Spring Pond - Clean Again!

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.

Crystal Lake - Cleanup Soon?!!?

The cleanup and dredging of Crystal Lake and Elginwood Pond seems to be one BIG step closer to getting underway with a report to the City Council from Assistant Planning Director Blair Haney.

The Lynn Item: Peabody pond dredging projects estimated below price expectations

This is very welcome news indeed! Haney told the councilors that not only was the project going to cost significantly less, but the estimated time to complete the work is mush less as well!

And Haney made the STRONG POINT that all the studies that were performed during the past few years have PAID OFF WELL in determining the causes of the vegetation and how to control them in the future.

Score one for science and logic. Kudos to the Community Development Department on this one.

Despite some folks fear that this project will not happen until they are in the Torigian Center (wink @ OG) it looks like progress (and pride) is alive in Peabody still.

Bike Path Work Stops - Will Restart in Spring

The Lynn Item: Peabody bike path work comes to halt

The bike path seems to be well on its way to completion. I have heard from many folks now who tell me they have already begun using the trail (in the snow) for both cross country skiing and snow shoeing.

Frankly I am not one who relishes hours of frigid trekking through the snow, especially not for fun! But I am looking forward to spring and walking the bike path. Folks have told me that they didn't know Peabody was so beautiful as they traversed the ponds and pathways. Even folks who are frequent Brooksby visitors tell me the bike path is going to be the best thing the City has done in years.

HECK... I might even need to fix up that old derelict bike in the garage.