Why should the voters oust Mike?
Let's see. Mmmm....
Police: The police exam scandal comes to mind. No names please. The 9/11 holiday pay.
Fire: Asleep while manning the 911 desk. Again no names.
DPS: The deliberate pollution of our water supply. Amongst other things don't to be mentioned cause he's gone now.
And oh ya.
Eight years of increased homeowner property taxes.
But these are just a few reasons.
Bloggers feel free to add your own points. Schools maybe?
During the campaign I only mentioned the polluting of our water supply as this was done by the head of the DPS with the mayor's acceptance!
As to my experience and understanding of how city government works. Let me just say: Over the many years I have attended various city board meetings and participated in numerous public meetings and I believe I have a good sense of what is going on in Peabody government.
I can't say I seen your face at any of these meetings.
Yes, I respected Peter Torigian. I didn't agree with him on a number of issues but I respected the man.
Let me tell a short story about Peter and me. Years ago, Peter had made a deal to get a chemical plant built in the then new Centennial Industrial Park but he needed a zoning change. My neighbors and I fought the zoning changes that would have allowed that plant in the park.
See Zoning or RE-Zoning is IMPORTANT! The little details can kill you or ruin the quality of life in our neighborhoods.
Peter never forgot or forgave.
For some reason the site limited my text last night so I couldn't send. I had to abbreviate my writing this morning. More to come in another comment.

Russell Donovan, Candidate for Mayor
----------------------------------------
November 1, 2009 11:20 AM
Peabody_Insider said...

Mr. Donovan:

First let me say that I would never have made public comments about ANYONE (such as these I have made here) while someone was a private citizen. I certainly might have rolled my eyes and said, "Yup, that's Russ" - but I would never have attacked your positions in a forum public like this.
Until you asked us all to vote for you to become the highest ranking official in the City - a person directly responsible for the day to day administration of our City. Then, Mr. Donovan, you and your ideas are not only fair game for public discussion, but it is our civic duty to be discussing this important election and the candidates.
Now, when I rebuked the Peabody Patriot for endorsing you for mayor, I called them out on the fact that they GAVE NO REASONS TO VOTE FOR YOU... ONLY REASONS TO NOT VOTE FOR MAYOR BONFANTI.
And guess what!?! You did exactly the same thing!
You are not offering one bit more information as to WHY your are a good choice for mayor except that you don't go home to Mayor Bonfanti's house at night! Hell, my neighbor's 5-year old daughter doesn't either... is she also qualified because SHE ISN'T MIKE TOO?
I am sorry if you feel you have been publicly wronged by my statements and sentiments. But you are the one seeking high public office and you are the one saying people should cast their precious vote for mayor for YOU.
And the best you can do is tell us you are not Mike Bonfanti.
Well then, thank you sir. We are now well aware of this fact and I hope we will all vote appropriately.
Finally, Mr. Donovan, how can you tell that I haven't been to these public meetings? The City must hold between 3-6 meetings of one sort or another every week! If you indeed do attend all of them, good for you. But I also attend the ones I feel are important to attend when time permits. And since you don't know who I am, how can you possibly say that I haven't been there.
And really, don't you understand that their is a difference between attending a meeting and actually running a meeting? I mean I go to see movies... but that doesn't make me George Clooney??
Good luck with your campaign and I would actually welcome seeing you put some of your positions into writing here - since I have yet to be visited by you or receive ANY literature via mail or drop.

Sincerely, PI

Election Forum: Wednesday, Oct. 21st. 7:00-9:00 at City Hall

2009-10-20T22:25:00.003-04:00

The Salem News will be sponsoring a candidate forum at Peabody City Hall on Wednesday, October 21st from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

This forum will feature candidates for the following positions:

Mayor
Councilor-at-Large
School Committee

I only saw this as a brief mention at the end of one of Nelson Benton's opinion pieces and haven't seen much about it since then.

Now, sadly, a long standing work commitment will force me to miss this event... and I am very unhappy about it. This is exactly the type of forum I have been saying is needed in the City. I hope other's will share their opinions and viewpoints on how the night goes.

Ward Councilor Races in Peabody

2009-10-16T19:58:00.005-04:00

I was asked to give some predictions and endorsements for the upcoming elections in November. Now, predictions are often rather easy here in Peabody... never bet against the incumbent. As for endorsements... well my though it who cares what I think? But I was asked so I will give mine below... BUT PLEASE add yours in the comments as well. Especially OG as you were requested as well.

But first... here are the 3 recent news articles from The Salem News on the three ward races with challengers.

Two campaign for Ward 1 council seat

Newcomer, veteran vie for Ward 4 seat

Ward 6 hopefuls tangle over temperament

So lets start with the sad news... Ward 2, 3 and 5 can't even muster enough interest to get a challenger to the incumbent,

Ward 2: Arthur Athas (unopposed)
Ward 3: Rico E. Mello (unopposed)
Ward 5: David R. Gamache (unopposed)

This is a sad state of affairs in my opinion. I like to see a vigorous campaign with lots of ideas being tossed around and a future vision of Peabody being discussed. Sadly this will not be happening in Wards 2, 3 or 5.

Ward 1

Endorsement: Rob Forti
Why? I think he has shown he has both an interest in his Ward and a high level of energy that he is willing to put into the job. When he used to post on the Peabody blogs, he was often a very reasonable person who made logical arguments and seemed willing to listen to others point of view. I think he would bring some new energy and responsibility to the council and Ward 1.
Prediction: This one could be close... but I think inertia will prevail and Barry Osbourne will emerge as the winner.

Ward 4

Endorsement: Jeff Grayson
Why? I have met both these candidates (I live in Ward 4) and while I personally like Bob Driscoll, I think he has lost real interest in the job. He is running hard (first time in a while) but I don't like what he has turned into as a councilor. He has sided with irrational and misguided neighbors over zoning issues in Brooksby Farms (going against the recommendation of the City's experts in order to placate a few vocal locals.) But more importantly, while I have heard him blame the CC for inaction on many issues... he is PART OF THAT PROBLEM and has been powerless to do anything about it for too long. Time to give someone else a chance to try.
But enough about why Driscoll has lost my support. I think Grayson has a future in Peabody politics. He is young and bright and full of energy and ideas... and idealism as well. And while idealism alone is NOT enough to change the world... it is better than a "No We Can't" attitude that the current City Council membership seems to rejoice in.
Prediction: This one will probably NOT be close... Bob Driscoll will win.

Ward 6

Endorsement: Barry Sinewitz
Why? Or rather... WHAT?? How can I endorse Sinewitz? I do not personally find Councilor Sinewitz to be either well informed or particularly gracious in his actions as a councilor here in Peabody. I certainly often disagree with his opinions and voting record, but mostly I dislike his reactionary style of politics. And yet I am endorsing him.
His opponent, Mr. Sheehan is perhaps a fine fellow... but he has yet to make that clear to the people. I NEVER FULLY TRUST what I read online... but then he goes and makes the Westside a linchpin in his campaign when given an open opportunity in the Salem News article. I am beginning to see why so many people see him as a non-candidate.
Prediction: This one will be a landslide and Barry Sinewitz will win easily.

I welcome comments and thoughts on the Ward Councilor races here. I will be posting additional posts on the At-Large and the School Committee races.

I will not bother to look at the other races as the race for Mayor is a joke and Bonfanti will win by a huge margin (with no real competition) and as for the other races????? Who cares?

behind every shadow the bogeyman

2009-10-12T22:30:00.004-04:00

U P D A T E D

I would just like to make clear that NO ONE is accusing Mr. Forti of any wrong doing in this instance. This post by Needham's Corner was in response to a multitude of rantings and ravings at this and other Peabody blogs. Mr. Forti has been very forthright when addressing the public during his campaign as well as on these blogs. This post was NOT IN ANY WAY meant to imply any wrongdoing on the part of Mr. Forti. I hope readers will read the post above this one and see that Mr. Forti has my support in his race.

- Peabody Insider

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Some of our paranoiac readers (well, yeah, you aren't really paranoid if the world is truly out to get you!) may be unfamiliar with certain provisions of the Hatch Act, a federal statute that restricts local partisan political activity by local, state, and federal employees.

Read about it here: http://www.osc.gov/ha_state.htm and before you go all off about "strong men" and coercion, think about how the law might be interpreted with respect to local politics. I once worked with someone in a non-profit agency whose funding came from the feds, and she was unwilling to hold a sign on election day because she thought it was a violation of the Hatch Act. Misinterpretation of federal law is not uncommon (!), but perhaps once in a while people err on the side of over-caution than under-caution.

It would be great if people would read the law and think for themselves about how it might be interpreted, instead of just grabbing onto whatever random interpretation is floating out there in the blogosphere. There ain't no law agin THINKING.

Election Endorsements and Predictions????????? Good Idea...

2009-10-06T21:55:00.006-04:00

A person posted here asking if I would be making any endorsements of candidates for office in the City of Peabody. They also wanted to know predictions about who I thought might actually win.

This is a good idea for a post. I will need to do some research into ALL the candidates first... at least those who are running in races against someone else.

Sadly, I (like Needham's Corner) have had few candidates visit my home. One was here (Grayson, Ward 4 challenger) in person and two others (Driscoll, Ward 4 incumbent and Hochman, School Committee challenger) left literature when no one was home.

I am very desirous of knowing what these candidates stand for and what they see as the future path for Peabody. I have read the local papers, gone to websites and facebook pages, I have even asked some directly for these answers... and received little, if anything, in return.

So while I do not feel that competent to discuss some of the other ward challengers, I certainly have an opinion on most of the existing ward councilors and the at-large folks. And the school committee as well... I know the incumbents, but VERY little about the challengers.

Then you have the two that are utterly meaningless... Library Trustee and Electric Light Commission... Frankly... who cares. Library trustee? As long as we don't get a book burner like Bev Dunne in that roll... I could care less. And light plant? I mean what DO they do anyway? That job seems like simply a Free Health Care Position to me.

So I will do some due diligence and start a post very soon on the endorsements and predictions... and I hope everyone will toss in their own two cents in the discussion as well.

I would also be happy to publish the websites of ANY candidates... so please feel free to pass them along in the comments.

More on this to come.

Apathy Central

2009-10-03T13:10:00.006-04:00

So here it is October 3; the election is about one month away; and here is what my household has seen for campaign activity:

Visits from incumbents for any elected position: Zero
Literature from incumbents for any elected position: Zero
Literature from challengers:
--- One for ward councilor
--- One for school committee
Visits from challengers: One

I do not live at the end of a long dead-end street in a remote area, so it's not about geography. I think it's about taking votes for granted.

