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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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)

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!

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...

*** 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.