I am not one to spout the 'change for the sake of change' or 'throw all the bums out' rhetoric that sometimes characterizes certain elements of the frustrated electorate, but this year, I really have to wonder:

We have 11 do-nothings on the City Council whose sole tasks as they apparently see them are issuing special permits (done by planning boards and boards of appeal in many other towns, to free up town councils to focus on bigger-picture issues) and rubber-stamping budgets and bond issues. The job that they SHOULD be doing, i.e., making legislative policy (zoning, for example) is left to the mayor and his staff, with the council's sole activity to squash any spark of initiative or new thinking that the mayor puts forward.

We have a school committee that directs the super to cut particular jobs, and then lambastes him when it turns out that you can't just hire any old body off the street to fill the position at reduced cost, AFTER HE TOLD THEM THEIR IDEA WOULDN'T WORK.

I am supporting a couple of challengers this time around. I have heard their fresh ideas, and while they might be over-idealistic, I would rather give them a chance than deal with the same old defeatist bunch who seem to have lost their appetite for even TRYING to improve this city.

Attention: Mosquito Spraying Tonight

2009-09-24T19:27:00.003-04:00

Mosquito control officers will be spraying public areas and streets west of Rt . 1 tonight to control an outbreak of EEE

The Salem News: Mosquito spraying tonight in Peabody
The City of Peabody website has additional information as well.

This came at late notice and it is only announced for tonight, September 24, 2009.

Plans call for spraying all ball fields, playgrounds, parks and the bikeway as well as residential streets west of Rt. 1.

Residents are advised to keep windows and doors that face the street or recreation areas closed during this time.

Missing Signs

2009-09-19T13:40:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to make a mention here of the sign controversy in Ward 6, where Councilor Sinewitz's signs have gone missing in two different incidents. There are also other signs, including Mr. Sheehan's, missing - but in numbers that do not indicate a targeted action. The Sinewitz signs do appear to be being targeted.

The Salem News: Sheehan condemns theft of opponent's campaign signs
The Salem News: Sinewitz's campaign signs stolen in Ward 6
The Salem News Opinion Letters: West Peabody race gets nasty

There is much discussion going on at Keith Doucette's Peabody Patriot blog.

I feel that both candidates are handling this very well and that neither is involved in the pilfering of the other's signs. I am very hopeful the Peabody police get to the bottom of this quickly.

Stealing ANY campaign sign is simply unamerican and cowardly! Freedom of speech, especially political speech, is a hard fought for right and a basic expectation in our country.

Election Posts - Updated

2009-09-16T17:04:00.004-04:00

I have updated all the election blog topics (top left menus) to include the most current information on candidates running for these offices.

This is a place for talking, questioning and politic'ing... but likewise for people holding candidates to the task of explaining what they plan to do if we elect them.

Separate blog topics may be started for more news related items and as we get closer to the November election date.

Ward 1 Primary: Tuesday, 9/15/09

2009-09-10T06:21:00.009-04:00

Congratulations to all the candidates in this primary.
And good luck to both leaders in the November elections.

Ward 1 City Councilor Primary was held Tuesday, September 15, 2009.

Peabody Patriot is reporting:

OSBOURNE 360
FORTI 294
CARLI 126

Just a public service here, no editorializing.

The Salem News: Carli says city residents aren't seeing any results

The Salem News: A newcomer, Forti says he is full of 'fresh ideas'

The Salem News: Osborne touts the ability to help his constituents

Peabody Polling Locations are in this brief article in the Peabody Weekly News:

The polls will open on Tuesday at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. and are at the same locations as in citywide elections. Ward 1 residents in precincts 1 and 3 can vote at St. Ann’s Church on Lynn Street, while Precinct 2 residents can vote at Woodbridge Assisted Living Facility at 240 Lynnfield St. (The Precinct 2 poll is no longer at the Peabody-Lynnfield YMCA.)

Any voters who will be out of the city on Tuesday or unable to make it to the polls because of a physical disability or religious observance may vote by absentee ballot. Call the City Clerk’s office at (978) 538-5756 for more information

I am not a resident of Ward 1 so I have little direct contact with any of these gentlemen. I will say this - that I welcome political competition and dislike uncontested races. I also demand that if someone asks me for my vote that they explain exactly why I should vote for them AND why they are the better choice for the office.

Good luck and please vote Ward 1

Shame on the Peabody School Committee

2009-09-09T15:50:00.004-04:00

Bravo to our good and brave School Committee members. The Peabody School Committee is trying to cover their own stupidity and arrogance by blaming the very people they have caused all the headaches for in the first place.

Salem News: Special ed pushed to cover rehiring

Let's take a look at this ever more sad chain of events and see if we, unlike School Committee member David McGeney, can see where the fault lies... and who is ultimately at fault here...

The School Committee is told by Mayor Bonfanti to slash the school budgets and prepare the school system for the obvious layoffs (remember... it was ONLY the Peabody Public Schools that needed to lay off ANYONE - every single other position in Peabody Government was considered NOT OVER BUDGET.)

Then the crack education folks on the School Committee told the school administrators to sharpen their budgets... and several meetings were held to hammer out a workable budget.

During one of these meetings a School Committee member (sorry, I forget who it was) asked if the school adjustment coordinator (SAC) positions might be cut instead of the elementary school guidance councilors... with the idea that other guidance councilors could do the work of the SACs.

To his partial credit, Superintendent Burnett told the SC that IT WAS NOT A GOOD IDEA.

And to show that they know more than the experts, they told the Superintendent to do it anyway... and to his chagrin, he fired the SACs.

Now, only a few months later... The truth about the SACs comes out. They are specialized positions requiring specialized certification... and without that certification the Peabody Schools will be OUT OF COMPLIANCE... which really means that they will be open to law suits from parents for failing to meet the educational requirements of students.

So.... guess what? Peabody now needs to REHIRE the two SACs that they sacked a few months back (sorry, couldn't resist).

Now the Superintendent looks like an ASS.
But even worse... the School Committee all look like ASSES.

How to fix this situation so that the School Committee members DON'T LOOK SO STUPID IN AN ELECTION YEAR???

I KNOW! They will put all the blame on the director of the Peabody Schools Special Education department, Patricia Bullard... BECAUSE SHE FOLLOWED THE ORDERS THEY TOLD HER TO FOLLOW IN THE FIRST PLACE.

And David McGeney even gets a little testy that she somehow simply can not wave her magic wand and restore the $140,000 that the School Committee took out of her budget when they removed these people in the first place.

I simply can not believe that after so many LOWS in the past few years that the Peabody Schools have yet again sunk to a new depth.

Shame on the Peabody School Committee.

Quarry Expansion & Closure Confuses Politicians

2009-09-06T10:12:00.006-04:00

The Quarry controversy rears its ugly head yet again

The Boston Globe: Peabody rock quarry closure plans are in midsts of expanding

This is not such a giant controversy.

The quarry was in place long before the houses all sprouted up, so the neighbors complaining about the quarry are simply guilty of choosing to live in the wrong place.

That being said, Aggregate Industries is proving itself to be not only a bad neighbor, but a criminal one as well. The company needs to be very closely watched as it has proven itself to be NOT TRUSTWORTHY.

However, the fact that the two politicians mentioned in the article, Ted Speliotis and Barry Sinewitz, are confused by such a "complicated idea" that this company has the legal right to expand, and plans to do so, while at the same time creating a shut down plan for 30 years in the future says more about the mental abilities of these gentlemen and less about this confusing issue.

It is not confusing.

This company can (and obviously plans to) continue its operations in this location until they have exhausted their permitted rights. They also are required to create a long-term plan to ultimately close the plant.

Gentlemen... how hard is that to understand?

Bottom line...

- Neighbors will complain about ANYTHING and the reality is you shouldn't build/buy your house next to a rock quarry if you don't like noise, ground shaking blasts and truck traffic.

- Aggregate Industries has proven itself to be untrustworthy and in violation of the law. They need to be closely monitored and controlled.

Now I know from talking with a few people that living near AI is a pain and it makes life unpleasant at times (and dangerous at others)... even if people made bad choices in the past (choosing to live near a quarry) - but they are there now and the City should be trying to mediate a fair and reasonable accommodation for all involved. AI has rights, but so do the residents. In fact, the City itself should bear some of the responsibility for allowing these homes to be built in the first place.

In my opinion the best course of action here is:

1) Continue the closure plan discussions with a keen focus on how the land will/can be used in the future.

2) Continue the discussion on the expansion plans - AND MAKE SURE THE CITY HAS SMART PEOPLE IN THIS DEBATE when it comes to the issuance of special permits required for AI to achieve its goals.

The only place the City has any say in AI's business (if they are operating within the law) is when they come to ask for a special permit. This is the time the City needs to act intelligently and get some logical concessions in order to benefit FIRST, the City as a whole and SECOND, the concerns of the neighbors.

Local Options: To Tax or Not To Tax?

2009-08-27T19:19:00.006-04:00

= = = = = U P D A T E D = = = = =

Mayor Bonfanti says while he sees "both sides of the issue" the City could really use the added tax money.

The Lynn Item: Peabody in pickle on local tax hike

What I don't find very convincing is Mayor Bonfanti's justification for raising the taxes: that the Legislature will be mad at the cities and towns for NOT enacting the taxes while still looking for State relief. To me this sounds like grasping at straws for a reason BESIDES the fact that the City needs more funds... and it seems rather week to me.

The other assertion, that it would be easier if everyone were to enact the increase (Danvers has voted no while Saugus has voted yes) and has the Mayor wishing Salem would pass it to make it easier for Peabody to do the same... is NOT LEADERSHIP! It is being a follower. Stop it and just do the right thing because it is THE RIGHT THING... even if it hurts you in the polls.

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The Massachusetts State Legislature has give Cities and Towns the local option to add a local tax onto hotel rooms and/or meals. This would add up to 2% to the cost of a hotel or motel room and up to 0.75% to the cost of a meal in a restaurant.

The Peabody Weekly News: Decision on local luxury tax hikes stalled until fall

Note: The PWN only has stories up for one week

The Salem News Editorial: Nelson Benton: Nothing tasty about meals tax
The Salem News: Megavoke OK'd, Meals tax denied in Danvers
The Salem News: Local Taxes may rise in tough times
The Salem News: Senate OKs hike in sales, alcohol tax
The Boston Globe: Tax options raise interest, with caution
The Boston Globe: Towns consider tax hike

The problem: State aid to Cities and Towns has plummeted in recent years.
The (one small?) solution: Give local communities the ability to gather their own local taxes with an increase in hotel and meals taxes.

This is not a perfect solution, but it is one way to allow Cities and Towns to gather additional income in very difficult financial times.

The reality of the hotel/motel situation is that adding 2% to the hotel room charges would equal around an additional $2.00 a day to the average hotel/motel room in Peabody. And since the vast majority of the people staying these hotels are from out of town... this seems a perfect way to recoup some of the losses in State funding.

The meals tax is a little more personal as it will mostly affect the locals who frequent Peabody restaurants. However, this additional tax is EXTREMELY SMALL... 0.75% in fact, so small that it simply can not be held up as a DETERRENT to folks seeking to have a meal in a local eatery.

The cost of eating out will change very little... in fact, here are some prime examples...

Breakfast at Dunkin Donuts:
Large coffee and a bagel with cream cheese:
$4.38 --------- + 3 cents tax! = $4.41

Lunch at Sonic (just opened on Rt. 1):
A Number 2 (SuperSONIC Cheeseburger Combo w/ medium fries + drink)
$5.99 --------- + 5 cents tax! = $6.04

Dinner at Sugarcane (for two):
Hot & Sour soup (2), Crab Rangoon, Orange Duck, General Gau's Chicken, and 2 (!) Scorpion Bowls
$64.00 --------- + 48 cents tax! = $64.48

Special Romantic Evening Out for 2 at Legal Seafoods
2 signature cocktails, oysters and coconut shrimp appetizers, shared large Caesar salad, surf & turf (shrimp & scallops), grilled wild salmon, bottle of wine ($45), 2 signature desserts and cappuccinos
$190.00 --------- + $1.43 tax! = $191.43

This should pretty much prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that this additional amount of tax would do NO ONE any harm and indeed would NOT change anyone's plans to stop in for a quick bite... or an evening of fine dining.

Now on to the man who cost Peabody $300,000...
Thanks to Councilor Rico Mello - who seems perpetually stuck in some other reality - the City Council will not take up the discussion on these local taxes - NOT EVEN DISCUSS IT!?! - until the Fall... thus losing out on approximately $300,000 in additional City revenues that Mayor Bonfanti proposed applying towards desperately needed road and sidewalk repairs.

Now I am NOT saying I think we should allocate these moneys to ANY ONE project... and if we DO pick only one... roads and sidewalks are NOT the number one need in this City.

But for Councilor Mello to yet again show himself as the OPPONENT OF ANY CHANGE in this City is yet another reason to elect a better representative in the coming elections.

Senator Ted Kennedy Dead at 77

2009-08-26T06:59:00.003-04:00

Senator Edward Kennedy Dead at 77

It will come to no surprise to anyone familiar with my viewpoints that Senator Kennedy is a personal hero of mine. I believe that he showed us all that a flawed person can indeed become a force for good in this world.

The Liberal Lion of the Senate is gone. He shall be missed.

The Boston Globe: Kennedy dead at 77
The Boston Herald: Senator Edward M. Kennedy dies at 77
The New York Times: Edward Kennedy, Senate Stalwart, Dies
The BBC World Service: Senator Edward Kennedy dies at 77

Peabody West Little Leaguers head to World Series

2009-08-16T12:49:00.007-04:00

= = = = = U P D A T E = = = = =

Well the young folks had quite a time in Pennsylvania! They represented the City of Peabody proudly, and while they did not always finish the game with a W in the scorebox, they certainly played with spirit and energy and gave it their very best! That is absolutely all that anyone can ask of another person or team!

Thank you all for your efforts this season and for allowing us to share in your success!

CONGRATULATIONS!!

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As many of you might have guessed, I am not the biggest sports fan out there. And I don't like to see school athletics favored over academics. But this is a different story.

Peabody West Little League has advanced to the Little League Baseball World Series in South Williamsport, PA after a stunning series of wins... some of them in the heart-stopping category.

The next 3 games are as follows: Schedule is here
and for more info: www.littleleague.org

GAME 4
8:00 pm, Friday, 8/21/09
New England vs. Southwest

GAME 13
6:00 pm, Sunday, 8/23/09
West vs. New England

GAME 22
4:00pm, Tuesday, 8/25/09
Great Lakes vs. New England

Now it looks like these will be broadcast only on ESPN360 (Click Here) I believe this is a free internet service IF you are using a member ISP. Note: Comcast and Verizon are BOTH MEMBER ISP's!

I think this is one event that can bring the entire City together to cheer on and support our young people!
GOOD LUCK PEABODY!

Here are some local stories about these fine ball players and their families, friends and fans:

NECN Video: Peabody West team a source of pride for City
Boston Globe: Peabody takes long route into Little League World Series
Salem News: Peabody West: World Series here they come
Lynn Item: Peabody West parents absorb a heart-stopping game and conclusion
Peabody Weekly News: West makes it to New England Finals

Peabody Fined $70,000 by EPA

2009-08-13T08:04:00.005-04:00

***UPDATED***

The Salem News has provided a better picture of this story... and specifically why the City is getting charged the $70,000 fine.

The Salem News: City is fined $70k by EPA

Turns out this is NOT a case of anything but some poor paperwork management... or mismanagement on the part of the City. The Mayor, while taking ultimate responsibility, did blame in part the (swift? unexpected?) departure of Dick Carnevale as one major reason that these oversights occurred.

However, this does NOT appear to be a case of wanton pollution as is being promoted by a few vocal individuals in the blog'o'sphere. It never fails to amaze me how some people are so quick to jump to the worst possible conclusions. This is, of course, NOT AN EXCUSE FOR THIS INANE OVERSIGHT BY THE CITY! $70,000 would certainly have made the Peabody Public Schools a tiny bit better.

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The Lynn Item is reporting that the City of Peabody has been fined $70,000 by the EPA for...
failing to meet permit requirements designed to ensure that raw sewage and other pollutants stay out of storm sewers, which drain to local rivers, ponds and coastal waters.

The Lynn Item: EPA fines Peabody $70,000 over raw sewage drains

I will admit I don't really have much information to add to this published report. I am not familiar with the current regulations that are specified in the article and more importantly it really doesn't specify what exactly Peabody did wrong to deserve this fine.

I did want to post this so people can have a place to discuss this and I will update as morte information becomes available.

Community Development Director Delios is Moving On

2009-08-13T07:51:00.002-04:00

Community Development director Jean Delios is leaving the City of Peabody for a new job in Reading.

The Salem News: City's top planner to take new job in Reading

There are many who blame Ms. Delios for the pro-development stance that seems to be the way of life here in Peabody. I don't think that this is particularly true, although I do think that Community Development has been more about business and about community for a while now. Ultimately it is the Mayor who is responsible for the overall City position regarding development - and the new moneys that brings into a community.

Mayor Bonfanti recently was quoted in an article stating that he is "pro business" - the exact quote is was...

"We are pro-business because we understand that business is the lifeblood of the city," Mayor Michael Bonfanti said. -Salem News

I can't imagine that the citizens of Peabody really want this attitude in the person who is leading the City! Even in these difficult economic times most people can see that Peabody is rather built up and doesn't have much room for new development - changes, upgrades, renovations, consolidations... sure... but lots of new growth seems counter productive.

Possible Mayoral Contender? Russ Donovan pulls papers.

2009-08-03T22:00:00.003-04:00

Russ Donovan has pulled nomination papers for Mayor of Peabody. This does not mean he is running, first he must return to the clerk's office by Tuesday with signatures from 50 residents of Peabody. This seems quite do-able and I would be glad to sign his (or anyone's) nomination papers if they are a serious candidate.

This is good. I like serious candidates running for office. I dislike uncontested races. It all makes for better government and certainly better public communication.

I would like to know much more about Mr. Donovan. But that will be a different post.

The Salem News: Russ Donovan takes out nomination papers

Does anyone find it rather odd that the Salem News has been running several articles about the unchallenged mayors on the North Shore recently... and when someone finally steps up to the plate and actually makes a challenge.... the news article is pushed into the middle of the most boring issue of the week (Monday.)

I mean... can you believe the TOP FOLD BANNER HEADLINE that Mr. Donovan got bumped for? Peabody Upgrades School Supply List, which is apparently news to the Salem News because they are all living in 1985 still? I mean they think a USB drive costs at least $10? Here Peabody parents... go here and get one for $2.00, or get one free from many businesses as handout gifts.

So a fluff story about the need for back to school stuff gets top billing and the announcement of the only challenger to a major sitting Mayor on the North Shore gets this crappy coverage?

Does anyone else still exist out there who thinks Mayor Bonfanti does NOT get special treatment from the Salem News? I'm not saying that the Mayor or his campaign had anything to do with this placement, in fact, I am sure that this challenge is seen as a non challenge to their camp. It is the Salem News who is showing their hand in my opinion.

What is wrong with the Peabody Public School System?

2009-08-01T12:28:00.002-04:00

Is it just me or is this one of the saddest years ever for the beleaguered Peabody Public School System?

First they have this horrendous budget cut that pretty much will undo most of the good progress made in the Peabody Schools in the past 10 years (and remember the ONLY PLACE IN THE ENTIRE CITY BUDGET THAT NEEDED CUTS was the Public Schools!)
Then Superintendent Milton Burnett decided that a select few of his management team needed BIG RAISES... EVEN THOUGH HE HAS AXED 75+ employees and more than 25 teachers
And now comes this gem... The cost savings plan to remove highly trained (and higher cost) school adjustment councilors and replace them with lesser trained (and cheaper) school guidance councilors - WHICH WAS APPROVED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT - is actually going to cost the City a bundle!

The Salem News: 'Cost-saving' layoff plan has backfired

Now I have admitted to not being a big fan of coach Niz and don't think he is an effective school committee member. However I can not fault him in this instance. He was simply making a suggestion for a potential cost savings move during the ridiculous sham of a budget that the school committee was working on.

The problem here was in what happened next... the highly paid educational administrative profession known as Superintendent Milton Burnett SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE IMPORTANT POSITIONS! Now... is the difference the number one thing he needs to deal with on a daily basis? Of course not. But THIS IS HIS JOB! He should have looked into this matter (if he didn't already know how it worked) and figured this out BEFORE making this STUPID MISTAKE.

How do we expect our students to learn how to think and act in intelligent and proactive ways when the very people in charge can't even do the basic tasks correctly (while getting a very nice paycheck for the honor as well)??????

Water Tower... was Dearborn responsible?

2009-07-22T16:21:00.003-04:00

I have been looking into this matter a bit. I can't find anything available on the web, or in discussing this with a few people who might recall, that shows that the property developers promised to install a new water tower. The best explanation I heard was that during the discussions and negotiations concerning the development that many different options were brought up but that the only one set into the contract was the (around) $350k that was to be used for "area improvements" and that was earmarked for installation of the pumping station.

The Salem News: Liacos: Peabody shouldn't have to pay for water tower
Peabody Weekly News: Mayor looks to bond for water tower, library repairs
Remember Peabody Weekly web stories do not remain active very long

This development is one of the unfortunate artifacts of the State 40B "snob zoning" rules that allow a developer to circumvent local rules and regulation to build large, multi-family housing developments in Cities and Towns that do not meet State requirements for affordable housing.

The original proposals (I believe) were turned down, and then the developer came back with the ultimate threat... work with us to make our project happen (and have a little bit of say in the matter) or we will go to the State and get permission to build whatever we wish up on that site. It was blackmail pure and simple.

And blackmail that was sanctioned by the State in its zeal to force snobbish communities like Concord, Boxford and Weston to allow ANY multifamily development. However, like many "good deeds" the new rules had a different affect - one that affected more modest communities that often already had quite a bit of affordable housing... but just didn't meet the very high standards set by the State.

So ultimately it comes down to the fact that the City decided to play ball with the developers in order to get some say in (and some concessions from) the development.

I guess there is a bigger issue here, well two actually.

The first is the issue of who really should be paying for public improvements in a City like Peabody? I mean when my house was built, the original owner did not need to pay for a water tower or treatment plant in order to construct this house. He rightly so assumed his taxes would be his contribution to the systems that service all the homes in Peabody.

Likewise, if the City decides it needs to widen a portion of a road in West Peabody, I would assume that my taxes (I live in Ward 4) would be used to pay for this action... and that the City would NOT bill only the homes along the stretch of road being widened.

So why do so many people think that when someone else wishes to use their property (for a single house, or a business or a development) that they should be responsible for footing the entire bill for the City services that will be needed to accommodate these new additions?

Is this just another iteration of the NO NEW DEVELOPMENT mentality? You know... the one that says... "It was OK for me to build MY HOUSE... but now that I live here... there are too many other people! SO NO MORE HOUSING!" This is the main attitude I hear from many Peabody folks... sadly they forget that their neighbors didn't want them to build their house either!

The second issue revolves around who we elect to be the stewards of our City. I mean, and I can't say this any other way, but why do we elect stupid people? I call someone stupid when they agree to, and then sign a contract, WITHOUT READING IT TO KNOW WHAT IT SAYS???? Now, maybe Councilor Liacos wasn't personally responsible for signing the contract (or maybe even approving these conditions) but if he was so adamant about protecting the citizens of Peabody (and he is sure screaming about this quite loudly right now) WHY DIDN'T HE READ THE FINAL LANGUAGE IN THE AGREEMENTS??

And to come back now years later and say, "but that's what I thought I heard" is not an act of good governanace, it is an excuse... and a poor one at that.

School admins get raises - What is wrong with these people?

2009-07-14T18:00:00.009-04:00

So the Peabody school department in its illustrious wisdom has decided that the appropriate way to deal with the economic troubles that have caused the elimination of 50+ positions and the lower quality of education that comes with it...

The very best way to move forward and to improve the sad state of the Peabody school system is to.... HAND OUT EXTRA LARGE RAISES TO THE PRINCIPALS AND ADMINISTRATORS.

All the while raising the fees parents and students must pay and going back to the union employees with the expectation that they should give up some of their recent contract changes.

The Salem News: School chief gave administrator raises as others' jobs were cut

Frankly... this is an imbecilic move that unbelievably might even top some of Mayor Bonfanti's recent public relations gaffes! I mean WHAT WAS SUPERINTENDENT MILTON BURNETT THINKING???

I mean was he thinking.... This sure seems like the right time to give some of my top people raises that are more than 50% higher than what the rest of the people are getting? That the time sure is right with all the public support for teachers and the free flowing tax money?

Frankly... this is an amateur move. It is such a bad move I would consider this actionable... meaning it might be time for him to go.

At one time (and a different economic reality) I would be arguing that these people are probably under paid compared to some other folks and that retaining people should be a priority since we seem to play musical chairs with our school administrator in this City... but that is NOT the reality of today. To NOT recognize these real issues is to be ill fit for the position of power and authority required as Superintendent of Schools.

And then the absolute WORST part of the article was when High School Principal Edward Sapienza opened his mouth and made sure we all knew just how DAMN LUCKY we are that he is willing to LOWER HIMSELF to work in a place like Peabody... That is my interpretation of his words which are here:

Sapienza said even with his $106,424 salary he still earns less than high school principals in Danvers, Lynn, Marblehead and Swampscott and oversees more students than his counterparts.

"If somebody wants to begrudge that, go ahead," he said.

The high school principal said he has 37 years of experience and two master's degrees he paid for himself.

"I've got a wealth of experience," he said. "I think I'm a very good bargain."

Administrators don't have unions to negotiate their contracts and must individually make the case for salaries, Sapienza said. They, like the unions, seek equity in pay and benefits.

Sapienza said he sympathized with people who were losing their jobs. He chose to be an educator while others opted to go into the private sector.

"It's still America," he said. "You can still choose to be whatever you want to be."

Well said Principal Sapienza, well said indeed. I however think that if you are really so darn smart... you should have known better than to have mouthed off like this making the Peabody school administration, and yourself, look foolish.

I can only guess that the real fool here would be the Principal who accepted a job that pays too little in the first place. I do not begrudge people raises, but I DO begrudge them to BITE the hand that feeds them.

AT THE VERY MOST... these administrators should have received the same raises as the unions did... which is exactly the way it works in City Hall (and elsewhere in the City I believe.) But to be FIRING TEACHERS while GENEROUSLY REWARDING the administrators (people who will rarely have a direct impact on a student's life) is simply terrible.

Peabody should join into the new North Shore Technical High School

2009-07-10T13:21:00.002-04:00

Peabody needs to join into (and be a leader in) the new North Shore Technical and Agricultural High School (NSTAHS).

The State (finally) seems eager to move forward with the NSTAHS (the combination and expansion of Essex Aggie and the North Shore Tech HS) with at least $77 million dollars.

While the other cities and towns involved still need to finalize their involvement, they are all on the way to getting it done.

Except for Peabody which is dragging its heels and putting up false protests in order to delay the process... which will mean that Peabody will end up NOT participating in this most worthwhile endeavor.

Peabody Lynnfield Weekly: Peabody wants more info before joining voke merger

Remember, PLW stories are only online for 1 week

Salem News: New voke school will get $77.5 million from State

Peabody should stop the endless debating and commit to joining (and being the leader in) the new NS Tech HS. Peabody has the largest number of students in technical programs and people are turned away each year. The current facilities at the Higgins are woefully inadequate AND the State has denied funding for the Higgins in the past specifically because the Peabody Voke is located there! The current program is not currently meeting the needs of its students and the equipment and programs are quite far out of date. This program needs to be expanded and modernized and Peabody can not (and will never) do it alone. This is the perfect way to join forces with other cities and town to share the costs, as well as get the State to shoulder much of the responsibities for this good idea.

Now, I am not saying that the City is wrong to want good information about this project (and especially the costs the City will need to provide.) But the fact of the matter is there ARE no guarantees in this world and estimates are just that... subject to change without notice. The idea that in this one instance the City would need such a super fine level of detail in order to make a decision is NOT the usual way things work in this City.

Thus, the delayed decision making seems much more like a stalling tactic than good financial prudence. Basically... if the City waits long enough, the project will simply GO AWAY because the State will pull the funding and we can go back to underfunding the current crappy program we offer our students today.

And if you think this is simply my opinion... read Dave McGeney and Beverly Dunns comments (from the PLW):

School Committee veteran David McGeney, acknowledging that vocational instruction likely incurs higher costs, argued that Peabody’s current course offerings are poor, at best, and should have been addressed years ago.
“Under serving our kids to save money is not what we’re about,” he said, adding that vocational education is often viewed as a “stepchild” to traditional schooling, which he feels has been the case in Peabody as well.
“We’re doing a terrible, terrible disservice to that portion of our student population,” he said.
Dunne agreed, pointing out that vocational programs have been on a “shoestring” budget for decades. She said many of the teachers have to buy simple supplies for students, such as Band-aids and gloves, out of their own pockets.

Sadly these School Committee members can see the folly in underfunding programs when they occur OUTSIDE the School Committees budget - but they were only too happy to be part of the committee that has underfunded the Peabody School System for several years in a row, including this most recent kick in the teeth to the students of Peabody.

The Destiny of Route One?

2009-07-08T22:39:00.003-04:00

In a recent Salem News story, Ward 5 Councilor Dave Gamache opines that one of the reasons for the lack of interest in Route One properties is the onerous and time-consuming Peabody regulations

The Salem News: Hard Times on Route One

That's his ward, and that's his opinion, and he's entitled to it. Is there more going on here, though, than the "over regulation" of private capital by the public sector?

The Route One properties have opportunities (intense visibility, excellent highway access) and constraints (weird parcel sizes and shapes, quirks of ownership arrangements, and of course, zoning).

Zoning in its most basic philosophical definition is the idea that the community, not just the individual, ought to have some say on the land uses and physical configuration (setbacks, height, etc.) of a parcel of land. That is why there is NO zoning whatsoever, for example, in Houston, TexASS, where it is assumed that the rights of the individual trump the rights of the community. (I'm kidding! really! Houston has a lot of PRIVATE regulations of land that are embedded in deed restrictions.)

I have always been curious: what does the blogosphere think are the most desirable land uses and configurations of these Route One properties? Simple tax generators like chain restaurants (eg Hooters, gack, can't we do better???), retail, and hotels? Industry? Or what?

To what extent should our local government (legislative or executive) be fighting for development of these parcels, or just letting the "free market" (which isn't free, believe me) operate? Should development be encouraged strictly to increase tax revenues? For other public uses that meet the public good?

I invite your reflections!

Happy Birthday America!

2009-07-04T09:24:00.004-04:00

Have a safe and patriotic 4th of July
And with a nod to an old Patriot...
"Let Freedom Ring"

A short (true) story for the weekend

2009-07-02T21:40:00.005-04:00

When I was in 10th grade (American history) our teacher assigned us to poll local residents on their degree of agreement with the following statement, by hanging around the polling places in our town on Election Day. The statement was this:

"..to secure these rights [life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness], governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. [But] whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the RIGHT of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness."

What a ration of abuse we took in our poll! Voter after voter opined that we were crazy kids, bent on revolution (yeah!), and that such ideas had no place in a law-abiding society. (It was the 70s, but the memory of the 60s was still fresh.) A few tried to have our little polling experiment shut down by the authorities.

And that is how Needham's Corner, at the tender age of 15, realized that the electorate had no idea wtf they had tacitly agreed to by being citizens in this amazing country, and a part therefore of this amazing experiment in democracy. (Mrs. Doyle was an inspired teacher - what would happen if teachers assigned this today??)

So, beyond the fireworks, and the flag, and the hot dogs and good ol' 'merican beer, I invite you to take a moment this weekend and reflect on the last 233 years. We have not been invaded, nor our villages fire-bombed and our people massacred. We are free to gather in the streets and in meetings and online to express our opinions about our leaders and government. Our press (when they are not hunting the elusive almighty dollar: Nelson, nota bene!) can report the facts and express their opinions. We can worship as we like. We can petition the government about our grievances. All these freedoms are guaranteed to us in our Constitution.

Perhaps we take them for granted, yet these freedoms were hard-won and defended with blood. These blogs (annoying as they can be) are symbols of these freedoms. Blog on, patriots!

"I can do anything I want" --Mayor Bonfanti

2009-07-01T16:51:00.005-04:00

There has been a sad streak of mis-steps here in Peabody lately. And most of them coming from the actions of our Mayor. Mayor Bonfanti has repeatedly acted like a high priced lawyer by skirting the letter of the law... while clearly violating the intent.

This most recent outburst of arrogance at the School Committee meeting (where Bonfanti halted Beverly Dunne from speaking - and in fact recessed the entire meeting - in order to discuss something in private with her before proceeding.

His one sentence answer SHOULD haunt his re-election bid (but sadly it will not)...

"I can do anything I want"

Well that pointedly sums it all up in a nice tidy package.

It is often said the most efficient and effective form of government is the Benevolent Dictatorship. And while that may be true... here in America (as Needham's Corner pointed out in a recent post) we are NOT under a dictatorship.... and, frankly, Mayor Bonfanti's actions too many times can not be seen as being benevolent.

I certainly and not the first to notice or comment on this. Here are some links to this issue...

The Salem News: Bonfanti stops meeting for private chat
Lynn Item: Peabody school board scoffs at library proposal

The Salem News Editorial: Our View: Mayor can't do anything he wants

The change in leadership so many on these blogs seem to crave is not looking good and certainly when it comes to our Mayor. However, with no challengers how can the Mayor think anything except that the people approve of his actions, tactics and style.

Even Nelson Benton seems surprised (Salem News: Nelson Benton: Half-year in review) that the man who takes credit for the 9-11 pay and slashing the school budget to shreds is facing no challenges in the fall.

I will go on record saying that I do not like this swaggering style of arrogance. I expect a higher level of purpose and intention from those who ask to lead. Please Mr. Mayor act like the leader the people need and expect.

Rumor wrong - Doucette NOT running in Ward 6

2009-06-30T12:46:00.003-04:00

Well it seems the rumor was wrong and that there was some organized group of posters (or simply one mimicking many) who wished to make it look as if Keith Doucette was running for Ward 6 Councilor. This rumor is and was false.

Here is what I wrote at Keith's Blog:
Note: I am not linking to Keith's blog at his request.

Keith...
I reported a 'rumor,' then it was 'confirmed' by many posters.
Then you pulled your site down.
This all seemed to fit.
Sorry if you feel wronged again.
Unlike many others I will state when I have made a mistake. This obviously is a mistake and I am sorry if I have offended you (yet again.)

That being said... I am not a paid reporter and do not have all the time in the world to check everything myself. I do not, for instance, call the participants in every news article to confirm the reporters veracity.

However... I probably should have been a little more vigilant when it comes to rumor passing by anonymous sources. I will try and do better.

Peabody Patriot has closed shop (again)(again)

2009-06-26T12:00:00.004-04:00

UPDATED:
Keith Doucette has NOT pulled papers to run in Ward 6
Please see THIS post for more details

I have made this post too many times now. The Peabody Patriot has closed shop yet again. This is on the heels of Peabody Elections (Keith Doucette's blog) closing the previous day. For better or worse folks... I (again) will be here to host this forum for your comments, commendations and criticisms of the goings on here in the City of Peabody.

Everyone is welcome here to participate in an adult level of discourse concerning the important issues to the City of Peabody, Massachusetts.

At least Keith seems to have a reason for closing that blog - he has pulled papers to run for Ward 6 Councilor. This is a very smart move (closing the blog) in my opinion. As a public official (or someone running for such a post) it is probably not in your best interest to be confronting anonymous people in a public arena.

Now as for the Peabody Patriot... that is another issue altogether. It is really quite a bit of work to run an active blog, and frankly this newest PP was doing a pretty good job. I am sad to see another voice removed from the blog scene.

I also worry at to why..... Now everything I am about to say here-in is PURE CONJECTURE and has little factual information to back it up. It is PURE SPECULATION on my part.

Did you notice that one of the very last things the Patriot posted was that a MOLE in the City Clerk's office had told him that Keith Doucette had pulled papers to run for Ward Councilor...

Now, I DO KNOW a little bit about how City Hall operates - and a little TOO MUCH about how the computer infrastructure works. It is a FACT that ALL computer access is monitored 24 hours a day on City computers. This means EVERYTHING. Emails sent and received. Web sites accessed. Even instant messaging through your computer is recorded and logged... AND CHECKED.

Perhaps the MOLE was 'discovered' and some form of punishment or threats were in the offering? I have no idea BUT I would not put it past the current administration to view these actions as both illegal (using a city computer and city time for personal business) and disloyal.

Like I said... this is (mostly) conjecture. The way City Hall operates its computer system is NOT conjecture though - that is a fact.

Ward Council races starting to get interesting

2009-06-25T21:34:00.005-04:00

It has been reported on The Peabody Patriot that two new folks have tossed their hats into the ring. Jeff Grayson (a political new comer - at least to me) has pulled papers to run against Ward 4 Councilor Bob Driscoll and in Ward 6, Keith Doucette has also pulled papers to run against Councilor Barry Sinewitz.

I personally welcome ALL participants into the political fray - as long as they are serious candidates and have the best interests of the people at heart.

I think a vigorous campaign that is well intentioned and focuses on substantial issues in these difficult times is the VERY BEST THING FOR OUR CITY!

I would be proud to sign the nomination papers for these two gentlemen, or anyone else serious about entering the political stage.

A PIG in a poke?

2009-06-25T11:34:00.005-04:00

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet"

Romeo and Juliet: Act II, Scene II

What's in a name? That which we call a PIG by any other name would smell so bad?

The bikeway has a new name. The Peabody Independence Greenway. Yes. You read it right. The new bikeway is going to be called THE PIG.

The Salem News: Peabody's new bikepath now has a name

Now, no offense to the middle schooler(s) who entered names into the contest... I am blaming the geniuses who chose this name over, oh say, Tanner Bikepath?

Also... you may enjoy reading some interesting comments at the Salem News site.

Peabody Bikeway: A good idea & getting better

2009-06-22T20:43:00.004-04:00

The Peabody Bikeway is a success. It is obvious by the number of people I see on it and the good "buzz" I hear listening to my fellow Peabody people in and around town. It is so good that the City Council voted to extend it to Endicott St.

The Salem News: Council unanimously backs bikeway extension

Heck, even the Salem News seems to find it a good use of the public funds!

The Salem News: Our View: Peabody blazes trail for bikers, walkers

The City has seen that this is such a success that they have initiated the next phase of the project - connecting the North Shore Mall section to Endicott Street. I have not seen a plan of the path, but I have made a good guess at the location and plotted it on my public map of Peabody Sites of Interest on google maps.

It seems that some people though are FIXATED on the fact that the separate bike path sections DO NOT CONNECT in a seamless fashion. Well, we have two little problems... Rt.1/I-95 and Rt.128 So instead of shrugging their shoulders and giving into defeatist attitudes the planners in the community development department struggled for many many years to make the current bikeway a success despite the gaps.

Since someone posted at the Salem News that bike riders are TOO STUPID to figure out a work around... I decided to help everyone out and show one way around the "problem" areas...

Click image to enlarge

Bonfanti budget a slap in the face to the future

2009-06-18T23:13:00.003-04:00

Much can be said about this deep financial crisis that the world is facing... we are facing it here in Peabody as well. It is up to the wise people who we citizens have elected to make the difficult decisions that will impact each and every one of us.

What is terribly troubling to me is the very people we have entrusted to make these important choices: Will we fund THIS or THAT? Can this road go another season without repair or will we need to replace it completely later? Should we cancel 20 English classes or serve 27 students who wish to learn Greek? Do we buy a new fire truck or repair/rehab the 25 year old one? Should we dip into our savings safety net to pay for ongoing expenses or maintain our high bond rating which saves us money in the long term?

These are all difficult choices and we rely on these people we elect, and a bevy of professional experts to guide them, to come to the best possible answers for all the citizens of this City of Peabody.

So why does it feel like we just screwed all the children of Peabody in an effort to maintain the bragging rights of having the lowest taxes around?

We have decided to step-by-step dismantle the school system because it is the easiest target in the budget crunch game. And from where I have been sitting and watching it most certainly is a game.

The Mayor blames the economy. Patricia Schafer blames the State. The School Committee blames the Mayor. The City Council blames the School Committee. The Mayor threatens everyone. They all (with great regret and heavy hearts) vote to allow the Peabody Public Schools to become the Peabody Public Dump.

Now, like any good game there will be winners and losers.

The Winners:

The Mayor gets praised by everyone who doesn't have children in the school systems and who see lowest taxes as better than educated children. The Mayor wins re-election all the while claiming in his reelection speech that "...another of [his] priorities is education. He said that while new schools were built and MCAS scores are improving, the overall level of education can be lifted higher and the district needs to retool and deal with declining student enrollment." From: Peabody Lynnfield Weekly News

The City Council wins both ways...
~ If you voted FOR the budget you are seen as a proactive, fiscally prudent protector of the elderly and the middle class, blue collar folks here in Peabody... just like the Mayor (see above)
~ If you voted AGAINST the budget (either time) you are seen as a defender of the parents and children of the City of Peabody! Except... you really didn't do ANYTHING except grandstand about something you can't change in the first place. This was pandering and sticking it to the Mayor (or in some cases the School Committee) in order to look Pro Parent and Pro Student when you have done little if anything to help the situation.

Bottom line: Almost all City Councilors will be reelected no matter which way they voted on this matter because there aren't enough parents to change the voting numbers... and the children simply can't vote.

The School Committee wins as well.
Frankly, it doesn't matter if they all voted for the budget or not... the budget was given to them and they had no choice but to make cuts somewhere to meet the numbers. However they all approved the union wages which it turns out is the main reason that the school department was singled out as the only department that needed to make ANY LAYOFFS... everyone else who works for the City is INDISPENSABLE while 73 people in the school department (don't worry, they say it will be less) ARE COMPLETELY UNNEEDED AND UNNECESSARY.

But the School Committee did get to LOOK GOOD as they were destroying the schools... they saved THIS program and THAT position... usually to the cheers of some very vocal group of parents, teachers, admins, etc. So they too will look like the valiant fighters who went into a losing battle and were able to snatch a few key nuggets of education for our youths. They all get reelected.

Hmmm. Yeah if all these folks win... somebody has to lose, right? Sadly you all know who…

Our children are the losers.
And when they lose, we all lose.

Peabody, your taxes are too low and your priorities are misplaced. And sadly, your leaders are failing you while they leave the next generation of Peabody citizens to fend for themselves.

Mayor's Budget is in and it is 100% Anti Education

2009-06-15T13:32:00.008-04:00

I was appalled when I read about the cuts the City of Peabody is planning for the 2010 budget.. 100% of the job cuts will be coming from the school department. 100%!!!

NO CUTS in the public services department. NO CUTS in the fire department. NO CUTS in the police department. NO CUTS in ANY OF THE OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES:

Assessor's Office
Auditor's Office
Central Switchboard
City Clerk's Office
Collector's Office
Community Development
Custodian
Emergency Management/ Civil Defense
Finance and Administration
Health Department
Human Resources
Inspectors' Office
North Shore Home Consortium
Office of Information Technology
Purchasing Department
Treasurer's Office
Veterans Services Department
Water Billing Office
Workers Compensation Office
Brooksby Farm
Cemetery
Legal Department
Council on Aging
George Peabody House Museum/ Civic Center
Peabody Library
McVann-O'keefe Skating Rink
Parks, Recreation and Forestry or
The Meadow of Peabody Golf Course.

That's right. The only place that had people fired because of budget reasons was THE PEABODY SCHOOL SYSTEM. NOT ONE OTHER DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY NEEDS TO MAKE A SINGLE CUT!

I think that this is the first time I will need to agree with the often repeated comment by visitors to these blogs...

MAYOR BONFANTI IS NOT THE EDUCATION MAYOR.

The Salem News: An Overview of the 2010 Budget
The Salem News: Bonfanti plans to weather another term

This is the systematic disassembling of the Peabody School System. I have no problem with the shrinking enrollments... in that case be SMART and close a school to consolidate students and continue to provide quality education. BUT NO. Instead we will hack away at the very people who provide the educational opportunities to our children that will lay the groundwork for the rest of their lives.

According to the article:

The school department has about 800 full-time employees compared to 457 for the remaining city departments. The school layoffs reflect the district's declining enrollment, Bonfanti said.

"You just can't keep hiring people," Bonfanti said. "There's got to be a point in time when you right-size."

City departments, he said, have done a better job keeping spending in check and leaving positions unfilled. "We've always run lean," Bonfanti said.

This is short sighted and will anger many in the community. However... it is politically saavy as Peabody's median population is over 40... meaning that the majority of voters in the City DO NOT HAVE CHILDREN IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM ANY LONGER. Thus the Mayor is promising CUTS to the school system and making the seniors (and others) very happy with only a tiny tax increase.

Now to make matters worse... Bonfanti has now PROMISED to build a new ASSISTED LIVING CENTER on the property at the Torigian Life Center (senior center.) I have no problem with additional assisted living centers as I think it is good for our seniors to have choices for living arrangements. I do not think that the City needs to be the developer for such an enterprise - especially in a market with many opportunites readily available.

There are 8,398 citizens over 65 living in Peabody. And they have a realively new senior center for their use. YET... we have more than 8,800 children aged 5-19 living in the City (according to the 2000 US Census.) This administration (and others) have talked (and talked and talked) about a facility for these children - a teen center or a youth center - BUT NOTHING EVER HAPPENS. Yes, they do have a Skate Park (thank you Vera Kolias), but that is not enough.

Does this not serve as yet another indication that the children of Peabody are MUCH LESS IMPORTANT than everyone else in this City? You can NOT call yourself the EDUCATION MAYOR and do these kinds of things to the youth you pretend to serve.

Moutsoulas will not seek re-election

2009-06-15T10:20:00.002-04:00

School Committee member Michael Moutsoulas has decided not to seek re-election to the school committee when his term expires in 2010.

Salem News: Incumbent decides against second term

The article notes that there are 3 members who have not yet pulled papers for re-election: Moutsoulas, Beverley Dunne and Edward Nizwantowski. So far the only new comers to the race are Jarrod Hochman, who ran in 2005, and Neil Papamechail.

This might lead to further speculation concerning Committee member Dunne who is rumored to be considering a run against Mayor Bonfanti.

Summer Reading: School Committee Knows Best!

2009-06-11T15:12:00.004-04:00

The Peabody School Committee, for a second year in a row, has decided to throw their learned weight around and yet again blast the PROFESSIONAL EDUCATORS who have selected an appropriate range of reading choices for the summer education and enjoyment of Peabody students.

The Lynn Item: Peabody school board questions suggested summer reading book

...and just for old times sake, the same controversy from LAST YEAR...

Salem News: Turf tangle over Peabody students' summer reading list
Salem News Editorial: Think before censoring school reading list
Salem News Editorial: Committee should keep hands off student reading list

First of all... my very favorite thing from this article is the fact that all these adults are yap-yap-yapping about a book that NONE OF THEM HAVE EVEN BOTHERED TO READ! NONE OF THEM. I mean, it's a KIDS BOOK! How long would it actually take to read it before casting it into the book burning pile?

So the book is called Sold by Patricia McCormick, and it centers about some pretty mature themes: prostitution, slavery, child abuse, etc. I do give Assistant Superintendent Joseph Mastrocola credit for defending the work of the school educators who selected this book. "I trust our staff and that's a selection they want to move forward with," he said. "Students do not have to read that book if they don't want to. It's suggested, not mandatory."

This is another wonderful example of what the School Committee does worst... trying to second guess those people who know better than them. Here is a little bit about this book (from the article) "...the rather racy book is both a 2006 National Book Award finalist and a 2007 ALA Best Books for Young Adults [selection]..."

But perhaps the best statement was by the original book banner herself... the person rumored to be mulling a run for mayor...
"...Committee member Beverley Dunne said because every child matures at a different age, it's appropriate for the schools to offer a wide range of books to meet their needs..."

Of course this was in contrast to these statements made about The Kite Runner and The Curious Case of the Dog who Barked in the Night, two books from previous years.
"If a book can't be read out loud at [school] committee's meetings, it doesn't belong on the list..." She said that the language in some books, especially Haddon's, couldn't be broadcast at the meeting and therefore shouldn't be imposed on students. "You're forcing them to read this book that, I'll be honest, if my children had brought it home from the library on their own, I would have considered it trash," Dunne said.

It is my opinion that the School Committee is NOT QUALIFIED to be choosing books for our students. Those are NOT the job of the committee and they do a poor enough job of doing what they are SUPPOSED TO BE DOING in the first place.

Some New Life For Downtown?

2009-06-04T20:28:00.004-04:00

Two projects were in the news concerning the Downtown area and they both are making me hopeful that we are on a path towards a better, more vibrant, Downtown Peabody. Now these things alone will not save or change anything, and let's face it, a CVS is just another separate parking, 'disconnected' store... but its a start.

The Peabody Lynnfield Weekly News:
Gateway site to city finally sees shovels in the ground
The Peabody Lynnfield Weekly News:
City moves ahead on second grant for Walnut St park
Note: the PLWN only maintains its web new for approximately one week

The Salem News: Legal spat aside, 'gateway CVS is a go

While I really can't imaging the need for an additional big-box drug store in Downtown (I mean we have the Walgreens on Main and the Walgreens just down the road in Salem) I will admit that I am not an expert on retail establishment real estate. So this new store will be just about half way between the two Walgreens.

The architectural rendering is very nice... but they always are. The proof will be in the pudding... will it look this nice when it is done? I certainly hope so. And let's face it, it is replacing a gigantic eye sore that has been looking worse everyday for the last 5 years.

I do hope that the city will be receiving some funding for the Riverwalk project (in land or $$$ - or both) as it will only make the area more attractive and thus better for all the stores in the area. Add this to the new gas station that Stop & Shop is planning and Howley Street will be rather spiffed up.

The Walnut Street Park is also back in the news - perhaps this time more for the fact that it DIDN'T result in yet another fracas at the City Council meeting.

It seem that Councilors Mello and Sinewitz have decided to not try and block the forward momentum towards building the park but, as Councilor Mello said, he is still against it.

“There’s no mistake that I was against this,” Mello said last month, adding that he now supported the plans with “great reservation.”

My guess is that " ...support[ing] the plan with great reservation" is code for I hate this project, but I better get on board because it is going to happen anyway. And I can only surmise that in the future one of two outcomes will happen:

1) The Park will be a failure: Mello will be handing out the blame saying "I TOLD YOU SO!"

2) The Park will be a success: Mello will be in the front of the line accepting the praise for his good work.

But enough about that. I am just happy that the majority of the Council and the administration recognise the wonderful potential this park holds.

Westside Restaurant Updated

2009-06-04T10:04:00.004-04:00

It seems to me like the Peabody Weekly News is becoming a better source of good reporting than any other newspaper around. Here is an update from them regarding the Westside Restaurant special permit and the ensuing controversies

The Peabody & Lynnfield Weekly News:
Council postpones vote on alcohol license for Westside
Note: PLWN articles are only available for approximately one week

I sincerely appreciate Councilor Bettencourt informing the public as to the nature of the emergency that led to the recess of the City Council meeting that evening. I am especially glad to hear that everyone is now fine and that his family is safe.

I stand by my previous comments that the meeting should not have been stopped. The fact that one councilor was not able to be present for the meeting (even though he did attend part of it) is irrelevant.

A quorum is the minimum number of meeting members that need to be present in order for official business to take place. For the City Council that number is 6.

Now a special permit needs to have a super majority (in this case 8 votes) in order to be approved. Thus, with Councilor Manning choosing to vote no the die was cast for the special permit to fail.

This is why I called into question the shenanigans that went on with Councilor Bettencourt's emergency call. It was not that he was responding to a family emergency - of course any good parent would have left to take care of his family - it was the closing of the meeting to prevent the special permit from failing.

Aside: I have reviewed all my comments made concerning this matter. I find that I have consistently sought WHY the meeting was postponed instead of continuing and I questioned the legitimacy of such actions. I also stated that IF the entire emergency was a concoction used to postpone the proceedings, that such actions would have been reprehensible. And because of the actions by the Council AFTER the departure of Councilor Bettencout, I felt it was important that it be reported what actually happened.

And while this apparently angered a few readers, it seems Councilor Bettencourt also felt the need to share the reasons for his departure with the press.

Link removed.

2009-05-31T21:31:00.002-04:00

I was asked to remove a link to one of the local blogs by the owner. I believe it is still up and running so do not construe that its removal from this blog has anything to do with its status.
-PI

UPDATED: Westside Restaurant zoning controversy

2009-05-28T17:07:00.007-04:00

** UPDATED IN NEW POST **

I don't really have an opinion either way about beer and wine at the Westside. I've never eaten there and I don't know anything about the restaurant's relationship with the neighborhood.

But I wonder where Councilor Athas got his law degree?? He fails to account for the entire section 1.5 Nonconformance of the Peabody Zoning Ordinance.

The Salem News: Westside seeks alcohol license
The Salem News Our View: Councilor didn;t want to hear it
The Salem News Letters to the Editor: Alcohol has no place in residential neighborhoods

Note: This post is written by Peabody Roundtable member Needham's Corner and may differ from the views of the Peabody Insider

A little background: when the Mass. Legislature adopted the Zoning Enabling Act (the "modern" act mostly dates from 1975, but there was a provision for nonconformance in the 1920 Act as well), they wanted a way to make sure that then-existing uses and structures would not be made illegal by subsequent local zoning ordinances and thus be considered a "taking" under the state and federal constitutions.

Our Peabody ordinance has a similar provision. It reads in part as follows:

"Any existing nonconforming use of a structure…may be changed or extended…provided that the special permit granting authority [that's the City Council, folks] determines, after a public hearing, by the grant of a special permit that such change, extension or alteration:
has adequate provision for offstreet parking; [and]
is similar in character, intensity of use, effect on adjacent property [and] effect on public hearing, morals, or safety as to be not substantially more detrimental to the neighborhood, than the existing nonconforming use…

Conditions may be placed on the special permit.

Westside is an existing nonconforming use, because it is in a residential district, and restaurants aren't allowed in that residential district.

But hold the phone: what this section of the ordinance means to this non-attorney observer is that the City Council COULD allow the restaurant use to be "changed or extended" to allow beer and wine IF (and only if) the Council found, after a public hearing, that there was enough parking, and that the restaurant with beer/wine was similar enough to a restaurant WITHOUT beer and wine so as not to be "substantially more detrimental to the neighborhood" (get out your dictionaries, folks).

Court opinions rely on dictionary definitions all the time. I'm no legal scholar but I've read a number that do. I guess Councilor Sinewitz hasn't read those. But maybe before he blasts City Solicitor Christopher (who IS an attorney) perhaps he and Councilor Athas would like to read the WHOLE zoning ordinance, not just randomly opine that because the restaurant is in a residential district they can't have beer and wine. Whine, indeed.

My bottom line: Westside is entitled to have a hearing. The Council should consider how detrimental beer and wine are to the neighborhood, and decide accordingly.

Peabody blogs are like the weather... ~UPDATED~

2009-05-27T12:48:00.004-04:00

Peabody blogs are like the weather... Wait a minute and they will all change! Except for the Peabody Roundtable of course.

It seems like the world of Peabody blogs has yet again had a sea change.

And a new version of The Peabody Patriot has emerged with nary a word about who is running it or what has transpired.

Keith has reopened Peabody Elections
Old Post: (Keith has changed the status of Peabody Elections to invited participants only (I am NOT one btw)...)

As always... interesting times here in Peabody.

Changes in Peabody Square?

2009-05-25T21:48:00.005-04:00

I must say I was a bit surprised this weekend when I saw that Peabody Square had finally gotten some new road stripes painted on the roadway. The old ones had been pretty badly worn away, but I just figured that this was yet another price we pay in Peabody for our unnaturally low tax rate.

THE OLD PEABODY SQUARE LAYOUT

So... hurray! They have finally restriped the road! But wait a second... The traffic entering the Square from Lowell Street can NO LONGER use both the left lane and the center lane to proceed straight onto Main Street...? And the striping that used to show two lanes traveling toward Salem on Main Street..., between Foster and Walgreen's are NO LONGER THERE!

THE NEW LAYOUT (FROM LOWELL ST)

What has happened? It seems that instead of discussing and debating the prospects of turning Main Street into a single-lane road... the new Director of Public Services has decided to start the process without the need for public or Council approval... is this the right way to do things in this City?

THE NEW LAYOUT (FROM MAIN ST)

Now, I am actually in favor of rethinking the traffic flow through downtown... and I very well may decide that the one-lane approach is the best one... but it needs to be discussed and debated and ONLY THEN should a change be made. This smacks of top-down arrogance to me.

Perhaps I am wrong about this... but this doesn't seem like the right way to proceed in these types of matters.

Peabody in the News Spotlight Again

2009-05-21T11:47:00.006-04:00

Well it seems that the executive director of the Peabody Housing Authority has been spending some quality time NOT at his desk... but in a local bar while on the clock. At least that is the story according to WHDH...

WHDH Video: Jonathan Hall Uncovers: Peabody Housing Authority
WHDH Article: Peabody Housing Authority
Salem News: Housing Authority to consider allegations against director

I know only two things that might matter here. The first is that people are innocent until proven guilty... even though this guy seem like he admits to the situation. And remember... it is this reporter's job to FIND and REPORT this stuff to GET RATINGS... so everything is always SPECTACULAR!

The second thing is that the Peabody Housing Authority is NOT a City function alone. In fact, the PHA does not report to the Mayor or City Hall at all. This doesn't mean that the City shouldn't be concerned about this behavior... but when folks go to hand out the blame... this really isn't a City Government issue.

Of course... WONDERFUL! If this is true we have yet another Public Employee behaving badly and we have more fodder for the media to beat up on all the good honest hard working public employees.

Now... I am not declaring this man guilty... in fact I was impressed with both his candor and his (partial) explanation for his being away from his duties. So I am interested in seeing what transpires over the next few days.

It is just sad to have PEABODY dragged through the mud in the press yet again.

Thanks to the Anon who posted the link!

Peabody Schools: All News is Bad News?

2009-05-20T22:35:00.007-04:00

Peabody Schools in Free Fall? What is it about Peabody and its attitude towards education?

= = = = = U P D A T E D = = = = =

In a series of news stories this week the school system and particularly the ADULT PROFESSIONALS who claim to be running it, have shown themselves to be concerned much more about personal agendas and THE BOTTOM LINE rather than how to provide each and every child in the City of Peabody a first class education. I am not speaking of the teachers here... but rather the School Administration, the School Committee and City Hall.

Peabody and Lynnfield Weekly News:....Note: PLWN links expire in 7 days
Greek language course dominates board’s decision on high school cuts
and
Salem News: Principal, superintendent spar over Greek

How stupid is this? We are cutting basic services left and right because "the budget demands it" and yet we have special cases where 27 (yes that is correct, 27 out of 1900 students at the High School) students have enrolled in Greek Language (and culture) classes at PVMHS - and Superintendent Burnett... and a majority of the school committee, including the tie-breaker, Mayor Bonfanti, were willing to keep that program in place and cut teachers in other core curriculum areas.

This is laughable and reeks of special consideration. Yet another black day in Peabody Education.

===

Of course... no one was willing to have a three hour verbal fight over the fate of the people most responsible for your children's educational success after their teachers...

Salem News: School Committee mulls plan to cut aides' hours
Lynn Item: Peabody school board continues to search for ways to trim budget

These are just more expendable fodder for the LOWEST TAXES IN THE REGION war that seems to be Peabody's only concern.

===

And then this gem of an idea!

Salem News: Peabody schools give parents free passes to games

So we are going to make the parents pay extra money so that their children can participate in all extra curricular activities. We are doing this because the schools do not have enough money. One way they currently raise some money for these activities is by charging admission to these events.

Ready for the brilliance of our elected School Committee!??!

Since the parents are going to be paying a fee for their children to play... they no longer need to pay admission fees! The problem is... they were going to pay this already! Hello!? And then the geniuses figured that since the parents will be getting in for free now... they will bring (drag?) along OTHER PAYING PEOPLE to come and fund the events.

Clue: Most people who attend the majority of these events ARE PARENTS.

===

Here is bad news masquerading as good:

Salem News: Grant will help students, teachers

It seems some industrious Higgins teachers found, wrote and won a $10,000 grant from Verizon to purchase a laptop computer and projector and to get 10 teachers trained to better prepare students for MCAS success. But this grant was undertaken because the very successful after-school MCAS Camp program was eliminated.

===

= = = = = U P D A T E D = = = = =

Maybe you are tired of seeing your Peabody schools being run in ways you would rather not see? Well why not become involved and be a part of the official screening committee for a new Higgins Principal.

TOO LATE! It seems that while Superintendent Burnett invited people to join this group on May xx, 2009... it was really already selected... Just one more public mistake in the land of Peabody Public School Administration? I would like to think so but I wonder if this means the entire screening committee will return a predetermined outcome as well?

Salem News: 32 apply for Higgins School principal position
Salem News: Superintendent invites staff and public to focus groups

....Those interested in serving on the screening committee must send a letter to the attention of:
Human Resources Director Louise Genualdo
Kiley Administration Building
21 Johnson St.
Peabody, MA 01960

Rehab Five - Something you might not know about Peabody

2009-05-19T21:19:00.006-04:00

Rehab Five - - - - http://www.rehabfive.org/

I came across a quick reference to Rehab Five in someone else's blog (sorry, I really can't remember where it was) and I was curious about what it was. And if you don't already know, this might be of interest to you as well.

Rehab Five (more officially known as Community Service Emergency Rehab LTD) is a non-profit group of 25+ volunteers (all current or former fire fighters, dispatchers or EMTs) who show up at major fire locations with the sole intent of helping to REHAB the working men and women on the scene.

While I will not do them justice here (and I strongly suggest you visit their website) they are not just handing out bottles of water - although they certainly do that as well. Part of their formal mission involves setting up tents where fire personnel are given medical assessments and given a calm environment where they can intake fluids and cool body temperatures.

There is also a glove exchange program where fire fighters can get a dry pair of gloves to continue working in a safer and more comfortable environment. Rehab Five collects, cleans, washes and dries the gloves and makes them available at the next fire event.

Rehab Five covers the entire Southern Essex County Area (District Five) and serves the needs of 21 cities and towns from Nahant to Essex, North Reading to Rockport.

From what I understand, this seems like one of those local groups of people we should be proud to call our neighbors. I believe they even started right here in Peabody and that is where their mailing address is still.

And speaking of that... If you find this to be a worthwhile cause you might just consider a donation. Their Donations page is here:___ http://www.rehabfive.org/donate.php

Disclaimer: I have absolutely nothing to do with this organization nor do I even know the people running it... they just seem like good folks.

Stop & Shop wants to build a new gas station

2009-05-19T16:40:00.005-04:00

The Stop & Shop on Howley Street is looking to build a new 4-pump gas station with convenience items in the front of its parking lot.

The Lynn Item: Peabody Stop & Shop eyes gas station addition

The store is selling this as a great way to help solidify its base of shoppers by providing services they need... and offering a discount to them as well. It will be a strictly self-service location with no repair facilities.

Of course, new gas stations require new gas tanks - a total of 40,000 gallons of fuel will be stored on the site.

The store says that 52 parking spaces will be lost... but this is really NOT a worry for this location. I have NEVER been in this store when it was even close to crowded, and that includes the Holiday Rush(es). The only exception was during one late afternoon blizzard which iced over Howley Street leaving NO WAY to leave! Both directions were practically impassable until the City plows arrived (difficult due to the traffic conundrum on Lowell St).So my feeling is this has little to do with serving the current customers of the store and all about profits for a less-than-successful location. In fact, I wonder if this was not part of the plan all along when you consider the enormous size of their parking lot.

Should the City allow this? Well I wonder about the safety of underground storage tanks in flood prone areas (and no matter what this will always be a flood prone area) BUT the new modern tanks are much safer than the old ones (those are what we really need to worry about.) There are actually very few neighbors to impact here, so that shouldn't be a big problem.

However, I do see an issue or two that I would insist be addressed in the approval granting process here.

1) Stop & Shop needs to contribute both money and land to further fund and create the River Walk project which will eventually need to integrate with its property.

2) Stop & Shop needs to improve the traffic flows through the intersections with Howley Street at both Main and Walnut Streets.

I originally proposed new traffic lights to be coordinated all along Howley (see below) but WGAF made a good case against it... so I softened my proposal.

======OLD=VERSION=BELOW=====
However, I do see two issues that I would insist be addressed in the approval granting process here.

1) Stop & Shop needs to pay to install new traffic signals installed at both entrances to the Stop & Shop facility as well as at the intersection of Howley and Walnut... AND all 4 lights (Main & Howley also) need to be synchronized to work well together.

2) Stop & Shop needs to contribute both money and land to further fund and create the River Walk project which will eventually need to integrate with its property.

Walnut Street Park -- One Step Closer

2009-05-18T02:10:00.005-04:00

The City Council gave its approval for the City to move forward in applying for loans to clean-up the proposed park site on Walnut Street.

The Lynn Item: Peabody council OKs application for funds

The Councils vote allows Community Development to apply for $550,000 in State funding from the Massachusetts Parkland Acquisition and Renovation for Communities Grant Program.

The park will be a welcome addition to the woefully under served area - giving the neighborhood a place to gather as well as becoming a launching point for the long overdue Downtown Riverwalk.

Of course Councilor Mello again expressed his anger that such a project was going forward in his ward despite his protestations.

"I was against the city purchasing this property because we will be spending a half million to clean it up when the landlord should have cleaned it," he said. "But the council chose differently. We've made a sinkhole here, make no mistake. It's an area that is hard to secure, there will be children playing by the train tracks... I wish it never had passed."

A sinkhole. This man has absolutely no vision. And kids will be playing on the train tracks?? HEAVENS NO! Councilor... take a look at the situation RIGHT NOW! They are already playing on the train tracks... maybe a NEW PARK will give them a different place to play? It's called leadership. It is what your constituents need right now. Be that person or move on.

NECN and Billy Costa visit Peabody hungry... and leave satisfied!

2009-05-17T20:23:00.004-04:00

New England Cable News is one of the first places I turn to for breaking local news... now granted breaking news means in the first 6-8 hours... but where else are you going to turn?

And one good thing about NECN is Billy Costa and his quest for gastronomical greatness. His program Destinations was in Peabody this week looking for a few good places to enjoy dinner. I thought it was worth sharing.

Destination Peabody: Pellana

Destination Peabody: O'Fado

Destination Peabody: Westside Family Restaurant

Destination Peabody: Sugar Cane

And one more feature of the NECN site is Pipin Hot Spots. In this segment they discuss some Peabody favorites: Petrillo's, Su-Chang's, Fire Bull and Toscana's.

Election Discussions: Comment space is now ready for each of the major races

2009-05-17T19:47:00.002-04:00

There are 10 separate comment posts that will have a direct link on the home page (see left).

I was asked to provide a place for commentary and discussion on the many races that are underway for the 2009 city elections.

I have provided a separate post for each race. If you have something to say or discuss about any of these races... that is one place for you to go.

This does NOT mean that we will not be discussing the important topics and concerns in the normal course of the blog... it simply offers readers an alternative place to make comments and engage their fellow citizens.

Teachers to give up raises? I doubt it.

2009-05-13T08:09:00.006-04:00

School Committee member Dave McGeney has proposed the elimination of the $1.2 Million dollars in raises that the City and Union agreed to for FY 2010.

The Lynn Item: Peabody school board proposes waiving $1.2M in teachers' raises
The Salem News: Peabody unions asked to help cut expenses

Now one could be an optimist and say that in these hard economic times we all need to pull together and share the burdens for the common good...
or just as likely one might say that the City has dragged their heels and treated the teachers with utter contempt for three plus long years by not agreeing to a contract... to ask these people to give it up after this long hard fight is ridiculous...

So what will the outcome be? Well I see this as a lose-lose situation for the teachers AND the citizens. The teachers are constantly hammered because the public expects teachers to simply be happy to have the honor of teaching today's youths (and tomorrow's leaders) and believes that substandard pay for high credentials is completely warranted. And at the same time, the teachers are more than happy to screw over their own people (think younger, newer teachers) for the benefit of the older teachers.

It saddens me greatly to see the way the general public looks down at teachers who each and every day do a very difficult job - perhaps the most important job for the future of our City and Country... and yet at the same time the actions of the teachers union(s) does nothing but reinforce these attitudes by behaving greedily and NOT in the best interest of the long-term viability of the public school teaching profession.

This will probably not be happening in Peabody anytime soon. My bet is the unions would rather have many fewer teachers making more money instead of more teachers making less money. But time will tell.

Peabody Patriot... Gone Again?

2009-05-05T22:23:00.007-04:00

It seems that the Peabody Patriot has, once again, left the building.

There was a cryptic message of a sort up on the site a few days back... which vanished a few hours later.

~~Click to see the Cryptic Posting~~~

And then today ~poof~

Some people with claims of knowledge have posted here (see comments) but I have no personal knowledge of what happened at the Patriot this time.

I will say that running a blog is a tremendous amount of work and running a good one is 10x tougher. Add to that the R_E_A_L_L_Y slow news about Peabody for the last few weeks (and many fewer posts and/or comments) and perhaps the Patriot needed a break.

I will continue to be here and the Peabody Elections blog seems intact. I welcome the Patriot if he/she decides to come back as I don;t see anything wrong with more people discussing the issues important to the City of Peabody and her fine citizens.

Spring Pond - Clean Again!

2009-05-04T09:58:00.000-04:00

The City is reporting that the sludge dumped by the City into Spring Pond over the course of many years, has been cleaned up and they have met the DEP deadlines.

Salem News: Spring Pond cleanup costs city $393,000

While there are certainly unanswered questions, and many more unsubstantiated rumors and claims/cross claims, surrounding the many years of intentional "overflow" dumping of water treatment sludge into Spring Pond... it is good to know that the work is complete and that the pond is back to its original state.

Here are some images from GoogleMaps and Maps.Live to refresh your memory of the situation. Click on each for a larger view.

The original intent of the (almost) $1 million dollar bond was not to just clean up the sludge, but to purchase new equipment and upgrade the facilities. I could not find the original estimates for each portion of the project, but I believe these numbers ($393,000) for clean up costs was in the estimated range.

For all the talk at the time, there has been little public discussion concerning the who, when and why this all happened from City Government. I would certainly be more in favor of a real investigation into this matter and a public airing of the findings. I feel this is important especially since so many wild allegations have been thrown around in the blogs and the street corners, ball fields and coffee shops.

So while I am glad this clean up in done, I would like to have seen the 'report' on the reasons we needed to do it in the first place.

Mood: disappointed

2009-05-02T10:48:00.004-04:00

Did anyone catch the Boston Globe article in Thursday's paper (buried on p B9) about the recently-released list of "bio-ready" communities?

The Boston Globe: 'Bio-ready' communities in state named

These are places that have "positioned themselves as destinations for [biotech] labs or manufacturing plants." The top-rated places have appropriate zoning and a permitting process and available sites or buildings. In addition to places like Cambridge, Waltham and Boston, the top-rated places include (on the North Shore) Beverly, Haverhill, and North Andover. Second-tier places in the region (again, on the North Shore only) include Lynn, Newburyport, Reading, Everett, Lawrence, and Salem. Forty-four of the 351 communities in MA are on the list.

What are we, chopped liver? We have an industrial park with lots of space, a highway strip (Route One) crying out for something better than chain restaurants and cut-rate hotels, good infrastructure, a host of medical-related facilities, and a highway-oriented location that is one of the best in the state. Did Peabody even apply to the Mass. Biotech Council for consideration?? Readers, enlighten us here at the Roundtable!

Electric Light Commission

2009-05-01T22:00:00.001-04:00

This is the area for people to post comments on the on-going race for the Municipal Light Commission, four candidates are vying for two seats for a six-year term:

Incumbents:
Robert O. Wheatley
Thomas J. Paras

Challengers:
Charles W. Bonfanti
Fred R. Chancey

School Committee

2009-05-01T21:00:00.001-04:00

This is the area for people to post comments on the race for School Committee which has three seats open:

Incumbents:
Beverley A. Griffin Dunne
Edward M. Nizwantowski

Challengers:
Jarrod M. Hochman
John C. Olimpio
Thomas J. Rossignoll

Incumbent Mike Moutsoulas is not seeking re-election

Mayor

2009-05-01T20:00:00.001-04:00

This is the area for people to post comments on the race for Mayor

Incumbent:
Michael J. Bonfanti

Challenger:
Russell P. Donovan

City Council At-Large

2009-05-01T19:00:00.001-04:00

This is the area for people to post comments on the race for the five At-Large City Councilors positions:

Incumbents:
Edward A. Bettencourt Jr.
Michael V. Garabedian
James K. Liacos
Anne M. Manning
David C. Gravel

Challengers:
William C. Aylward
James Moutsoulas

Ward 6: City Council

2009-05-01T18:00:00.002-04:00

This is the area for people to post comments on the race for Ward 6 City Councilor.

Incumbent:
Barry C. Sinewitz

Challenger:
Ronald A. Sheehan

Ward 5: City Council

2009-05-01T17:00:00.001-04:00

This is the area for people to post comments on the race for Ward 5 City Councilor

Incumbent:
David R. Gamache (unopposed)

Library Trustee

2009-05-01T16:53:00.000-04:00

This is the area for people to post comments on the race for Library Trustee (4 seats):

Incumbents:
Margaret E. Tierney

Challengers:
Richard C. Shruhan
Anne V. Quinn
Wesley R. Merrill

Ward 4: City Council

2009-05-01T16:00:00.001-04:00

This is the area for people to post comments on the race for Ward 4 City Councilor

Incumbent:
Robert E. Driscoll

Challenger:
Jeffrey B. Grayson

Ward 3: City Council

2009-05-01T15:00:00.001-04:00

This is the area for people to post comments on the on-going race for Ward 3 City Councilor

Incumbent:
Rico E. Mello (unopposed).

Ward 2: City Council

2009-05-01T14:00:00.001-04:00

This is the area for people to post comments on the on-going race for Ward 2 City Councilor

Incumbent:
Arthur Athas (unopposed).